The Arizona football team definitely has things to worry about.
Several players sustained injuries in the Wildcats’ win over North Texas last weekend. The injuries will complicate Arizona’s strategy and performance when the Wildcats take on Oregon this weekend.
Halfback Clarence Farmer is the biggest loss for the Wildcats. Farmer suffered a knee injury against the Mean Green of North Texas and was scheduled to have surgery Tuesday.
Farmer is considered one of the best in the nation at his position. He was the Pac-10 Conference’s rushing leader in 2001 with 1,229 yards, the fourth-highest single-season total in Arizona history. Farmer was second in the Pac-10 at 111.7 yards per game.
After four games this season, Farmer is averaging 78 yards per game.
“Farmer is our leading rusher, so not having him available impacts us a lot,” Arizona head coach John Mackovic said.
And the pain is far from over.
Cornerback Michael Jolivette is also out with a knee injury that occurred in practice before Arizona’s game against Wisconsin on Sept. 21. Jolivette is the team’s top cornerback and led the squad with five interceptions last year.
Jolivette also set Arizona’s single-season record by breaking up 20 passes in 2001.
Safety Clay Hardt will be out because of an ankle injury that happened against Wisconsin. Hardt had 262 tackles — including 21 solo tackles — for the Wildcats last year.
Other substantial injuries that may hinder Arizona include linebacker Lance Briggs and defensive tackle Brad Brittain, both hurt during the North Texas game, along with many more players. Briggs and Brittain are still questionable.
“Right now, we have to get our best football players on the field,” Mackovic said. “I would tell the next guy in line that it’s his turn to step up, and I would tell the guy who has been here a while that he has to shore it up. We need more people stepping up this week.”
One of those players that needs to step up is redshirt freshman Mike Bell at halfback. Bell is a long way from filling Farmer’s shoes, but he continues to prove himself. He helped the Wildcats over the Mean Green by running 14 yards for a touchdown in the final 2:30.
“Mike Bell is ready for this,” Mackovic said. “He does a good job, and he knows what we’re doing. He knows our blocking and pass protection and has a nice feel for the game.”
The Wildcat defeat of North Texas, 14-9, improved their record to 3-1. Their only loss came at the hands of Wisconsin, 31-10.
Quarterback Jason Johnson passed for 189 yards against North Texas in a win that was far more difficult than expected last week. The Mean Green entered the game ranked last among the 117 Division 1-A schools in total offense.
Johnson is averaging almost 279 passing yards per game in 2002 and has a 58.4 completion percentage.
Despite the solid record, coach Mackovic is not satisfied with his team’s performance this season.
“We haven’t run the ball very well, and we haven’t run the ball with power,” he said. “You can’t pass all of the time. We are just not strong enough physically to run the ball in terms of power running and power blocking.”
The pressure will be riding on Johnson’s shoulders as the Wildcats try to recover without some of their star players. Arizona will have quite a task to get over its injuries as it squares off with Oregon on Saturday.