Head coach Rich Rodriguez might need to return Arizona football to bowl eligibility to save his job. Can the Wildcats rebound in a deep Pac-12 South?
Three years ago, the Arizona Wildcats were playing for the Pac-12 championship against Oregon. Though they lost the conference title to the Ducks, Arizona went on to play Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. That was the third of four straight bowl appearances by the Wildcats after Rich Rodriguez took over for interim coach Tim Kish in Tucson.
Things cratered last year for Arizona. After going bowling in seven of the previous eight seasons, the Wildcats went 3-9. That marked the fewest wins by an Arizona team since the first years of Mike Stoops‘ time at the school. Arizona did, however, win the Territorial Cup in a 56-35 rout of rival Arizona State in the season finale.
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Rodriguez will be hoping that the momentum of that Black Friday victory carries over into 2017. Otherwise, he could find himself out of employment. Once a team has come close to a conference title, after all, it is inevitable that the fan base will long for another shot at the crown.
The parts are in place for a return to the postseason, with a manageable non-conference schedule and favorable pairings from the Pac-12 North. Contending for the Pac-12 South might be another question, but any bowl game should be enough to save Rich Rodriguez’s job. To get back to a bowl game, Arizona will need more consistent production from all units. Which players will need to step up for the Wildcats to rise to the challenge?