TUCSON, Ariz. -- Senior quarterback B.J. Denker has had little time to reflect on his Arizona career. After all, there are still yards to be gained and touchdowns to be scored, improvements to be made.
He's already said being starting quarterback at a major college "has been a dream come true."
Next up is arguably the biggest game of his career, against arch-rival Arizona State ... but it could be said that every game's been a big test for Denker.
Despite some predictable struggles, the quarterback no one really wanted -- inasmuch as he didn't get recruited at any level -- has done an admirable job for Arizona, guiding it to a 7-4 record and a stunning upset of fifth-ranked Oregon last week.
"I hope when people watch me play that they are excited that I give our team a chance to win," Denker said. "Hopefully I'm fun to watch."
If you like watching a guy play with his hair on fire -- or running for his life -- then you've liked Denker.
Yet, there's a big sense of controlled chaos. (Not unlike the dance moves from Denker that were captured on camera in the locker room after the Oregon win.)
For Denker, it's been a high-wire act nearly every game. Fans loved him when UA was 3-0 to start the season, then found him an easy scapegoat after losses to Washington and USC. They warmed to him again after three straight wins; then it was back to being the goat in losses to UCLA and Washington State.
Now, he's riding him again -- from goat to Duck slayer. Imagine the exalted status if he can add Devil slayer to his list of accomplishments. Then again, it's not hard to envision another turn in the tide of public opinion if the Wildcats fall to the ASU in Saturday's Territorial Cup game.
If this season's taught Denker nothing else, it's to be prepared for anything.
There were times he'd just turn off his phone and ignore the computer in order to avoid what had been said about him. To heck with the Internet. After the loss at Washington, he just went to the movie theater, sat alone and watched. No distractions; no one yelling at him.
Peace and quiet.
Head coach Rich Rodriguez said this week a less mentally tough player would have cracked. Not Denker. He kept working, and the results were a near-perfect performance on Saturday: 19 for 22 passing for 178 yards and 102 rushing yards.
He used his Twitter account afterward to express some of his sentiments.
It's a season's journey in 140 characters or less. Highs, lows, a thank you and more. Leave it to Denker, a guy who has covered a lot of ground this season with 811 rushing yards and 2,066 passing yards. Don’t forget his 11 rushing touchdowns and 14 passing TDs.
"It's a shame he's a senior because he keeps getting better and better all the time," Rodriguez said.
Just 10 days ago, Denker was being roasted as a leading culprit in Arizona's upset loss to Washington State -- despite his desperate efforts on the game's final drive to keep the Wildcats alive by scrambling for yards and avoiding sacks.
A week later, he outplayed Heisman contender Marcus Mariota on national TV.
Denker said he tries to avoid being sucked in by the highs as much as the lows.
"So many people have wanted to take my picture and have my autograph and told me 'great job' and 'you're awesome,' " he said. "That could be more deadly than the 'you sucks.'
"Yes I had a good game but if I go to the school up north and I play terribly, then my win against Oregon doesn't matter. I'm not complacent and I'm not satisfied."
That's exactly what Rodriguez expects.
"He's worked really hard," Rodriguez said. "Coach (Rod) Smith has worked with him, and he is more comfortable now, he has more experience. He's taken it upon himself to get better. He's played some good games recently but (against Oregon) he was really dialed in and attacking the defense from the start."
Rodriguez calls Denker "smart and competitive."
Arizona State coach Todd Graham calls him "a winner." Graham sees a quarterback who has improved tremendously from the season's start.
"He's extremely quick, athletic and a great decision maker," Graham said when asked to describe Denker. "He's matured and grown. He had a masterful performance against Oregon. He's a guy who is a handful."
Dean Grosfeld, who inherited Denker as his quarterback when he was offensive coordinator at Cerritos College, says he saw it all coming. He's been in touch with Denker every week since the season started.
"We knew he had it in him, we just had to get it out of him," Grosfeld said. "You could see he wasn't physically and mentally ready out of high school, but as far as talent, we could see it. We definitely knew he had it."
Grosfeld said Denker's experience at Arizona is not unlike what he went through at Cerritos.
"He started out slow, but once he got the hang of it he was tough," Grosfeld said. "He was thinking too much. And once you're thinking it slows you down. When you're not, your athletic ability comes out. You can see now that he's so comfortable in the offense. He has a grasp of what's going on (so) he's able to show his ability."
Rodriguez marvels at how far he's come.
"Out of high school he was about 145 pounds and probably looked like a bowler and cross country runner," he said. "In junior college he was probably 165 pounds. His film was OK, and we thought he had a chance after watching him. We didn't know until he got here."
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