ARIZONA OFFENSE
WR—1 Drew Dixon 6-3 205 So.
SB—5 Brian Casteel 6-0 195 So.
TE—81 Bryce Wolma 6-4 244 Jr.
LT—76 Donovan Laie 6-4 315 So.
LG—66 Robert Congel 6-4 310 So.
C—50 Josh McCauley 6-4 291 Jr.
RG—76 Cody Creason 6-4 295 Sr.
RT—72 Edgar Burrola 6-6 305 So.
WR—18 Cedric Peterson 6-1 197 Sr.
QB—14 Khalil Tate 6-2 215 Sr.
RB—21 J.J. Taylor 5-6 185 Jr.
The Wildcats are designed with speed in mind. At their no-huddle fastest, they can get off a play every 16 to 20 seconds. Last year, they averaged 23.1 seconds between plays. They ran as many as 100 plays against Houston and as few as 59 against California. What is to be determined is which version of quarterback Khalil Tate will be on display. In 2017, Tate gained 1,501 non-sack yards on scrambles and keepers, an average of 10.7 yards. Against Colorado, he raced for 327 yards and four TDs. In last year’s second game, he suffered an ankle injury, then incurred more ailments after that. He reconfigured his game, throwing for 26 touchdowns (two fewer than Nick Foles’ school record), but restricted his carries. Still, he averaged 5.35 yards on non-sack keepers and bootlegs. All indications are Tate will be given the green light when the Wildcats are in spread-option sets. That should open the way for play action or, even, his unique U-turn move of flowing behind a double block, making an abrupt 180, and either throwing or sprinting to the back side. Last year’s top four receivers exhausted their eligibility, but Cedric Peterson (30.2 yards per fourth-quarter reception) returns, and 4-star speedster Boobie Curry joins the mix. Running back J.J. Taylor is durable (40 carries against Colorado) and prolific (284 yards against Oregon State) behind a line with three returning starters and Texas A&M transfer Robert Congel. DeMarco Murray, the NFL’s 2014 Offensive Player of the Year, is coaching a backfield that has depth and led the the Pac-12 in rushing the past three seasons.
ARIZONA DEFENSE
DE—12 JB Brown 6-3 255 Jr.
NT—99 Myles Tapusoa 6-0 325 Jr.
DT—90 Trevon Mason 6-5 310 Jr.
DE—49 Jalen Harris 6-5 250 So.
MLB—7 Colin Schooler 6-1 229 Jr.
WLB—1 Tony Fields II 6-1 220 Jr.
Spur—31 Tristan Cooper 6-2 198 Sr.
Ban—5 Christian Young 6-2 217 So.
BC—17 Jace Whittaker 5-11 185 Sr.
FS—6 Scottie Young 5-11 201 Jr.
FC—3 Lorenzo Burns 5-11 175 Jr.
The 4-2-5 formation is a starting point for the Wildcats. Defensive coordinator Marcel Yates, who grew up in Boise State’s system, is an advocate of motions, shifts, loops and twists. Against four-wide offenses that are similar to Hawaii’s, Yates often placed as many as nine defenders along the line of scrimmage, then dispersed them just before the snap. Last year, the Wildcats were often in an odd front, requiring what they termed “two for ones” — interior linemen absorbing double teams — to free the linebackers to swoop in for tackles. With this season’s move to a solid four-man front, particularly two-point linemen, the ends expect to face more one-on-one situations. The starting nose and D-tackle — Myles Tapusoa and Trevon Mason — are space-eating JUCO transfers. Finton Connolly, a fifth-year senior, also can rotate at the interior spots. Colin Schooler and Tony Fields II are a 1-2 punch at linebacker. Schooler usually sets up in the middle, with the freedom to sprint into the flats to interrupt the passing or perimeter-running lanes. Last year, Schooler amassed 119 tackles — 30 more than runner-up Fields — with 21.5 backfield stops. Of his 88 tackles on a running back, Schooler’s average stop was within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage. The Wildcats can play press and man coverages because Jace Whittaker, a clingy boundary corner, is healthy again after missing all but one game last season, and Lorenzo Burns is an active defender (team-high 11 breakups).
ARIZONA SPECIALISTS
PK—43 Lucas Havrisik 6-2 185 Jr.
P/H—26 Matt Aragon 6-6 213 Sr.
LS—51 Donald Reiter 6-0 231 Jr.
KR—21 J.J. Taylor 5-6 185 Jr.
PR—5 Brian Casteel 6-0 195 So.
Last season, Lucas Havrisik was the kickoff specialist (81.1 percent resulted in touchbacks) and part-time place-kicker (6-for-11). With Josh Pollack’s departure, Havsirik becomes the point-scoring kicker. He proved his power with a 53-yarder last season and school-record-tying 57-yarder in 2017. With Dylan Klumph and Jake Glatting departing, fifth-year senior Matt Aragon ascends to top punter. His only NCAA punt was in 2016. Even on special teams, the Wildcats try to create pre-snap chaos. On punts, they will cluster at the line, then drop two back to create a double shield. PAT kicks sometimes are preceded by a variation of the old swinging-gate rearrangement.
