Arizona Wildcats using Pac-12 loss as Fiesta Bowl motivation
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez is still angry about the way his team played in the Pac-12 Championship game.
He hopes his players are, too.
Asked if the 51-13 loss to Oregon on Dec. 5 might serve as motivation for the Vizio Fiesta Bowl Wednesday against Boise State, Rodriguez replied, "I hope so. I'm still ticked. I've probably been miserable to be around, at home and in the office.
"Normally it's the 24-hour rule during the season. Win or lose you move on. But that one lingered for a while because we just didn't play well. That being said once we got back on campus and working again I think we got into our routine and I was pleased with the work our guys put in. I think we're focused on the task at hand."
The best news for Arizona: Rodriguez said freshman quarterback Anu Solomon has recovered from the sprained foot that limited his effectiveness the final month of the regular season and, in particular, the Pac-12 Championship game when he played only a half, completing 6 of 12 passes for 34 yards. Rodriguez said having a week off after that game accelerated the healing process and Solomon should be 100 percent for the Fiesta Bowl.
Rodriguez said he wanted his players to enjoy the week in the Valley but added, "The most important thing is to keep the main thing the main thing, which is getting ready to play a great ballgame against a very good football team on (Wednesday)."
Rodriguez said he doesn't believe Arizona (10-3) will take Boise State lightly. The Broncos are 11-2 and feature one of the country's top running backs in junior Jay Ajayi, who has rushed for 1,689 yards and 25 touchdowns this season.
"They're very athletic. They play extremely hard and are very physical," Rodriguez said. "I think they're probably underrated in their athleticism. Watching them they got a lot of guys that can play for a lot of people. Their running back in particular is an NFL guy."
Rodriguez didn't buy into the notion that bowl games outside college football's new playoff system have taken a hit either in terms of reputation or status. The Fiesta Bowl is part of the so-called "New Year's Six" bowls.
"You want to be on the biggest stage and other than the four teams in the playoffs this is the biggest stage," he said.
This is Arizona's 19th bowl game and its third Fiesta Bowl appearance. Pittsburgh beat Arizona, 16-10, in 1979. Fifteen years later the Wildcats' famed "Desert Swarm" defense shut out Miami, 29-0.
Arizona won its last bowl game, beating Boston College, 42-19, in the 2013 AdvoCare V100 Bowl behind Ka'Deem Carey's 169 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
