Weeks ahead of the 2018 Arizona Football season, Houston’s Ed Oliver Adds Fuel To The Fire For Their September 8th Match With The Wildcats.
The gauntlet has been dropped! For Houston’s Ed Oliver, he made it known what he thinks of Khalil Tate and the Arizona Football team ahead of their September 8th match-up!
In sports, we see it all the time between players on teams when they get asked about potential opponents or other players besides themselves. In some cases, it can be friendly banter between two players who are trying to lighten the mood before the big game, or it can be out pure hate for their rivals and they want to try to get inside their heads before the start of the next game.
Whatever it may be for Oliver’s case, he surely had some fighting words for Tate. When asked in his latest interview with Sports Illustrated, Oliver declared for the Draft all the way back in March, and the possibility of being the number one draft pick in next years draft.
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Oliver stated that “I don’t want to get asked after the game, so are you thinking about going?” when talking to Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated. Oliver went on to say “I want it to be because I gave Khalil Tate a nightmare”.
This statement does not come without a little history between the two schools and coaches. As Arizona’s Wildcats first-year head coach Kevin Sumlin coached at Houston from the years of 2008-2011.
Soon after leaving Houston, Sumlin headed to College Station to coach Texas A&M, unable to resist the lure of coaching in the SEC.
While Sumlin was at A&M, he did his best to recruit Oliver to play for him but ended up falling just a little short.
The story does not end there as there is more. Wildcat fans can also recall last years’ matchup between the two schools, where Houston came to Tucson and left with a 19-16 victory over our Wildcats.
Not to mention the key to victory for Houston in that game was the man of the hour, Mr. Oliver, as the potential No. 1 overall pick recorded 11 tackles.
At least Oliver has the pedigree to back up his talk, as last year he accumulated forty-seven tackles and 16.5 of them going for a loss. It is safe to say that this kid has a sense of where the pigskin is headed and is likely to join to the party.
There is no doubt in my mind that come game day, Tate will be ready to let his talking be done on the field. Hopes are high in Tucson, as Tate looks to chase down a trip to New York to collect that Heisman Trophy to put up on his mantle, or perhaps even more lofty, an elusive Rose Bowl appearance.
As Arizona fans, we have learned to have a sour taste when it comes to schools such as UCLA in basketball and ASU in just about everything imaginable. Now we can add Houston to that list of schools that getting the Victory over them would be so much sweeter. Bear Down, Arizona!