Saturday night, around half past seven in the evening, Arizona Stadium will be the place to be in Tucson.
 
The lights will be a little brighter. The stadium will be a little louder. The adrenaline will be flowing a little more than normal. It's Arizona vs. Houston in a primetime showdown on national television.
 
For the Wildcats, it will be an opportunity to display everything they've been working on since December against a high quality opponent. For the Cougars, a team that went 9-4 last year with wins over Oklahoma and Louisville, it's just a chance to play football after the start to their season was postponed because of Hurricane Harvey.
 
"We'll get their best effort," coach Rich Rodriguez said, "there's no question about that. I think they'll be inspired to play for themselves and their families, and to finally play a game. I'm sure they're tired of practicing…We have a lot of question marks about what they are going to do with a new staff, so it's going to be a big week to get ready.
 
"We're going to have a great crowd Saturday night; it should be a great atmosphere."
 
The Wildcats are of course coming off a 62-24 win over Northern Arizona in their season opener last Saturday night at Arizona Stadium. The Cats rushed for more than 500 yards for the second straight game and forced three turnovers on defense.
 
It was a solid starting point for Rodriguez and the Wildcats, but it was just that—a starting point. Rodriguez knows his team is capable of more and is excited to see that beginning Saturday night against the Cougars.
 
"Defensively, we plated tentatively at times," Rodriguez said. "We weren't active before or after the snap as we can be. Offensively, the execution in the passing game, particularly early in the game, wasn't where it needed to be…(Wednesday) was a really good practice. The enthusiasm was good. The engagement of being in every play was good. We got a lot of good work in."
 
Houston has high-end talent across the board, but no talent is bigger than sophomore defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who was a First-Team All-American last year and arguably the top freshman in the country. Oliver had 66 tackles, 23 tackles-for-loss and five sacks last season as a freshman.
 
"He's a first-rounder," Rodriguez said. "A tremendous player; he plays with tremendous leverage. He's strong and athletic, runs to the ball. Everything that you would look for toward an interior defensive lineman, he has it. He could have gone anywhere in the country. He's been every bit as advertised, and then some.
 
"They have some other talented guys as well, so you have to make sure you play with great technique."
  Senior Tyrell Johnson dazzled fans Saturday against the Lumberjacks when he took a reverse 55 yards for a touchdown and showed off his blazing speed.
 
It was a reminder of just how fast the speedster receiver from Florida is after he's battled injuries over the past couple of seasons.
 
"Looking at all the things that have happened each year, it seems like he's had a nagging injury each year that's probably stopped him from really getting as many reps and as many opportunities as he is right now," Rodriguez said. "He's a fast guy, he really knows our offense. He's been in the system for four years now, and he's a guy you want to try to get the ball to. There's no question he's the fastest guy on the team, and has been the fastest guy on our team since he's been here.
 
"I'm proud of the way he's working."
  For the first time since he's been the coach at Arizona, Rodriguez had a true freshman start on the defensive line.
 
In fact, defensive end Kylan Wilborn became the first true freshman to start on the defensive line for Arizona since at least 1991. Wilborn finished with a sack and a forced fumble in his first collegiate game. Fellow true freshmen Jalen Harris and Kurtis Brown also saw extended action on the line against the Lumberjacks. Harris had four tackles and Brown had a pair.
 
Needless to say, Rodriguez is excited about the future there.
 
"We need pass rushers, and that was our thought process in recruiting him and Jalen Harris, and the other guys," Rodriguez said. "We need guys that have length and the ability to rush the passer. To play as much as he (Wilborn) did as a true freshman and to be ready as quick as he and Jalen and some of those young guys were is neat."