The grades are in for Arizona’s 47-28 victory over Hawaii on Saturday night at Arizona Stadium:
QUARTERBACKS
Grade: A-minus
Comment: It’s hard to find fault with the performance of Brandon Dawkins. He threw only five incomplete passes, completing a career-best 76.2 percent of his throws. He rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns. He didn’t come close to being intercepted. So why not an A or A-plus? Caliber of competition, plus a handful of running decisions that weren’t quite right.
RUNNING BACKS
Grade: A-minus
Comment: Some unfortunate circumstances – Orlando Bradford being dismissed from the team and Nick Wilson getting hurt – created a star turn for freshman J.J. Taylor. He was dazzling, cutting and spinning his way to 168 rushing yards on 18 carries, including a breathtaking 61-yard touchdown. Zach Green came off the bench for 35 yards on nine carries. Wilson’s inability to stay on the field brings the grade down slightly.
RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
Grade: B
Comment: Sophomore Shun Brown had a breakout performance, catching a career-high five passes for 92 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown. Tyrell Johnson scored on a 24-yard end-around run. Nate Phillips returned from a shoulder injury to catch three passes for 35 yards. Samajie Grant (2-17) and Trey Griffey (1-13) were quiet. Eight receivers or tight ends caught at least one pass.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Grade: B-plus
Comment: A much better overall performance, despite – or perhaps because of – some lineup shuffling prompted by injuries. Redshirt freshman Cody Creason started for Gerhard de Beer at right tackle and didn’t suffer any glaring breakdowns. Redshirt sophomore Christian Boettcher opened at left guard and later played right guard. Unlike the first two games, the line kept negative plays to a minimum.
DEFENSIVE FRONT
Grade: C
Comment: The front wasn’t nearly as disruptive as it had been in the first two games; Arizona had a season-low two tackles for losses, including one by LB Cody Ippolito, who played about a quarter after being suspended for the first half because of a targeting foul. DeAndre’ Miller had the Wildcats’ lone sack. DL Calvin Allen forced a fumble that LB Brandon Rutt recovered in garbage time. Hawaii rushed for 103 yards (5.2 ypc) in the second half.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Grade: C-plus
Comment: Freshman safety Tristan Cooper, making his first career start, had a team-best eight solo tackles and two pass breakups – but also had a personal-foul penalty. Freshman Isaiah Hayes played cornerback for the first time and had five stops – but also got flagged for a person foul. One of Cooper’s deflections led to Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles’ second interception in as many games. Hawaii backup QB Dru Brown (10-18-144 passing, 5-33-1 rushing) led three straight second-half TD drives.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Grade: C
Comment: The PAT unit went for two after the first touchdown and didn’t make it. Only three of Edgar Gastelum’s nine kickoffs went for touchbacks, although the kick-coverage unit didn’t allow a return longer than 26 yards. Josh Pollack made both of his FG attempts (27, 28) and averaged 46.2 yards per punt. Phillips had an 18-yard punt return. Johnson averaged just 13 yards on two kickoff returns.
COACHES
Grade: B-plus
Comment: Rich Rodriguez called the right mix of plays to finally get the offense going early. He and his staff did a very good job of juggling personnel in a game in which several players got hurt. The Wildcats did not have the same intensity and focus in the second half with the game out of hand, and the coaching staff has to bear some of the blame for that. Likewise the penalties that had Rodriguez fuming.
