NAU Review: Three Good Things

It’s Monday of Texas Tech Week, but let’s take a look at three good things from last Saturday’s game against Northern Arizona.

Each of these areas will also be crucial for Arizona’s chances to knock off the Red Raiders in the “White Out” game this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. So here we go:

1. ZonaZoo

Other than the Wildcats winning, the No. 1 most encouraging thing I saw Saturday night at Arizona Stadium was the turnout of the ZonaZoo student section. The students were there early in impressive numbers, packing in the general admission seats and waving their white rally towels.

I’ve shared my encouragement for fans being season ticket holders, but another component of that is having a connected and engaged student presence in the stadium. The ZonaZoo, when present in full force, is one of the best student sections in the Pac-12. In addition to injecting energy into the UA sideline, it makes Arizona Stadium a tough place to play for visitors. There aren’t many student sections that stretch endzone to endzone along one sideline like the ZonaZoo does.

The Wildcats will need that presence once again this week for the “White Out” against Texas Tech. While back-to-back home games can conflict with the Saturday night plans of college students, I would hope to see another very strong ZonaZoo turnout this week. Kudos to those in the athletic department that have worked closely with the ZonaZoo leadership to keep the student body engaged.

2. Quarterback Play

Sure there was not much pressure to perform for either Khalil Tate or Grant Gunnell, but it was a very well-executed game for both quarterbacks. Fans are certainly going to be encouraged about Gunnell’s future following his strong debut.

I think it is important to point out how well Tate played following an up-and-down effort at Hawai’i in the opener. He is a dynamic player as everyone knows with the ability to hurt a defense with his arm or his legs. But the key for Tate, like any quarterback, is his consistency in decision-making and fundamentals.

It appeared the play-calling limited the volume of true run-pass options (RPOs) in favor of more specifically designed run or pass calls. This included a few zone read option looks for Tate (without a pass option) that simplified things not only for Tate, but the entire offense. There was also some well-timed play-action used, highlighted by the opening touchdown toss to Tayvian Cunningham.

Whether it was a re-structured play sheet or just a better mindset for Tate, he trusted his reads as well as his protection in the pocket. His footwork and fundamentals allowed him to keep his eyes in the right spots and deliver some accurately thrown balls with really only one he would like to have back.

Tate’s early efficiency allowed Arizona to build a big lead and stick to a plan of putting Gunnell in during the first half. The true freshman was not perfect, but showed off his accuracy and overall poise for the position. These were valuable game reps for him and it’s likely he is now the true backup quarterback should the Wildcats need to turn to someone behind Tate.

3. Defensive Front

This may be a surprise to some, but I liked the approach Arizona had defensively committing to a true four down lineman look. Despite just one sack, the Wildcats did get some good pressure on quarterback Case Cookus whether it was the four-man rush or a handful of blitzes dialed up throughout the game. Credit Cookus for hanging tough, keeping some plays alive and slinging the ball into some tough windows.

Arizona rotated in so many players at all positions of the defense that cohesiveness was tough to come by. Certainly there were occasional missed assignments by players of all levels of experience, but the simple fact so many players got significant game reps is also encouraging.

On the opening drive of the second half, NAU punched in a touchdown with three straight runs from inside the 10-yardline. Initially it was frustrating to see since the Wildcats had used mostly starters earlier in the drive. But on second glance, true freshmen defensive linemen Kyon Barrs and Kwabena Watson, along with true freshman linebacker Derrion Clark, were thrown into the fire in a real game situation.

While the Lumberjacks punched in the touchdown, it’s worth noting the experience these players gain. It’s also worth noting those three players aren’t going to be on the field often in significant game situations. They are learning and developing, and that’s good for long-term success.

In the bigger picture, Arizona needs to establish its rotations in the front seven to allow consistency to settle in. There have been plenty of lessons learned from the Hawai’i and NAU games, but sticking to the base, executing assignments and letting the front six/seven attack is going to be critical against Texas Tech (and beyond).

It’s no secret Arizona needs to get more out of this group, but I believe the more the Wildcats commit to the 4-2 or 4-3 box, the better results are going to be over time for this team. Building continuity is necessary to foster improvement up front. Saturday, especially in first half, was a good step for that despite all the moving pieces in and out of the lineup.

ICYMI – NAU Review

The NAU game review reexamined the five keys to the game. Full analysis here.

---

Get the latest content from Dry Heat Sports by following on Facebook (@DryHeatSportsAZ), Twitter (@DryHeatSportsAZ) and subscribing below.

You can also follow Blair’s personal Twitter account @BlairWillisUA.