CORVALLIS, Ore. — Khalil Tate … lead blocker?
It happened twice Saturday during the Arizona Wildcats’ 35-14 victory at Oregon State. Sort of, anyway.
In the second quarter, Tate fired a quick screen to Shun Brown on the left side. Finding nowhere to run, Brown reversed field. Tate became his escort as Brown looped to the right side and scored a 21-yard touchdown.
Except Tate didn’t actually touch anyone.
“Khalil will probably tell you he laid down three blocks, blocked the whole defense and then pushed Shun into the end zone,” left tackle Layth Friekh joked.
Tate wouldn’t go quite that far.
“I opened the tunnel up, and nobody came,” he said. “I did my job.”
Arizona's Shun Brown pulls two Beaver defenders into the end zone to cap off a 21-yard touchdown reception.
It happened again in the third quarter. Tate handed the ball to J.J. Taylor for a run to the right. Taylor then cut back to the left. Tate sprinted ahead of him. Taylor gained 16 yards and Tate again didn’t get a piece of anyone.
“We don’t design plays for him to be the lead blocker,” UA coach Kevin Sumlin said. “Go to the Wildcat and having him leading? We’re not doing that.”
Tate is too valuable a commodity. He’s also playing on a sore ankle that he keeps re-injuring.
On the possession after Brown’s touchdown, Tate rushed for 2 yards. He was tackled by Kee Whetzel and Doug Taumoelau, who twisted Tate’s left leg while Whetzel held him up.
“Their job is going to be to try to take me out,” Tate said. “It’s football. It’s part of the game.”
Tate was limping noticeably, prompting Sumlin to call a timeout.
“I just wanted to make sure,” Sumlin said. “I just looked out there and saw him limping. I wanted to give him time. Sometimes things get tweaked.”
Tate remained in the game. Although he appeared to be in significant pain, he downplayed the severity of the injury. He did the same after initially getting hurt at Houston in Week 2.
“It was a football injury,” Tate said. “It happens.”
Tate got sacked twice, including an intentional grounding, and ended up with a career-low minus-9 rushing yards. He completed 9 of 17 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns. He has seven TDs and no interceptions in his past two games.
After doing a postgame TV interview, Tate signed autographs and took pictures with Arizona fans who were waiting behind the team bench.
Jalen breaks out
No one ever questioned Jalen Harris’ ability. It was only a matter of time before the talented redshirt freshman showed it in a game.
Harris recorded his first career sack Saturday. The long-limbed edge rusher also had a career-best five tackles.
“I owe it to my teammates,” the son of former UA great Sean Harris said. “They pushed me to get better and better. It finally happened. I just had to be patient.”
Harris has flashed those skills before. He just hasn’t done it consistently.
Sumlin said there are some days in practice when Harris is barely noticeable. There are other days when he looks like a future star.
“That can be frustrating until you look at how old he is. Now that makes sense,” Sumlin said.
“Obviously he was able to get pressure that we haven’t been able to get. So it’s in there. We’ve seen it in practice on certain days. Today we saw it again.
“What we’ve gotta hope is that he continues to get better and stronger and more knowledgeable about this game. He could be a real plus for us if he continues to show the kind of burst on the edge.”
Sumlin also praised the work of defensive tackle PJ Johnson, who returned after missing the previous two games. Johnson recorded a career-high two tackles for losses, including his first sack as a Wildcat.
“He’s a big dude,” Sumlin said of Johnson, who’s listed at 6-4, 335 pounds. “He’s a big, athletic, talented guy who can hold up at the point of attack.”
Extra points
•UA defensive end Jalen Cochran got hurt late in the first quarter and did not return.
•Cornerback Jace Whittaker made the trip, dressed but did not play. Whittaker had a sleeve over his left elbow and didn’t appear to have much mobility in that arm during early warmups. He did not participate in 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 drills.
•Safety Isaiah Hayes also dressed but was held out. Hayes appeared to hurt his shoulder last week against Southern Utah.
•Holder Jake Glatting contributed to Arizona’s 442 rushing yards with an 8-yard run for a first down on a fake field goal. The Wildcats ended up scoring on the drive on Tate’s 16-yard TD pass to Shawn Poindexter.
•Freshman safety Dayven Coleman, who injured his knee against the Thunderbirds, did not make the trip.
•Sumlin and former Oregon State coach Mike Riley talked near midfield during pregame warmups.
•UA president Robert C. Robbins and Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott chatted near the visitors’ tunnel shortly before kickoff.
