Arizona Football: 5 Breakout players in win over UTEP include 4 true freshmen
By Eric Brown
After a close call last week against Houston, Arizona had a much easier task this week against UTEP. Quite a few players finally had the breakout game we have been waiting for, let’s look at them.
After last weeks devastating loss to Houston, a win that could have potentially had the team 3-0 heading into the heart of their Pac-12 schedule, Arizona Football slaughtered UTEP. Despite the heartbreak, the Wildcats were determined to prove that the loss to the Cougars was a fluke. This game was never going to be close, as UTEP is currently in the midst of one of the biggest rebuilds in program history, as they only have nine wins in the past three seasons combined.
Arizona was always going to win this game, and it was just a matter of who, how, and when. The answer to every single one of those questions is all different. Multiple players had a hand in this slaughtering of the Miners. It seems as if the Miners need to go mine for some victories. I know, awful pun. With that being said, let’s take a look at five players who finally had the game we have all been waiting for.
| PASSING | COMP | ATT | YDS | LONG | INT | SACKS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Dawkins | 18 | 22 | 155 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| RUSHING | ATT | YDS | LONG | AVG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Dawkins | 13 | 143 | 35 | 11.0 | 3 |
This was more than a redemption game for Dawkins. This was the game he needed more than anything. After last week’s loss to Houston, where he didn’t exactly play awful, he just did not play up the demands of fans. It’s a good thing that the fans have no say over who starts, as there is no doubt that Khalil Tate would be out there every game. For now, even if for just a few more weeks, Dawkins deserves the chance to prove that he will be ending the year as the quarterback for the Arizona Wildcats.
Brandon Dawkins of Arizona is the first QB this season with 2 Pass TD and 2 Rush TD in either half. Second half vs UTEP next on ESPN.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 16, 2017
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Just think of that, out of all the college Quarterbacks being talked about. Including PAC-12 Rivals Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold, Brandon Dawkins of all players are the first to have that stat this season. Will the Pac-12 coaches acknowledge this when picking the players of the week?
The odds of Dawkins playing at this level in games on the horizon is low at this point, as the Miners are an awful team who just fired their offensive coordinator, and the Pac-12 is full of ranked teams. But, if Dawkins plays at even half this level for Arizona during Pac-12 play and the team gets better and better, we could win a division this season. It’s a possibility at this point.
After the game, Arizona Daily Star reporter Michael Lev asked Brandon if he had felt a sense of redemption during the game. Dawkins responded with “None. I’ve never been one to hang my head, feel bad, feel sorry for myself. I just pick myself right back up and get back to work. Football’s not a one-week game. We’ve got multiple weeks to get better. I’m far from my peak, so I’m just trying to get there.”