Khalil Tate didn’t put up prolific numbers but generally managed the game well. Although he didn’t take every opportunity to run on zone-read plays, his 17-yard keeper from deep in UA territory in the fourth quarter was a field-position and momentum changer. Tate’s 1-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio doesn’t seem very impressive until you consider that his counterpart, Brandon McIlwain, threw three interceptions, two of which turned into touchdowns. Tate – and the offense as a whole – struggled to find a rhythm after freshman Jamarye Joiner replaced him for the first series of the second quarter.
For the second week in a row, the running game struggled to get much going. Tailbacks J.J. Taylor and Gary Brightwell combined for 99 yards on 22 carries, a solid 4.5-yard average. Taylor had 73 of those yards on 15 carries. But he also lost a fumble for the second time this season. Taylor had a 13-yard reception on a screen pass. Brightwell and Tate failed to connect on a pair of swing passes on consecutive plays in the second quarter.
The receiving corps made the most of its limited opportunities in a scheme that didn’t feature much in the way of downfield passing. Tony Ellison’s 31-yard TD reception gave the Wildcats a 7-0 lead. Shun Brown had a team-high four catches and gained most of his 38 yards after the catch. But he also fumbled once, the ball luckily going out of bounds. Take out Ellison’s 31-yard grab, and the receivers averaged 7.5 yards per catch. Tight end Bryce Wolma again was not targeted.
The line didn’t get enough push in the run game for the second week in a row. Maybe it’s as simple as left tackle Layth Friekh not being fully healthy. But the line consists of five players, not just one, and should be able to compensate. A miscommunication on the right side led to Cal’s lone sack, which forced Arizona to settle for a field goal on its second possession instead of possibly scoring a touchdown.
Did the front generate a consistent pass rush? No. Did the group adequately contain McIlwain? Not really. But the front came up with huge plays at critical moments. Tony Fields II and Colin Schooler teamed to stop McIlwain on a fourth-down run in the first quarter. Schooler later had an interception. Dereck Boles led the charge to stop McIlwain on fourth down in the fourth quarter. Boles then recovered a fumble caused by JB Brown’s sack. Jalen Harris and Lee Anderson III – playing major minutes with Kylan Wilborn hurt in the second half – teamed for a sack on Cal’s final possession.
McIlwain passed for 315 yards and converted too many third-and-longs, but it’s hard to knock a unit that produced two touchdowns – Arizona’s only scores after the first quarter. The first came via reserve cornerback Azizi Hearn, who played most of the second half in place of penalty-prone Tim Hough. Hearn, a walk-on, alertly scooped up Schooler’s post-pick fumble and dashed 34 yards for the go-ahead TD in the third quarter. In the fourth, Scottie Young Jr. returned an interception 24 yards for a score. It was the sophomore’s second pick of the game.
A mixed bag here. Dylan Klumph punted extremely well against his former school. He averaged 43.5 yards per attempt, including a field-flipping 57-yarder. Jake Glatting handled the final punt, a 39-yarder to the Cal 14-yard line that wasn’t returned. The coverage on those punts was superb. Lucas Havrisik, who yielded the placekicking job to Josh Pollack, didn’t let it affect his kickoffs; all five went for touchbacks. Pollack made his first FG attempt, from 46 yards, but missed his second, from 40. Brown fumbled after getting crunched on a punt return. Anderson recovered it. Shawn Poindexter secured Cal’s last-gasp onside kick attempt.
Kevin Sumlin and Noel Mazzone formulated and executed a plan to have Joiner play the third series. The offense definitely could use a spark of some sort. But the ploy had the opposite effect. UA fans are none too pleased with Mazzone after the offense failed to score over the final three quarters. He did wisely shift to a low-risk approach in a game in which turnovers decided the outcome. Marcel Yates’ defense again made needed adjustments in the second half of a game. The Golden Bears scored only three points after halftime, and McIlwain gained only 27 of his 107 net rushing yards in the third and fourth quarters.
