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PROVO — It’s finally here.
BYU opens the 2018 football season Saturday night on the road at Arizona, with the Cougars looking to bounce back from a disappointing and demoralizing 4-9 season.
But what can third-year head coach Kalani Sitake and his players expect at 8:45 p.m. MDT at Arizona Stadium?
Here’s a brief breakdown of the Wildcats, including a new direction and a new era on the coaching staff.
Arizona offense
There’s no need to deny it: Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate is a bit of an enigma, but really good.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior from Inglewood, California is a preseason Heisman Trophy contender after playing in 11 games as a sophomore, rushing for 1,411 yards and 12 touchdowns with 1,591 yards passing for 14 touchdowns.
“He’s a dynamic player, man,” BYU defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki said. “There are a lot of good defenses that he’s played against, and he’s shredded them all. We’ve just got to keep him contained. I think he’s going to get his, but we need to try to keep him contained and not let him out for 300 yards.”
Part of that is just committing to sound principals, senior defensive end Corbin Kaufusi said. You can’t get “twitterpated” in the pass rush, or over-committed to a sack that might leave Tate open to swerve through traffic or hit an open receiver in the flat, he added.
“He’s a guy that you have to break him down and remember not to leave your feet or get out of your stance,” Kaufusi said of Tate. “Because of his ability to run, I think he looks to that more. If the pass is there, he’ll take it.”
But while the signal caller’s resume has been padded with the “running quarterback” label, he’s also a true dual-threat through the air. He’ll get plenty of help in senior receivers Shun Brown (573 yards, 6 TDs) and Tony Ellison (593 yards, 6 TDs) to fuel an up-tempo attack led by former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin (more on him in a minute).
The Wildcats also boast sophomore running back J.J. Taylor, a Doak Walker Award watch list candidate and sophomore tight end Bryce Wolma, who is a preseason candidate for the John Mackey Award.
They’ll also have to rebuild their entire offensive line under new coordinator Noel Mazzone. Arizona’s most experienced lineman, left tackle Layth Friekh, was recently granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA — but only on the condition that he sit out the first two games of the season, against BYU and Sept. 8 at Houston.
Still, it all starts with the quarterback.
“Last year, he used his legs a lot,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said of Tate. “But he can throw the ball; he’s got a strong arm.
“He’ll do whatever he needs to win games.”
Arizona defense
The Wildcats weren’t known for their defense a year ago. But a unit that gave up 471.2 yards per game a year ago seems to have addressed much of its woes as it tries to defend starting quarterback Tanner Mangum and his host of weapons.
“They’ve got more experience at linebacker, with some really talented players,” BYU offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said. “I think they will be much improved because of their experience. They’ve done some things that have upgraded their defensive line, as well.”
Sophomore Lorenzo Burns leads the linebackers. The 5-foot-10 native of Murrieta, California had 81 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, and five tackles as a redshirt freshman in 2017.
Based on the previous season, the middle of the defense could be an area for BYU — especially with a group of tight ends that include former Freshman All-American Matt Bushman, converted receiver Moroni Laulu-Pututau and freshman Dallin Holker.
“We have a lot of good tight ends,” Grimes said, before adding. “We’re going to play them all, and they all have different roles.”
X-factor: Arizona coaches
BYU is 10-12-1 all-time against the Wildcats, with a 5-8-1 mark in games played in Tucson. But the biggest question mark may not be Grimes and BYU’s new offensive coaching staff; it’s the man in charge at Arizona, new head coach Kevin Sumlin.
Sumlin has never faced BYU, but he’s 9-1 in 10 season openers as a head coach at Houston and Texas A&M.
Coaches tend to scheme toward their personnel. But Sumlin was known for his high-energy, high-octane offenses with the Aggies that produced such standouts as Johnny Manziel.
“In fact, last week, we were watching Texas A&M film,” Kaufusi said. “He did a great job over there, and it will be good for us to go against them.”
Arizona will be Sumlin’s first head coaching job outside the state of Texas. After spending two seasons as Oklahoma’s co-offensive coordinator, he took over at Houston from 2008-11 before jumping to College Station in 2012 prior to the move west.
“I know coach Sumlin is a respected guy,” said BYU receiver Micah Simon, who grew up in Dallas. “He always has his teams ready to go, so we’ll just have to match their intensity.”
