Three Arizona Wildcats defensive players who worked closely with Marcel Yates used some variation of the same word to describe their reaction to his dismissal:
They were shocked.
“It kind of came out of nowhere,” junior safety Scottie Young Jr. said Tuesday.
UA coach Kevin Sumlin on Sunday fired Yates with four games to go in his fourth season as defensive coordinator. Linebackers coach John Rushing also was let go.
The changes came after Arizona lost 41-31 at Stanford on Saturday. It was the Wildcats’ third consecutive defeat and the third straight game in which they allowed 41 or more points.
Sumlin named senior defensive analyst Chuck Cecil as Yates’ replacement, at least for the rest of the season. Another analyst, Hank Hobson, will coach the linebackers.
The midseason moves reminded the players of one of the realities of college football: It’s a business. A cruel one, at times. As Sumlin said Monday: “This job … it pays off on results.”
The players felt at least partially responsible for Yates losing his job. They cited their inability to execute game plans or perform at a high level on a consistent basis.
“As a result of the way we played,” senior defensive back Jace Whittaker said, “his job was on the line.”
Cecil addressed the defense as a group for the first time Monday afternoon. Players said his message was simple and straightforward: There wouldn’t be any radical changes to the scheme, especially with a game coming up Saturday against Oregon State. The Wildcats just needed to rally and find a way to win.
“We gotta get on track and start winning,” Cecil told the players, according to junior safety Jarrius Wallace. “We can’t control what happened. Let’s go and try to win these last four games.”
Many defensive players had working relationships with Cecil, and that should help. Whittaker said the defense is “in good hands” under the former Tennessee Titans defense coordinator, who always made himself available to talk football. As an analyst, Cecil wasn’t permitted to coach players on the field.
“I ask Coach Cecil questions all the time,” Whittaker said. “His door is always open. He’s always giving me tips on how to watch film, how to get better. The transition process isn’t too difficult when you’ve had somebody here who you trust.”
Cecil advised Whittaker on how to become a better leader and urged him to get involved in special teams if he wanted to play in the NFL. Young and Cecil bonded over their shared past: Both attended Helix High School in the San Diego suburb of La Mesa.
“He’s fun to be around,” Young said of Cecil. “Everybody likes him. Everybody respects him. Everybody knows what he’s done here.”
Wallace said Cecil took the time to get to know him on a deeper level, asking him personal questions such as what his nickname was. For the record, Wallace’s mother and others call him Jarvis.
No one has a concrete solution to Arizona’s defensive woes. But the players at least know what the problem is. It’s a familiar theme.
“Consistency,” Young said.
The defense played well, under trying circumstances, in the first half against Washington and USC before faltering in the second. The reverse was true last week at Stanford.
Arizona surrendered 31 points – total – in victories over Texas Tech and UCLA. The UA then allowed 30 points in a win at Colorado, including 14 in the final 1:50 of the first half.
“I couldn’t tell you,” Whittaker said. “If I knew, I’m pretty sure I would have told the defense. But I’m not sure what it is.”
The Wildcats are trying to figure out how to sustain the energy they have played with in spurts. Changing coordinators might help in that regard. It might not.
“I don’t think no coach can fix that,” Wallace said. “That’s between us to figure out.”
Uniform opinion
The players are as excited as the fans about the “Desert Swarm”-inspired throwback uniforms the Wildcats will wear for their homecoming matchup against the Beavers.
The uniforms feature white helmets with red and blue stripes down the middle and blue facemasks; blue jerseys with white numbers outlined in red; and white pants with blue and red stripes down the sides.
“I can’t wait to put them on,” said receiver Jamarye Joiner, who grew up in the Tucson area. “I remember my parents always talking about the ‘Desert Swarm’ and about Tedy Bruschi — he was the real deal and stuff like that. So just putting on the uniform and being able to honor them in a way that you don’t get to honor them every game.”
Another Tucsonan, receiver Drew Dixon, said the uniforms look “sweet” and will give the Wildcats a little extra “swag” when they take the field Saturday.
“It’s awesome,” Dixon said. “They haven’t been worn in who knows how long. It’s gonna look real nice on Saturday.
“That was a big time for Arizona football. That we’re able to wear them, that’s pretty cool.”
Count Joiner among those who wouldn’t mind the throwbacks becoming Arizona’s full-time ensemble. A tweet from a Star sports account Monday expressing that view had received more than 450 “likes” as of Tuesday evening.
“They’re, nice, they’re smooth, they look clean,” Joiner said. “Why not?”
Extra points
• Former UA center Nathan Eldridge hopes to return to the lineup for Oregon State after being out more than a month because of an ankle injury. Eldridge, who transferred to OSU this past offseason, has had some recent interactions with his former teammates, he told The Oregonian. However, Eldridge said, “When you get on the field, there are no friends.”
• Pro Football Focus ranked the performance of every FBS receiving corps, including running backs, through Week 9. Arizona landed in 45th place. OSU came in 34th. Beavers receiver Isaiah Hodgins leads the Pac-12 in receptions (56), yards per game (106.4) and touchdowns (10). He has had only one drop, per PFF.
• OSU junior linebacker Hamilcar Rashed Jr. leads the Pac-12 with nine sacks. Arizona has seven as a team. Rashed played at Chandler High School. The UA never offered him a scholarship, according to the 247Sports and Rivals databases.
