蜜聊直播

The 蜜聊直播 蜜聊直播 will try to wrap up conference play with a win Friday, when they take on UTEP in El Paso. Here's a look at what Star reporters Michael Lev and Zack Rosenblatt are talking about as the team travels east.聽

If you experienced d茅j脿 vu during the 蜜聊直播 蜜聊直播鈥� game against Houston last week, you weren鈥檛 alone.

Imagine what Cha-Ron Harris was feeling.

Her son, freshman Jalen Harris, wore a new number against the Cougars 鈥� the same No. 49 that his father, Sean, donned as a Wildcat.

Cha-Ron, who played basketball for 蜜聊直播 in the mid-1990s, reacted giddily to the news. Sean, a star linebacker for the Desert Swarm-era 蜜聊直播, framed it as a challenge for his oldest son.

鈥淗e was happy for me,鈥� Jalen Harris said. 鈥淏ut he was like, 鈥榊ou鈥檒l never be as good as me.鈥� That always makes me want to be better than him. He said, 鈥楾he best guy already wore that number.鈥欌��

Jalen Harris laughed as he told that story. He explained earlier this summer that Sean always has pushed him and younger brother Jason, a big-time two-sport prospect at Gilbert Higley High, to be the best versions of themselves.

鈥淗e always told us we had to compete,鈥� Jalen Harris said. 鈥淲e learned to have a good work ethic through him. Sometimes we wouldn鈥檛 want to work out; he鈥檇 make us work out. Now I鈥檓 happy he taught me that. Now I can do it myself. I know I gotta push through it and get better.鈥�

Although he isn鈥檛 as big and strong as he needs to 鈥� the 6-foot-4-inch Harris reported to 蜜聊直播 at 205 pounds and was up to 215 on the eve of the season 鈥� the freshman from Mesa Desert Ridge has worked his way into the rotation. He has come off the bench at the 鈥淪tud鈥� position and has four tackles in two games.

Harris started out wearing No. 52. But when special-teams coordinator Brian Knorr wanted to give him a look on the wing of the field-goal team, Harris needed to have an eligible receiver鈥檚 number.

鈥淎t first, I wasn鈥檛 really thinking about it,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淚t was just, whatever number I get. Then Coach Knorr asked me, 鈥榃hat number was your dad?鈥� I told him 49. He鈥檚 like, 鈥楧o you want that number?鈥� I said, 鈥極f course, why wouldn鈥檛 I?鈥欌��

Cornerback Lee Pitts had been wearing 49 and agreed to surrender it.

Now the real work begins for Harris 鈥� not only living up to his father鈥檚 name, but his number.

Jalen acknowledges that Sean was a 鈥済reat player鈥� at 蜜聊直播, an All-American and a third-round draft pick. Jalen is striving to be 鈥済reater.鈥� It starts with heeding his father鈥檚 advice, which Jalen summarized as follows:

鈥淚鈥檓 competing against not just my teammates but everybody in the whole country. I gotta make sure I do the extra work. That鈥檚 what separates you from everybody else.鈥�

The 蜜聊直播 蜜聊直播 gave out Rob Gronkowski bobbleheads in Week 1. In Week 2, they honored him again.聽

Freshman Bryce Wolma started in place of an injured Trevor Wood in Saturday's game against Houston, and finished with five catches for 38 yards. The game marked the first time a UA tight end caught five passes or more in a game since Gronkowski owned 蜜聊直播 State at the end of the 2008 season.

鈥淚t felt amazing,鈥� Wolma said. 鈥淚 mean, just going out there and first of all, just being able to start and getting into that role was really cool. I was a little nervous at the start but once I started getting in the groove of things it felt good. I got five catches, I鈥檇 say I had a pretty good day.鈥�

Gronkowski finished his UA career with 75 catches for 1,197 yards and 16 touchdowns in 22 games. 聽In the 104 games after that, and before Wolma's performance Saturday, UA tight ends caught just 44 passes for 417 yards and four scores. 聽(Terrence Miller played a tight end-receiver hybrid role in 2013 and finished with 40 catches, but we鈥檙e leaving him out of this discussion.)

