Arizona football figures: Former Wildcats QB coach Rod Smith on tutoring Matt Scott, Khalil Tate

Editor’s note: Throughout this fall without Pac-12 football, the Star will interview the participants in some of the Arizona Wildcats’ most memorable games.

Rod Smith wasn’t sure what to expect.

Smith had joined Rich Rodriguez’s staff in December 2011. Most of Arizona’s new coaches hadn’t worked in the Pac-12 before.

“It was all new to all of us,” said Smith, who served as the Wildcats’ co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2012-17. “I’d be lying to you to tell you that we knew exactly what we had or what we were getting into. We were trying to figure it out as we went.”

Smith knew he had a veteran quarterback in Matt Scott, a promising tailback in Ka’Deem Carey, some big receivers in Dan Buckner and Austin Hill, and an offensive line that had plenty of experience. But even after working with those players for months, including spring practice, Smith didn’t truly know.

The first game, predictably, was spotty. Arizona needed overtime to defeat Toledo at home.

Then came a matchup against No. 18 Oklahoma State. After a slow start, the Wildcats pulled away from the Cowboys — and the Rodriguez era was off and running.

Arizona made five bowl appearances in six seasons. The offense — spearheaded by Rodriguez and Smith — did most of the heavy lifting. Scott, Carey, Hill, Anu Solomon, Cayleb Jones, Nick Wilson, Khalil Tate and J.J. Taylor were among the standouts who emerged under their tutelage.

Rodriguez was fired after the 2017 season. Not long after, Smith became the offensive coordinator and QB coach at Illinois. Last season, the Fighting Illini qualified for a bowl game for the first time since 2014.

The Star caught up with Smith to talk about the Oklahoma State upset, working with Scott and Carey, the unique talent of Tate and other topics. The conversation has been lightly edited for context and clarity.

Matt Scott was a fifth-year senior but never had been the full-time starter. He redshirted in 2011. When did you realize you had something with him?

A: “Even though he hadn’t played an extensive amount, he was the mature kid. He had gotten a lot of practice reps throughout his career. So he’d seen a lot of looks. And just the way he handled himself, his decision-making to go along with his skill set of being able to throw the football and extend plays with his feet once in a while when he had to. We thought we had a good football player there. It was just a matter of him getting really comfortable within the system that we were running, and Matt seem to pick it up very well.

“Sometimes people got the misconception that Coach Rodriguez always wants someone who just ran around. That’s not the case. We always tried to run the football with our offense first, but you always want the quarterback to beat them with his arm and his mind, and Matt could definitely do that.”

Ka’Deem Carey turned into a real workhorse for you guys. Did you envision him becoming that type of back?

A: “We thought he could. I don’t know that we ever dreamt he’d have the year that he did (1,929 yards, 23 touchdowns). He actually went above and beyond.

“It was just fun to watch him develop. Ka’Deem wasn’t always the fastest guy. But he was the most disciplined, the most patient and probably the most physical runner we’ve ever had.”

What do you remember about the comeback victory over Oklahoma State?

A: “It ended up being an offensive shootout (59-38), but the defense kind of turned it on in the second half against those guys, flipped the script. I think we had a pick-six at one point (by Jonathan McKnight in the fourth quarter). They really kind of settled in in the second half and helped turn the football game around.

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“The first game is never a good look, no matter who you play. You’ve got nerves, you’ve got a new system. So we didn’t play as well as we probably could. It’s a MAC team, but they beat a lot of good teams year in and year out.

“Oklahoma State … probably had more talent overall than we did. But our kids just kind of got a comfort level.”

How did winning right away alter the timeline for Coach Rodriguez’s regime?

A: “It just kind of raised the expectations of everyone around the program for the future. We won just enough to say, ‘OK, you’re back to being relevant. You’re back to being respectable.’

“But there’s still another level to get to, and that’s what you strive for. Luckily enough we were able to, as the years went on, get ourselves in the Pac-12 Championship Game. We didn’t finish it like we wanted to, but we were able to go to the Fiesta Bowl. So we did kind of climb that mountain. And I think it was all based upon that first year of setting the standard.

“Overall, I would tell you it was a very fun ride. The kids were awesome. We enjoyed our time. You always wish you could stay longer in certain places, but there’s a reason for everything.”

You recruited Khalil Tate and were there for his meteoric rise in 2017. Do you wish you could have had more time to work with him to see where things could have gone?

A: “I wish I could have. Khalil’s a special young man. He’s a special talent. You have to understand Khalil. You have to have a relationship with him in order to fully reach him.

“Khalil’s a guy that I trusted. He trusted me. That’s probably one of the biggest regrets of not being able to finish at Arizona – not been able to see him through. I’d love to have been able to do that.”

It was unfortunate that he didn’t get a chance to show what he could do as a receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles because of the altered offseason.

A: “Very unfortunate. To me, he’s got to be put in the right situation to allow him to be himself and allow him to show what he can do. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s good enough of a talent to play in the NFL. You just got to find the right organization (to) utilize him the correct way.”

From the outside, Lovie Smith seems to have a different personality from RichRod. Is that an accurate assessment?

A: “It’s accurate. Lovie’s a little bit more subdued. He’s involved with the defense and basically doesn’t get involved with the offense at all. He lets his coaches coach. Not that Coach Rodriguez doesn’t. Rich would let us coach as well. Rich was just more animated. Both are tremendous coaches.

“I’m in debt to Coach Rodriguez because he was my coach. I played for him (at Glenville State). I cut my teeth under him. A lot of my philosophy is due to him.

“Lovie’s awesome to work for. He’s different. He lets you do your entire deal. Basically I run the offense, and it’s sink or swim. I like that, because I’m able to put my spin on things and carry forward the philosophy and what I’ve learned throughout the years.”

Like the Pac-12, the Big Ten isn’t playing football right now. How have you and your colleagues approached coaching during the pandemic?

A: “It’s been trying mentally because the kids practice and work so hard. They want to play so bad. You’re told you could play, then (it’s taken) back.

“But like we try to tell them, all we can control is what we can control, and that’s our work ethic, that’s our preparation. When they tell us to go, it’s time to go. So we can’t sit around and wait and hope. When they blow the whistle, then we’ll take off running. That’s how we go about it.”