In a vacuum, Khalil Tate probably deserves a higher grade. But he has set an incredibly high standard for himself. He seemed hesitant at times to take shots downfield, but Arizona wouldn’t have won without his 56- and 22-yard touchdown passes in the second half and overtime. Aside from his 76-yard TD run in the first quarter, Tate gained only 61 yards on 16 carries. Most of the time he had nowhere to run, but there were times he could’ve gone North-South instead of East-West. Tate forced a pass downfield late in the fourth quarter that was intercepted.
Subbing for Nick Wilson (ankle) and J.J. Taylor (targeting), Zach Green had the best game of his UA career. Green finished with 20 carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns, including a 25-yarder on Arizona’s first offensive snap in overtime. Arizona repeatedly sent Green into the heart of the Cal defense, and he didn’t have a single negative rush. Taylor was off to a great start (4-44, 30-yard TD) before being ejected.
Once again, this group didn’t have a ton of opportunities but generally made the most of them. Freshman tight end Bryce Wolma was on the receiving end of what turned out to be the winning touchdown, absorbing a huge hit as he crossed the goal line. Shun Brown caught only two passes, but one was a 56-yard TD. Shawn Poindexter’s 25-yard jump-ball reception converted a third-and-8 and set up the go-ahead field goal. But Poindexter misjudged Tate’s heave later in the fourth quarter, leading to the pick.
Another 300-plus-yard rushing performance, and another game without a sack. That’s three in a row on both counts. Tate had to scramble at times, and he met resistance on several outside running attempts. Was that a product of poor blocking, or did the Golden Bears simply outnumber the Wildcats near the line of scrimmage?
The front struggled at times, surrendering 172 rushing yards, but also came up with some critical plays. None was bigger than LB Colin Schooler’s game-clinching pass breakup in the back of the end zone on Cal’s two-point conversion attempt in the second overtime. Schooler had a career-high 15 tackles, including 1.5 for losses. Kylan Wilborn’s pressure led to safety Jarrius Wallace’s interception in the end zone. The front accounted for 5.5 of Arizona’s six tackles for losses, including DT Finton Connolly’s sack.
The secondary had major trouble stopping the Bears in third-and-long situations, allowing way too much cushion and way too many completions. Cal converted 13 of 19 third downs in all, and QB Ross Bowers passed for 301 yards and two touchdowns. The Wildcats were shorthanded. Scottie Young Jr. (knee) didn’t play, and fellow safety Troy Young got ejected in the first quarter. Inexperienced sub Wallace finished with nine tackles, a pick and a key pass breakup. CB Lorenzo Burns also had an interception.
Josh Pollack made a 36-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that Arizona ended up needing, but he missed a 43-yarder at the end of the first half. Only two of Lucas Havrisik’s six kickoffs went for touchbacks, well below his usual rate. Cal’s Ashtyn Davis returned one of those kicks 44 yards, giving the Bears a short field. Punter Jake Glatting continued to struggle, averaging just 33.7 yards per punt.
Rich Rodriguez again stuck with a conservative approach, although he was somewhat hamstrung after losing Wilson and Taylor. Marcel Yates’ defense could not come up with answers on third down. Rodriguez’s clock management at the end of the first half was questionable. But overall, the staff deserves credit for helping Arizona overcome injuries and other issues. This was a potential trap game, but the Wildcats avoided falling into it.
