When Arizona football hosts Houston on Saturday, the Cougars will be playing for their school, and their city, as it will be their first game since Hurricane Harvey.
Perhaps that’s especially true for star defensive tackle Ed Oliver, a preseason All-American who is from Houston. Oliver had twenty two tackles for a loss last season as a true freshman.
"He's a first rounder," said Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez. "He's a tremendous player, and pllays with great leverage. He's strong and athletic and runs to the ball. Anything you look for coming out of a defensive tackle, he's got it. And, he could have gone anywhere in the country."
Oliver and the Cougars are playing their first game of the season, as last week's matchup with UTEP got postponed. Arizona and Houston are meeting for the first time since 1986, when the Wildcats won 37-3.
