Michael Lev's
Football Report Card

Grades for the Arizona Wildcats' 45-38 loss to Hawaii


Sat, Aug 24, 2019
Arizona @ Hawaii
Quarterbacks

Khalil Tate accounted for 469 total yards, surpassing 300 yards passing and 100 rushing in the same game for the first time in his career. He threw three touchdown passes, and nearly scored the tying (or possibly winning) touchdown on the final play of the game. The rushing yards were more than double his high from last season. But his performance was far from perfect. Tate missed some open receivers early and struggled at times to process what he was seeing. He also threw an interception in the red zone – the first red-zone INT of his career – with Arizona down three late in the fourth quarter.

ReviewerGrade
Michael LevB
FansB
Running backs

The backs were productive, but they didn’t get enough work. J.J. Taylor amassed 80 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 15 touches – his fewest since the Utah game last season. Running backs had only 18 carries overall. Freshman Michael Wiley showed promise, especially as a receiver, catching three passes for 50 yards. Nathan Tilford became part of the rotation after barely playing last season. He cashed in on his lone opportunity, punching the ball in from the 1-yard line in the second quarter.

ReviewerGrade
Michael LevB
FansB
Receivers/tight ends

It was an up-and-down game for a young receiving corps that’s bound to endure growing pains. Jamarye Joiner tied for the team lead with four catches, good for 72 yards and a TD, in his first game as a wideout. Transfer Tayvian Cunningham played a bigger role than expected, also recording four receptions for 65 yards. Stanley Berryhill III had three grabs for 92 yards and a TD but got whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct after the score (for high-fiving fans in the stands, which apparently is a penalty). Berryhill and Drew Dixon had terrific sideline catches. But Dixon also let a ball carom off his hands on Arizona’s opening drive, resulting in an interception.

ReviewerGrade
Michael LevC
FansC
Offensive linemen

This unit – featuring two new starters and only one player, center Josh McCauley, starting at the same position he played last season – performed adequately. The running game as a whole totaled 178 yards, although much of that came on Tate’s scrambles. The running backs averaged only 3.9 yards per attempt. Tate was sacked twice. Hawaii got pressure at times with three- and four-man rushes. Tate also lacked patience in the pocket at times, making the rush appear more effective than it actually was.

ReviewerGrade
Michael LevC+
FansC+
Defensive front

Bear in mind that the “front” for our purposes also includes the linebackers. Let’s start there. Colin Schooler didn’t have his best game, but he still had a team-high nine tackles, tipped a ball that resulted in an interception and recovered a fumble. Tony Fields II also had a pick. The defensive line – which was supposed to be the most improved unit on the team – was largely invisible. Arizona rarely pressured Hawaii’s quarterbacks. The lone sack – shared by Schooler and Jalen Harris – came on the Rainbow Warriors’ final pass attempt of the game.

ReviewerGrade
Michael LevD
FansD
Defensive backs

It’s hard to knock a group that had a hand in five of the Wildcats’ six takeaways, but that was offset by Hawaii compiling 436 passing yards and five touchdowns. Arizona had no answer for Cedric Byrd II, who torched the secondary for 14 catches, 224 yards and four touchdowns. Safety Christian Young and cornerback Jace Whittaker were the standouts in the group. Young had six tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery; Whittaker had two interceptions and earned the highest grade for an individual defender in the game per Pro Football Focus. Freshman CB Christian Roland-Wallace yielded a TD but also broke up a pass. Fellow freshman Bobby Wolfe showed promise. Safety Scottie Young Jr. was quiet (one tackle).

ReviewerGrade
Michael LevD
FansD
Special teams

Anther mixed bag. Lucas Havrisik made his lone field goal attempt, from 53 yards – after three consecutive UA penalties (delay of game and two false starts) pushed the kick back by 15 yards. Havrisik booted five of seven kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. The first one that came up short was not covered well; Melquise Stovall returned it 37 yards to the Hawaii 43-yard line. Taylor couldn’t get much going on kickoff returns (22.0-yard average). Matt Aragon, making his debut as the starting punter, averaged only 34.6 yards per attempt. It would have been 39.3 if not for a 16-yarder that bounded backward in the third quarter.

ReviewerGrade
Michael LevC-
FansC-
Coaching

There’s just no way to sugarcoat it: The coaches did not do an adequate job of preparing the players for this game, nor did they make the necessary in-game adjustments. Arizona fell behind by double digits in the first quarter of a road game for the fourth time in six tries under Kevin Sumlin. In a game that screamed for a heavy rushing attack, Noel Mazzone called four consecutive passes to start the game; Arizona finished with more passing attempts (41, including sacks) than rushes (30, excluding sacks). Marcel Yates’ defense couldn’t get pressure on the quarterback or cover Hawaii’s receivers. The only remotely encouraging sign: The Wildcats did battle back, unlike similar scenarios last season.

ReviewerGrade
Michael LevF
FansF
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