The season is in full swing for Arizona on the football field and the basketball program is coming off a big week as well. That is where our focus will be in this week’s War Room and we will jump right into it.
Football
Arizona was able to get on the board with a win Saturday, but it didn’t come easy as the Wildcats had to come back from a 21-3 deficit to FCS opponent Grambling State. Eventually, Brandon Dawkins in his first start helped get the job done along with six turnovers from the defense and UA escaped the second week with a 31-21 win.
* As we do every week after an Arizona game we will take a look at each position group and how they performed in the Wildcats’ win on Saturday. The ‘Cats had to overcome some injuries and that meant more time for other players further back on the depth chart. Here is a look at this week’s breakdown.
- Quarterbacks: Anu Solomon had a big brace on his knee Saturday night as he watched the game in street clothes. That meant it was Dawkins’ night with his first career start. There were good things and bad things with Dawkins. The good was highlighted by his ability to run the ball and how much that opens up the offense. Still, it took the offense a while to get going and that has become a theme with the Wildcats as of late. There were also instances where Dawkins missed some open looks as well.
Overall, both good and bad, the performance is what you expect from Dawkins where is at now in his development. There is upside there, however, and that is what is going to keep him in the discussion. He is likely to see the field again this Saturday so he can continue to build on his performance.
- Running backs: It is becoming increasingly clear that it will be the Nick Wilson show at running back. Arizona wanted to get more touches for the other players at the position - namely Orlando Bradford and JJ Taylor - but it just didn’t happen once again. Wilson finished with 24 carries while Bradford had four and Taylor had none. Having a quarterback willing to run the ball certainly played into that some as Dawkins finished with 16 carries, but still trust is a big thing and right now the Wildcats trust what Wilson brings to the table most.
The junior continues to do his thing and right now he has been the most consistent piece to Arizona’s offense. Barring injury Arizona is going to continue to ride Wilson as this season progresses.
- Tight ends: Both of Arizona’s tight ends had a catch in the game so there is progress, but getting them more involved will continue to be a key to help the offense reach its full potential. The Wildcats have started to use the two-tight end set even more to help the running game and take some pressure off the offensive line, however, seeing both Trevor Wood and Josh Kern with the ball in their hands more would add a different dimension to the offense. Where that could really help is going down the field where Arizona has been hit and miss with its outside receivers when it tries to go vertical.
- Receivers: Without Nate Phillips it forced Arizona to get more players on the field, which is actually not a bad thing. The Wildcats wanted to do that more anyway and the shoulder injury to Phillips made it possible. Cam Denson was able to get on the field more and even Cedric Peterson saw some action. Arizona was able to stretch the field some more than it did in the opener with a deep pass to Samajie Grant and a longer pass completion to Trey Griffey. As a whole the group did a solid job of getting separation and doing its job, but there were instances where Dawkins just missed them.
- Offensive line: Arizona was not solid against BYU but it made adjustments and figured things out by the end of the game. However, a lot of the same issues came back against Grambling State and UA cannot afford to have some of its issues on the offensive line become a trend. A lot of what happened against BYU had to do with just not having enough players to block the six or seven the Cougars were bringing. Against Grambling State it was more on the offensive line. Dawkins had to scramble a bit at times because of the pressure and while he’s capable of making plays on the run it makes his life tougher.
There were also some high snaps - something we didn’t see from Nathan Eldridge at all during the opener. Overall the line needs to get better to help keep the offense moving and getting first downs.
- Defensive line: If there’s one group that played better defensively it was up front for the ‘Cats. The tackle numbers still weren’t there as the starting unit combined for just six, but when they did make a play they made it count. There were five sacks in the contest and three of them came from defensive lineman including Parker Zellers who had two. The unit drew praise from both the safeties and linebackers after the game and it was a step forward for the unit that needs it.
For the defensive line to be successful it doesn’t have to always mean making the play, but setting up the play for someone else is key and Arizona’s group did a better job of that Saturday.
- Linebackers: A lot of the change personnel wise came with the linebacker unit during Saturday’s game. Arizona’s staff made it clear they wanted to get Cal grad transfer Michael Barton on the field more in the second game and it definitely did that. Barton didn’t get the start over Paul Magloire, but he did end up getting near the equal amount of plays and maybe even some more. In the end Barton, at his new WILL position, finished with eight tackles including a sack and two tackles for loss against Grambling State.
