Notes and takeaways from Arizona Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin’s weekly Monday news conference at the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility:
* Arizona used five running backs against Southern Utah. None was sophomore Nathan Tilford, a former four-star recruit. Sumlin explained why: “He’s just not where those other guys are right now. It’s just like anything else - we play guys based on performance in practice and consistency. … That’s not to say Nate is doing anything wrong. We play the guys who perform in practice the best. That’s how you earn playing time.”
* Third-down defense remains a huge point of emphasis after the Wildcats again struggled in that area. We’ll have more on that subject later in the week.
* Sumlin said the message doesn’t change just because Arizona is starting Pac-12 play this week at Oregon State. “We are working on us, trying to develop depth, develop continuity, regardless of the opponent,” Sumlin said.
* Arizona will prepare for two quarterbacks – both Conor Blount and Jake Luton played last week at Nevada – but the bigger concern is the Beavers’ running game. Freshman Jermar Jefferson leads the Pac-12 in rushing.
* Sumlin said quarterback Khalil Tate’s running ability was limited after he again twisted his ankle in the first quarter. It was the second week in a row Tate tweaked his ankle in the opening period.
* Most of Arizona’s injuries are on defense, leaving Sumlin and his staff with a fuzzy outlook as preparations begin for Oregon State. “We have a guess” as to who will be available, Sumlin said. “We’ll get on the field today. As the week progresses, we’ll have a better feel for that.”
* Sumlin said tailback Gary Brightwell has improved his reads since Week 1. “He missed a couple holes in the zone game in the first two games, but you can see in the video that he made those cuts the other night,” Sumlin said.
* Sumlin spoke glowingly of senior receiver Tony Ellison, who had a career-high 111 yards vs. the Thunderbirds: “All he does is get open all the time. You look at him in practice and you’re like, ‘Eh, he’s all right.’ Then every Saturday he makes plays. There’s guys like that.”
* Sumlin explained why he dressed five quarterbacks for Arizona’s road game at Houston: “It’s important that they’re able to experience what goes on on the road, the preparation that goes on. And we like to have a lot of arms to warm up. Young guys, particularly at that position … that’s valuable experience.”
* Sumlin said one of the biggest positives to come out of the Southern Utah game was that Arizona was able to play a lot of young players. How much those players will be utilized moving forward remains to be seen, but the new redshirt rule affords more flexibility in that regard.
* Sumlin said it was important for the new offensive line to play together for most of the game last week to develop continuity and improve communication.
