TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Arizona Wildcats will return to Arizona Stadium this weekend to host their final nonconference game of the season against Southern Utah. 

The two teams have never met previously. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., on the Pac-12 Network. JB Long will have the call, along with Jeremy Bloom and Samantha Peszek. 

A full preview is below: 

Some Game Themes: Good news awaits the winner this week, as both Arizona and Southern Utah will enter play seeking to snap season-opening two-game losing skids … There is little else in common between these schools, meeting for the first time on the gridiron … Surely, the Thunderbirds will arrive hungry and willing to play with a nothing-to-lose mentality. That's to be expected from an FCS team getting a crack at an FBS program from a Power 5 league … However, the Wildcats return home licking their wounds from a blowout road loss and their 0-2 record is something they haven't seen in several decades … So the question becomes quite clear for Arizona: can the Wildcats put in the work this week to make significant improvement as a football team? That is paramount not just to the outcome this Saturday night, but really for the rest of the season … Pac-12 Conference play will begin a week later on the road in Corvallis, where Southern Utah just suffered a 48-25 defeat at the hands of Oregon State … The goals head coach Kevin Sumlin & Co. have for his initial UA squad all remain achievable in Pac-12 play, even if it doesn't feel that way right now. That fact simply reinforces the importance and urgency that the Cats must bring to the film room, practice field and certainly Arizona Stadium at 8 p.m. on Saturday … Indeed, it's a return to #Pac12AfterDark after a brunch time kick last week in Houston … Arizona welcomes the return of left tackle Layth Friekh, a proven veteran that had to sit the first two games of the season. Aside from Friekh's talent, his leadership and experience will be as valuable as anything to what has been a sputtering offensive unit … Quarterback Khalil Tate and the offense did produce 531 yards of offense, but efficiency and finishing drives has been lacking in both of the first two games  … Arizona's receiving corps should have a renewed confidence after combining for 28 catches and 381 yards last week, highlight by career high performances from Shun Brown and Shawn Poindexter … On the flip side, the Cats' need to find their identify defensively. What was an aggressive and opportunistic defense a year ago has yet to register a sack or force a turnover this season … Perhaps the pending return of corner Jace Whittaker and/or safety Scottie Young Jr. (both suited up but did not play at Houston) will be the catalyst needed …  Saturday marks a four week stretch that sees the Cats play at home three times. Thus, adopting the win-one-in-a-row mentality and protecting home turf is the chief objective for the home side … It all begins Saturday night at Arizona Stadium. See you there.

Instant Offense: The biggest thing lacking in UA's offense through two games (compared to 2017) has been long plays, especially long touchdowns. Thus far, the Wildcats' longest rushing play is a 26-yard carry by J.J. Taylor, while the longest passing play has been a 46-yard connection from Khalil Tate to Tony Ellison. Neither have resulted in a score. A year ago, the Wildcats ranked fifth in the nation with 18 plays from scrimmage that went 50+ yards. Of those 18 explosive offensive plays, 10 resulted in touchdowns. The "instant offense" plays aside, there's not much difference between last year's offense and this year's unit through two games when it comes to routine chunk plays. As noted above, UA is producing more first downs per game this year than last year, and it's doing so with plays of 10+ yards. In 2017, UA ranked No. 32 nationally with 192 total offensive plays of 10+ yards (15.2 per game). This year, the Cats check in at No. 34 with 35 such plays to date, which is 17.5 per game.

Move the Chains: Last week at Houston, Arizona picked up 31 first downs. That was the most first downs in a game for the Wildcats since Sept. 26, 2015, vs. UCLA, which also happened to be a loss. The last time UA had 30+ first downs in a win was one week before that UCLA contest, when the Cats had 37 first downs against NAU (Sept. 19, 2015). Overall, it had been 35 games since UA's offense last recorded 30 or more first downs in a single game.

