Tito Foster

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The Arizona Wildcats have a secret weapon behind their 4-1 start: The Smash Brothers.

Redshirt freshman Orlando Vargas and sophomore Tito Foster have been special-teams standouts this season, registering a combined nine tackles.

The two play together on Arizona's punt, punt return, kickoff and kickoff return units. They line up next to each other on kickoffs, with Vargas playing the "R-3" spot and Foster the "gunner."

They share more than just assignments. Foster brags that he is a "special-teams demon," and Vargas unabashedly calls his job "fun."

"They're really excited about our special teams," UA head coach Mike Stoops said. "They understand the value and what it means to our team."

The Smash Brothers — Vargas and Foster came up with the video game-themed nickname after the Cats' Week 2 win over Toledo — are doing more than making tackles and clearing holes. They are giving the UA an added weapon in its bid to reach a bowl game for the first time since 1998.

The Wildcats (4-1, 2-0) lead the Pac-10 with 19.9 yards per punt return and are second in kickoff returns. Arizona has broken two punt returns for touchdowns, including a 48-yarder by Mike Thomas in last weekend's 48-14 victory over Washington.

Foster said special teams "can get a team hyped" while setting up good field position.

It is no coincidence that the Wildcats have had better average starting position than their opponents in all four victories. Arizona surrendered an average of 15 yards per posses- sion in its Week 3 loss at New Mexico.

"People fail to realize what special teams can do," Foster said. "This past Saturday, we returned a punt that helped the team out even more."

At the heart of Arizona's special teams is a core of players that plays on most of the coverage and return units. Adrian McCovy, Brandon Lopez, Chris Gronkowski and Derick Barkum are part of that group, though they also see playing time at their regular positions.

Vargas and Foster are both listed as defensive backs, but rarely play. Special teams are what they do best — and, not surprisingly, the kind of action that excites them the most.

"Basically, what we're doing is helping out the team by giving some of the starters a break," Vargas said. "Our job is to go out there and do what we do best — and that's make smash hits."

The special teams standouts took different roads to the UA. Foster enrolled as a walk-on in 2006 and played sparingly last season. He was put on scholarship in August, in part because of his success on special teams.

Vargas, a walk-on, began his career at Oklahoma Panhandle State University before transferring to the UA for the spring semester.

Like Foster, Vargas made a name for himself in spring ball. Both players worked their way up to special teams only after starring on the scout team.

Special teams coach Jeff Hammerschmidt describes both players as "reckless," high praise coming from someone who, from 1987 to 1990 at UA, was the embodiment of the word.

Hammerschmidt, with Donnie Salum, Paul Kasprzyk, Heath Bray and Tom Quinn, began his career on special teams before becoming a regular player.

As a first-year assistant coach with the Cats, Hammerschmidt cannot help but get excited by his two stars.

"They're unblockable at times," he said. "I think it just means so much to them. They're good athletes, and they play so hard. And they get a kick out of it."

● Arizona's football game at Stanford on Saturday will not be televised because of Stanford's homecoming festivities.

FSN Arizona attempted to secure broadcast rights for the game that begins at 2 p.m., but Stanford did not want to move the start to 3:30, an FSNAZ spokesman said. Conference games must start at the latter time because of rival networks' rules.

The game will be broadcast on radio at 1290-AM and 107.5-FM.