It will be interesting to see how Arizona approaches things moving forward because both Magloire and Barton have proved to be effective. UA will have to likely start both this week because of Cody Ippolito’s ejection for a targeting call that was suspect. There have been plenty of comments about Ippolito’s speed, but the staff trusts what he can do at the MIKE spot and he came up with two fumble recoveries. His experience shows in certain instances and with the limited number of capable players at his position it is needed.
Tackling continued to be an issue for the unit, however, and it is something that will need to improve as things move forward. Rodriguez was not happy with the effort there at all.
Safeties: Arizona is working through some injuries right now at the safety spot, but it may have just found a player with Tristan Cooper. The freshman from Texas was a late get in the last recruiting class, but he made a strong impression during camp and it was just a matter of time for him to get on the field. Because of injuries to Tellas Jones and presumably Anthony Mariscal it meant more time for Cooper and he delivered. On a night when tackling was a big issue for the ‘Cats he was one who wrapped up and finished those plays pretty consistently.
There are still some kinks being worked out with the unit, but it was finally able to create some turnovers and get things moving in that direction as Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles had himself a big game. Arizona needs him to be good and he had one of his better performances in the win.
Cornerbacks: This position has the chance to be an adventure once Pac-12 play begins. If there is one spot that is most concerning at this stage it is the cornerback unit. There were times when the cornerbacks were flat out beat and other times when they could have been but Grambling State just didn’t connect or didn’t see it. Both starters, DaVonte’ Neal and Dane Cruikshank, had pass breakups and Jace Whittaker had an interception the but group left much to be desired.
Donté Williams has a tough task on his hands this season and as the level of talent improves going forward this season that unit is going to be tested. One reason you are seeing UA play off so much with its soft coverage is that fear of getting beat deep. Still, that is leaving the short passes open and when you add in tackling issues into that it can become a real problem.
There is no easy fix right now for the ‘Cats and as we said last week the improvement with the group is going to have to come from within.
Special teams: Arizona was better as a special teams unit Saturday and Josh Pollack looked much more comfortable this time around. He had some good punts and had two inside the 20 as well. He connected on his one field goal and he is looking more stable now. The return game is still an issue for Arizona and without Phillips that meant other players had their shot. Arizona needs good field position to let the offense open up and the return game has to get better for that to happen.
Football
Arizona was able to get on the board with a win Saturday, but it didn’t come easy as the Wildcats had to come back from a 21-3 deficit to FCS opponent Grambling State. Eventually, Brandon Dawkins in his first start helped get the job done along with six turnovers from the defense and UA escaped the second week with a 31-21 win.
* As we do every week after an Arizona game we will take a look at each position group and how they performed in the Wildcats’ win on Saturday. The ‘Cats had to overcome some injuries and that meant more time for other players further back on the depth chart. Here is a look at this week’s breakdown.
- Quarterbacks: Anu Solomon had a big brace on his knee Saturday night as he watched the game in street clothes. That meant it was Dawkins’ night with his first career start. There were good things and bad things with Dawkins. The good was highlighted by his ability to run the ball and how much that opens up the offense. Still, it took the offense a while to get going and that has become a theme with the Wildcats as of late. There were also instances where Dawkins missed some open looks as well.
Overall, both good and bad, the performance is what you expect from Dawkins where is at now in his development. There is upside there, however, and that is what is going to keep him in the discussion. He is likely to see the field again this Saturday so he can continue to build on his performance.
- Running backs: It is becoming increasingly clear that it will be the Nick Wilson show at running back. Arizona wanted to get more touches for the other players at the position - namely Orlando Bradford and JJ Taylor - but it just didn’t happen once again. Wilson finished with 24 carries while Bradford had four and Taylor had none. Having a quarterback willing to run the ball certainly played into that some as Dawkins finished with 16 carries, but still trust is a big thing and right now the Wildcats trust what Wilson brings to the table most.
The junior continues to do his thing and right now he has been the most consistent piece to Arizona’s offense. Barring injury Arizona is going to continue to ride Wilson as this season progresses.
- Tight ends: Both of Arizona’s tight ends had a catch in the game so there is progress, but getting them more involved will continue to be a key to help the offense reach its full potential. The Wildcats have started to use the two-tight end set even more to help the running game and take some pressure off the offensive line, however, seeing both Trevor Wood and Josh Kern with the ball in their hands more would add a different dimension to the offense. Where that could really help is going down the field where Arizona has been hit and miss with its outside receivers when it tries to go vertical.
