Every week throughout the season, we take a look back at the Arizona Wildcats’ previous game after re-watching it via the TV broadcast. Here are five key takeaways from the UA’s season-ending 38-35 win over Arizona State on Friday:
1. BLOCK PARTY
Coming into the season, the offensive line was one of the Wildcats’ biggest question marks. Arizona wasn’t able to address the position through the transfer portal. Hope for improvement hinged on cohesiveness and experience. The line performed adequately for most of the campaign, although Jayden de Laura’s elusiveness masked some of its flaws. Then the unit lost its best blocker, Jordan Morgan, to a season-ending injury. Could the line hold up one last time? It could, and then some. This was without a doubt Arizona’s most impressive performance up front under Jedd Fisch and his staff. Linemen repeatedly hit their targets to open huge swaths for Michael Wiley to run through. When Arizona needed to run inside the 10-yard line – and ASU knew it was coming – the line created just enough room for Jonah Coleman and DJ Williams to score. Williams even had a crease on the third-and-1 to put the game away but tripped over de Laura’s foot. The foundation is strong for 2023 with Josh Baker, Jonah Savaiinaea and Wendell Moe as returning starters. Unless Morgan comes back, Arizona will have to figure out both tackle spots. Savaiinaea is a possibility there. The Wildcats have others in the pipeline. After Friday’s performance, optimism for the O-line is much higher heading into this offseason than it was last offseason.
2. PLAYING KEEP-AWAY
It looked pretty grim for a while there, didn’t it? Sun Devils quarterback Trenton Bourguet had a lot to do with that. The Marana High School product played a maddening game of keep-away. He operated an incredibly efficient attack that kept the ball in ASU’s possession and kept Arizona’s offense on the sideline. Despite losing a possession in the first quarter because of a muffed punt, the Sun Devils held the ball for almost 38 minutes in all. They ran 36 more plays than the Wildcats. They gained 39 first downs, which a mindboggling total. Their approach was well orchestrated. There was nothing fancy about it. Bourguet repeatedly got the ball out on time. He utilized play-action on 21 of 54 dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Twenty-six of his 37 completions were thrown less than 10 yards downfield. It was death by a thousand papercuts. ASU had five drives of 10 or more plays. Yet only three produced scores. The first ended in an interception. The last ended in a sack/fumble. Which leads us to Takeaway No. 3.
3. ANATOMY OF A SACK
Two late defensive stops proved to be the difference. The first featured detailed execution, and that’s the one we’re going to focus on here. The Sun Devils faced third-and-6 at the UA 20 with less than four minutes remaining. Jalen Harris was lined up on the defense’s left in a three-point stance. He noticed that right tackle Emmit Bohle’s right foot was farther back than his left foot, signifying that a pass play was coming. So Harris stood up and moved farther to the left. He was able to get underneath Bohle with an outside rush. On the opposite side, Arizona showed a blitz look. Sure enough, Jacob Manu rushed off the edge. He got critical help from teammate Hunter Echols, who attacked the inside shoulder of left tackle Isaia Glass. That knocked Glass off-balance and opened a lane for Manu. Manu and Harris met at the quarterback. Harris knocked the ball out of Bourguet’s hand with his left arm. Tiaoalii Savea scooped up the ball and returned it to midfield. The entire play encapsulated what football is all about at its core: It’s the ultimate team game.
4. THIS TIME IT’S PERSONNEL
Our notes on individual players can be found here … Wiley conceivably could declare for the NFL draft, and we wouldn’t bet against him. The pro game requires backs to be skilled receivers, and Wiley is a natural pass catcher. The play he made in the first quarter down the right sideline was as good as you’ll see. ... TE Tanner McLachlan was heavily involved in the run game and the screen game as a blocker. He doesn’t shy away from contact. He has all the tools to be an All-Pac-12 player next season. ... Harris’ productivity doesn’t suggest he’ll be drafted, but he has traits that could be attractive to NFL clubs. Harris is long and athletic. He showed it while covering ASU tight end Jaylin Conyers on a flat route in the second quarter. ... DT Kyon Barrs is another player with pro potential. He played his best ball at the end of the season after missing much of the offseason because of foot surgery. Barrs offers versatility, as he can play nose tackle or 3-technique. ... If this was safety Jaxen Turner’s final game as a Wildcat, he saved his best for last. Turner’s strip of Tevin White was as savvy a play as you’ll see. Turner also provided crucial last-line-of-defense tackling. ... We like second-year safety Isaiah Taylor’s aggressiveness and nose for the ball. One thing he needs to work on: Tracking it in the air. Taylor was slow to get his head around on a couple of occasions.
5. AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
A four-win improvement is historic stuff. Fisch and his staff deserve a ton of credit for accelerating the rebuilding process. It wasn’t necessarily intentional. Arizona played a bunch of true freshmen this season. The Wildcats doubled down in that regard down the stretch when they expanded their defensive rotation – yet they still won two of their final three games. A 5-7 record in Year 2 with a victory over ASU is more than any UA fan could have asked for, especially when you consider two factors: (1) Arizona played one of the tougher schedules in the nation; and (2) the program was in an absolute abyss when Fisch took over in December 2020. As great as it all feels now, Fisch and his staff face myriad challenges in the months ahead. It’s unclear how many key veterans will return. Portal poaching is only going to grow in prominence. The staff still has to close out the 2023 recruiting cycle. And expectations will be higher for the ’23 season. After going 5-7, the Wildcats will be talked about as a bowl team next year. Is that talk premature? Maybe. But it sure beats the alternative.
