Arizona’s sack leader from last season doesn’t have a sack this season. But that doesn’t mean Kyon Barrs isn’t making an impact.
The Wildcats’ veteran defensive tackle, who made second-team All-Pac-12 in 2021, ranks second on the team with 2.5 tackles for losses. He ranks third with eight defensive stops, which Pro Football Focus defines as tackles that constitute a failure by the offense.
Barrs played an instrumental role in Arizona (2-1) shutting down North Dakota State in the waning moments of Saturday’s 31-28 victory. Barrs officially was credited with only one tackle, for a 2-yard loss, among the final five defensive snaps. But on two other plays, his presence in the middle of the defense helped teammates make critical stops.
Barrs’ play has improved each week as he works his way back from offseason foot surgery. Barrs missed all of spring practice and was limited in training camp.
“Each week we’re going to hopefully see him become more noticeable,” said UA coach Jedd Fisch, whose team opens Pac-12 play at Cal on Saturday. “He’s pretty healthy at this point in time. He missed a lot of training-camp time. We were very limited in his reps as he was coming back from the surgery.
Arizona defensive lineman Kyon Barrs, top, helps bring down Mississippi State running back Dillon Johnson in a game earlier this year.
“He’s feeling more and more comfortable. His weight’s where he wants it to be. He’s full go on the field at practice. Now it’s our responsibility just to monitor his reps in practice to make sure that we’re able to give him the best opportunity on Saturdays.”
Barrs has played 149 of 195 defensive snaps, per PFF, or 76.4%. That’s a higher percentage than last season (56.2%), although Barrs missed two games in 2021 because of injuries.
Arizona hasn’t rotated as much along the defensive line as coordinator Johnny Nansen had hoped, in part because of an injury to defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea. Savea missed most of the Mississippi State game in Week 2. He suited up for NDSU, but the coaches elected to hold him out.
“I don’t envision that being the case this week,” Fisch said.
Assuming Savea is back, the Wildcats can use him and Dion Wilson Jr. to give starters Barrs and Paris Shand a breather. Shand has played 146 snaps, Wilson 76, Savea 25.
Barrs leads all interior linemen with 12 tackles. He had 33 tackles and a team-high five sacks in 10 games last season. Barrs also was PFF’s highest-graded UA defender in 2021, ranking second on the team in QB pressures (21) and defensive stops (23).
Jedd on Herm
Fisch took no pleasure in the news that Arizona State had parted ways with Coach Herm Edwards.
The move wasn’t announced as a firing. “By mutual agreement, Coach Edwards and I have determined that he will relinquish duties as our head coach,” ASU vice president of athletics Ray Anderson said. But Fisch knows what that’s code for.
“Coaches don’t ever like to hear the ‘F word,’ right? It’s not fun for anybody for guys to lose their jobs,” Fisch said. “There’s families involved. There’s other staff involved. There’s many things involved when it comes to that type of stuff. So it’s never really a good day in the coaching profession when that occurs.”
Fisch was the offensive coordinator at UCLA in 2017 when Jim Mora was fired with one game left in the regular season. Fisch became the interim coach and guided the Bruins to a 1-1 record.
Arizona is set to face ASU in the regular-season finale on Nov. 25. The Sun Devils won last year’s meeting 38-15 in what likely will be the only coaching matchup between Fisch and Edwards.
‘Cheap shots’
Did the Bison engage in any extracurricular activities at the end of plays Saturday?
They weren’t tagged with any personal fouls or unsportsmanlike-conduct flags, but UA receiver Dorian Singer said some sketchy stuff occurred.
Asked after the game about NDSU’s physicality, Singer said: “I wouldn’t say physical. I would say pretty cheap, cheap shots, dirty shots, just unnecessary stuff.”
Singer said that at one point he was looking up at the video board and saw one of NDSU’s offensive linemen push the head of one of Arizona’s defensive linemen into the turf.
Fisch said any such activity wasn’t easily detectable on the coaches’ film.
“I didn’t see much of that,” Fisch said. “But you can’t really tell what goes on in the scrum.
“If Dorian said it, I’m sure Dorian felt it. But it’s hard to see from my perspective, when you’re watching the film, what that really looks like.”
Timely audible
One of the most important offensive plays in Arizona’s comeback win over NDSU featured an audible by quarterback Jayden de Laura.
It happened on fourth-and-1 from the Bison 27-yard line in the fourth quarter. Arizona had three receivers lined up on the left side. De Laura changed the play to a version of a bubble screen and connected with Jacob Cowing for a 5-yard gain.
“Jayden has the ability, when he sees certain looks, to get to certain plays out of certain formations,” Fisch said. “There’s criteria involved based upon the fact that plays are married to formations in a lot of ways.
“He made that audible and made a great throw. And Jacob made a great catch.”
On the next play, de Laura hit Cowing for the go-ahead touchdown.
‘Wildcat of the Week’
Fisch has introduced a new award this season — the “Wildcat of the Week.”
This week’s recipient is tight end Tanner McLachlan, who caught four passes for 50 yards against NDSU. But the honor isn’t just for on-field performance.
“It’s doing things right on and off the field,” Fisch said. “It’s making an impact in our program in many different ways.
“He’s shown that every time he hits the practice field. He takes as many reps as we’ve ever asked. He’s never been late to a thing. He’s never showed up late or on any list in academics. He’s always demonstrated an ability to go out and help in the community when we’ve had community-service events. And when he went out there this past game, he also produced as a player.”
Echols honored
Edge rusher Hunter Echols was named the Pac-12 co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.
Echols had eight tackles and two stops for losses against the Bison. One of those TFLs was a strip-sack in the red zone that prevented a potential NDSU score in the second quarter.
Echols, a transfer from USC, shared the award with Oregon’s Brandon Dorlus. Echols is the second UA defensive lineman to be honored by the conference this season, joining fellow edge rusher Jalen Harris. Echols leads the Wildcats in TFLs (4.5) and sacks (two).
Extra points
Barrs, de Laura, Singer, Echols, linebacker Jerry Roberts and tailbacks Michael Wiley and Jonah Coleman received game balls after the victory over NDSU.
Arizona’s Oct. 1 home game vs. Colorado will kick off at 6:30 p.m. It will be televised by Pac-12 Networks.
The consensus betting line for Arizona-Cal opened with the Golden Bears favored by 4.5 points. It rose to Cal minus-6 before dropping to Cal minus-3.
