Three days later, Don Brown was still perplexed. How could the Wildcats play so well defensively at times, so poorly at others?
โI canโt put my finger on it,โ the UAโs first-year defensive coordinator said Tuesday. โBut thatโs the facts.โ
Welcome to Arizona, Coach.
Defensive consistency has eluded the Wildcats for years. Neither schematic nor personnel changes were going to fix every problem in one offseason.
The promise displayed in the opener โ in which Arizona limited BYU to 368 total yards โ evaporated within minutes one week later against San Diego State. The Wildcats allowed big plays and touchdowns on the Aztecsโ first two possessions. They scored TDs on three of their first four drives. The offense accounted for 28 of SDSUโs 35 points in the first half.
In the second half, the Aztecs managed only one field goal โ on a drive that began at the UA 15-yard line.
โI think weโve played six pretty decent quarters,โ Brown said amid preparations for Saturdayโs game against NAU.
โWe give up ... 35 points in the first half, counting the blocked kick. And then you give up three in the second half. They didnโt take anybody out. All the same dudes are in there. Donโt you think thatโs kind of an interesting deal?
โIโve really been scratching my head over it. Was there a lack of energy? No. Was there too much? I donโt know. Didnโt seem to be.โ
Brown cited two areas where the Wildcats can stand to improve: tackling and temperament.
Tackling was a major issue against the Aztecs. UA coach Jedd Fisch said the Cats missed 16 tackles, up from six the previous week.
โIf you tackle, you got a chance to win the game,โ Brown said. โYou donโt tackle, you got no chance to win the game, period.โ
SDSUโs first touchdown was a prime example: Arizona appeared to have the play diagnosed, but linebacker Treshaun Hayward failed to wrap up tailback Greg Bell in the hole. Safety Gunner Maldonado then whiffed once Bell reached the secondary. Fifty-five yards later, the Aztecs had a 7-0 lead.
โThereโs fundamental pieces that you do in tackling on a week-to-week basis. We follow that protocol,โ Brown said. โObviously, weโve got to make an extra emphasis of it this particular week because, obviously, itโs a fundamental that we need to fix.
โThatโll be the goal this week โ to make sure we put in the extra time needed on tackling and make the fundamental coaching points of staying inside out, your angles of entry, your clamping ability, getting your head across, not making it an arm tackle, not trying to deliver the knockout punch.
โBut the reality is, itโs my responsibility. I gotta do a better job.โ
Maldonado said his leverage was off at times against SDSU. Pro Football Focus tagged him with three missed tackles after he had none the previous week. Maldonado already has huddled with safeties coach Chuck Cecil to try to remedy the problem.
The temperament matter isnโt something that can be repped in practice. It requires experience and mettle. The goal, Brown said, is to not succumb to the emotional highs and lows within a game.
He conceded that San Diego Stateโs opening touchdown had a โdeflatingโ effect on the UA defense. The Wildcats couldnโt stop the wave until the second half.
Even in the BYU game, the scores came in bunches. All three Cougars touchdowns happened within a span of four possessions bridging halftime. The one that didnโt produce a TD consisted of one play to run out the clock in the second quarter.
โWeโve gotta guard against that,โ Brown said. โWeโve gotta just stay even-keeled and play.โ
Carroll on QBs
Fischโs decision to elevate Will Plummer to the starting role shook up Arizonaโs quarterback room. Gunner Cruz, who started the first two games, now finds himself in a reserve role. Jordan McCloud, whoโs been the third QB, could be moving up the depth chart.
Offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll said Cruz took the news as well as could be expected when the team met and practiced Monday.
โHe went out and competed like weโd expect him to,โ Carroll said. โHe went right back to work. He knows heโs gotta make some improvements, and heโs ready to take the challenge.โ
McCloud faced a challenge that was different from the other two quarterbacks. Because he had to finish up his degree, the transfer from South Florida couldnโt enroll at Arizona until June. He missed spring practice โ 15 opportunities that Cruz and Plummer had to familiarize themselves with the offense.
McCloud couldnโt make up for lost time and started the season running the scout team. Heโs expected to get more looks in practice this week.
โThese last two weeks heโs made great strides,โ Carroll said. โHeโs got a couple of chances to perform in an almost-live situation in some scrimmage settings, and heโs done really well.โ
As for Plummer, Carroll is eager to see what the second-year freshman can do given a chance to play from the start. Carroll admired the way Plummer โwent in there and played freeโ coming off the bench against SDSU.
โHeโs been really consistent,โ Carroll said. โHeโs got a good grasp of the offense, and heโs ready to go execute it. I know heโs got great rapport with the guys, and theyโre excited to see him get a shot this week.โ
Extra points
Defensive end Jalen Harris recorded his first sack of the season vs. SDSU. He had none last year. โIโm just happy for the guy,โ Brown said. โThe guyโs a hard worker. Heโs got tireless energy. ... There were a couple of scenarios he got into that he kind of got moved a little bit. But the good thing about him is, heโs very coachable and you can fix things because he listens. And thatโs a great trait.โ
Another defensive end, Mo Diallo, saw a significant uptick in playing time (23 snaps) and production (five tackles) over Week 1 (11 and two, respectively). He didnโt get here until mid-August, so a slow start was somewhat inevitable. โThat guyโs been dealt a pretty tough hand,โ Brown said. โWeโre trying to get him ready to play games with minimal coaching. ... But the nice thing is, you see him incrementally starting to get it.โ
Thereโs little debate that receiver Tayvian Cunningham, who also has run for the UA track team, is the fastest Wildcat. Whoโs second fastest? โI really donโt know,โ Cunningham said with a smile. He mentioned a handful of candidates: Maldonado; receivers Jalen Johnson, Jamarye Joiner and Anthony Simpson; and cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace.