UA coach Rich Rodriguez has insisted the 蜜聊直播 would throw to the tight ends more, but it hadn't materialized until last week. The 蜜聊直播 seem likely to use Wood and Wolma more this year, and could dedicate themselves to a more tight end-friendly offense going forward. Earlier this week,聽蜜聊直播 secured a verbal commitment from 2018 tight end Jake Peterson.聽

It was fitting that Wolma was the one to change the course.聽

The 6-foot-3-inch, 239-pound Wolma is from Saline, Michigan. In middle school, he played football with Rhett Rodriguez, the UA quarterback and 蜜聊直播 coach Rich Rodriguez's son. They became best friends while Rich Rodriguez coached at Michigan, and stayed in touch even after the coach and his son moved away.

Now, Rhett Rodriguez and Wolma are teammates 鈥� and roommates.聽

Wolma initially committed to play at Northwestern before flipping to 蜜聊直播 a few days later.

Rich Rodriguez called that 鈥渢emporary insanity on his part,鈥� he said with a smile. 鈥淏ut Rhett got on him when he committed to another school 鈥� I鈥檓 glad he turned to us.鈥�

Added Wolma: 鈥淭hey gave me some crap, but I鈥檓 glad I ended up where I am. This is home.鈥�

Donovan Walker walked on at UTEP in 2014 fully expecting to redshirt the season. Out of necessity, though, the Miners called Walker into action mid-year; he played in four games.聽

Walker expected to compete for a starting wide receiver job the following season, but that never materialized and Walker moved left the program.

Now, the redshirt junior is making a name for himself as a walk-on at 蜜聊直播.

UA coach Rich Rodriguez mentioned Walker鈥檚 name as a standout in the receiver group on multiple occasions during fall camp, and he played against Northern 蜜聊直播 in Week 1. Walker won鈥檛 be playing in Friday鈥檚 game against UTEP after suffering a shoulder injury. Still, the mean something extra.聽

The Star spoke with the 6-foot-1-inch, 179-pound Carson, California native earlier in the week:

On what it鈥檚 like going against UTEP:聽鈥淚 know both the corners and the people on the defense pretty good so it鈥檚 a big game, especially for me going out there and playing for a lot of familiar faces and people I know.鈥�

On how he ended up at 蜜聊直播:聽鈥淲hen I decided I was going to leave (UTEP) I had two schools I was thinking about going to: here and Texas Tech. Then (former UA staff analyst) Miguel Reveles, I knew him because he coached me and (former UA receivers) Samajie Grant and Bryan Harper. He got me up here鈥�"

On why he chose 蜜聊直播:聽Playing in 鈥渢he Pac-12. The motivation just to play here and be closer to home and play against a lot of guys in the conference that I know.鈥�

On being a walk-on:聽鈥淢y experience with that has been: I鈥檓 a firm believer in if you鈥檙e good, then you鈥檙e going to play. (Rodriguez) wants to win, so the best people are going to play if they鈥檙e good.鈥�

When UA coach Rich Rodriguez and defensive coordinator Marcel Yates visited Tristan Cooper in El Paso for the first time, they couldn鈥檛 believe how close the city was to Mexico.

El Paso might as well be in another country because, when it comes to football recruiting, the city is largely ignored.

鈥淚 do want to represent El Paso. Nobody ever goes to border towns, especially there,鈥� Cooper said. 鈥淓verybody says, 鈥楳an, you ain鈥檛 from Texas; you鈥檙e from Mexico.鈥欌��

Cooper and walk-on linebacker Elijah Ruiz are the only El Paso natives on 蜜聊直播鈥檚 roster. Cooper said he almost committed to UTEP, 蜜聊直播鈥檚 Friday opponent.

In January in Cooper鈥檚 senior year, his only offers were from the Miners and Texas State. Purdue and Texas Tech eventually showed interest, but both schools, Cooper said, were too far from home.

Once 蜜聊直播 offered Cooper a scholarship just before signing day, he knew where he鈥檇 be playing college football.

