Since the moment he committed to Arizona as a junior at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., quarterback Matt Scott has been chomping at the bit to start for the Wildcats.
Nick Foles’ sudden emergence forced Scott into backup duty for the past two seasons, but if everything goes as planned the 6-foot-3, 195-pound quarterback will finally get his shot to lead the Arizona offense in 2012.
Scott said that he decided he wanted to redshirt next season after the 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl, and head coach Mike Stoops granted this wish after a meeting with Scott late last week.
“”He brought it up to me and he told me that he thought it would be the situation for me if I redshirted this year,”” Scott told the Arizona Daily Wildcat on Tuesday night. “”I feel like it’s a good situation for me and I feel like the best is going to come out of it.””
Scott said he plans on meeting with Stoops sometime later this week to talk more specifics, but if it were up to him, he wouldn’t even travel in 2011 in hopes of avoiding being put in a “”predicament to play,”” meaning Bryson Beirne would serve as Foles’ backup.
Scott went 2-0 as a starter last season with wins over Washington (298 total yards, two touchdowns and a 200.78 passer rating) and UCLA (390 total yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 144.71 passer rating).
But the dual-threat quarterback still feels like he hasn’t gotten his shot with the Wildcats, and if redshirting wasn’t an option, he would have turned elsewhere.
“”I’ve been with this team since day one. Ever since my junior year I was committed to this team,”” Scott said. “”I feel like I really still haven’t had my shot to play yet. I feel like if (I wasn’t given the chance to redshirt next year) I would have to leave because I wouldn’t be given a shot.
“”Anybody who’s in my position would make the same move, I think.””
Scott plans on “”getting bigger and faster,”” during his time off, and hopes to weigh 210 pounds by the start of the 2012 season.
It may be a few seasons overdue, but Scott will finally get his shot in 2012. So what’s he looking forward to most?
“”Winning that Rose Bowl,”” Scott answered quickly and confidently. “”We’ll have the pieces. It’s just a matter of how bad we want it.””