300-Yard Passing: For the second time in three games, junior quarterback Khalil Tate topped the 300-yard passing mark. His first career 300-yard game was in the Foster Farms Bowl vs. Purdue, when he tallied 302 passing yards. Last week at Houston, Tate set a new career high with 341 passing yards, which came on a career high 45 attempts. Prior to Tate's pair of recent 300-yard games, UA had not had a 300-yard passer since Anu Solomon tossed for 329 yards to defeat New Mexico in the 2015 New Mexico Bowl. 

Poindexter's Production Picks Up: This time last season, Shawn Poindexter did not know if he would be playing football in 2018. He was hopeful to be back for one more season, and, last December, the NCAA granted him a full additional year of eligibility. He has made the most of the opportunity, emerging as UA's preferred target in the passing game and building off a strong finish to the 2017 campaign. Dating to last November, Poindexter has 20 receptions for 354 yards and a touchdown. Included are at least two receptions in all five games, after producing only two multi-catch games in his first 20 career games. In fact, over his first 20 games, which including an injury-riddled 2016 season, Poindexter hauled in 16 receptions for 244 yards. So in the span of five contests, Poindexter has more than double his career tallies for receptions and yards. He now has 36 career grabs for 578 yards, an average of 16.1 yards per catch.

New Look Up Front: Arizona's offensive line had some fresh faces for the first two games of the year. Junior right tackle Cody Creason was the only veteran in the group, which otherwise featured three sophomores and a true freshman. Creason started three games a season ago and four in 2016, splitting time with Gerhard de Beer who is now on the Buffalo Bills' practice squad.  Elsewhere, the Wildcats had to fill two significant voids. Layth Friekh is expected to be the starter at left tackle, a position he has 34 career starts to his credit already, but the senior had to sit the first two games of the year before being eligible to play. Friekh played minimally in one game in 2014 and it was feared that season of eligibility would be lost. However, the NCAA granted an additional year of eligibility to Friekh so long as he sat out two games to begin the season. In his place, true freshman Donovan Laie started the first two games. The Wildcats also returned Rimington Trophy candidate Nathan Eldridge, a 25-game starter at center. But the junior has been hampered with an injury that has put the 2018 season in doubt. Redshirt sophomore Josh McCauley has started in his place. At the guard spots, Michigan State transfer Tshiyombu Lukusa (sat out the 2017 season) has started at left guard, while redshirt sophomore Bryson Cain started on the right side. All totaled, the Cats' opening day starting lineup had seven career starts – all from Creason. They were missing 59 starts from Friekh and Eldridge.

100 Plays: Last Saturday, Arizona ran exactly 100 offensive plays against the Cougars. It was an even 50-50 split between rushing and passing, but the majority of the 531 total offense yards came through the air (381). The Wildcats' had not ran 100 offensive plays in a single contest in more than three seasons, last doing so against Boise State in 2014 Vizio Fiesta Bowl. That 2014 season saw the Cats hit the century mark for snaps two other times, with the lone win coming on the unthinkable "Hill Mary" win over California when the 106th play turned into the game-winner on Austin Hill's catch in the endzone as time expired.

School-er Zone: Sophomore linebacker Colin Schooler tied a career high with three tackles-for-loss in Saturday's game at Houston. Schooler finished with nine total tackles, including three that went for a loss. Schooler has now totaled three TFLs three times in his 15-game career. All three have come in the past six games, dating back to last season. Schooler has started 12 career games in his brief career at Arizona and is averaging 1.46 TFLs per start. A consensus Freshman All-American last season, Schooler has started his sophomore season in style. He leads Arizona with 25 tackles through two games and ranks fourth in the conference in the early going. The linebacker had Arizona's first 16-tackle game in four seasons in the opener versus BYU. He has 17 ½ career TFLs to his credit. Schooler has been either the team's leading tackler or second leading tackler in seven of Arizona's last eight games.

