'Cats get first win of the season, defeat Southern Utah sixty two-31

Shun Brown celebrates after scoring a third touchdown for Arizona during the 2d quarter of the Arizona vs. Southern Utah online game. The rating on the end of the primary half become 24-17 with Arizona within the lead

After suffering an embarrassing loss in Houston closing week, the Arizona Wildcats returned home and received their first game of the season 62-31 on the returned of an surprising passing performance from quarterback Khalil Tate and a strong 2nd-half shielding stand in opposition t a stubborn Southern Utah school team.

Arizona is now 1-2 heading into Pac-12 play next week.

For Tate, who had been bottled up within the two video games leading into tonight, his passing game marked a return to kind. The junior quarterback posted an eye-popping stat line of 349 yards and 5 touchdowns on 13 of 20 passing attempts.

"i thought he played neatly," mentioned head teach Kevin Sumlin.

five of Tate's completions became into features of over 30 yards, including a 65-yard toss to Shun Brown and a seventy five-yard strike to Shawn Poindexter.

The game turned into in the beginning shut, with the ranking tied at 17-17 halfway in the course of the 2nd quarter, however the Wildcats went on an offensive outburst of 31-straight points after that to position the rout on.

"We simply made performs," talked about Tate of the offensive output. "remaining week we just mandatory one more play, we were one play far from a touchdown."

Madeleine Viceconte

Khalil Tate gets able to circulate the ball all the way through the 2nd quarter of the Southern Utah vs. Arizona football video game on the Arizona Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 15. 

Hailing from Cedar metropolis, Utah, and playing out of the huge Sky conference, the traveling Thunderbirds begun the video game amazing, with junior quarterback Chris Helbig the use of each his arm and legs to installation a 32-yard container aim effort that became overlooked by placekicker Manny Berz.

The Wildcats wasted no time responding, awesome immediately with a five-play, 80-yard landing power capped through a 17-yard circulate from Heisman-hopeful Tate to huge receiver Tony Ellison. 

          linked: 'Cats lead Southern Utah T-Birds at half 24 to 17

firstly of the 2d quarter, the Wildcats would strike again. J.J. Taylor took the kickoff eighty four yards to the apartment, redeeming himself for an previous misplaced fumble and pushing the cause 14-3.

Southern Utah wouldn't be deterred, despite the fact. A methodical, 13-play force capped off via an surprising 10-yard run by using running returned Jay eco-friendly reduce the lead to 14-10. once once more, although, the Wildcats would answer, this time with a 32-yard field by Lucas Havrisik.

Madeleine Viceconte college of Arizona avid gamers attain for the ball right through the Arizona vs. Southern Utah online game on Saturday, Sep. 15 at Arizona Stadium.

For the Wildcat protection, abused via Houston last week, the primary half offered little within the way of positives. The unit allowed the Thunderbirds to play even with the Division I Wildcats right through lots of the first half.

possibly the most regarding factor for the Wildcats' protection changed into Southern Utah's means to keep possession with the frenzy in the first half, dominating the time of possession through going at the throat of Arizona's protection and holding Tate off the box as a good deal as feasible.

Tate spoke back to the challenge, assisting to provide the 'Cats respiration room earlier than the shut of the primary half, finishing an 11-yard flow to Brown for a touchdown to supply the 'Cats a 24-17 halftime lead.

That wouldn't be the final Tate-to-Brown connection on the night. 

things would trade on either side of the ball in the 2d half as the protection all started to settle in, holding the Thunderbirds scoreless in the third quarter before relenting and giving up a two-yard touchdown run in garbage time of the fourth quarter to make the score forty eight-24.

The defensive unit would additionally collect its first turnover of the season in the 2d half, an interception by safeguard Jarrius Wallace. After the video game, Wallace spoke of he was excited for the whole defense.

"It felt exquisite to get [a turnover] for the whole protection," he observed.

on the put up-online game press conference, offensive lineman Layth Friekh, who had been suspended the outdated two games, spoke about how the protection knew it needed to step up in the 2nd half.

"We came to play," he referred to. "every person did their job, and we fired on all cylinders. We confirmed what we will do."

          linked: Commentary: Wildcats' first win beneath Sumlin might not be effortless 

The 'Cats scored again within the third quarter after forcing the T-Birds to punt, this time on a Havrisik 35-yard box purpose to push the lead to 34-17. From there, the rout changed into on. Tate would return to Brown once again for a rocket, sixty five-yard pass to the senior receiver in the 2nd half that resulted in an electrifying touchdown, extending the Wildcats' lead further.

The win, the first of Sumlin's tenure as head coach, changed into the first over Southern Utah in Arizona program background.

"every time you win its at all times respectable correct?" Sumlin pointed out. "Your first win is all the time something you remember, although, no count the place you are at."

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