In the immediate aftermath of Arizona’s season-opening loss to BYU, Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez said he wanted to review the game film before drawing any conclusions about the underperforming offense.
Having watched it multiple times by Monday, Rodriguez determined that there were plays Arizona could have or even should have made — but didn’t.
“I thought the effort was pretty good,” Rodriguez said. “Certainly the execution’s got to get a whole lot better. There were some opportunities offensively — what we call ‘touchdown opportunities’ — that we didn’t execute that normally we would. We’ve got to get better on that.”
Arizona scored only 16 points, less than half its average from last season. Quarterback Anu Solomon failed to throw a touchdown pass and took the blame for the loss afterward. Rodriguez said Monday that it was a group effort, but he included Solomon among those who didn’t take advantage of opportunities that the BYU defense presented.
“He competed. He made some nice plays. But he also missed some plays that he normally would make,” Rodriguez said. “He saw the field well at times; at other times he didn’t see it as well as he has in the past. Coach Smith (QB coach Rod Smith) and I have got a lot of confidence that he can make those plays going forward.”
Rodriguez said the Cougar defense presented some unexpected looks, but that the coaching staff had it figured out by the end of the first quarter. Why Solomon couldn’t capitalize from that point forward isn’t entirely clear.
Rodriguez said Solomon made some plays during practice Sunday night “that we wanted to see in the game.” Is it possible that he was reluctant to take chances because he feared being taken out of the game?
Rodriguez did not reveal that Solomon would start until about two hours before kickoff Saturday night. Solomon had been battling Brandon Dawkins for the job since spring.
“I don’t like to have a guy play at any position (thinking), ‘If I make one mistake, I’m going to be pulled out.’ I want them to play freely and without stress as far as making mistakes,” Rodriguez said. “But at quarterback, certainly, you’ve got to be productive. You’ve got to make the right decisions, make the right reads.”
Although Solomon and Dawkins again are listed as “co-starters” on the depth chart for Grambling State, Rodriguez gave no indication that a change in the pecking order is forthcoming.
He did say that he was “close” to playing Dawkins against BYU and that he’d like to get him some time against Grambling.
“If we’re moving the ball and scoring, great. We’ll leave the guy in there,” Rodriguez said. “If we’re not, we may not.”
O-line settles down, steps up for Wilson
The offensive line’s performance was “more solid” than Rodriguez initially thought, but far from perfect. Blocking breakdowns contributed to a scoreless first half. The Wildcats had minus-12 net rushing yards at that point.
“Negative rushing yards at halftime — especially as an offensive line, that’s not something you want,” right guard Jacob Alsadek said. “I think the second half we stepped up.”
Arizona finished with 115 rushing yards, including 84 in the fourth quarter. The line helped spring Nick Wilson for 15- and 49-yard touchdown runs.
Alsadek said the unit’s improvement stemmed from getting used to what BYU was doing and shaking off some early nerves. Redshirt freshman center Nathan Eldridge was making his first career start; redshirt junior right tackle Gerhard de Beer was making his first start at that position.
“The things that we need to get fixed are fixable,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not something like, ‘Oh gosh, this’ll be an issue all year.’ It shouldn’t be.”
Extra points
Rodriguez said safety Tellas Jones “tweaked an ankle” in the second quarter of Saturday’s game. Jones did not return. Rodriguez was unsure whether Jones would practice Tuesday or be available for the home opener. He had five tackles when he got hurt.
Senior Michael Barton has been moved from “Mike” to “Will” linebacker on the depth chart and is listed as a co-starter there with Paul Magloire Jr. The coaches want to get Barton, a graduate transfer from Cal, more playing time after he played only a handful of snaps against BYU.
Defensive linemen Finton Connolly, a redshirt freshman, and Darrell Cloy Jr., a sophomore, did not dress because they weren’t in the mix to play, Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez implied that freshman offensive lineman Keenan Walker is suspended after being arrested for fighting outside a bar this summer. Walker, who had been rehabbing from an injury, is healthy enough to suit up, Rodriguez said.
Freshman linebacker Jacob Colacion, who suffered a knee injury during his senior year of high school, is practicing at full speed, Rodriguez said. Colacion is expected to redshirt.
Starting defensive end Justin Belknap said he does not have a scholarship. The redshirt freshman joined the program as a walk-on and remains one. He had two tackles, including one for a loss, against BYU.