16+ Tackle Games by an Arizona Defender Since 2000

Name	Year	Opponent	Tackles
Scooby Wright	2014	UCLA	19
Scooby Wright	2014	California	18
Spencer Larson	2007	USC	17
Spencer Larson	2005	Oregon State	17
Colin Schooler	2018	BYU	16
Marquis Flowers	2011	Stanford	16
Lance Briggs	2000	Utah	16
Spencer Larson	2007	Oregon	16
Jarvie Worcester	2001	Stanford	16

 
Pac-12 Leading Tacklers Through 2 Games

Player	School	Total Tackles
Nate Landman	Colorado	29
Adarius Pickett	UCLA	27
Evan Weaver	California	26
Colin Schooler	Arizona	25
Ben Burr-Kirven	Washington	22

 
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. A dynamic punt returner, Brown's primary responsibility for the Wildcats is as the team's leading receiver. The senior from Shreveport had a career-high nine catches for 73 yards against Houston. It bested his previous career high of eight set last season at USC. Brown now has 86 career receptions for the Wildcats and is approaching heady status. Brown is 42 career catches away from entering Arizona's Top 12 all-time in receptions. He would need to average 4.66 catches per game over Arizona's final 10 regular season games to get to that point. Brown is also three career touchdown receptions away from entering Arizona's Top 14 all-time. Brown led Arizona with 43 receptions last year and finished with 573 yards, which was second most on the team behind Tony Ellison.
 
All-Day Dayven: Just two games into his career, freshman safety Dayven Coleman has already seen extended action in both contests. Coleman came in for Tristan Cooper in the opener versus BYU, but didn't register any statistics. Saturday against Houston was a different story. Coleman had six tackles, including 1 ½ for a loss. A native of Dallas, Coleman had a game to remember in his home state. At 6-feet-2-inches and 216 pounds, Coleman possesses the size and strength needed at the safety position. Coleman's six tackles on the season lead all true freshmen for Arizona, with fellow Texas safety Christian Young next at three. In addition to registering a solo tackle-for-loss in the third quarter Saturday, Coleman combined with defensive lineman Finton Connolly for a TFL and then combined with Colin Schooler for a no-gain on a rush attempt later in the fourth quarter, showing how often he was around the line of scrimmage.
 
Welcome Back, Layth: A starter in 33 straight games leading up to this year, Layth Friekh will return to the Arizona lineup this weekend against Southern Utah after sitting out the first two games of the year. Friekh was forced to miss two games after being granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA after last year's season. It will be a welcome addition for the Wildcats. Friekh has been Arizona's most reliable lineman the past two seasons and a constant at left tackle, protecting the quarterback's blind side. With Friekh at left tackle last season, Arizona rushed for a school-record 4,021 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns, which also marked a school best. Arizona scored 537 points last season with Friekh protecting the blind side. With Friekh on the line, Arizona has rushed for 6,841 yards over the past two seasons with the tackle from Glendale in the lineup for every single game.
 
All over the Field(s): Sophomore linebacker Tony Fields led Arizona with 10 total tackles Saturday, marking the ninth time in 15 career games he's reached double-digit tackles. Fields, who led Arizona with 104 stops last season, has been a tackling machine since arriving in Tucson from Las Vegas' Desert Pines High School. In his 15 games, Fields has 125 total tackles, which is the most by any Arizona player through 15 career games. Fields has started all 15 games and has proven to be a stalwart for coach Marcel Yates' defense. The combination of Fields and Colin Schooler at linebacker has been a lethal one-two punch. In fact, the two teammates have combined for 46 total tackles through two games, which is the highest mark of any conference teammates. The two combined for 199 last season with 21 tackles-for-loss and nine sacks.
Most Tackles by Teammates in the Pac-12

Players	School	Total Tackles
Tony Fields/Colin Schooler	Arizona	46
Nate Landman/Rick Gamboa	Colorado	45
Evan Weaver/Jordan Kunaszyk	California	44

 
 
