Quarterback Khalil Tate helps Arizona become the Pac-12’s biggest story of October

Utah enjoyed being the last team to beat USC for more than 12 months, before the Trojans lost to Washington State in late September. The Utes have a similar distinction with Arizona this season, thanks largely to the emergence of Wildcat sophomore quarterback Khalil Tate.

Tate’s first extended appearance of the season came against Colorado in early October, after Arizona lost 30-24 to Utah. Since replacing the injured Brandon Dawkins in the first quarter, Tate has run for 840 yards in four games and the Wildcats have scored 45 or more points in wins over Colorado, UCLA, California and Washington State.

Tate is the first winner of four consecutive Pac-12 offensive player of the week awards in conference history. And if he beats No. 17 USC in Los Angeles, he’ll become a Heisman Trophy candidate.

In a 58-37 defeat of Washington State, Tate recorded a run of 70-plus yards for the fourth game in a row, while totaling 421 yards of running and passing.

The No. 23 Wildcats’ run could end Saturday, but they’re the league’s biggest success story after being picked to finish last in the Pac-12 South and opening conference play with that loss to Utah. Arizona (6-2) undoubtedly has saved coach Rich Rodriguez’s job and should keep improving in 2018, when the Wildcats will open the season vs. BYU and later visit Utah.

Rodriguez described the Wildcats as “really angry” after losing to Utah. While not discounting Tate’s influence, he said, “The demeanor of the team and the focus and all that has been really good since August.”

Crazy game

When he looks at a stat sheet after a game, Rodriguez quickly checks two categories: first downs and offensive plays. Those numbers would have been discouraging to him last weekend, if not for knowing the final score vs. Washington State.

The Wildcats ran only 51 plays and recorded 13 first downs, yet they posted 585 total yards and scored 58 points, with some help from their defense. In addition to Tate’s 82-yard (non-scoring) run, Arizona had touchdown runs of 79 and 49 yards, a 48-yard TD pass and a 66-yard interception return.

“If you bring all 11[defenders] into the box, it tends to lead to big runs,” Rodriguez said.

Washington State ran 101 plays, passed for 602 yards and held the ball for 37 minutes, 22 seconds in the defeat. WSU coach Mike Leach took Logan product Luke Falk out of a game for the second time this season, after Falk completed 13 of 23 passes for 93 yards. Tyler Hillinski went 45 of 61 for 509 yards, but threw four interceptions — including one in the end zone, when the Cougars trailed by three points.

Leach, whose team plays at Utah next week, said Falk will start Saturday’s game vs. Stanford. Many coaches are unwilling to change quarterbacks during a game, but not Leach. “You try to avoid it, and I have for the most part,” he said. But “sometimes you try to get a spark going or something.”

Importance of Love

Stanford rushed for only 81 yards in a 15-14 win over Oregon State, while Bryce Love missed the game with an injury. Love’s lowest total this season is 147 yards vs. Oregon, before he was hurt in that game. So the Cardinal’s struggles in his absence may have strengthened his Heisman credentials.

Love can “make a 4-yard gain into a 60-yard touchdown,” said Stanford coach David Shaw. “We missed that aspect of our offense.”

Stanford’s longest run vs. Oregon State was 12 yards; Love had broken a 50-plus-yard run in each game.