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Day 1 of Arizona football fall camp

Posted at 10:43 PM, Jul 31, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-01 01:43:27-04

33 days until kickoff for Arizona football. And today was day 1 in the Wildcats journey to get out of the cellar of the Pac-12 south.

As Arizona football held their first official practice of fall camp tonight.  The wildcats have a lot of new faces, including 7 quarterbacks on their roster.  Incumbent Brandon Dawkins is expected to take the snaps in the first game on September 2nd against NAU.  But one of his biggest critiques has been whether he can get the ball down the field.

 Dawkins he addressed this after the team’s first practice tonight.  “Um I’d say just throwing the ball.  That's kind of the big thing on me right now,” says Dawkins.  “Can the Dawkins kid throw the ball?  You know, I’m trying to show them a little something by the time September 2nd rolls around  You know, getting back out there…everyone's kind of out there like chickens with their heads cut off.  So, everybody's trying to get their timing down, trying to get back into the groove.  Day 1 is day 1...its' done with.  And Rich Rod's happy.  I guess so...can't ask for much more than that”

50 new players on Arizona’s roster this season...not including the robotic tackling dummies seen on the practice field for the first time.

KGUN ran a story on the benefit of these dummies back in March.  They’re known as the m-v-p, or the mobile virtual player.  They're designed to eliminate contact in practices.  Staying healthy has been a big point of emphasis for rich rod the last few days and they also eliminate the amount of concussions.  Rich Rod called them "the cat’s meow"...and says they have 5 of them on their practice field.

 The Wildcats will hold their 2nd practice of fall camp on Tuesday evening.