TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez doesn't want players who have to be coaxed into playing with high energy.
That being the case, there's no problem with redshirt sophomore linebacker Cody Ippolito, right?
"Is that what you call it, energy?" Rodriguez said with a smile.
Sometimes with good energy and sometimes with a little too much, uh, enthusiasm, Ippolito has been showing up as an on-field bulldog and largely unexpected starter in Arizona's first two games, making five tackles, including one for loss, against UNLV.
"He's a tough guy," Rodriguez said. "He's a strong physical guy. He knows what he's doing."
Ippolito didn't start camp much in the public discussion about Arizona's new-look linebacker corps. He was coming off an ACL injury that cost him all of last season. Before that, there was that incident when he was sent home during the 2012 New Mexico Bowl for fighting on the sideline with teammate Tevin Hood.
But then Ippolito, from Scottsdale Chaparral High School, earned a starting spot at outside linebacker in camp in what is still a crowded and inexperienced group of linebackers.
"He started showing up and being in the right spot, so he kind of worked his way up the depth chart a little bit, and he has been real consistent," Rodriguez said. "That is why he is playing so much. He's been one of the more consistent guys as far as knowing his assignment and being a physical presence."
Ippolito, in his third year in coordinator Jeff Casteel's 3-3-5 scheme, said his biggest improvement has come in the mental game. The next step is to focus that energy into more negative plays for the offense, not the defense.
Ippolito has drawn a roughing-the-passer penalty in each game for late hits.
"Right when the play comes on, I'm like, 'I knew it, I knew it,'" he said of reviewing the play with the coaches. "But you want to watch, you want to know what you did wrong. You want to learn from it.
"I just like to hit. So when I see him, it's just in my target to hit him. But I have to make that smart decision not to."
Ippolito is part of what has been an all-sophomore starting group at linebacker, joining middle linebacker Scooby Wright and outside linebacker Jake Matthews. DeAndre' Miller is another sophomore who has seen plenty of time. Yet another sophomore, Derrick Turituri, figures to be in the rotation, at least in third-down passing situations.
Wright is the star of the group, with 19 tackles and two sacks, while helping to get everybody lined up correctly.
"He's great with that," Ippolito said. "We all help each other. Sometimes, I'll ask him a question. Sometimes, he'll ask me a question. But he's A-plus on that. ... I'll even get psyched up from him."
Ippolito wants to be that guy, too, in a season that so far "is definitely a dream come true for me." He played sparingly in seven games as a true freshman in 2012 as a backup and on special teams.
"It feels mostly like your hard work has paid off," he said of his contributions in 2014.
"I do play with a lot of energy, trying to talk my guys up and get everybody to do what they do. You can't be me-me-me. You have to be all about the defense."
Arizona, with an 8 p.m. kickoff against Nevada, has college football's latest start time on the mainland Saturday.
Rodriguez said the Wildcats' day will include a brunch, a meeting, perhaps a walk or more meetings, and then the pregame meal.
"We do a lot of laying around, watching games," he said. "At least that's what I do. I don't know what the kids do. They might be watching SpongeBob SquarePants. I hope not."
Late-night kickoffs are nothing new for Arizona, but that doesn't mean Rodriguez has to like it.
"If I had my druthers, I would rather wake up and play at noon," he said.
--Senior safety Jared Tevis leads Arizona with 21 tackles. "He's all over the place," Nevada coach Brian Polian said in the Reno Gazette-Journal. "He's kind of that hybrid 5-11, 200-pound guy who plays some safety but really hits like a linebacker. I have a lot of respect for him. I think he's a really good player."
--Arizona has three completions of 60-plus yards -- tied with Oregon and UAB for most in the nation -- helped by the receiver breaking an initial tackle attempt. Those plays have helped pump up Anu Solomon's passing yardage to 656, second in the Pac-12 behind Washington State's Connor Halliday (921). "I still feel a little sluggish and slow," Solomon said after Tuesday's practice. "I still overthrow my receivers, so we have to get that down. We have to get all that chemistry down."
--Rodriguez said Solomon has to be a better in making "awkward throws" in an offense that plays fast and puts it quarterback on the move. "Football is when quarterbacks are moving and scrambling and throwing from different launch points," Rodriguez said. "Our guys have to learn how to make awkward throws. We practice it every day ... but sometimes in the game, those awkward throws can be ugly. We try to minimize those."
--On this week's injury report,offensive lineman Jacob Alsadek (foot) and wide receiver Johnny Jackson (back) are listed as out; running back Terris Jones-Grigsby (ankle) and nose guard Jeff Worthy (concussion) are questionable; and wide receiver DaVonte' Neal (ankle) is probable.
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