Star reporter Michael Lev presents five key storylines heading into Saturday's game between the UA and USC. The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and will be broadcast on Pac-12 Arizona and 1290-AM:
Arizona DT Trevon Mason wishes late grandfather could see him now
Arizona defensive lineman Trevon Mason (90) fights through a block in the Wildcats’ win over Texas Tech last month.
Arizona defensive tackle Trevon Mason’s middle name is Darnell. It was the first name of his late grandfather, whom Trevon thinks about all the time while pursuing his football dreams. He imagines his grandpa would be proud of him.
“He got to see me in Little League, but he didn’t get to see none of this,” Mason said. “I wish he was here to this day.”
Mason has emerged as a prominent defender for the Wildcats after transferring this summer from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, about 75 miles southeast of his hometown of Arlington. He had a career-high seven tackles in last week’s game against Washington, bumping his season total to 21. He also has 2.5 tackles for losses.
Two days after the UW game, Mason tweeted the following about his grandfather: “Proud to carry the Mason name. Wish my granddaddy was still here to witness all that I have accomplished. I will continue to make him and my family proud. I know my granddaddy is watching over us.”
Darnell Mason died when Trevon was about 10 years old. Darnell had a massive heart attack while waiting at a stoplight, Trevon said.
Trevon appreciated many things about his grandfather. One was exposing Trevon to musical artists such as The Temptations and Sam Cooke. Another was the discipline Darnell instilled in him. Trevon loved his grandfather. He also was a little scared of him.
“I would get in trouble in school,” Mason said. “My mom used to be like, ‘Your granddaddy’s coming.’ I used to start throwing up instantly.”
If only Darnell could see what Trevon has become. After arriving just before the start of training camp – his transfer was delayed because of academics – Mason struggled at first with conditioning. He has developed into a sturdy presence in the middle of Arizona’s defense, which needed big bodies after the departures of 300-pounders PJ Johnson and Dereck Boles.
“I’m really trying to ball out,” Mason said. “I’m trying to tell the coaches I’m really here to make a difference – that they didn’t just pick me up to be on the roster.”
After a pair of setbacks, OL Bryson Cain is glad he’s able to help team again
Bryson Cain
Unfortunately for Bryson Cain, he had been there before.
Arizona’s offensive lineman missed the 2017 season because of a broken ankle. So when he found out he had torn his ACL late last season, he had that same sinking feeling.
“When the knee came along,” Cain said, “I was like, ‘Well, here we go again.’”
But the two injuries came with a bright side.
“It really helped me learn adversity and how to face it,” Cain said.
He attacked his latest rehab with vigor and was cleared for full contact at the start of training camp — about nine months after he hurt his left knee against Oregon on Oct. 27.
Cain worked his way into a platoon at left guard, and he could make his first start of the season when Arizona visits USC on Saturday.
“He made a really quick recovery,” UA tight end Bryce Wolma said. “I know he put a lot of time in in the offseason.”
The challenge in recovering from an injury is as much mental as it is physical. Cain’s previous experience helped speed up the timetable on that front when injury No. 2 struck.
“It hits you hard for the first little period,” Cain said.
“My ankle, I was in a pretty bad mood for first the week or so after it. My knee … I just threw a huge fit when it happened, and then I was fine. I got it all out of my system.”
By that point, Cain had established himself as a starter. He opened the first nine games of the ’18 season at right guard.
Cain was playing for Joe Gilbert then, technically Arizona’s third offensive line coach in two seasons.
Cain came to Tucson from Great Oak High School in Temecula, California, to play for Jim Michalczik. After Michalczik left the UA late in the ’17 season to join the Oregon State staff, Arizona hired Garin Justice. Justice’s tenure lasted about a month because the man who hired him, Rich Rodriguez, got fired.
Cain didn’t have a chance to make the kind of first impression he wanted on Kyle DeVan, the Wildcats’ newest offensive line coach. Cain was limited to individual drills during spring practice.
“I was worried originally,” Cain said. “But after getting to know Coach DeVan, he’s such a standup guy. I really didn’t worry about it after the fact.
“We talked about it. He said, ‘The biggest thing over everything is, you’re healthy. Don’t worry about making impressions with me.’ He watched film. He understands how I play.”
Cain, a redshirt junior, expected to be his usual physical, mobile self upon returning. But there were moments of trepidation.
“It takes some time, definitely,” Cain said. “In the first little part of camp, I was kind of uncomfortable. It’s really scary after you get two screws in your knee.
“Over time, you get over it. I don’t even notice it anymore.”
With opponents blitzing more often, Arizona suddenly is feeling the pressure
Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate (14) goes down for a sack under Washington linebacker Joe Tryon (9), top, and linebacker Ryan Bowman (55), pushing the Wildcats back from the goal line in the third quarter of their Pac-12 game at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., Oct. 12, 2019.
It started against Texas Tech, only ending with a massive counterstrike. It continued against UCLA, but for a different reason. It reached new levels against Washington.
Defenses have been blitzing Arizona more lately than any time since Khalil Tate became the Wildcats’ quarterback. The pressure packages didn’t necessarily have the desired effect until last week’s game against the Huskies, who bewildered Tate from the get-go.
