Jedd Fisch: Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan is 'the best receiver in the country'

Tetairoa McMillan doesn’t “really like to talk about myself too much. ... I let other people talk for me.”

Arizona’s sophomore wide receiver said over the summer that he lets “the game speak for itself,” which should’ve warranted him a spot on the 50-player preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list, right?

When McMillan was asked during training camp about being left off the preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list, a national accolade awarded to college football’s top wide receiver, he said, “I don’t deserve to be put on there,” after putting up 39 catches for 702 yards and eight touchdowns as a true freshman, when he averaged 18 yards per reception.

“My stats last year weren’t really up there,” McMillan said. “I understand why they didn’t put me up there, but at the end of the day, I’m going to have confidence in myself and say they’re sleeping on me.”

Now the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee is awake — and aware of McMillan, who was added to the award midseason watch list on Monday. McMillan has 61 catches for 860 yards and eight touchdowns through 10 games. McMillan has scored a touchdown in three straight games, including a highlight one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone in No. 21 Arizona’s 34-31 win at Colorado on Saturday. McMillan had nine catches for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Buffaloes.

Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch is “surprised at” McMillan not starting the season on the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

“I think he’s the best receiver in the country, so he should be on it. I think that’s been proven week in and week out,” Fisch said. “When you play in our offense, you get a lot of production. When you play in the system, you get a lot of production. ... That’s kind of what this offense is, it’s going to produce big numbers for receivers.”

McMillan’s statistical growth is correlated to his improvement as an all-around receiver. The 6-5, 210-pound standout from Southern California was mostly used as a possession wide receiver near the sidelines. McMillan’s length, coupled with his natural athleticism, allowed him to extend over defensive backs, which he still does, but now his route tree is expanded, and he’s running with the ball more. McMillan has 324 yards after the catch this season compared to 195 as a freshman, albeit his average depth of target has decreased by just over 4 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s dropped five passes in two seasons, per PFF.

“We take great pride in developing players here and making players better. Every week, we don’t stop doing that,” Fisch said. “We work very hard at practice, we’ve never changed our practice reps, we’ve never changed practice habits other than trying to improve them every week, and our goal is to get stronger during the season and to get better during the season. ... As we grow, T-Mac is able to play inside, outside. He’s able to play all of the spots.

“When you can play all of the spots, you wind up putting more tools in your tool belt, and I think you can see from all of our players, they’ve all gotten better. ... T-Mac is a fantastic player, he’s getting better every week and that’s why they say those who stay will be champions.”

Loop earns Pac-12 honors

Arizona kicker Tyler Loop was named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance in the Wildcats’ win over Colorado.

Loop is the first Wildcat named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week since punter Kyle Ostendorp in November of 2021. Loop is the first UA placekicker to win the award since Lucas Havrisik, who’s now kicking for the Los Angeles Rams, in 2019.

Loop was an instrumental figure in Arizona’s win over Colorado, knocking down a career-long 52-yard field goal and a 24-yarder in walk-off fashion — the first last-second field goal to win a game for Arizona since Casey Skowron’s kick to beat Washington in 2014. Loop accounted for 10 of Arizona’s 34 points in Boulder.

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“I thought the 52-yarder was an impressive kick,” Fisch said. “I thought the 24-yarder is what he does routinely. Snap, hold, kick, everything was clean.”

Loop, a junior from Lucas, Texas, has made 15 of 17 field goals this season and is 45 of 50 (90%) over his career. 88.2 field goal percentage is tied for 15th nationally. In field goals under 40 yards, Loop is 36 for 36. He’s also made all 86 of his PAT attempts.

“Tyler has done a fantastic job being our kicker. ... He gives you everything you want,” Fisch said. “He’s the same guy every day and we’re lucky to have such a reliable kicker.”

Territorial Cup time not set yet

The kickoff time and television broadcast for Arizona’s final game of the regular season, before the Wildcats compete for a bowl for the first time in six years, against rival Arizona State on Nov. 25, will be announced no later than Sunday, the Pac-12 announced Monday morning.

The Territorial Cup game and the Colorado-Utah game were added to the conference’s six-day window. The UA-ASU game in Tempe will either air on Pac-12 Network at 1 p.m. or on ESPN at a time to be announced.

It’s conceivable ESPN would take the Colorado-Utah game if the Buffaloes beat Washington State this week and keep their bowl hopes alive; plus, the “Coach Prime” effect. Since the Pac-12 Championship Game on Dec. 1 is on ABC, the final live football game on Pac-12 Network this season — and potentially ever — will be No. 20 Notre Dame at Stanford on Nov. 25 at 5 p.m.

If the Territorial Cup game is moved to Pac-12 Network, it would be the eighth game this season the Wildcats have played on the conference’s network in the league’s final season before 10 teams splinter into their new respective conferences in 2024. Arizona’s final home game on Saturday against No. 18 Utah kicks off on Pac-12 Network at 12:30 p.m.

Arizona snapped a five-game losing skid, which included a 70-7 defeat in 2020, to the Sun Devils last season in Tucson. This season’s matchup will be both program’s final rivalry matchup as Pac-12 opponents before they enter the Big 12 with Colorado and Utah.

Extra points:

Arizona freshman guard Raymond Pulido, after missing seven games this season due to a bicycle accident and an ankle injury he suffered at Stanford, will not sit one of the final two games to preserve a redshirt season. Pulido, who started at right guard on Saturday, could play in four regular-season games and the bowl game and redshirt, but Fisch said, “We’re not going to sit him out the next two (games.) He’s going to play.”

Fisch expects running back Michael Wiley, wide receiver Jacob Cowing and defensive back Martell Irby to recover from their injuries and play on Saturday against Utah. Fisch is “very confident Cowing and Wiley will start.”

Fisch, on other programs potentially contacting him or UA assistant coaches about coaching vacancies: “When you’re successful and the team is playing well, that’s what happens. I think our only focus is beating Utah. ... We need everyone focused on one thing and one thing only, and that’s beating Utah.”