The grades are in for Arizona’s 36-23 loss to Utah on Saturday night in Salt Lake City:
QUARTERBACKS
Grade: C-plus
Comment: For a while, Brandon Dawkins carried the Arizona offense. He played with little regard for the bruised ribs that surely caused him great discomfort. Eventually, Utah’s defense and an accumulation of hits became too much. He passed for 243 yards and accounted for two touchdowns but also completed only 11 of 20 passes and threw two interceptions. Backup Khalil Tate also threw a pick – his first obvious freshman mistake – and couldn’t shake free of Utah’s defenders as easily as he did UCLA’s.
RUNNING BACKS
Grade: C-minus
Comment: Zach Green and Tyrell Johnson combined for 45 yards on 13 carries. Johnson started but rushed only four times for 10 yards. Green was more effective (9-35) and at times made something out of nothing, carrying Utah defenders for extra yardage. Neither back had much room to run. It was a night when the Wildcats really could have used Nick Wilson and/or J.J. Taylor, their more dynamic (but injured) runners.
RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
Grade: A-minus
Comment: The wideouts were easily Arizona’s most effective position group. Trey Griffey (4-109) and Cedric Peterson (1-31) made sensational downfield catches. Shun Brown and Samajie Grant made huge plays – 75- and 63-yard TD receptions, respectively. The two times TE Trevor Wood got the ball, he proved hard to bring down. The only reason this group gets the “minus” is there were a handful of times they needed to get open for their quarterback and couldn’t.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Grade: D-plus
Comment: The unit did not surrender a sack, but that was mainly a product of Dawkins’ and Tate’s elusiveness. Arizona averaged a scant 3.4 yards per rush without any lost sack yardage. Left guard Christian Boettcher, making his second straight start for the injured Freddie Tagaloa, got beaten off the snap by Utah’s Pasoni Tasini for a safety late in the second quarter that changed the tenor of the game.
DEFENSIVE FRONT
Grade: C
Comment: Missing Parker Zellers, Luca Bruno and Jake Matthews – and later Cody Ippolito – the front held its own for a half before eventually crumbling. Utah gained 186 of its 210 rushing yards in the second half. Paul Magloire Jr. and DeAndre’ Miller (back from injury) had sacks, but Miller’s came after a dropped snap. Linebacker Michael Barton had his best game as a Wildcat, recording a game-high 12 tackles, including two for losses.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Grade: C-minus
Comment: Utah QB Troy Williams completed only 13 of 29 throws but passed for 245 yards. Breakdowns in the secondary led to long gains for Cory Butler-Byrd (69 yards) and Evan Moeai (59 yards). Despite the overall results, the switch from DaVonte’ Neal to Jace Whittaker at cornerback was a net positive. Utah threw at Whittaker frequently, especially in the first half, and he responded by breaking up five passes.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Grade: D
Comment: Better than last week but still not what Rich Rodriguez is seeking. Arizona’s special teams also suffered compared to Utah’s. Josh Pollack averaged just 34.2 yards per punt and came up well short on a 52-yard field-goal attempt at the end of the first half. (Pollack later made a 37-yarder.) Only one of Edgar Gastelum’s four kickoffs went for a touchback, and Butler-Byrd averaged 28.7 yards per kickoff return. Arizona had a 16-yard disadvantage in average starting field position.
COACHES
Grade: D-plus
Comment: Rodriguez and his staff again were handicapped by numerous injuries – although Kyle Whittingham and his staff faced similar challenges. The Wildcats struggled in the second half for the second week in a row; whether that’s a result of coaching or attrition is up for debate. Rodriguez’s decision to punt on fourth-and-3 from the Utah 46 with the score 29-14 at the start of the fourth quarter was questionable to say the least.
