The Arizona Wildcats had plenty of hype entering the first week of the college football season, as quarterback Khalil Tate has the potential to be a Heisman Trophy candidate. Blessed with an incredible football IQ, Tate can make plays happen with his arm, and his feet, although those plays were few and far between on Saturday.
Arizona kicked off their 2018 campaign with a home loss to BYU, in a game that saw the Cougars really shut Tate down. Tate did throw for a touchdown and run one in, but it was not enough, as the team fell 28-23 in a game that was one of the bigger shockers in the conference in Week 1.
The Wildcats got a stellar effort on the ground from JJ Taylor, who rushed for 85 yards and a score. In addition, Colin Schooler led three Wildcats in double-figures in tackles on the defensive side of the ball, but in the end, new head coach Kevin Sumlin’s first game with the Wildcats ended with the loss. Arizona will try to get in the win column next weekend against Ed Oliver and Houston.
The California Golden Bears kicked off their 2018 season with a victory, as they beat the UNC Tar Heels at home in Week 1. Cal got a stunning effort from their defense in this one, as they accounted for four interceptions, one of which was run back for a touchdown by Cameron Goode for 38 yards.
For Cal, the plan going in was to rotate three quarterbacks, and as it usually does, it is didn’t yield great results. In fact, the offense sputtered for most of the game through the air, and had it not been for standout running back Patrick Laird excelling on the ground, Cal likely would have lost this game.
Laird scored a touchdown on the ground, and through the air, as he accounted for most of the Golden Bears’ offense in this one. Evan Weaver led the defense with 13 tackles, but he and the rest of the Cal defensive unit have a tougher task ahead this upcoming weekend, as they have to hit the road to take on the BYU Cougars on Saturday.