Lockdown Lo: Sophomore cornerback Lorenzo Burns picked up right where he left off last season with a very productive outing in Arizona's opener versus BYU and was strong again at Houston. Burns established a new career high with three pass breakups and finished with three tackles in the 14^th consecutive start of his career against BYU. He then started his 15^th straight game against Houston and had three stops, but wasn't tested much by Houston quarterback D'eriq King. Burns established himself as one of Arizona's most reliable defenders a year ago as a freshman. He finished as Arizona's third leading tackler with 81 stops and led the Wildcats in interceptions with five. Burns got better as the season went on, and continued that form Saturday versus BYU. He had four of his five picks in the final seven games of the season and recorded eight tackles, an interception and a pass breakup at Arizona State in the regular season finale. In the Foster Farms Bowl, Burns again had a strong showing, collecting six tackles and a sack. He tied for second in the nation in interceptions by a freshman with his five. The five picks were the most by an Arizona defender since Trevin Wade also had five in 2009. Burns now has 10 career pass breakups in 15 games.
 
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, who missed Arizona's opener with BYU, 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
 
Who's Down With DFF?: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, a local product from Mountain View High School and Tucson High, has played in all 40 games in his career, never missing a contest. The senior has become a model of consistency and experience for the Arizona defense, which still features a number of underclassmen. Flannigan-Fowles had a career-high 81 tackles last season. He had five stops in the season opener versus BYU and three more against Houston. He is now efive short of 200 for his career at 195. Flannigan-Fowles had three interceptions, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries to go with his 81 tackles last season. He has started 27 games in a row for the Wildcats, which is the longest streak by a Wildcat. Flannigan-Fowles has been especially productive against non-conference opponents with all six of his career interceptions coming outside Pac-12 play. He played every defensive snap Saturday at the "Bandit" safety position.
 
Most Consecutive Starts by an Arizona Defender since 2009

Player	Starts
Robert Golden	38
Marquis Flowers	32
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles	27
Will Parks	27
Jourdan Grandon	27

 
Taylor Time: J.J. Taylor showed he can do more than just rush the ball in the season opener versus BYU when he hauled in a career-high four catches for 27 yards, which also established a new career high. Taylor had 12 catches for 49 yards all of last season. The 2017 Co-Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year also had a solid day on the ground, rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. It was the eighth rushing touchdown in his 18-game career. Taylor then added 54 more yards Saturday at Houston on 18 carries. Since breaking his ankle as a true freshman in 2016, Taylor has gotten stronger and stronger as his career has progressed. Consider in his first seven games back from injury, Taylor rushed for 366 yards on 78 carries for a 4.69 yards per carry average. In his seven games since, Taylor has rushed for 620 yards on 104 carries for a 5.96 yards per carry average. He also has four rushing touchdowns in that span, as opposed to two in his first seven games back.  

J.J. Taylor Rushing Breakdown Last 14 Games

Games	Rushes	Yards
First 7 back from Injury	78	366
7 Games Since	104	620

 
 
Touchdown Tony: Perhaps Arizona's most reliable receiver, Tony Ellison has had a strong start to his senior season. Ellison finished with four catches for 45 yards, including the sixth touchdown reception of his career against BYU. He followed that up with four more catches for 85 yards Saturday at Houston. The 85 yards are Ellison's highest total in a regular season game. He had four catches for 102 yards against Purdue in the Foster Farms Bowl. Ellison has three touchdown catches over his last three games. He was targeted 65 times last season, and didn't have a single drop. Pro Football Focus counts Ellison as one of only four Power 5 receivers who was targeted 50 or more times last year and didn't commit a single drop. That has continued this season as Ellison caught everything he got his hands on. Ellison was also Arizona's lone wide receiver to have a 100-yard game last season with his effort against the Boilermakers.
 
The Bam Man: Freshman running back Darrius "Bam" Smith made his Arizona debut Saturday at Houston and it was an impressive one. The Texas native rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his first collegiate action. Smith didn't see any action in Arizona's season opener versus BYU, despite being dressed. But he made the best of his playing time Saturday. Smith's longest rush Saturday was 14 yards and he had the highest yard per carry average of any Wildcat running back against the Cougars. A Houston native, Smith prepped at Dawson High School and set school records in rushing touchdowns in a game, rushing yards in a game and points scored in a game.