Five storylines ahead of Arizona football's matchup with UCF on Saturday at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando.
ORLANDO — Entering the 2024 season, the Arizona Wildcats replaced first-round NFL Draft pick Jordan Morgan at left tackle with redshirt freshman Rhino Tapa'atoutai, after soon-to-be sophomore Raymond Pulido stepped away from the team this season due to personal reasons.
Just when the Wildcats found their successor to Morgan, they had a Rhino-sized hole on the offensive line once the new starter went down with a season-ending leg injury.
The solution?
Taking right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea, himself a sure-fire high NFL pick who UA head coach Brent Brennan called "our best offensive lineman," and asking him to "protect (quarterback Noah Fifita's) blindside."
Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea (71) awaits the snap of the football during the Wildcats’ win over Utah on Sept. 28 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
After Arizona's blowout loss to Colorado two weeks ago, the Wildcats shuffled their starting offensive line. They put Savaiinaea back at left tackle — he started against Northern Arizona earlier in the season, despite spending most of the year on the right side; they flipped left guard Wendell Moe and right guard Alexander Doost to balance experience and rising players; Oregon transfer Michael Wooten, who struggled in the first few series against the Buffaloes, was now at right tackle, and senior center Josh Baker stayed in his usual spot.
"We felt like that was the best configuration for us," Brennan said.
After allowing seven sacks against the Buffaloes, the Wildcats only surrendered two last week to West Virginia.
"Props to Mike to fulfill that right tackle job," Savaiinaea said of the 6-5, 315-pound Wooten. "It's not an easy task to ask someone to go out there and execute, but shoutout to him. He's been putting in work in the offseason, and he deserves every snap. Proud of him.
"That'll boost his confidence."
Although Savaiinaea had to shake off the rust at left tackle after playing a majority of his three-year UA career at right tackle and right guard, he loves "to show my versatility and play both sides," he said.
Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea, center, blocks the Utah defense on Sept. 28, 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"Whatever the coach and team needs me to be at, I'm going to be there," he added.
Savaiinaea has logged 1,057 snaps at right tackle, 985 at right guard and 148 at left tackle. Savaiinaea currently has the best single-season offensive grade (73.5) and pass-blocking grade (82.1) of his career, according to Pro Football Focus. He's a projected top-20 NFL Draft pick by ESPN, but with four regular-season games remaining, Savaiinaea isn't thinking about life after Arizona; he has a zen mindset.
"We're in the moment right now," Savaiinaea said. "We're trying to make a bowl game. We have four games guaranteed. All we have in front us is UCF, so we're going to have that 1-0 mentality and just be in the moment and spend as much time with the guys as possible."
For UCF’s annual Space Game, the Knights don new, specialized uniforms that change each season.
Will the real SpaceU please stand up?
The University of Central Florida certainly takes pride in being known as "SpaceU." The Knights' sold-out home matchup with the Wildcats on Saturday is the UCF football program's annual "Space Game," a recent tradition which began in 2017 to pay homage to the university's space programs and connection to NASA.
Nearly 200 researchers, faculty and students from UCF have worked on NASA projects in the last year, according to UCF. About 29% of the employees at Kennedy Space Center are UCF alumni. The 50-yard line at FBC Mortgage Stadium is aligned with the exact latitude as Launch Complex 39A, NASA's most renowned launching pad.
For each Space Game, the Knights don specialized uniforms that change every season. Last season, UCF wore light blue space-themed uniforms. This season, the Knights have black constellation-themed jerseys and moon-colored pants.
Arizona is no stranger to astronomy and helping out NASA. In 2016, the NASA mission OSIRIS-REx (origins, spectral interpretation, resource i security, regolith explorer), led by the UA, launched, returning seven years later with samples from Bennu, "a carbon-rich asteroid that records the earliest history of our solar system" and "the molecular precursors to the origins of life."
The UA's Steward Observatory Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory, attached to Arizona Stadium, creates mirrors for optical and infrared telescopes. Arizona announced its "Storm Trooper" all-white uniform combination with a player posing in the mirror lab.
In Space Games, the Knights (known decades ago as the Citronauts — an homage to both the space connection and the state of Florida's most well-known agricultural crop) are 7-0 and averaging 49.9 points per contest, while their opponents average 21 points. UCF's average margin of victory in the Space Game is 28.8 points.
Central Florida wide receiver Chauncey Magwood (4) reacts after catching a pass for a first down against Cincinnati during the first half on Oct. 12.
Knights hope to 'salvage the season for a chance to make a bowl'
Ahead of the UCF-Arizona matchup, college football reporter Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel provided insight on the UCF football program.
Here are five UCF-related questions Murschel answered:
UCF fired defensive coordinator Ted Roof and replaced him with co-defensive coordinator Addison Williams. UCF head coach Gus Malzahn also handed play-calling duties to Tim Harris Jr. What led to the changes before the Arizona game?
A: “Obviously the Knights are in the middle of a five-game losing streak and things haven’t gone nearly as well as fans and staff thought it was going to go, so they decided to make a move now going into this game and maybe make some changes to salvage the season for a chance to make a bowl.”
UCF has used multiple quarterbacks this season. Where does that position stand heading into Saturday?
A: “The quarterback situation has been in flux for most of the season. KJ Jefferson started the season, and he was their transfer-portal guy that they brought in. He started the first five games and struggled with the offense. … Then Jacurri Brown came in and played. Gus said, ‘Welp, Jacurri is going to be our starter.’ Then Jacurri struggled against BYU and all of a sudden, we get a fourth-string guy who came in and finished out the game and had two touchdowns against BYU.