“They were really the first team that’s brought a lot of pressure against us,” UA tailback J.J. Taylor said. “You get blitzes on third down. They’re blitzing on first down, second down.”
Washington regularly sent inside linebackers into the backfield. Sometimes the Huskies would spring safety Myles Bryant on delayed blitzes. They sacked Tate four times and forced him to throw the ball away on several other occasions.
In the past, opponents were hesitant to blitz Tate for fear that he’d exploit an open lane and run for a huge gain. That happened against the Red Raiders. Arizona alleviated the pressure by calling and executing a quarterback counter, which resulted in Tate rushing 84 yards for a touchdown.
Tate tweaked a hamstring late in that game and missed the following contest against UCLA. Freshman Grant Gunnell took his place, making his first career start. Naturally, the Bruins came after him.
“With an injury or with a young guy,” UA coach Kevin Sumlin said, “you’re gonna blitz them.”
Tate returned the following week against Colorado and mostly relied on his arm in a 35-30 win over the Buffaloes. Washington seemed to have little concern about letting Tate get loose. The Huskies also executed their plan to near-perfection, maintaining gap discipline and rarely giving Tate an opening.
“They just kept coming when we dropped back to throw it,” Sumlin said. “They played some zero (coverage) a couple times and just dared us. We couldn’t get it off. Give them credit.”
Tate finished 13 of 25 for 184 yards with one touchdown and one interception, rushed for a career low minus-28 yards and lost a fumble. Given how successful Washington’s plan was, UA players expect others to copy it.
“Anytime a team has success like that,” tight end Bryce Wolma said, “you look for (others) to implement the same sort of things in their game plan. It’s just all about communication up front between tight ends, backs and the O-line.”
What else can the Wildcats do to beat the blitz?
“Watch film,” Taylor said. “Pay more attention in film. Look at tendencies.”
Added receiver Cedric Peterson: “Just having a little bit more sense of urgency. We have to make sure that we’re on time with everything we’re doing … that we’re all clicking on everything.”
Pac-12 commish talks parity, playoff paucity
Arizona and USC entered this weekend tied for first place in the Pac-12 South. Despite each having lost a conference game, they remained alive for the division title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.
But with two and three losses overall, respectively, they’re already eliminated from contention for the College Football Playoff.
The four-team CFP has been around for five years. Only two Pac-12 teams have qualified for it.
The Pac-12’s absence from the CFP was among several topics conference commissioner Larry Scott discussed when he met with the media in Tucson last week. Here’s a snippet of that conversation, focusing on the Playoff issue:
The Pac-12 is arguably the most competitive conference from top to bottom in college football. But that often results in too many losses to get into the CFP. Is that bad for the league?
A: “When I visit our schools individually, they like the depth; they like that everyone has got a chance; they like that we’re arguably as deep as any conference in the country. But I think it’s fair to say that nationally, the conference has been punished by not having a team in the Playoff. We’ve definitely taken a hit.
“I think it has become a litmus test. If you’re going to be considered an elite conference in football, you have to have a team in the Playoff regularly. We’ve got to win national championships from time to time, and we haven’t for a while.
“The Playoff has gotten so big, and there’s so much attention. It’s like two sides of a coin. The positive side is, the Playoff has really done a lot to bring attention and interest, and college football is growing nationally. The flip side is, if you’re not in there, it’s going to hurt your overall image in terms of being an elite league.”
Is that fair?
A: “It’s just the reality. I don’t think it’s objective. But I don’t think people talk a lot nationally about depth.
“We are deeper and stronger and more balanced than some other leagues that are getting teams in the Playoff. But because there’s so much hype and so much excitement and so much focus on the Playoff … it’s understandable that that’s what people are focused on – who’s in the Playoff and who’s holding the trophy up at the end.”
What are your thoughts on expanding the Playoff to six or eight teams?
A: “Discussion has started about it. Current contracts go through 2026. I think it’s unlikely anything would happen between now and then.
“There’s definitely implications that were weighed when we moved from the BCS to the College Football Playoff. Everyone felt four was the right step to still preserve the importance of bowls and the regular season. It’ll get a lot of discussion, but it’s still early.”
Is another close game on tap between Trojans, Wildcats?
Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate, right, against USC in 2018.
Last year’s USC-Arizona game marked a return to form in a way: It was decided by single digits.
The previous two meetings ended a streak of nine straight featuring a margin of one score or less.
The Trojans won all but two of those. Every other time, the Wildcats managed to keep the score close against a rival that has dominated the all-time series (34-8).
Below are the results of the past 12 meetings. The games in odd-numbered years took place in Los Angeles, in even-numbered years in Tucson:
2007: USC 20, Arizona 13
2008: USC 17, Arizona 10
2009: Arizona 21, USC 17
2010: USC 24, Arizona 21
2011: USC 48, Arizona 41
2012: Arizona 39, USC 36
2013: USC 38, Arizona 31
2014: USC 28, Arizona 26
2015: USC 38, Arizona 30
2016: USC 48, Arizona 14
2017: USC 49, Arizona 35
2018: USC 24, Arizona 20
