Talking Tate: What the rest of the Pac-12 is saying about Arizona’s playmaking QB
Editor's note: This story is part of the Arizona Daily Star's 2018 college football preview.
'Tate-nado' tore through Pac-12 in 2017
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“I don’t pay any attention to that,” quarterback Khalil Tate says of the reputed Sports Illustrated cover jinx. “I’m going to do me each and every day. I think all that is politics. As long as I get better each and every day, that will tell my story.”
Arizona Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate took the Pac-12 by storm last season. He blew through the conference like a Tate-nado.
The then-sophomore was the talk of college football for a time, and he was a prominent topic of conversation at this summer’s Pac-12 media day.
The Star spoke to several opposing players and one head coach about Tate and some of his greatest hits from 2017. Here’s some of what they had to say about those performances — which included an unprecedented four straight Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week awards — and what it’s like to try to defend the league’s premier playmaker:
The reveal
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Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate, left, reacts after one of four rushing touchdowns at Colorado last season.
Oct. 7: Khalil Tate replaces Dawkins and rushes for a QB-record 327 yards in a 45-42 win over Colorado.
Oct. 7: Tate comes off the bench in the first quarter at Colorado after starter Brandon Dawkins gets hurt. Tate rushes for 327 yards, an FBS record for quarterbacks, and four touchdowns. He also completes 12 of 13 passes for 154 yards and a score in Arizona’s 45-42 victory.
Colorado linebacker Rick Gamboa: “I’m pretty sure he knew exactly what he was capable of. That game definitely gave him a lot of confidence. The whole country, after seeing that, it kind of opened their eyes up to who Khalil Tate really was. He was just on a roll after that.”
Colorado quarterback Steven Montez: “I was watching from the sideline, and I was just kind of like: ‘Wow. This kid can really play some ball.’ Nobody really knew who he was until he had that game. When he came out and started breaking off long runs, I was like, ‘Man, who is this guy?’ Sure enough, he ended up being Khalil Tate.”
Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre: “Thanks for reminding me of Khalil Tate’s coming-out party. One thing I learned — don’t knock the first-string quarterback out.
“Khalil Tate is fast and explosive. Has great vision. And he just kept making play after play. That night he was exceptional, and we had a hard time tackling him. Hopefully we can tackle him better this year.”
The repeat
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Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate (14) lets out a roar after romping for an early score against UCLA in the first quarter of their Pac-12 game at Arizona Stadium, Saturday, October 14, 2017, Tucson, Ariz.
Oct. 14: Tate rushes for 230 yards and two TDs, including a 71-yarder, as UA beats UCLA 47-30.
Oct. 14: Tate follows up his record-setting performance by rushing for 234 yards and two touchdowns in a 47-30 victory over UCLA. Tate also passes for 148 yards and a score.
UCLA linebacker Josh Woods: “We got a glimpse of it two years ago, when Brandon Dawkins went down (on Oct. 1, 2016). We saw what (Tate) was capable of at that time. Last year he got in such good shape. He was a lot faster, a lot more well-conditioned.
“He’s just a weapon. You have a game plan for him, (but) you never know what you’re going to get.”
The road trip
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Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate's ability to throw on the run really stood out vs. Cal on Saturday.
Oct. 21: Colin Schooler deflects a 2-point conversion pass in double overtime and UA tops Cal 45-44.
Oct. 21: Tate rushes for 137 yards and a touchdown and passes for 166 yards and two scores in Arizona’s 45-44 double-overtime victory at Cal. The Golden Bears limit Tate to 14 rushing yards in the second half and overtime, but he beats them with his arm, including what turns out to be the game-winning touchdown pass.
Cal linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk: “Khalil Tate is very fast. A great athlete. I remember being more sore after that game than any game I’ve ever played. My neck was sore for about a week. It was a very physical game.
“Everybody talks about how fast he is and how great of an athlete he is, but I think they overlook the fact that he’s also a really good passer.”
The romp
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Finding a coach who can help Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate succeed might be just as important as hiring someone who will guide the Wildcats over the long run.
Oct. 28: Tate scores three TDs, rushes for 158 yards and throws for 275 as UA upsets No. 15 Wazzu 58-37.
Oct. 28: Tate rushes for 153 yards and two touchdowns in a 58-37 victory over Washington State. He also passes for a career-high 275 yards and a pair of TDs.
Washington State safety Jalen Thompson: “I’ve been playing against him since I was little. I knew about him. I knew his skill set. I knew he was going to be a fast, hard guy to take down. We didn’t execute our assignments that day, and it just cost us.”
The rough night
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Khalil Tate was overcome with emotions in the final minutes of last week’s loss to USC. The WIldcats’ dynamic quarterback may have been tired, too: He ran a Pac-12-record 26 times.
Nov. 4: Ronald Jones II rushes for 194 yards and three TDs as No. 17 USC beats No. 22 Arizona 49-35.
Nov. 4: Arizona suffers its first loss since Tate took over at quarterback, falling 49-35 at USC — but not before rallying from a 22-point third-quarter deficit to force a 35-35 tie. Playing against many of his former high school teammates, Tate finishes with 161 rushing yards and a touchdown, plus 146 passing yards and two TDs.
USC linebacker Cameron Smith: “He’s so dynamic and such a threat to defenses, whether it’s throwing the football or running it. Those dual threats, those option quarterbacks are tough to handle because they can do a lot.
“I’ve seen him, in the few games that I’ve watched, get out of anything and everything.
“They (Tate’s ex-teammates) didn’t have to warn any of us. We saw his ability on tape.”
