Notes and takeaways from the Arizona Wildcats’ media availability after practice Wednesday morning as Washington State week continues:
* Quarterback Khalil Tate lost weight in the offseason, dropping from 220-plus pounds to about 208. He’s faster as a result. Why did Tate drop the weight? "I felt like I wasn’t performing to my fullest potential,” he said.
* UA coach Rich Rodriguez is looking for two basic things from his defense against Washington State: He wants the defense to “make some stops" and be aggressive. Arizona did neither in Pullman last year.
* Rodriguez on reviewing last year’s 69-7 fiasco: “You’ve gotta watch the film, because you have to see what went wrong, but it was obviously really embarrassing. It makes me want to throw up. You can imagine, I’ve wanted to throw up all week.”
* Defensive tackle Dereck Boles, who left the Cal game after a collision in double overtime, was available for interviews, a sign that he’ll be able to play against WSU.
* Tailback Nick Wilson, who left the Cal game in the first half because of an ankle injury, was carrying his pads while walking to the locker room. He didn’t appear to have a brace or a limp.
* Rodriguez on freshman defensive tackle Kurtis Brown: "He came in strong. He practices hard. Football is important to him. And he’s intelligent." Brown said he suffered a strained groin vs. Colorado that’s been bothering him this week, but he should play.
* Rodriguez on Washington State guard Cody O'Connell, aka "The Continent," who's 6-9, 368: "He’ll cast a shadow over all four of our guys up front."
* Could Arizona “Stud” DeAndre' Miller be on the verge of a breakout? "I hope so," Rodriguez said. “He’s kind of working his way into game shape. You forget that he missed so much time (the first month, because of a foot injury) and he got thrown back in there. This week was a good week for him. We obviously need him to give us some pressure.”
* Although Washington State plays a lot of wide receivers and throws all the time, Arizona won't necessarily rotate a bunch of defensive backs. The trust factor isn't quite there yet with the younger DBs.
* Rodriguez on Arizona's already productive freshman class: "Imagine what these guys are going to be like with a year or two in the weight room" Safeties coach Jahmile Addae said the '17 class was unusually close even before the players arrived on campus.
* The media contingent on hand was probably the largest for a morning practice all season. It included a reporter from ESPN.com. Chalk it up to the Tate Effect.