HAWAII OFFENSE
LWO—23 Jared Smart 6-0 190 Jr .
LSB—3 Jason-Matthew Sharsh 6-0 190 Sr.
LT—75 Ilm Manning 6-4 280 So.
LG—57 J.R. Hensley 6-5 320 Sr.
C—72 Kohl Levao 6-2 310 Jr.
RG—52 Solo Vaipulu 6-6 330 Sr.
RT—74 Gene Pryor 6-3 305 Jr.
RSB—6 Cedric Byrd 5-9 175 Sr.
RWO—9 JoJo Ward 5-9 175 Sr.
QB—13 Cole McDonald 6-4 220 Jr.
RB—7 Dayton Furuta 5-11 250 Sr.
Reset to zero — the 2018 opener — when quarterback Cole McDonald was fully healthy for the only time that season. It was a game in which McDonald and the resurrected run-and-shoot offense were in sync. McDonald completed 15 of his first 17 passes from the pocket, his first three throws on rollouts, and double-clutched Colorado State’s defense with designed sprints and three successful shovel passes. McDonald is again healthy and, despite the departures of slotback John Ursua (to the NFL) and wideout Marcus Armstrong-Brown (to the real world), the offense appears to have maintained its mojo. Cedric Byrd (970 receiving yards, nine TDs) moved to Ursua’s former slot alongside wideout JoJo Ward (17.0 yards per catch, nine scores) to pair two sub-4.5 sprinters on the right side. Jared Smart (son of 1987 NCAA basketball hero Keith Smart) seized the left wideout’s job, and Jason-Matthew Sharsh, a precise route-runner, is the left slot. Whether or not the Warriors go to an empty set, the backs are expected to have an expanded role in the passing game. They combined to secure 96.2 percent of the passes when they were targeted. The starting linemen were flagged for holding only five times in 963 snaps. Gene Pryor, who redshirted after making one appearance last year, breaks into the lineup as the right tackle. If needed, Taaga Tuulima can fill in at any of the three interior positions. The Warriors average 421 yards when Tuulima is in the opening lineup.
HAWAII DEFENSE
DE—43 Mason Vega 6-3 280 Jr.
NT—55 Blessman Taala 6-1 300 So.
DT—95 Kendall Hune 6-3 285 Sr.
E—96 Kaimana Padello 6-0 230 Sr.
MLB—1 Penei Pavihi 6-3 245 Jr.
WLB—15 Paul Scott 6-1 215 So.
NB—8 Eugene Ford 6-2 200 Jr.
CB—4 Rojesterman Farris II 6-1 185 Sr.
S—3 Kalen Hicks 6-3 215 Sr.
S—22 Ikem Okeke 6-0 200 Sr.
CB—18 Cortez Davis 5-11 180 Jr.
In response to new-age offenses in general and Arizona’s quick tempo in particular, the Warriors arranged rapid-fire drills the past two weeks. The scouts rotated two huddles, with the setup-to-snap rate at about eight seconds. The defense also spent most of the preseason focusing on speed, endurance and cross training. Rush ends Kaimana Padello, Derek Thomas and Zach Ritner can drop into coverage. Safeties Ikem Okeke and Kalen Hicks are former rovers who can play in the box. In some sub-packages, middle linebacker Jeremiah Pritchard can slide to the edge and will backers Paul Scott and Solomon Matautia can blitz the middle or defend in space. Defensive coordinator Corey Batoon has crafted a scheme loosely rooted in Arizona’s Desert Swarm of the 1990s. Batoon then incorporated additional elements while coaching with Chris Kiffin, whose father invented the Tampa-2 defense. The Warriors advertise a 4-2-5 base, but that’s not written in indelible ink. The strong-side end known as the “bandit” mirrors a three-man front’s rugged defensive end. The fourth line position, on the weak-side edge, can be filled with a rush end or linebacker. The Warriors also can align with three linebackers or three safeties or other combos.
HAWAII SPECIALISTS
PK—17 Ryan Meskell 6-0 185 Sr.
P/H—9 Stan Gaudion 6-3 210 Jr.
LS—44 Wyatt Tucker 5-10 205 Jr.
KR/PR—10 Melquise Stovall 5-9 190 Jr.
When Ryan Meskell joined the Warriors in 2017 following an extensive soccer career, he was noted for leg strength but not his accuracy. He reworked his game, from his sideline preparation to the arc of his kicks. Last year, he converted 15 of 18 field-goal attempts after going 1-for-4 the season before. This year, his comfort range has extended to 53 yards. This season’s goal is to improve the field position on kickoffs. Last year, an opponent’s average drive after a kickoff started at the 28.
