Arizona Football is now 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the Pac-12. We would like to take this time to celebrate some standouts on the team.
Although everyone in Wildcats-Land is frustrated because they know there were games that could have been won, like against USC and UCLA, the Cats have a losing record thus far in the season. Let’s focus on the positive. It’s time to celebrate Wildcats standouts on the team.
Offense
Running Backs:
JJ Taylor ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in rushing. He has attempted 137 runs and gained 817 total yards this season adding four touchdowns. Taylor is right behind Oregon State’s Jamar Jefferson (132 for 899 yards). If Taylor is given opportunities, holes in the O-line he can get through, he can’t be stopped. We named him Spin Zone from his freshman year performances. Against UCLA this season, Taylor rushed for 154 yards on 19 tries adding one touchdown.
Taylor also ranks No. 1 in kick off return yards. He has returned the ball 17 times for 411 yards and a touchdown.
Add to that, the No. 1 All-Purpose yeards leader in the Power 5, with 1,135 yards!
Power 5 Leader in All-Purpose Yards 👑#BearDown | #EraZona pic.twitter.com/iX2KX7exbz
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) October 24, 2018
Gary Brightwell slots in at No. 10 with 77 attempts earning 443 total yards and two touchdowns. Brightwell, a bigger back, showed his strength and speed also this past weekend against UCLA rushing for 15 tries and earning 121 yards rushing.
Brightwell (No. 1) and Taylor (No. 2) both made the PFF list of top running backs for the week.
The top overall grades from Pac-12 running backs in Week 8 pic.twitter.com/tlGYt6FxWj
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 23, 2018
Wide Receivers:
Shawn Poindexter is killing it this season. He ranks No. 6 overall in the Pac-12 catching 30 passes for 552 yards and four touchdowns. This past weekend, Poindexter the most passes from quarterback Rhett Rodriguez (6-106 yards and two touchdowns). He averaged 17.1 yards per catch. Poindexter is an able receiver and it seems he can catch a pass, even if it looks uncatchable, from either quarterback.
Tony Ellison ranked No. 3 overall in the Pac-12 for an average of 18.1 yards per catch (19 for 353 yards, three touchdowns). Against UCLA, Ellison caught two passes but averaged 21 yards per pass.
Kicker/Punter:
Josh Pollack ranks No. 7 in the Pac-12 with five field goals and a 71.4% conversion rate.
Dylan Klumph ranks No. 3 in the Pac-12 with 34 punts for 1409 yards.
O-Line:
Michael Eletise started a game for the first time this season against UCLA. Not starting Eletise perplexed a lot of the media. The top recruit in 2016 out of Hawaii, Eletise is a tireless worker and works hard at his craft pumping iron and working out over the summer. Eletise could have been the replacement for Nathan Eldrige at center as he worked on playing the position in his freshman year after Zach Hemmila passed away. The coaching staff went with Eldridge and kept Michael at Offensive tackle.
This season, Eldridge was injured prior to the season, the new coaching staff went with true freshman on the line. But it was obvious when Eletise played, more opportunities would pop up on offense for running backs as well as increased time for the quarterback to pass from the pocket. This past weekend he started and played the entire game.
It’s not a surprise that the Arizona offense was able to rush for a total of 289 yards and one touchdown. Just think of Tate was healthy and had Eletise in there helping out like last season. Eletise is a protegé of Jacob Alsadek and we have all been waiting for him to get his chance. It’s great to see that he is taking advantage of it.