TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Arizona Wildcats will hit the road for the first time this season when they travel east to Texas to take on the Houston Cougars on Saturday morning. 

Kick off is set for 9 a.m., Tucson time and will be broadcasted on ABC or ESPN2 based on location. 

Below is a full preview:

Some Game Themes: Set your alarms! Brunch and ball is on the menu this Saturday as Kevin Sumlin takes his Wildcats into Houston, where the 11-year veteran began his head coaching career a decade ago … Surely, Sumlin's "homecoming" of sorts will understandably be a key storyline.  After all, he did lead the Cougars to three bowl in his four seasons (2008-11), capped by a 13-win campaign before he accepted the head coaching job at Texas A&M … But this game isn't about the past. In fact, it's not even about the very recent past. Sumlin and his charges came up short in his Arizona coaching debut, something they'll surely look to avenge this week … The task won't be easy. Houston handed the Cats a disappointing defeat in Tucson a year ago led by an opportunistic defense that forced a pair of turnovers and limited a high-powered UA offense to only 16 points … Along with the Sumlin-Returns-To-Houston subplot, many summer storylines zeroed in on the matchup between Khalil Tate and Ed Oliver. The latter kicked off his Heisman hopeful season in impressive fashion, totaling 13 tackles, including 3.5 for loss. Meanwhile, Tate and the Cats' offense struggled to find a rhythm, lacking the big-play capability expected … The good news for Arizona is the opening setback was just one game. And from that standpoint it was the first game. A first for the new coaching staff tactically deploying their weapons on either side of the ball. A first for the players executing the plays. And a first to shake off eight months of anxiousness awaiting the start of the new era … Now, the routine of a season sets in and the adjustments made week to week are sure to bring steady, if not significant, improvement … It will be an early wake up call for the Wildcats, playing in the 9 a.m. timeslot of their minds and body clocks … That may not be a bad thing as Arizona is eager to bounce back and get Sumlin his first win. Where else better than where he started his head coaching career?

Cats vs. Coogs: Arizona and Houston squared off last Sept. 9, with the Cougars defeating the Wildcats, 19-16, in Tucson, to take a 2-1 all-time lead in the series … Prior to last season's contest, these programs had not met since 1986. The Wildcats won that game, 37-3 (Sept. 6, 1986), to even the series after Houston claimed the first matchup with a 34-17 victory on Oct. 11, 1969 … This year's trip to Houston will be the first for Arizona, after the Wildcats hosted the first three games in the series … Last year's meeting was the first for UA against a team in the American Athletic Conference, which was created in 2013 and composed of most teams from the former Big East Conference … The Wildcats are now 2-5 all-time against current members of The American, including 1-2 against Houston, 1-1 against SMU and 0-2 against Tulsa.

Rise And Shine: Saturday's game is scheduled for 11 a.m. CDT, or 9 a.m. back home in Tucson. Either way, the "AM" listed next to the kick time is quite unfamiliar to Arizona football. It's been some 53 games since the Wildcats last played a late-morning football game. That occurred at the 2013 AdvoCare V100 Bowl in Shreveport, La., when Arizona routed Boston College, 42-19. Kickoff on that New Year's Eve day was at 11:32 p.m. CST, which was 10:32 a.m. in Tucson.  The season before, the Cats beat Nevada in the 2012 Gildan New Mexico Bowl, which kicked off at 11:01 a.m. (also 11:01 a.m. in Tucson). Earlier that season UA hosted an 11:35 a.m. game against Colorado, also a victory. Those are the only "AM" games for nearly a decade, dating back to 2003 when the Cats happened to play their most recent 9 a.m. "Tucson time" game. On Sept. 20, 2003, Arizona traveled to West Lafayette, Ind., to play Purdue in a noon ET/9 PT contest. The Wildcats, under then head coach John Mackovic, lost 59-7.

Young Once Again: Arizona again has an incredibly young roster, highlighted by the fact only 13 players are in their final year of eligibility. Otherwise, Arizona had 73 underclassmen (42 freshmen and 31 sophomores) – or 67.6 percent – on the opening night roster against BYU. Looking at the starting lineup, it was an even split with 11 underclassmen and 11 upper classmen starting (only five seniors). Offensively, one freshmen, five sophomores, three juniors and two seniors started. Defensively, five sophomores, three juniors and three seniors started. Indeed, the Wildcats will be developing plenty of experience in Kevin Sumlin's first season.

New Look Up Front: Arizona's offensive line had some fresh faces in the season opener last Saturday. 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.  Elswhere, 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 must 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. 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 started in his place last weekend. At the guard spots, Michigan State transfer Tshiyombu Lukusa (sat out the 2017 season) 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.

Texas Ties: The Wildcats' roster includes nine players that hail from the Lone Star State, but that number is expected to grow in the coming years once Kevin Sumlin and his staff establish their recruiting plan. Former head coach Rich Rodriguez did not focus recruiting in Texas until grabbing a few players last year, including true freshmen Darrius Smith, Christian Young and Dayven Coleman. Another Texan, safety Tristan Cooper, arrived in 2016 out of El Paso. Going forward, the Wildcats expect to heavily recruit the state, a place where Sumlin and many of his assistants have had great success. Associate head coach and running backs coach Clarence McKinney has been with Sumlin since their time at Houston. McKinney was formerly the head coach at Yates High School before moving to the collegiate ranks in 2008. If websites that follow and rank recruiting classes are any indication, four of the 11 commitments attributed to Arizona's 2019 class are from Texas.

