Arizona football is nearly wrapping up the first week of training camp and the Wildcats held Friday's practice inside Arizona Stadium with the players wearing shells (some pads) with more contact than the first two days.
Another day in meant another player who was sidelined getting back on the field and starting the process of gearing up for the 2024 season. On Friday it was cornerback Tacario Davis, who got back on the field and looked like he didn't miss any time.
With more contact on the field came more energy out of the players as they try to leave an impression on the coaching staff as they look to figure out their roster ahead of the season.
Although the Arizona heat was a blistering 98 degrees, the Wildcats' offense was ice cold in multiple drills with the defense winning the day. In Friday's three-point stance we'll be going over the frustrating day for the offense, adjustments at the cornerback position and the development of the receiver position.
Three observations
The offense was ice cold
Across all levels of football, it is normal for the defense to be ahead of the offense when opening up training camp. That's definitely been the case for Arizona through the first two days, still the offense has had its moments.
However on Friday, the offense struggled mightily and had its worst practice thus far with the defense dominating 11-on-11 drills. This was especially true in the passing game with quarterback Noah Fifita having an off day and throwing multiple interceptions and missing wide open receivers.
Is it anything to be worried about? Certainly not. It's early in camp, defenses are going to have their moments and Fifita isn't always going to be perfect every single practice.
Still, it is noteworthy based on the fact that the offense is trying to figure out the new system under offensive coordinator Dino Babers that is a mix of what the players know and what he is implementing. So, it won't always look great early on in camp.