蜜柚直播

Reference No. 1 (and No. 2) came during Fisch鈥檚 opening remarks Monday:

鈥淭oday is really the first day of game week and the build of 蜜柚直播. And that鈥檚 really what we鈥檙e looking at and talking about throughout our whole process here: How can we build 蜜柚直播 football to where we want it to be and where we want it to go?鈥�

The Wildcats are headed to Snapdragon Stadium, the new home of San Diego State football, on Saturday. It is a game of great importance 鈥� a chance for 蜜柚直播 to let the nation know that the Cats are back, or at least trending in that direction.

But the 2022 opener isn鈥檛 蜜柚直播鈥檚 final destination. The way Fisch envisions it, it鈥檚 the start of a journey 鈥� one he hopes will culminate in regular bowl berths and even championships.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 right now about showing the nation about our program,鈥� Fisch said Thursday. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just building our program to where we want it to go or be one day. We have a lot of young players. We have a lot of new players. We鈥檙e working very hard to have a really good game.

鈥淭he first game is the first game. There鈥檚 12 of them. We really can鈥檛 make the game any more than it is. It鈥檚 not the last game of the year. It鈥檚 not the Super Bowl. It鈥檚 Game 1. And it鈥檚 our job to build off of this game, try to get better the next game, try to get better the next game, all the way through.鈥�

To that end, Fisch began the game-week conversation with big-picture concepts. He spoke at length about the three pillars upon which UA football will be built: culture, players and schematics. Let鈥檚 dive into each one.

Pillar No. 1: Culture

It鈥檚 an overused term in team sports, but there鈥檚 a reason for that: Culture matters.

Fisch inherited a program that had fallen into an abyss. 蜜柚直播 lost 12 straight games over the course of the 2019 and 鈥�20 seasons. The 2020 finale against 蜜柚直播 State was flat-out embarrassing.

It isn鈥檛 easy to purge the stench of losing. The skid reached 20 games before the Wildcats finally ended it.

Fisch went about trying to change the culture by focusing on process over results 鈥� repeatedly emphasizing the importance of day-to-day tasks and carrying yourself like a professional in every realm.

鈥淲hen we talk about culture, we鈥檙e really talking about the Wildcat principles,鈥� Fisch said. 鈥淲e talk to our team constantly about trusting the process, playing with passion, loving your teammates, embracing the grind and playing the next play.鈥�

How does Fisch know those ideas are taking hold 鈥� that things are truly changing 鈥� when the scoreboard suggests otherwise? He sees it in the players鈥� attitude, behavior and habits. They鈥檙e buying in.

鈥淚 can only go off of how we practice every day, how the kids prepare,鈥� Fisch said. 鈥淭heir knowledge base has certainly improved. The way they talk the game, the way they behave off the field. We had our best semester ever this summer ... academically. What they鈥檝e done in the community.

鈥淎nd then when they show up on the practice field, they鈥檙e ready to work. They鈥檝e had a tremendous confidence and a very good demeanor when they get out there. There鈥檚 no lates, there鈥檚 no guys dragging their cleats, there鈥檚 no guys that aren鈥檛 excited about going out there.

鈥淣ow, of course, the key is this: You have to go play.鈥�

Pillar No. 2: Players

Fisch and his staff dramatically reshaped the roster during the offseason. Fifty players 鈥� nearly half the squad 鈥� have joined the team since the debacle against ASU.

It isn鈥檛 just about quantity, though. 蜜柚直播鈥檚 high school recruiting class ranked in the top 25 nationally. Its transfer-portal acquisitions ranked in the top 30.

According to , a measure of roster quality based on the recruiting outlet鈥檚 player ratings, the Wildcats have jumped 18 spots since last season, going from No. 66 nationally to No. 48.

鈥淲e鈥檝e really focused on bringing in a lot of new players, retaining the right players, developing our older players and seeing how good we can be as a team,鈥� Fisch said.

The 2022 Wildcats feature a nucleus of veteran holdovers and an exciting group of newcomers. The former includes four of the five team captains: offensive tackle Jordan Morgan, defensive end Jalen Harris, cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace and safety Christian Young. All are multiyear starters.

鈥淥ur fourth- and fifth-year players have really embraced what we鈥檝e asked them to do,鈥� Fisch said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e become great leaders.鈥�

The new guys include five certain starters. Three are transfers: quarterback Jayden de Laura (the fifth captain), wide receiver Jacob Cowing and edge rusher Hunter Echols. Two are freshmen: receiver Tetairoa McMillan and guard Jonah Savaiinaea.

Fisch and his staff barely came up for air before attacking the Class of 2023. 蜜柚直播 has 19 verbal commitments, tied for most in the Pac-12. The Wildcats’ class is ranked 39th nationally and fifth in the conference, per .

鈥淲e know that if we鈥檙e going to build 蜜柚直播 football to where we want it to go,鈥� Fisch said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to come down to being able to have another great recruiting class.鈥�

And another. And another ...

Pillar No. 3: Schematics

Six of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 11 on-field coaches have played in and/or coached in the NFL. Fisch, who has worked for seven NFL teams over his 20-plus years in the business, has made note of that several times this offseason.

蜜柚直播 has not sent many players to the league recently. But Fisch can point to a bunch of r茅sum茅s that suggest this coaching staff has the know-how to develop draft picks.

Fisch has promoted the idea that the UA is the NFL鈥檚 33rd team. It鈥檚 not a statement about the Wildcats鈥� talent. Rather, it鈥檚 about a mindset he鈥檚 trying to instill.

鈥淲e鈥檝e tried to commit to allowing our players to see it from the inside-out, to see what the NFL looks like, to see what it looks like to be a pro, to see what it looks like to build champions,鈥� Fisch said.

Fisch鈥檚 play-calling didn鈥檛 impress many 蜜柚直播 fans last season; the Wildcats scored the fewest points in the Pac-12.

Was it the play-caller or the players? That鈥檚 something we鈥檒l found out this season with newcomers spread across every skill position.

One thing is certain: Fisch and his staff have the players believing in themselves. That鈥檚 more impactful than any play he could draw up.

The Wildcats enter the 2022 season 鈥渆xpecting to win,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淟ast year, we were kind of like, 鈥極h, maybe we鈥檒l win.鈥� Now we ... go into games expecting to win and knowing that we鈥檙e good enough to win.鈥