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 2017 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

Tackle Totals: In Saturday's season opener versus BYU, sophomores Colin Schooler, Isaiah Hayes and Tony Fields accounted for 56 percent of the team's tackles, totaling 41 of Arizona's 70 tackles. Schooler led the way with a career-high 16 tackles, which is the most in a season opener since linebacker Jake Fischer had 13 in 2012. Schooler's 16 stops were also the most by any Arizona defender since Scooby Wright had 19 tackles against UCLA in 2014. It was the most tackles in a nonconference game since Lance Briggs also collected 16 in 2000 versus Utah. Fields, meanwhile, collected the eighth time in 14 career games he's reached double-digit tackles. He's also done it in three straight games, dating back to last season. Hayes, a redshirt sophomore, missed last season with a shoulder injury, but returned with a thud Saturday. Hayes' 13 tackles established a new career high. He played 68 of 71 defensive snaps. 

Most Tackles by an Arizona Player in a Season Opener Since 2008

Name	Year	Opponent	Tackles
Colin Schooler	2018	BYU	16
Isaiah Hayes	2018	BYU	13
Jake Fischer	2012	Toledo	13
Sterling Lewis	2008	Idaho	12
Tony Fields	2018	BYU	11
Will Parks	2015	UTSA	11

 
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

 
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. Burns established a new career high with three pass breakups and finished with three tackles in the 14^th consecutive start of his career. 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 played all put two snaps Saturday and now has 10 career pass breakups in 14 games.
 
Touchdown Tony: Perhaps Arizona's most reliable receiver, Tony Ellison had a strong start to his senior season Saturday against BYU. Ellison finished with four catches for 45 yards, including the sixth touchdown reception of his career. Ellison now has three touchdowns over his last two games after he had a pair in the Foster Farms Bowl versus Purdue to close out 2017. He's the first Arizona receiver to have at least three touchdown catches in a two-game span since Cayleb Jones had five touchdown catches in 2014 in back-to-back games against California and Nevada. Ellison 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 continued Saturday 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. He had four catches for 102 yards against Purdue.
 
Taylor Time: J.J. Taylor showed he can do more than just rush the ball on Saturday 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. 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 566 yards on 86 carries for a 6.58 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	86	566

        
Poindexter Popping Off: Senior Shawn Poindexter went down as Arizona's leading receiver Saturday night, catching four passes for 68 yards. Poindexter's last two games have been the best two of his two-plus year career at Arizona. The senior had five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown in the finale last season against Purdue and now has nine catches for 139 yards over his last two games. An impressive two-game stretch regardless, it's even more eye-popping when you consider Poindexter had nine total catches over his previous nine games total entering last season's final game against the Boilermakers. Poindexter was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA at the end of last season, and has now emerged as one of Khalil Tate's most trusted targets. Poindexter made the most important play for Arizona on Saturday, catching a 16-yard pass from Tate on 4^th and 10 from the BYU 35-yard line deep in the fourth quarter. One play later, Tate connected with J.J. Taylor for an 18-yard gain down to the 1-yard line and Taylor scored one play later on a rush. Poindexter used his size and athleticism to haul in the fourth down catch, out-leaping BYU's Chris Wilcox on the sideline.

Who's Down With DFF?: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, a local product from Mountain View High School and Tucson High, has played in all 39 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 is now eight short of 200 for his career at 192. Flannigan-Fowles had three interceptions, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries to go with his 81 tackles last season. He has started 26 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. He played every defensive snap Saturday at the "Bandit" safety position.
 
Nice to Meet You: Arizona had four offensive linemen make their first career starts Saturday against BYU, marking the first time since 1995 that Arizona had four new starters in a season opener. Right tackle Cody Creason was Arizona's only offensive lineman with previous starts to his credit. Left tackle Donovan Laie, left guard Tsyiyombu Lukusa, center Josh McCauley and right guard Bryson Cain all made their first career starts for the Wildcats. In 1995, center Mani Ott was the only lineman with starting experience. He started one game in 1994 and one game in 1993. Creason had seven starts total to his credit entering Saturday. The first year starters on the 1995 line: Ian McCutcheon, Frank Middleton, Bryan Hand and Willie Walker. Middelton went on to play eight years in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
 
NFL Wildcats: NFL teams are in the process of finalizing their rosters for their respective season openers coming up this weekend. The Wildcats will once again be well represented throughout the league with eight players expected to be on opening day rosters and two more making the practice squad. Former Wildcats to start the year on an active roster include:

• Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
• Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles
• Marquis Flowers, Detroit Lions
• Reggie Gilbert, Green Bay Packers
• Dane Cruikshank, Tennesee Titans
• Earl Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers
• Will Parks, Denver Broncos
• Brooks Reed, Atlanta Falcons
• Trey Griffey, Pittsburgh Steelers (practice squad)
• Gerhard de Beer, Buffalo Bills (practice squad)