Arizona won its second game of the season on Saturday, running all over Oregon State in a 35-14 win that wasn’t close after the first quarter. The Wildcats evened their record and picked up the first conference win of the 2018 season. With another week in the book, it’s time to assign game day grades, assess draft stock, and talk week-to-week trends.
Khalil Tate, QB
Game Stats: 9-17, 152 YDS, 2 TD, 4 CAR, -9 YDS
Quarterback Khalil Tate tossed two touchdowns to help offset an otherwise pedestrian day, as the ground game was able to put up big numbers for Arizona’s second win in a row and help the Wildcats being PAC 12 South play.
The signal caller limited turnovers and added a pair of touchdowns, one to NFL-ready Shawn Poindexter. That being said, the supposedly dual-threat quarterback finished with -9 yards on only four carries, and only 152 yards in the air, and has been one of the biggest disappointment this season after being in the preseason Heisman conversation. While largely underwhelming so far, Tate has the entire conference slate for improvement, and plenty of time to improve draft stock.
Gameday Grade: D+
Current Draft Stock: 7th Round
Shawn Poindexter, WR
Game Stats: 4 REC, 92 YDS, TD
The Wildcats leading receiver, Shawn Poindexter led the Arizona passing attack again, hauling in four catches for a game-high 92 yards and added a first-quarter touchdown. Poindexter again showed his NFL readiness, and his 23 yards per catch average on Saturday are right in line with his season numbers.
Week in and week out, Poindexter continues to show he is ready for the next level, and this week was no different. The Arizona receiver notched his second game with a touchdown in a row and for the first month of the seasons has shown that he can be a consistent threat all over the field.
At this point, Poindexter is on the cusp of first-round status and can reach it with big numbers as conference play moves on.
Gameday Grade: A
Current Draft Stock: 2nd Round
Layth Friekh, OL
With tackle Layth Friekh back, Arizona’s ground game exploded for a ridiculous 442 yards against conference foe Oregon State. Having Friekh back in the trenches has led to a pair big games on the ground, and on Saturday J.J. Taylor rumbled for a Reeser-Stadium record 284 yards.
A second dominant rushing attack bodes well for the 6’6” senior’s draft stock, and the more the Wildcats win, the more attention he will garner. If the athletic Friekh can continue to open up holes in the ground game into conference play, he will no doubt improve his draft stock.
Gameday Grade: A-
Current Draft Stock: 6th Round
Kylan Wilborn, DL
Game Stats: 2 tackle, 2 solo
Speedster Kylan Wilborn was productive for a second week in a row, this time with two solo tackles. As a whole, the Arizona defense played well, keeping Oregon State off the board in the second and third quarters. Wilborn hasn’t had the best opening month to being the 2018 season, but the defense played well to open the conference slate.
For Wilbron, it was his second game with multiple tackles, but the edge-rusher needs to show that he can get to the quarterback to move his draft needle.
Gameday Grade: A
Current Draft Stock: 6th Round
Dereck Boles, DL
Game Stats: 2 tackle
For the second week in a row, Dereck Boles contributed two tackles, and this week the Wildcat defense came to play. After three weeks of suspect defense, Boles & co improved significantly, holding the Beavers to just 97 yards rushing – a good sign going into a key PAC-12 South game against USC.
It’s good that Boles was able to help Arizona to a first conference win, and the senior has been steadily producing all season. For Boles and the rest of the Wildcats, conference play and continued success will lead to more draft attention.
Gameday Grade: B
Current Draft Stock: 7th Round
Jace Whittaker, CB
Game Stats: Did not play
Defensive back Jace Whittaker missed Arizona’s win with a left arm injury. Whitaker was expected to be a key part of the Arizona secondary but has been battling injuries all season. It is good that the Wildcat defense was able to turn in a dominant effort after a rough start to the season, but Whittaker has been a no-show and needs to have immediate production to move his draft stock.
For now, his season consists of one series against Southern Utah and a pair of injuries. Whittaker is rangy, can play both cornerback and safety, and is Arizona’s top returning player from a year ago according to Pro Football Focus. The defensive back can easily raise his draft stock with a big impact upon return.
Gameday Grade: Incomplete
Current Draft Stock: Incomplete