Arizona began the 2010-11 season with a bang, speeding out to a 7-1 overall record, going 4-1 in conference play before losing its last five games straight, including a 30-29 overtime heartbreaker to Arizona State in Week 12. 

Mike Stoops 7-6 (4-5)

Their hopes of a conference title were squashed and things didn’t get much better as the Wildcats ended the year with a humiliating 36-10 loss against Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl.

The Wildcats have just 10 starters returning to the locker room this season and although the bring back some key contributors on offense and defense, they will have to rely on a lot of inexperienced players to get them back in the hunt this coming season.

The following is a breakdown of how the Wildcats stack up in the new PAC-12, as well as my prediction on where they will end up when the season comes to a close.

Senior quarterback Nick Foles, who is coming off an incredible run in 2010, will be one of just five offensive starters for the ‘Cats this coming season. Foles finished the season completing 67 percent of his passes for 3,191 yards with 20 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions. If he gets the protection he needs from an offensive line that doesn’t return a single starter, he could put up even better numbers in 2011 with all their top skill players back. If not, he could be in for a very long season.

That same young line that includes redshirt freshmen Fabbians Ebbele and Mickey Baucus at the two tackle spots, must also provide adequate run blocking support for the Keola Antolin, the ‘Cats leading rusher the past two seasons, with 143-668 and seven TDs in 2010 and 637 yards on 114 carries in 2009. Antolin can expect his number of carries to increase even more this coming season with the loss of backup Nic Grigsby, who had 533 yards and eight touchdowns in 2010. &Image

Again, Arizona will be dangerous in the air, bringing back all four of their top receivers from 2010, which at this point in the preseason, combined with Foles, look to be the best in the PAC-12. High flying senior Juron Cringer leads the group and is coming of an 82 catch, 1233-yard season that resulted in a school record-tying 11 touchdowns. Senior David Roberts, (52 catches for 515 yards), and junior Dan Buckner, (44 catches for 487 yards and 2 TDs) also return.

Arizona returns just one of its five defensive starters in the trenches this season in sophomore DT Justin Washington who had six sacks and 5.5 tackles for a loss as a freshman last year. Washington will get help from seniors Mohammed Usman and C.J. Parish who will bookend the Wildcats’ line.

Just behind them, seniors Paul Vassallo and Derek Earls will return at the linebacker position. Vassallo had a monster junior season, leading the team with 102 tackles while juco transfer Earls notched 44 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and four passes defended in 12 starts. Rounding out the corp. will be redshirt freshman Kyle Benson and senior Bilal Muhammed, who will replace 2010 eight-game starter Jake Fischer who will start the season on the sidelines with a torn ACL.

Finally, the Wildcats secondary should be up to the task, returning senior cornerback Trevin Wade, and senior free safety Robert Golden who did a good job suffocating the opposition’s passing attack last season.

They will also enlist the help of underclassmen Shaquille Richardson (1 INT in three starts in 2010) and 13-game starter Marquis Flowers at strong safety.

With the Wildcats lines being a little thin on both sides of the ball, Mike Stoops has a big task hand, and baring any major injuries should finish mid pack.

9/3/11 1200 PM ET Northern ARI. 9/8/11 800 PM ET @OKLST 9/17/11 945 PM ET STAN 9/24/11 915 PM ET ORE 10/1/11 1200 PM ET @USC 10/8/11 1200 PM ET @OREST 10/20/11 900 PM ET UCLA 10/29/11 1200 PM ET @WASH 11/5/11 1200 PM ET UTAH 11/12/11 1200 PM ET @COL 11/19/11 1200 PM ET @ARZST 11/26/11 1200 PM ET ULLAF

Well cover as many Division College football teams as we can during the 2011 off-season so keep checking in for more college football previews for the 2011-2012 NCAA Football Season!

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