Wildcats storylines: On Cody Creason's leadership role, Kevin Sumlin's odds

Cody Creason summed up the state of Arizona’s offensive line in two succinct sentences:

“A lot of new faces. Not a lot of experience.”

Creason, the Wildcats’ right tackle, is the only member of the unit who has started a game at the UA — or any Division I school. Arizona will trot out an entirely new line when it hosts BYU in the season opener Saturday night.

But Creason isn’t fretting about it. He can’t. The redshirt junior has to serve as a leader for a group that’s suddenly in need of one.

“I’m one of the older guys,” Creason conceded. “I’m in a different role.”

He sure is. Creason started three games and appeared in all 13 as a redshirt sophomore last season. He shared time with Gerhard de Beer, one of two seniors, along with Jacob Alsadek, who used up his eligibility.

Alsadek (right guard), Nathan Eldridge (center), Christian Boettcher (left guard) and Layth Friekh (left tackle) started every game for the 2017 Wildcats, who used only two different starting combinations. Given the newness of this year’s line and the uncertainty surrounding it, it’s unlikely Arizona will enjoy similar stability.

With Boettcher deciding to step away from football, Eldridge and Friekh were expected to anchor the unit. But Eldridge is out indefinitely because of an undisclosed injury, and Friekh has to sit out the first two games, the price he paid to attain a fifth year of eligibility.

With classmate Alex Kosinski also apparently hurt, Creason suddenly became an elder statesman in the O-line room. He embraced that responsibility, encouraging his line mates to put in extra work “because we knew we had to improve.”

“Getting the O-line together. Watching film together. Pointing out things a younger guy might not know,” Creason said. “Being around for a while, you realize what to look for on film.”

One thing Creason can talk to his fellow linemen about — but can’t truly prepare them for — is blocking for quarterback Khalil Tate.

“I wouldn’t say it’s harder or easier, but it’s definitely more exciting,” Creason said. “We had a play last year at Cal, it was a rollout to the right. He ended up running to the left for an 80-yard touchdown (76, actually).

“He can keep a play alive. If you block a guy for three or four seconds, that’s sometimes not enough.”

Protecting Tate is a job Creason and his teammates take very seriously. They understand how vital it is to keep him in one piece.

“It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is; you always want to protect him,” Creason said. “But having a player like Khalil, who’s obviously one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, it definitely puts a little extra emphasis on, ‘You better not let him get hit.’”

Shawn Poindexter has plans that extend well beyond the playing field.

“I would love to play football as long as possible,” the Arizona senior receiver said, “and then use my platform to impact at-risk youth in the community.”

Poindexter described “rough times” as a kid growing up in the Phoenix area. He said he and his three older brothers were primarily raised by their father, Darnell. Money was tight at times.

“The power would go out here and there,” Poindexter said. “Sometimes we wouldn’t have food. But we made it work.”

After initially signing with Cal Baptist to play volleyball, the Glendale Centennial grad took about two years off from school to work and help his family.

Poindexter enters his final college season as a player on the rise. His goals for 2018 include winning the Pac-12 championship.

His goals in life are much more profound.

Poindexter said he wants to open a facility that’s similar to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

“Growing up in a single-parent household, I didn’t really have everything at my disposal as other kids did,” Poindexter said. “Opportunities to get trainers and all that expensive stuff. I would love to be able to give back and help those kids out.”

The idea was born when Poindexter was 19 years old and about to launch his college football career. He met Eric Hagg, a former safety with the Cleveland Browns who starred at Nebraska and Glendale Ironwood. Hagg became involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes while in high school and once said: “We all need everyone to band together in a community and help each other out.”

“He really opened my eyes,” Poindexter said. “If we have someone to look up to, we can accomplish what we want to do. Sometimes kids don’t have a positive role model.”

The last time he played in a real game, Arizona cornerback Lorenzo Burns endured a fourth quarter he’d rather forget.

“Oh man,” Burns said with a sigh after being asked about the ending of the Foster Farms Bowl. “It was a rough one.”

