TUCSON, Ariz. -- More than seven months after he was hired as the new head coach of Arizona Football, Kevin Sumlin will make his debut this Saturday as the Wildcats host BYU at 7:45 p.m. at Arizona Stadium. 

The Wildcats have won nine of their last 10 season openers and have won 17 straight home openers at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats will look to keep that streak alive Saturday against the Cougars. 

Below is a full preview: 
Some Game Themes: The new era officially begins for Arizona with Kevin Sumlin's debut on the sideline this Saturday night … A much-anticipated opening act will include plenty of other subplots: How does Khalil Tate, now a veteran, respond to preseason hype? Can the Wildcats piece together an offensive line that will allow new offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone to use his full array of skill talent? Is the defense, under the direction of third-year coordinator Marcel Yates, bigger and deeper up front? Will a $25 million renovation, notably to the Zona Zoo student section, along with other gameday enhancements, revitalize the Arizona Stadium faithful? Oh, and what does BYU have to say about all this? … Indeed, there are always more questions than answers as the new season looms. And typically a first game will create even more questions to be addressed in the subsequent weeks … For Arizona, the most intriguing question will be what does a Kevin Sumlin team look like on the field. The past eight months have seen plenty of positive changes in the overall structure and culture of the program. The plan is for that to carry over to recruiting and on-field success. But much off that is part of a bigger multiyear vision for the program, not the X's and O's required to beat BYU … It's that matchup with the Cougars that will interest a national audience on ESPN this week. BYU has plenty of its own unanswered questions to sort out, not to mention the motivation to put a disappointing 2017 season in the rear-view mirror … These teams met in a neutral site season opener in Glendale two seasons ago, when Kelani Sitake earned his first head coaching win. The Cougars narrowly prevailed that evening on a last-minute field goal, a dagger that sent the Cats into a downward spiral of a three-win season … Two years later, Arizona has a new coach and only a handful of players that factored into that 2016 defeat … With so much uncertainty on each side, it's not a stretch to focus on a traditional key to victory: controlling the line of scrimmage. There's not a sexy stat for it, but the team that plays more physical and executes in the trenches will have a decided advantage … Alas, momentum, turnovers and other big plays surely will have a say in the outcome, too … Which leaves us with just one more question: are you ready for some football?

A New Era: Come kickoff Saturday, a total of 228 days will have passed since Kevin Sumlin was introduced at a press conference in the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility as the 32nd head coach in Arizona football history. A lot has happened since then. For one, Sumlin assembled a staff of 10 assistant coaches (and plenty of other key staffers) committed to recruiting at a higher level than the program ever has. Additionally, he's engaged with the community and alumni base, from numerous gatherings in Tucson, to stops in Phoenix, Flagstaff and even California. Lastly, the physical foundations for his program are being built. A $25 million project to improve Arizona Stadium is in the final stages, while the much-needed $18 million Indoor Sports Center and practice facility will be completed this winter. A much bigger project to renovate the west and southern sections of Arizona Stadium will be coming in the next few years. Now Sumlin has a chance to do what he loves most, and that's simply coach football. He's done it very well in his 10 seasons as a head man, compiling a cumulative 86-43 record over four seasons at Houston (35-17) and six at Texas A&M (51-26). He inherits a starting quarterback, Khalil Tate, who captured the college football world with a sensational six-week stretch last fall. Expectations are high for both Tate and Sumlin, but the plan in Tucson is to build for the future and make football a priority in these parts. It's easier said than done, but the process is well underway. 

Coaching Debuts: Kevin Sumlin seeks to extend Arizona's string of success in coaching debuts to four straight victories when his Wildcats take on Brigham Young. Each of Sumlin's three immediate predecessors – Rich Rodriguez, Mike Stoops and John Mackovic – were victorious in their first games at Arizona. Rodriguez and Stoops each opened their tenures with home victories over Toledo (2012) and Northern Arizona (2004), respectively, while Mackovic took his team on the road to defeat San Diego State (2000). The last Wildcat coach to lose his initial game was Dick Tomey, who saw his charges drop a narrow decision at Arizona Stadium to Iowa, 15-14, back in 1986. Since World War II, Arizona coaches are 6-6-1 in their first game on the Arizona sideline. Interestingly, two of those contests have been against BYU. On Sept. 21, 1957, Ed Doherty's squad tied the Cougars, 14-14, in Tucson. Just two years later, on Sept. 19, 1959, Jim LaRue's first club dropped a game to BYU, 18-14, also in Tucson. Thus, Sumlin has an opportunity to even the ledger against BYU in such games.