"We’re not sure who’s going to be the starting quarterback this week. It could be Brown or it could be Dylan Rizk. It’s a situation that’s been up in the air and influx for most of the season.”
Central Florida running back RJ Harvey (7) runs past linebacker Jonathan Thompson (22) during the second half of a game on Oct. 12 in Orlando, Florida.
How would you describe the impact of running back RJ Harvey for UCF this season?
A: “RJ Harvey is probably the bright spot of the team this year. He came back even though he could’ve gone to the NFL if he wanted to.
"He’s the first UCF running back to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since 1994-95.
"If it wasn’t for RJ Harvey, I’m not sure where this team would be right now, because he’s carried them and the load of this offense. They would love to run him as much as they can, but the problem is, teams stack the box against UCF and make it difficult for Harvey to find those yards.”
How is the UCF football culture and support for the program in Orlando?
A: “I think the culture is good. This is a young fanbase. People tend to forget they’ve only been playing football since 1979, so this is a young fanbase that’s very active on social media. They’re passionate and they want to see success in this program. They were over the moon when the program got moved up to the Big 12. They felt like maybe they should’ve been there a decade ago, but it’s taken a little bit of time. They’re enjoying the fact that they’re playing quality opponents.
"Overall, the general buzz is that it’s a program that’s on the rise and a program that can be on top of the Big 12.”
UCF has the NASA ties, which is the reason for its “Space Game,” but has the program and university played up Disney World near the campus?
A: “That’s the draw UCF has been leaning on. ‘Come travel with your team, and if you get here a day or two early, come to the amusement parks and enjoy Disney World.’ It’s a tourist destination, and they want fans to come down and enjoy themselves. It’s the same pitch they give their recruits. Why not come down to Orlando and spend your weekends on the beach when you’re not playing football?
"It’s a big draw for why people want to come to (UCF) games.
"It’s definitely a good selling point.”
Arizona defensive back Dalton Johnson (43) leaps for a throw as the Wildcats get loose before their game against West Virginia on Oct. 25.
Johnson spearheading linebacker role
Due to so many injuries in Arizona's defense, including star linebacker Jacob Manu and defensive backs Gunner Maldonado and Treydan Stukes, UA defensive coordinator Duane Akina adjusted the scheme from a 4-2-5 base to a 4-1-6 "dime" defense, which has three down linemen and a stand-up edge rusher.
But it might as well be the same UA defense, but with sophomore Taye Brown in the "Mike" linebacker role and strong safety Dalton Johnson as the "Will" linebacker.
Against West Virginia, Johnson lined up in the box 65 times and just once in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. Johnson has played more snaps (128) as a safety-linebacker hybrid in the last two games than the previous three contests (111). Johnson, who cornerback Tacario Davis called a "high-IQ player," has 24 combined tackles in the last two games, including a career high with 13 last week against West Virginia.
"He can play anywhere," Davis said of Johnson. "Linebacker, corner, safety, anywhere."
It's a similar role as former graduate transfer defensive back Martell Irby, who played linebacker alongside Manu for several games, including the Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma.
"What we found, we stumbled on it, he was great in the box," Akina said of Irby. "We had the two shortest linebackers in the history of college football out there, but boy, they saw the game and played fast and rugged. Dalton, too, he has a gift of being a box safety. ... He's done a great job in there for us, because he's another one that's playing a different position."
Brennan said Johnson "is a consistent football player."
"He's a tough guy," Brennan said. "The guys really respond to him, and he's one of those guys whose voice we need right now. Without those three leaders on the field, we absolutely need Dalton to continue to step up and be a positive voice for our defense — and our football team."
Arizona defenders Rob Waldrop (92), Tedy Bruschi (68) and Brant Boyer charge toward Miami quarterback Frank Costa in the 1994 Fiesta Bowl. Desert Swarm was born in an 8-7 loss at Miami in 1992, and hit its peak in the 29-0 shutout of the Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl a season later.
Back in the Sunshine State
Saturday will be the first-ever matchup for Big 12 opponents Arizona and UCF. It's the Wildcats first trip to Florida since losing to top-ranked Miami 8-7 in 1992.
"We should've walked out with a W, too," said Akina, who was the Wildcats' then-offensive coordinator under former UA head coach Dick Tomey.
Arizona's game against UCF is the longest road trip for the Wildcats this season, a roughly 2,030-mile trek from Tucson to Orlando. It'll be the fourth different time zone the Wildcats will play in this season.
"For our football team, the biggest thing is control what we can control," said Brennan. "We played a lot of games across the country at my previous stop, and it's always about how you handle the travel and not let that be an excuse. We know we're going to Florida. It doesn't matter. The football field is going to be the same size and width and length. Let's get ready to play."
The Wildcats are also fishing in Florida for the panoply of recruits that are pumped out of the state annually. Arizona currently has a commitment from Orlando wide receiver Isaiah Mizell, a 6-foot, 160-pound senior at Boone High School, who is also being targeted by Notre Dame and the hometown Knights. Arizona passing game coordinator Matt Adkins said, "If we can get as many kids from Florida, we'll take them."
"Speed is the No. 1 thing and that's what Florida is notorious for," he added.
Akina said Florida has "really good players down there, so that's the benefit," but noted "distance can be an issue."
"There's some really good football teams down there, but there's a lot of speed, too," said Akina. "Much like Texas and Georgia, there's a lot of good players that are in there and you can find a guy every now and then."
