[tps_title]How much is Scooby’s presence a factor?[/tps_title]
A ton. His teammates will get a lift simply seeing him in pads with the black paint on his face tomorrow.
The national television audience will see him often because undoubtedly the ABC cameras will be on him more than anybody.
Whether Wright participates in most of the defensive plays or 50 percent of them, it will make a difference. Enough for a victory? That’s debatable because Wright, who underwent a medical procedure on a torn meniscus three weeks ago, does not play all the other 21 positions on the field for Arizona.
When Rob Waldrop opted to play in the 1994 Fiesta Bowl against Miami — he was given the option to sit because of knee surgery a month prior — it meant that the Desert Swarm remained intact.
They shut down Miami with a 29-0 score. If Waldrop was on the sideline in street clothes, who knows? He was the Outland Trophy winner that year. The psyche of a college team can easily shift.
Arizona’s defense, beleaguered with injuries at linebacker and susceptible against the run, will get a charge from No. 33 out there. That can’t be underestimated.
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