Foe Turned Friend: After several stints at Pac-12 rival programs, the Wildcats are excited to welcome offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone to Tucson. While he follows Kevin Sumlin from Texas A&M (2016-17), he's previously served as the offensive coordinator at Oregon State (2002), Arizona State (2010-11) and UCLA (2012-15), with his Pac-10/12 teams beating Arizona in all but one of those seasons (2011 at ASU). Going back further, Mazzone was an offensive assistant at Colorado State in the 1980s, though the Wildcats did earn a couple wins. His playing career was at New Mexico, one of Arizona's rivals from the WAC years, from 1975-79, thus he's no stranger to the Cardinal and Navy. But this is his first time donning the colors and Arizona is excited to have him. In addition to play-calling duties as a coordinator, Mazzone has a proven track record of developing quarterbacks for the next level. In 2017, three of Mazzone's pupils started games in the NFL, including Philip Rivers, Brett Hundley and Brock Osweiler. He has also coached Josh Rosen, a first round pick of the Cardinals in 2018, Jason Campbell and Kelly Stouffer, among other notable signal callers. Next up is Khalil Tate and the rest of the Wildcats' quarterbacks.

Guess Who's Back: Defensive coordinator Marcel Yates is hoping the third time is a charm. Now in his third season as Arizona's defensive coordinator, Yates is reunited with Kevin Sumlin, who hired to be a co-defensive coordinator at Texas A&M in 2012-13. Yates was tabbed the interim head coach for the Wildcats in January, receiving strong support from players to be considered for the head coaching position. With the ultimate offer going to Sumlin, it was a perfect opportunity for Yates to remain on staff and finish what he started. Upon his arrival from Boise State, Yates inherited a depleted and talent-starved defensive unit. He knew it was going to be a three-year process before he had a chance to trot out a defense that resembled what he had at Boise State and at Texas A&M. Year one focused on recruiting, and the Wildcats found some future playmakers. Last year those players arrived and while the size and depth wasn't there up front, Arizona was one of the national leaders in turning teams over. They held strong enough to win seven games and go to bowl in Yates' second year. Now Year 3 is when Yates hopes to make the biggest improvement. The front seven is bigger and deeper than it has been in years, and the back end has experienced playmakers. While Arizona is still another recruiting class away from the optimal depth, Yates is now confident he can fully run the scheme he brought with him in 2016. 

Khalil Tate in Perspective: Perhaps no player in program history has received more preseason national attention than true junior quarterback Khalil Tate. But for all the ridiculous stats, electrifying highlights and any other Sports Illustrated cover-worthy accolades you can think of, consider these quick facts: Khalil Tate is 19 years old (turns 20 in late October). He's the son of a school teacher (father, Brian) and pharmacy assistant (mother, Lesli). He was a Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention selection in 2017. And he's started only nine college football games.

Tate by the Numbers: Khalil Tate played in 11 games as a sophomore, starting the final nine contests for the Wildcats. Along the way, he led Arizona to a four-game win streak and emerged as a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien, Maxwell and Manning Awards. Below are some of the most significant notes and numbers to put his season in perspective:

1,411     Fourth-most rushing yards in UA single-season history
1,000     First Pac-12 QB to rush for 1,000 yards in a season
327         Set FBS single-game rushing record for a QB vs. Colorado
128.3     Ranked seventh nationally among all players in rushing yards per game
70           Led all FBS players with five rushes of 70+ yards, including four TDs
10           Ranked 10^th nationally in passing average per attempt (8.9 yards)
9.22        Led all FBS players in average yards per rush
4              First player in Pac-10/12 history to win four straight Pac-12 Player of the Week Awards
2              Ranked second in nation behind Baker Mayfield for total QBR
1              First player in program history with three 200-yard rushing games in a season

Touchdown Tate: Khalil Tate is known for his explosiveness, but even highlight reels may struggle to put into perspective how spectacular his big-play ability truly is. Just last season, Tate accounted for 26 touchdowns. He averaged 47.7 yards on his 12 rushing touchdowns, 28.6 yards on 14 passing touchdowns and 37.4 yards on all 26 touchdowns accounted for. While he had just four touchdowns in limited action as a freshman, his career touchdown stats look like this:

Total Yards on Touchdowns: 1,083
Average per Touchdown: 36.1 yards
Total Rushing Yards on TD: 575
Average Per Rushing TD: 44.2
Total Passing Yards on TD: 508
Average Per TD Pass: 29.9

Terrific Trio: Arizona's defense returns three players –Colin Schooler, Tony Fields and Kylan Wilborn-- who received Freshman All-America honors last year in their debut seasons. Schooler, who finished with 95 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and a pair of interceptions, was named Freshman All-American by ESPN.com, USA Today, Football Writers Association of America, 247 Sports and College Football News. Fields, who led Arizona, with 104 tackles, while also adding 7.5 tackles-for-loss and five sacks, was recognized by ESPN.com and 247 Sports. Wilborn, who led Arizona with 7.5 sacks and had 9.5 tackles-for-loss was named to the FWAA and USA Today squads. Combined, the three freshmen played 2,356 snaps for the Wildcats last season.

More on Schooler: The middle linebacker from Dana Point, California was named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year last season for the breakout season he had. Making Schooler's season and numbers even more impressive is the fact that he didn't make his first start until Week 5 at Colorado. Schooler had just seven tackles in Arizona's first three games of the season against NAU, Houston and UTEP. But as the competition got better, so did Schooler. He had 88 tackles over Arizona's nine conference games and the Foster Farms Bowl matchup with Purdue. His most productive game came on the road at Cal when he had 14 tackles and broke up a pass on a two-point conversion in double overtime to secure a 45-44 win for the Wildcats. Schooler's 13.5 tackles-for-loss last season ranked first among all NCAA freshmen. Boise State's Curtis Weaver finished with 13 to fall right behind Schooler.
Most Tackles-For-Loss by an Arizona Freshman since 1997

Name	TFL	Year
Colin Schooler	13.5	2017
Justin Washington	11.5	2010
Kylan Wilborn	9.5	2017
Scooby Wright	9.5	2013
Copeland Bryan	7.5	2002
Tony Fields	7.5	2017

 
Most Tackles-For-Loss by Any Freshman Nationally in 2017

Name	School	TFL
Colin Schooler	Arizona	13.5
Curtis Weaver	Boise State	13

 
More on Fields: Unlike Schooler, Fields started all 13 games for the Wildcats last season in his rookie season. He had 10 tackles in the second game of his career against Houston and recorded double-digit tackles in seven of his 13 games last year. Fields finished second to Northwestern's Paddy Fisher in total tackles by a freshman last season. Fields had his most productive game in the finale against Purdue in the Foster Farms Bowl when he totaled 13 solo tackles. The Las Vegas native showed no sign of slowing down as the season progressed, totaling 31 tackles over his final three games of the season.
 
Top Freshmen Tacklers in the Country in 2017

Name	School	Total Tackles
Paddy Fisher	Northwestern	113
Tony Fields II	Arizona	104
Colin Schooler	Arizona	95
Jordan Young	Old Dominion	85
Dorian Etheridge	Louisville	83
Lorenzo Burns	Arizona	81
David Morris	Oregon State	75

 
Most Total Tackles by an Arizona Freshman since 1997

Name	Total Tackles	Year
Tony Fields II	104	2017
Colin Schooler	95	2017
Scooby Wright III	83	2013
Lorenzo Burns	81	2017
Antoine Cason	70	2004

 
More on Wilborn: Wilborn, who plays the STUD position, and will sometimes lineup as a defensive end and at other times as a linebacker, was a strong presence off the edge for Arizona last year. His 7.5 sacks last season ranked second nationally for all freshmen behind Boise State's Curtis Weaver. Wilborn had four of those sacks against UCLA, taking down eventual first round quarterback Josh Rosen each time. Wilborn's effort helped the Wildcats beat the Bruins 47-30, snapping a five-game losing streak to UCLA. Wilborn missed the majority of the bowl game with a shoulder injury, but is 100 percent entering his sophomore season.
Most Sacks by Any Freshman Nationally in 2017

Name	School	Sacks
Curtis Weaver	Boise State	13
Kylan Wilborn	Arizona	7.5

 
Who's Down With DFF?: As Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles prepares for his senior season, he does so never missing a game during his first three seasons. Flannigan-Fowles, a local product from Mountain View High School and Tucson High, has played in all 38 games in his career, never missing a contest. The senior has become a model of consistency and how experience for the Arizona defense, which still features a number of underclassmen. Flannigan-Fowles had a career-high 81 tackles last season and is now 13 short of 200 for his career at 187. Flannigan-Fowles had three interceptions, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries to go with his 81 tackles. He has started 25 games in a row for the Wildcats. Flannigan-Fowles has been especially productive against non-conference opponents with all six of his career interceptions coming outside Pac-12 play.