鈥淚 looked at my dad and said, 鈥榊eah, I already know where I鈥檓 going,鈥� Cooper said. 鈥淚 looked at the roster and it was just: Can I get some playing time? I didn鈥檛 want to have a bunch of sophomores and freshmen already starting. But I saw they were thin at DB, so I liked it.鈥�

Cooper played 11 games as a freshman in 2016, starting in five of them. He finished seventh on the team with 35 tackles, and had two tackles-for-loss and one forced fumble.

Cooper has yet to record a tackle this season while playing primarily on special teams, though he鈥檚 expected to play a bit more on defense on Friday night.

Cooper has received so many ticket requests from family and friends that he鈥檚 been asking teammates for tickets they aren鈥檛 using. He anticipates more than 30 family members and relatives in the stands on Friday. Beyond that, he鈥檒l be playing against some of his high school teammates and hometown rival players.

Still, Cooper will try to keep his cool.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 go out there being like, 鈥極h, I鈥檝e got to prove something,鈥欌�� Cooper said. 鈥淲ell, I always got to prove something. But I got to take it slow. After the game I get to see all my family, it鈥檚 gonna be really cool. But I just gotta keep calm and play my technique, do what Coach Yates has taught me and I鈥檒l be fine.鈥�

Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver left a physical impression on several of 蜜聊直播鈥檚 ball-carriers and a lasting impression on the 蜜聊直播鈥� center.

The star sophomore lived up to his All-America billing and then some in the Cougars鈥� 19-16 victory over the Cats last week. He finished with 11 tackles, including 1.5 for losses, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal.

Oliver not only displayed talent but hustle. He never gave up on a play. That was the biggest takeaway for UA center Nathan Eldridge, who engaged Oliver on almost every play.

鈥淚 truly learned outworking your opponent,鈥� said Eldridge, a redshirt sophomore in his second season as a starter. 鈥淗e was a great player. He had a great motor.

鈥淎t times I thought I had him blocked, and he just outworked me. I have so much respect for him. He plays hard. He really does.鈥�

Eldridge believes that if the offensive line had finished plays better than Oliver did then 鈥渕aybe we would have won.鈥� Co-offensive coordinator Calvin Magee concurred, citing 鈥渟taying on blocks鈥� as one of the areas where 蜜聊直播 can improve.

鈥淥ur guys played hard,鈥� Magee said. 鈥淭hey blocked well. But you鈥檝e got to finish blocks.鈥�

Coaches constantly preach finishing to their players, and it applies to all three phases. 蜜聊直播鈥檚 inability to convert a 30-yard field goal 鈥� the one Oliver was given credit for blocking 鈥� proved costly vs. Houston. Eldridge will play a role in making sure that doesn鈥檛 happen again.

Eldridge has taken over as the short snapper after Nick Reinhardt suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the opener vs. Northern 蜜聊直播. When Reinhardt went down, 蜜聊直播 held a tryout of sorts during practice last week. Three replacement candidates emerged: Donald Reiter, the backup snapper; Brandon Rutt, the starting 鈥淢ike鈥� linebacker; and Eldridge.

After Reiter and Rutt launched poor snaps in the first half 鈥� Rutt鈥檚 led to a low kick that Oliver got a piece of 鈥� Eldridge got his shot on an extra point late in the second quarter. He executed it perfectly and remained the snapper for Josh Pollack鈥檚 pair of second-half field goals.

It was the first time Eldridge had served as a short snapper in a game, including high school.

鈥淚t ended up working out,鈥� Eldridge said. 鈥淎s long as I can help out the team, I鈥檓 willing to do whatever I gotta do.鈥�

Eldridge said he enjoyed being able to look back at his target. He can鈥檛 do that as the regular center.

鈥淲hen he鈥檚 snapping on offense, No. 10 (Oliver) is right there,鈥� UA special-teams coordinator Brian Knorr said. 鈥淲hen he鈥檚 snapping on a field goal, he can鈥檛 be touched. It鈥檚 a little bit of a relief.鈥