Sumlin takes over potent Wildcat attack
Arizona bounced back from a disappointing 2016 season in a big way, with the offense thriving under the direction of star quarterback Khalil Tate.
The Wildcats seemed destined for bigger and better things after 2017 but the unexpected firing of longtime coach Rich Rodriguez left the program’s future hazy. The hire of Kevin Sumlin could clear things up a bit. The offensiveminded coach could help the team build on last year’s success.
Arizona is No. 62 in Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel’s preseason 2018 college football rankings. Murschel ranked all 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 129 to our projected No. 1 team. Arizona Kevin Sumlin (0-0, entering first season; 86-43 overall)
7-6, 5-4 in Pac-12 Conference, third in South Division
Arizona bounced back from a disappointing three-win season in 2016 thanks, in part, to an offensive resurgence. The Wildcats went from averaging 25 points per game in 2016 to 41 points per game in 2017. The team led the Pac-12 in scoring offense, total offense and rushing offense. Yet turnovers and miscues were costly, with Arizona dropping four of its last five games, including a 38-35 loss to Purdue in the Foster Farms Bowl. In January, Rodriquez was fired following an internal investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. Sumlin, who had been fired by Texas A&M after six seasons, was hired to replace Rodriguez. 4 2 7
RB Nick Wilson, OL Christian Boettcher, OL Jacob Alsadek, OL Gerhard de Beer, DT Luca Bruno, LB Dane Cruikshank
QB Khalil Tate, RB J.J. Taylor, OL Nathan Eldridge, OL Layth Friekh, WR Shawn Poindexter, WR Cedric Peterson, LB Colin Schooler, CB Lorenzo Burns, LB Tony Fields, LB Kylan Wilborn
Tate burst onto the scene a month into the 2017 season when he took over the starting quarterback job, replacing Brandon Dawkins. Tate became the first quarterback in Pac-12 history to rush for more than 1,000 yards, finishing the season ranked sixth in school history with a single-season total of 1,411 yards.
Tailback J.J. Taylor finished second in rushing behind Tate, amassing more than 857 yards and a productive 5.8 yards per carry on his way to sharing Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors.
The defensive unit that returns nine starters from a group that ranked 10th in the league in total defense. The secondary allowed more than 286 yards passing and 6.0 yards per play in 2017.
Arizona featured a veteran offensive line in 2017, with five players averaging close to 30 career starts. Three of those players are gone, including Jacob Alsadek, who earned all-conference honorable mention honors last season.
A division title may be a bit too much to ask during Sumlin’s first season, but a sixth bowl appearance in the past seven years is well within reach.