[tps_title]What to do without a break?[/tps_title]
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As Corky Simpson mentioned, the best approach for Rich Rodriguez is to not talk about 12 straight weeks without a break.
If you want to get technical about it, Rodriguez and his staff can use the next two weeks as “weeks off” before playing Texas-San Antonio in the season opener Sept. 3. And at least Arizona has nine days between playing the Roadrunners and traveling to Nevada to play the Wolfpack on Sept. 12.
Between now and the season opener, expect Arizona’s coaches to keep things lighter than usual without very physical tackling drills heading into the season. This will be a grind of a season. Why put the players through a grind before the season starts?
Moreover, the Wildcats will be favored in their first three weeks against non-conference foes UTSA, Nevada and NAU. That means Rodriguez and Co. might have the luxury to rest his first teamers in the second half if the games become lopsided. The onus is on the starters to make that happen.
Some might argue the Sept. 19 game against NAU, an FBC school, is as close to an “off week” Arizona will get, although NAU will not look it at that way.
The following week comes UCLA for the Pac-12 opener at Arizona Stadium. That’s when Arizona’s real season starts.
Who knows? If the Wildcats string a few wins together during the Pac-12 portion of the schedule, they will not want to take a week off.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He has also written articles for Bleacher Report and
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