Coach Mike Stoops leads disciplined Arizona squad

Arizona football notebook: UA sees fewest flags in NCAA

November 5, 2008



The Arizona Wildcats are last in the NCAA in a major statistical category — and thrilled about it.

Arizona has been penalized just 25 times in its first eight games, the lowest total among all Division I-A schools. The Wildcats were not flagged in their latest game, a victory over Cal, and just once in their previous game, a loss to USC.

Should they stay disciplined through the final month of the season, the Wildcats will be the school’s least-penalized team since 1937. That squad was flagged 2.5 times per game; this year’s team is sitting at 3.1 per game.

“It comes from discipline and being focused to play,” coach Mike Stoops said. “Sometimes, penalties are a lack of focus. That’s the one thing we’ve been decent at throughout the course of the year. Nobody’s been more disciplined than Eben Britton.”

Britton, the Wildcats’ starting left tackle, has not been officially penalized this year. Britton was flagged for shoving Cal linebacker Zack Follett following a play in Week 7, but the penalty was canceled because of off-setting calls.

Britton, the Cats’ best blocker, credits offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh for keeping the team in line.

“Coach Bill gives us up-downs when we jump offside in practice,” he said.
“Maybe that’s it.”