TUCSON, Ariz. — The Arizona Wildcats wrapped up week two of fall camp with another 100-play scrimmage in Arizona Stadium on Saturday morning, concluding the development phase of their preseason preparations.
The Wildcats will now transition into game preparation mode with practice this week, beginning the installation of their offensive and defensive game plans for the season opener at Hawai'i just 12 days from now.
Saturday's scrimmage focused heavily on situational drives, playing to a recent theme developed during practice. The Cats worked on their two-minute and four-minute offenses and featured a good deal of success.
Among the scrimmage's standout performers were running back
J.J. Taylor, who broke off a 20+ yard touchdown run, kicker
Lucas Havrisik, who went 5-for-5 on field goal attempts including a 52-yard "game winner" at the end of a two-minute drill, and running back
Nathan Tilford, who unleashed his inner "Beast Mode" on a
40+ yard touchdown run that included numerous broken tackles.
Midway through the scrimmage, an impending thunderstorm forced the Wildcats to transition from the stadium to the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center, bringing the tally of practices saved by the brand-new indoor facility to three during fall camp.
Once the scrimmage concluded, head coach
Kevin Sumlin and quarterback
Khalil Tate joined the media to discuss the progress of the team during fall camp and the outlook on the 2019 season. Complete archives of their interviews can be found here:
Sumlin | Tate
For more highlights from Saturday, continue reading below.
Quote of the Day
Head coach
Kevin Sumlin on the mobility of
Khalil Tate after being slowed down much of last year with injuries: "It's night and day. He took off a couple times today and made some first downs, especially in the two-minute situation where [the defense] was dropping a bunch of guys [into coverage]. He looks comfortable, he looks healthy."
Photo of the Day
Number of the Day — 100%
Quarterback
Khalil Tate, who played through injuries most of last season, reports that he is "100 percent" healthy coming out of fall camp and leading into the 2019 campaign.
"I would say I'm healthy, and when I'm healthy I can do a lot more," Tate said.
Featured Returner — Senior Khalil Tate
Most all that can be written about the Wildcats senior quarterback has been written many times over. The numbers speak for themselves: 4,364 yards and 43 touchdowns through the air, 1,872 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground, 6,236 yards of total offense through three seasons. Tate enters the 2019 season refreshed and healthy with a full offseason of working with offensive coordinator
Noel Mazzone under his belt. Throughout camp the coaching staff and players have expressed many ways in which they have seen him grow since last year.
"I think he's communicating [on the field] even more," Sumlin said. "One thing that's helped him ... is because J.J. [Taylor] isn't out there as much during camp and a lot of protections when you have [Michael] Wiley up there and these young guys, he's going to have to communicate and make sure the young backs know what's going on ... So his communication with protections and things that are going on like that improved because of that."
Williams, a 6-foot-3 offensive lineman from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., journeyed to Arizona after playing high school ball at Cardinal Gibbons High School. He helped lead his team to the 2018 Class 5A state championship as a senior, the school's first state title. During his prep career he earned first team All-State honors twice and a pair of first team All-County selections.
"A tough, physical player who finishes with an edge. Has great feet and quickness. Does a great job pulling and has power in the run game," the Wildcats coaching staff said of Williams on signing day.
Wolfe exited his time at Madison High School listed as a four-star prospect by both Rivals and 247Sports and was touted as one of the top 50 overall players in Texas. The 6-foot-1 cornerback earned three varsity letters during his prep career and tallied 126 total tackles, three sacks, and 12 interceptions during his career. Wolfe helped lead his team to the regional playoffs in both 2016 and 2017 and earned first team All-District honors as a junior and senior. He excelled off the field as well, earning membership on his high school's honor roll before continuing his studies at Arizona, where he is majoring in History.
"A highly recruited elite athlete who can make an impact in the secondary. He is a rangy player that displays solid coverage ability with exceptional ball skills," assistant coach
John Rushing said of Wolfe on signing day.
Tweet of the Day
Following the scrimmage the Cats took the night to enjoy some bowling and team bonding.
Continued Coverage...
Day 10 Report |
Day 11 Report |
Day 12 Report
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click HERE or call 621-CATS today.