- Receivers: Without Nate Phillips it forced Arizona to get more players on the field, which is actually not a bad thing. The Wildcats wanted to do that more anyway and the shoulder injury to Phillips made it possible. Cam Denson was able to get on the field more and even Cedric Peterson saw some action. Arizona was able to stretch the field some more than it did in the opener with a deep pass to Samajie Grant and a longer pass completion to Trey Griffey. As a whole the group did a solid job of getting separation and doing its job, but there were instances where Dawkins just missed them.
- Offensive line: Arizona was not solid against BYU but it made adjustments and figured things out by the end of the game. However, a lot of the same issues came back against Grambling State and UA cannot afford to have some of its issues on the offensive line become a trend. A lot of what happened against BYU had to do with just not having enough players to block the six or seven the Cougars were bringing. Against Grambling State it was more on the offensive line. Dawkins had to scramble a bit at times because of the pressure and while he’s capable of making plays on the run it makes his life tougher.
There were also some high snaps - something we didn’t see from Nathan Eldridge at all during the opener. Overall the line needs to get better to help keep the offense moving and getting first downs.
- Defensive line: If there’s one group that played better defensively it was up front for the ‘Cats. The tackle numbers still weren’t there as the starting unit combined for just six, but when they did make a play they made it count. There were five sacks in the contest and three of them came from defensive lineman including Parker Zellers who had two. The unit drew praise from both the safeties and linebackers after the game and it was a step forward for the unit that needs it.
For the defensive line to be successful it doesn’t have to always mean making the play, but setting up the play for someone else is key and Arizona’s group did a better job of that Saturday.
- Linebackers: A lot of the change personnel wise came with the linebacker unit during Saturday’s game. Arizona’s staff made it clear they wanted to get Cal grad transfer Michael Barton on the field more in the second game and it definitely did that. Barton didn’t get the start over Paul Magloire, but he did end up getting near the equal amount of plays and maybe even some more. In the end Barton, at his new WILL position, finished with eight tackles including a sack and two tackles for loss against Grambling State.
It will be interesting to see how Arizona approaches things moving forward because both Magloire and Barton have proved to be effective. UA will have to likely start both this week because of Cody Ippolito’s ejection for a targeting call that was suspect. There have been plenty of comments about Ippolito’s speed, but the staff trusts what he can do at the MIKE spot and he came up with two fumble recoveries. His experience shows in certain instances and with the limited number of capable players at his position it is needed.
Tackling continued to be an issue for the unit, however, and it is something that will need to improve as things move forward. Rodriguez was not happy with the effort there at all.
Safeties: Arizona is working through some injuries right now at the safety spot, but it may have just found a player with Tristan Cooper. The freshman from Texas was a late get in the last recruiting class, but he made a strong impression during camp and it was just a matter of time for him to get on the field. Because of injuries to Tellas Jones and presumably Anthony Mariscal it meant more time for Cooper and he delivered. On a night when tackling was a big issue for the ‘Cats he was one who wrapped up and finished those plays pretty consistently.
There are still some kinks being worked out with the unit, but it was finally able to create some turnovers and get things moving in that direction as Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles had himself a big game. Arizona needs him to be good and he had one of his better performances in the win.
Cornerbacks: This position has the chance to be an adventure once Pac-12 play begins. If there is one spot that is most concerning at this stage it is the cornerback unit. There were times when the cornerbacks were flat out beat and other times when they could have been but Grambling State just didn’t connect or didn’t see it. Both starters, DaVonte’ Neal and Dane Cruikshank, had pass breakups and Jace Whittaker had an interception the but group left much to be desired.
Donté Williams has a tough task on his hands this season and as the level of talent improves going forward this season that unit is going to be tested. One reason you are seeing UA play off so much with its soft coverage is that fear of getting beat deep. Still, that is leaving the short passes open and when you add in tackling issues into that it can become a real problem.
There is no easy fix right now for the ‘Cats and as we said last week the improvement with the group is going to have to come from within.
Special teams: Arizona was better as a special teams unit Saturday and Josh Pollack looked much more comfortable this time around. He had some good punts and had two inside the 20 as well. He connected on his one field goal and he is looking more stable now. The return game is still an issue for Arizona and without Phillips that meant other players had their shot. Arizona needs good field position to let the offense open up and the return game has to get better for that to happen.