Jumpin' Jace: One of the most productive defensive backs in the Pac-12 last season, Jace Whittaker has had a stellar career for the Wildcats through his first three seasons. Whittaker had a career-high 13 pass breakups last season, which tied for second in the Pac-12 behind Oregon's Arrion Springs. Whittaker has 24 pass breakups over his past two seasons, which is the most by a Wildcat over a two-year span since Devin Ross had 25 over the 2008 and 2009 seasons. For his career, Whittaker has 28 career pass breakups, which is tied with Trevin Wade and Randy Robbins for ninth all-time at Arizona. He has 32 career passes defended with four interceptions in his career, three of which came last season. Whittaker was a second-team All-Pac-12 pick by Pro Football Focus and was recognized statistically for his strong coverage skills. Pro Football Focus gave Whittaker an overall grade of 85.85 last year, which is considered elite by their metrics and was the highest grade by any Arizona defender. Whittaker played 980 snaps last season, which led the Wildcats. 
Arizona's Career Passes Broken Up Leaders
1. Michael Jolivette, 2000-03: 44
2. Chuck Cecil, 1984-87: 38
3. Kelly Malveaux, 1994-97: 35
4. Antoine Cason, 2004-07: 32
4. Devin Ross, 2006-09: 32
6. Shaquille Richardson, 2010-13: 30
6. Lynnden Brown, 1981-84: 30
8. Brandon Sanders, 1992-95: 29
9. Jace Whittaker, 2015-present: 28
9. Trevin Wade, 2008-11: 28
9. Randy Robbins, 1980-83: 28
 
Lockdown Lo: While Colin Schooler, Tony Fields and Kylan Wilborn all had banner freshmen seasons for the Wildcats, they weren't the only rookies to make an impact in 2017. Cornerback Lorenzo Burns finished as Arizona's third leading tackler with 81 stops in his redshirt freshman season. Burns also led Arizona in interceptions with five, marking the most by an Arizona defender since Trevin Wade also had five in 2009. Burns started all 13 games for the Wildcats last season and got better as the season went on. Burns had four of his five interceptions in the final seven games of the season. He had eight tackles, an interception and a pass breakup in the regular season finale at Arizona State. He then added six tackles and a sack in the bowl game versus Purdue. Burns tied for second in the nation in interceptions by a freshman with his five.
Top Freshmen Interception Leaders in the Country in 2017

Name	School	Interceptions
Andraez Williams	LSU	6
Lorenzo Burns	Arizona	5
Terrell Carter	Memphis	5
Andraez Williams	LSU	5
Tariq Thompson	San Diego State	5
Amik Robertson	Louisiana Tech	5
CJ Henderson	Florida	4

 
Shun Does a Ton: A member of the Paul Hornung Award List for the country's most versatile player, Shun Brown does a little bit of everything for Arizona. First and foremost, he led the Wildcats with 43 receptions last year and was also the team leader in touchdowns with six. He finished with 573 yards—second to Tony Ellison—and proved to be a big-play threat, totaling 13 plays that went for 20 or more yards. Brown hauled in two pass plays from Khalil Tate that went for more than 50 yards. He was also dynamic as a punt returner. Brown averaged 10.6 yards per return and two punt returns go for touchdowns. His 10.6 yards per return ranked 15^th in the country and third in the Pac-12 behind Washington's Dante Pettis and Utah's Boobie Hobbs. Pro Football Focus gave Brown a season grade of 78.6, which just misses the "very good" category. Interestingly, Brown's 86.9 grade in discipline penalties was the best by any Arizona skill player and considered "elite" by PFF. That takes into account false starts, offsides, personal fouls and other similar penalties. Additionally, Brown's 724 snaps played last year were the most by an Arizona skill player.