Here are three things to watch in the Arizona Wildcats’ game vs. Cal at Arizona Stadium (Saturday, 7 p.m., FS1), plus a score prediction and some pertinent preview links:
1. NEW TATE DEBATE
The question is no longer whether, or when, Khalil Tate will run with the same aggression as he did last season. If ever there was a time to do it, it was last week against USC. After losing to the Trojans in 2017, Tate was reduced to tears; he left everything on the field. In the rematch, Tate had a chance to try for a first down on third-and-8 in the third quarter. It would have required stiff-arming or lowering his shoulder into USC linebacker Levi Jones. It was no sure thing. Tate elected to run out of bounds, 3 yards shy of the marker. In the fourth quarter, Tate scrambled toward the right sideline. He had a clear path up the sideline to run for a first down. Instead, he pulled up and threw across the middle. Only a penalty prevented his second interception of the night. Are these choices the byproduct of an ankle injury that’s worse than Tate is letting on? Or is something else at play? It’s impossible to decipher from Tate’s limited interactions with the media in postgame press briefings. Two days later, though, UA coach Kevin Sumlin acknowledged that internal discussions have taken place about whether to take Tate out of the lineup to rest his ankle — and, in the process, refresh his mental outlook. The question now — inconceivable 11 months ago, when Tate completed his unprecedented October run — is whether it’s time to seriously consider a Plan B.
2. DUAL THREAT
Cal has its own quarterback issues. Golden Bears coach Justin Wilcox insists that playing two QBs — Chase Garbers and Brandon McIlwain — is in the best interest of the team. If one had clearly seized the job, that likely wouldn’t be the case. But that’s where things stand, at least for now, so Arizona needs to prepare for two quarterbacks whose styles are different enough to make defending them a difficult task. Garbers is the more polished passer, completing 65.3 percent of his throws with six touchdowns and four interceptions. He can run, too; his 150 rushing yards in part-time duty are 81 more than Tate has. But Garbers isn’t nearly the running threat that McIlwain is. Although he has yet to start a game, McIlwain is Cal’s leading rusher with 252 yards. He rushed for 123 against Oregon last week. The Wildcats haven’t faced a true dual-threat quarterback since Houston’s D’Eriq King in Week 2. King carried five times for 31 yards, including two touchdowns, in less than four quarters of work. Arizona’s edge defenders, including Kylan Wilborn and Jalen Harris, will have to be especially disciplined when McIlwain is in the game.
3. CHANGES COMING?
Besides quarterback, three UA positions are worth monitoring closely. The first is left tackle, where iron man Layth Friekh succumbed to a painful lower-leg injury (ankle or foot) and had to come out of the USC game in the second half. Friekh wasn’t his usual mobile self while he played. The senior will do everything he can to play, but his effectiveness and endurance are in question. Redshirt sophomore Michael Eletise replaced Friekh last week; it’s unclear whether that would be the plan this week if Friekh can’t go. On the other side of the ball, “Will” linebacker Tony Fields II had to leave the game because of an apparent right-shoulder injury. Jacob Colacion finished the game alongside Colin Schooler. If Fields can’t go, Colacion and Anthony Pandy (assuming he’s reinstated from suspension) are viable alternatives. The third position is placekicker, where Lucas Havrisik has made only 4 of 9 field-goal attempts and has missed two extra-point tries. Havrisik has NFL leg strength but hasn’t hit the ball consistently in game situations for whatever reason. Fifth-year senior Josh Pollack is experienced and reliable from 45 yards and in; he made 11 of 15 field-goal attempts last season, when the operation was problematic at times because of the absence of snapper Nick Reinhardt (knee). It might be time to make that switch.
FINAL SCORE: Arizona 30, Cal 24
PREVIEW LINKS:
