Samajie Grant only has two games left in his college football career. Unless he catches on in the NFL, he may have only a couple games left in general.
Saturday, the senior wide receiver-turned-running back made the most of the time he has left.
Grant spearheaded Arizona’s best rushing attack since September, finishing with a game-high 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 49-24 loss to Colorado. Grant’s longest rush of the night went for 45 yards.
“He’s really played well,” UA coach Rich Rodriguez said. “There was a couple times where he found something or didn’t press on a certain play. But boy, he’s a competitive guy, he’s playing really hard, and it’s a good thing. He’s the one tailback we have with a little bit of burst.”
The Wildcats rushed for 262 yards, the most they’ve gained since going for 308 yards against Washington on Sept. 24.
The Wildcats lost freshman sensation J.J. Taylor for the season in that game. Nick Wilson has since been lost for the year due to injuries, leaving the Wildcats with just redshirt junior Zach Green and walk-on Branden Leon as players with previous experience at the running back position.
Coaches moved Grant to running back out of necessity. The senior has improved each week, demonstrating an improved grasp of the offense and a burst that few Wildcats possess. Grant hadn’t played the position since high school.
Grant isn’t alone.
The majority of Arizona’s rushing yards between Arizona's loss to Washington and Saturday came from Grant and another converted receiver, Tyrell Johnson, and quarterbacks Brandon Dawkins and Khalil Tate. During that same span, players who opened the season at running back had just 244 rushing yards and no touchdowns.
One of those backs, Green, rushed 10 times for 34 yards and scored his first career rushing touchdown Saturday.
Grant has rushed for 254 yards on 43 carries, a 5.9 yards-per-carry average, since taking over at running back on Oct. 29.
The key, Grant said, has been simply listening to the coaching of Arizona offensive coordinator/running backs coach Calvin Magee.
“I didn’t change anything. I try my hardest to do it his (Magee’s) way,” Grant said. “When I remember to do it that’s when I play good, and when I didn’t, I lost yards.”
Harris brothers visit UA
Rodriguez said this week that the UA wouldn’t be hosting many visitors the rest of the season, in part because late-night kickoffs means less time with recruits.
Regardless, a handful of recruits still visited for Saturday’s game. The most notable were two brothers from Mesa’s Desert Ridge High School: 2017 athlete Jalen Harris and his brother, Jason, a highly-regarded 2020 prospect in both basketball and football.
Jalen Harris has already verbally committed to Arizona’s 2017 class. He’s expected to play defensive end. In his senior season at Desert Ridge, Jalen Harris has 29 tackles and 8ƒ sacks.
Jalen and Jason Harris are the sons of Sean Harris, a Desert Swarm-era UA linebacker who played seven seasons with the NFL’s Bears and Colts.
Also at the game: 2018 Phoenix Phoenix Mountain Pointe athlete Kenny Churchwell. UA assistant Charlie Ragle offered Churchwell a scholarship during Arizona’s bye week.
Extra points
• Offensive lineman Gerhard de Beer didn’t dress for Saturday’s game because of a knee injury. Cody Creason started at right tackle in his place.
• Freshman safety Isaiah Hayes missed the second half for undisclosed reasons, and junior Kwesi Mashack played the bulk of snaps in his place. Mashack finished with four tackles.
• Kickoff specialist Edgar Gastelum suffered a concussion during practice this week and missed the game. Punter/placekicker Josh Pollack took care of kickoffs in Gastelum’s place. Pollack was replaced at punter by redshirt sophomore Jake Glatting late in the game; Glatting kicked three times for an average of 42.7 yards per punt.
It was a rough night for Pollack, who missed all three of his field goal attempts. Rodriguez told reporters late Saturday that Gastelum’s injury was a freak thing. His reaction: “Are you kidding me?”
• Arizona’s 262 rushing yards were the most allowed by Colorado all season. Coming into Saturday, the Buffs had the top rushing defense in the Pac-12, allowing just 117.6 rushing yards per game.
• Rodriguez said Arizona “is not a good team,” especially when it commits penalties. The Wildcats were flagged 13 times for 138 yards Saturday.