When Purdue completed the winning touchdown pass in the final minutes, Burns happened to be the defensive back who got beat.

Corners are taught to have short memories. But Burns can’t just block that episode out of his mind. The lessons he can learn from it are far too valuable.

“My biggest takeaway is that I can always get better,” Burns said. “I’m going to take that last experience and do something different this time.”

Burns played well as a redshirt freshman last year. Starting all 13 games, he led the Wildcats with five interceptions. He also recorded 81 tackles, including 3.5 for losses.

The season didn’t end the way Burns had hoped. With Arizona leading 35-31 and less than two minutes remaining, Purdue faced third-and-10 at the UA 38. Elijah Sindelar lofted a pass down the left sideline. Burns had tight coverage on Anthony Mahoungou.

But Mahoungou outwrestled Burns for the ball at the 5-yard line and twisted into the end zone. Burns was left prone on the turf, covering his facemask with his hands.

“I’ve watched it a couple times,” Burns said. “It’s never been to the point where I start getting depressed or getting on myself. It’s more like motivation to not let that happen again.”

What might Burns do different next time?

“Just use my eyes better,” he said. “That’s it. Make a play on the ball. At times I can be a little too locked in on a receiver.”

Burns spent considerable time in the weight room and film room during the offseason. The 5-10 redshirt sophomore now weighs 181 pounds, up from 173 last year. He feels stronger, and smarter.

“If I know what’s happening before it’s gonna happen,” Burns said, “I’ll be able to make a play a lot faster.”

Two years doesn’t seem like a long time. It’s an eternity in college football.

Arizona and BYU last met on Sept. 3, 2016, in the season opener for both teams at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

The Wildcats’ coach was Rich Rodriguez, who UA fired this January. Cougars coach Kalani Sitake was making his debut as a head man; he already finds himself on the proverbial hot seat.

Of Arizona’s 22 listed starters that night, only four remain with the team: offensive linemen Layth Friekh and Nathan Eldridge; defensive end Justin Belknap; and safety Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. Two of them won’t play Saturday; Friekh is out because of an NCAA ruling, and Eldridge is injured.

Only six of BYU’s starters from that game are listed on its current depth chart. Only one, middle linebacker Butch Pau’u, is sure to start.

The starting quarterbacks were Taysom Hill (BYU) and Anu Solomon (Arizona). Hill is entering his second season with the New Orleans Saints. Solomon is out of football.

The game would mark Solomon’s penultimate start as a Wildcat. He got hurt in practice a few days later and wouldn’t return to the starting lineup until late November (when he got hurt again).

Solomon had started 25 of the previous 27 games, leading Arizona to the Pac-12 South championship as a redshirt freshman in 2014. He was unable to sustain that level of play, eventually transferred to Baylor and stopped playing last season after suffering a concussion.

Solomon struggled that night against BYU, throwing a pair of interceptions and suffering four sacks. The Wildcats had only three points entering the fourth quarter. A pair of Nick Wilson touchdown runs gave them a 16-15 lead.

The UA defense couldn’t hold it, surrendering a nine-play, 53-yard drive that culminated in the winning field goal with four seconds remaining.

First-year Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin is 8-2 in openers. One of the losses came in his debut at Texas A&M in 2012, a 20-17 setback against Florida. The Aggies would finish that season 11-2.

A look at UA head-coaching debuts over the past 50 years reveals a mixed bag. The two best Wildcats coaches of the modern era, Larry Smith and Dick Tomey, lost their first games at the UA:

Rich Rodriguez, 2012: W, 24-17 vs. Toledo (OT)

Mike Stoops, 2004: W, 21-3 vs. NAU

John Mackovic, 2001: W, 23-10 at San Diego State

Dick Tomey, 1987: L, 15-14 vs. Iowa

Larry Smith, 1980: L, 15-13 vs. Colorado State

Tony Mason, 1977: L, 21-10 at Auburn

Jim Young, 1973: W, 31-0 at Colorado State

Bob Weber, 1969: L, 23-7 at Wyoming