Editor’s note: The Arizona Daily Wildcat’s Brian Kimball caught up with UA running back Nic Grigsby yesterday to talk about his 190 total-yard and two-touchdown effort against Idaho in the football team’s season opener last Saturday. The sophomore discussed his performance against Idaho, his feelings toward the Vandals and the possibility of playing another varsity sport for Arizona.

Wildcat: You’ve got to be pretty pleased with your overall performance. You had a 41- and 55-yard run, but you couldn’t quite bust either one of those into the end zone. Why not?

Grigsby: They weren’t very clean. They were just me trying to make something happen. They were just broken plays and I got through and tried to make it happen. Then again, the ground is wet, it’s heavy, your body is heavy. It’s hard when guys have got angles on you. It’s just a matter of the field we’re playing on.

W: You already matched your touchdown total from last year in this season’s first game. How many do you think you can get this year?

G: I’m not gonna make any wild predictions, but I’m gonna try to provide points for my team every game and try and be a big-time player for our team this year.

W: What kind of a day do you think the offense could have had against Idaho if the starters played the whole game?

G: The fans saw it. The press saw it. It would have been pretty bad. I mean, the coaches knew what we were doing. They knew it was going to be worse in the second half so we wanted to just rest and get everybody right, get our young guys some repetitions in college football and we wanted to just move on from there.

W: Did you expect to gain 190 total yards against Idaho in just two quarters of play?

G: Every game, I go in having the expectation that I’m trying to set the bar high, but I mean, I had to set the tone. Our team had to set the tone, we wanted to make a statement and that’s all we tried to do.

W: Did you feel bad for Idaho at all?

G: I mean, of course. I know the guys, I know the team. They’re mad and sluggish, but like I said, we’re trying to set the tone and we’re not letting go. We’re not letting up on anybody. Whoever’s gonna step in front of us, they’re gonna feel it because we felt it last year.

W: What’s the biggest difference for Nic Grigsby the football player when compared to last year?

G: My confidence level. I’m playing with more intensity. I’m running harder. I’m not more of a tentative back. I’m starting to be a more balanced person out of the backfield. I know the offense now. This is gonna be my second year in the offense. I know what everybody is doing. I’m learning how to pass protect really good now. I’m learning how to step in front of a block and pick it up.

W: As far as academics go, what’s the biggest difference between this year and last year?

G: There’s nothing big. It’s just trying to stay focused on football and school is pretty hard. If you can do that, it means you’re helping your team out because I’m not trying to be out of any college because of grades.

W: What would you be doing if you weren’t playing football?

G: I’d be playing baseball. In high school I was recruited by (UA baseball head) coach (Andy) Lopez to play shortstop, but when I came here last summer I was already here playing with the baseball team and they had me playing center field.

W: You haven’t been talking to UA football head coach Mike Stoops or coach Lopez about doing any double duty this year?

G: Oh yeah, I’m gonna do it again this year. Coach Stoops, he wanted me to stay focused (on football) for this year, that’s why I didn’t play (baseball) last year. This upcoming spring I might be on the baseball team, too.

W: What do you think is more likely to happen again this season, the offense putting up 70 points or the defense pitching another shutout?

G: Both. We’re gonna do the same thing we did the week before every week.

W: Have you played the new EA Sports NCAA Football 2009 game yet?

G: Oh, I have.

W: Did they get all your attributes right?

G: They had a little bit of stuff nicked up on there, but I mean, it’s a video game. I’m not fast enough, I’m not strong enough, I’m not breaking enough tackles, I’m not juking that many people, but some games it’s all right.