Wildcats Are Feeling Somewhat Abandoned : Arizona Recalls Mr. Smith

College football players are motivated for many reasons--a traditional rival, a pay-back for an embarrassing loss, personal satisfaction.

But did you ever hear of abandonment?

That apparently is Arizona’s motivation for Saturday’s game with USC at the Coliseum. The Wildcats are playing the Trojans, but their attention is directed at Larry Smith.

Smith coached Arizona for seven years until he became USC’s coach last January, replacing Ted Tollner.

He had brought Arizona to respectability with 8-3-1 and 9-3 records his last two seasons.

Then, suddenly, he was gone and apparently some resentment lingers among those he left behind.

Chuck Cecil, Arizona’s star free safety, said he doesn’t feel betrayed because Smith is no longer his coach. However, when asked to assess the feelings of the rest of the team, he said:

“I don’t feel angry, or believe it’s a vendetta sort of deal playing against him. Overall, though, the feeling on the team is like he abandoned us.

“We’re definitely looking forward to playing the game and we have something to prove to Coach Smith, that he left a lot of quality players behind.”

Smith would be the first to agree with Cecil on the value of Arizona’s team. He extolled the Wildcats’ talent Tuesday at his weekly press conference.

He also said he can understand how his former players feel.

“Chuck is exactly right,” Smith said. “When you leave, guys say you left me for them.

“Looking on the positive side it was a compliment that people were upset that we (the coaching staff) left. Otherwise, it’s the old story that you want to look like you’re leading the parade but they’re chasing you out of town.”

There was also reportedly some resentment directed at Smith because he didn’t say goodby to his players after accepting the USC job.

Asked to characterize his departure from Tucson, Smith said: “For the people I was closest to, it was an amiable separation. When we did leave, the only regret I have is that school was not in session and I wasn’t able to call the players in as a team and say that we were leaving the next day.

“I sent a letter, but it apparently didn’t get to some of them. I also tried to call a few of them. But I’d feel very comfortable anytime, going back to Tucson and visiting. We had great experiences there, and it holds a dear spot in my heart.”

So a game that, perhaps, wouldn’t be particularly significant for Arizona has now become a crusade. The Wildcats, inconsistent earlier, will be trying to improve on a 4-3-2 record while playing the role of spoilers.

The Trojans have more to lose. USC, 6-3 overall and 5-1 in the Pacific 10, has to win Saturday to set up a Rose Bowl showdown with UCLA (8-1, 6-0) Nov. 21 at the Coliseum.

“I expect Arizona to come in here super emotional and six feet off the ground,” Smith said.

Smith could be up-tight this week, but he’s guarding against an overt display of emotion.

“If I went around yelling and screaming at everyone, that’s the worst thing I could do,” he said. “I have tremendous respect for Arizona and I hope our kids feel the same way.”

And Smith has a special regard for Cecil, who went to Arizona as a 5-foot 10-inch, 150-pound walk-on from Helix High in La Mesa, Calif., and has developed into a premier defensive back.

Cecil, a senior, who now stands 6 feet and weighs 185 pounds, leads the nation in interceptions with eight. He had four interceptions against Stanford Oct. 31, tying a conference record for a game. His 20 career interceptions equal the Pac-10 record held by USC’s Artimus Parker (1971-73) and Stanford’s Phil Moffatt (1929-31).

He is also a nominee for the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the country’s top defensive back.

Cecil, however, seems reluctant to talk about his accomplishments. Asked about the four interceptions against Stanford, he said:

“It’s nice, but it’s not one of the things I shoot for. I just happened to be in the right place a couple of times. There’s not much I can say because it really isn’t important to me.” That from a player who was described by a North Carolina assistant coach as a heat-seeking missile? Cecil earned that appellation for forcing fumbles in leading the Wildcats to a 30-21 victory over the Tar Heels in the Aloha Bowl game last year.

Smith remembers the day that Cecil walked into his office, and had to be told that there was no scholarship available.

“Here was this skinny little kid, who was so soft-spoken. But one of my assistant coaches, Moe Ankney, said he was a heck of an athlete and would eventually start in the secondary.”

Ankney was right. After a red-shirt season in 1983, he was a second-team strong safety in 1984 and a starter in 1985.

“When the whistle blows, he’s super intensity plus,” Smith said. “He’d win the superstars competition because he’s the best competitor on the team. But as far as pure strength and speed, he’s just an average, or above-average athlete. However, he’s unique and you’d like to have a hundred just like him.”

Cecil grew up in Hanford, Calif., but his family moved to San Diego before his junior season in high school.

He was a teammate of USC tailback Steven Webster in high school and wondered why Webster hadn’t been recognized sooner.

“He was our tailback our senior year and he was our offense,” Cecil said. “He was impressive to say the least. I always looked for him to do something at USC and it’s about time someone noticed the talent he has.”

As for his own team, Cecil said: “It has been an up-and-down season. We didn’t accomplish what we could have. I feel that the last couple of weeks we’ve played pretty good football and are coming together as a team.”

After losing to Washington State, 45-28, Arizona rebounded to beat Stanford, 23-13, and then tied Washington last Saturday night, 21-21.

Arizona Coach Dick Tomey said that the Huskies had so much respect for Cecil that they avoided throwing to the inside portion of the field.

“Cecil is as good a football player as there is on anyone’s campus,” Tomey said. “He exemplifies everything we like to think college football means, a walk-on, a good student and a leader by example.”

Cecil is not acting like a waif, but by the tone of his voice it’s obvious that he’s focusing on USC.

“Hopefully, they’ll be looking ahead to UCLA,” he said. “I think that’s something we’ll have going for us.”

Trojan Notes Free safety Mark Carrier suffered a mild concussion against Stanford Saturday, and strong safety Cleveland Colter had a knee sprain and outside linebacker Marcus Cotton had a shoulder injury. They will have minimal contact in practice this week but are expected to play against Arizona. . . . Ronald Veal, Arizona’s freshman quarterback, injured his shoulder against Washington, but Coach Dick Tomey anticipated that he would start Saturday.

Arizona blew an opportunity to beat Washington when kicker Gary Coston missed a 32-yard field goal with two seconds left. . . . Arizona has beaten USC only once in 13 previous meetings. Larry Smith’s 1981 team upset USC, 13-10, when the Trojans were ranked No. 1 in the country. . . . Tomey has opposed USC only once as a head coach. He was at Hawaii when the Rose Bowl-bound Trojans won, 21-5, in Honolulu in 1978. . . . USC reported that there are only 4,000 tickets remaining for the Nov. 21 game with UCLA at the Coliseum.