Khalil Tate returned from a one-game-plus absence and showed no signs of the ankle injury that has plagued him for much of the season. He completed 19 of 33 passes for 189 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also had 26 rushing yards on seven attempts. Tate didn’t always take what the defense was giving him, in the zone-read game or through the air. He attempted far too many low-percentage throws, especially in the first half, when was 13 of 24 for 126 yards. He also threw behind open receivers on a handful of occasions. A solid performance overall – but room for improvement.
J.J. Taylor was magnificent, rushing for 212 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 30 carries. His last attempt – we’re calling it “The Leap by Lowell-Stevens” – saw him go up and over Oregon’s Thomas Graham Jr. for a 19-yard touchdown. Arizona leaned heavily on Taylor after Gary Brightwell got hurt in the second quarter. Brightwell finished with 31 yards on seven carries. If Brightwell is unable to play Friday against Colorado, Anthony Mariscal appears to be next in line. He managed 8 yards on five second-half rushes.
UA receivers caught 16 passes, and Shun Brown snared 10 of them, a career high. They went for 96 yards, many of which came on bubble screens and swing passes that required Brown to make defenders miss after the catch. He also got plenty of help from his teammates on the perimeter. Shawn Poindexter had two receptions, both of which went for touchdowns. Freshman Thomas Marcus Jr. had his first career catch, a 17-yarder. The group gets dinged a bit because of a drop (by Devaughn Cooper) and an overall inability to gain separation downfield.
Senior left tackle Layth Friekh returned to the lineup and returned to form. Arizona did much of its damage running to the left behind Friekh and Cody Creason. When Friekh is right, the entire line is better. The unit didn’t skip a beat when Michael Eletise, who had been playing on the left side, had to sub for injured right guard Bryson Cain in the second quarter. The unit allowed one sack, but it was a situation where Tate didn’t want to take a chance on third-and-10 from deep in UA territory with a 30-8 lead.
The front had only one sack and four total tackles for losses but consistently made its presence felt. As UA coach Kevin Sumlin said, the goal was to move Oregon QB Justin Herbert off his spot. The front did that, and Herbert never looked comfortable. He completed just 24 of 48 passes for 186 yards – a miniscule 3.9-yard average per attempt. Linebacker Tony Fields II had the sack, his first of the season. Colin Schooler had a team-high 11 tackles, including 1.5 TFLs. PJ Johnson continued to make an impact, forcing a first-quarter fumble. Oregon’s running game never got going (84 net yards).
A strong effort by this group, which used its seventh lineup combination in nine games. Christian Young made his second straight start at cornerback and recovered Johnson’s fumble. Tristan Cooper re-entered the lineup at Spur safety and provided a physical presence. Scottie Young Jr. shifted from Spur to free safety and intercepted Herbert late in the first quarter. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles moved from free safety to Bandit and had a career-high three pass breakups. The secondary benefited at times from the front’s ability to bother Herbert, who missed some open receivers as a result.
The Wildcats needed to win special teams to win this game, and they pulled it off in style. Chacho Ulloa blocked a punt in the second quarter. Kylan Wilborn recovered the ball, setting up the first of three Josh Pollack field goals. Pollack went 3 for 3 for the second straight game and has stabilized that position. Dylan Klumph dropped three of his five punts inside the 20-yard line, with two being downed inside the 10. Only two of Lucas Havrisik’s nine kickoffs failed to reach the end zone, including one booted from the 10 because of penalties. Oregon didn’t start a drive beyond its 25 in the first half.
Sumlin’s week-long theme was to put together four good quarters. The Wildcats started strong, which has been a rarity this season. They also continued to execute in the second half while protecting a sizable lead, something that isn’t as easy as it sounds (see Colorado vs. Oregon State). Noel Mazzone’s game plan felt a little pass-heavy early, but he again found the right run-pass balance late. Marcel Yates’ defense seemed to be one step ahead of Oregon’s offense all night. The Ducks’ longest play was Dillon Mitchell’s 29-yard touchdown, and they converted only 3 of 16 third downs. Overall, the Wildcats had an energy about them that hasn’t always been there this season.
