Arizona Football: Bye week comes at an opportune time for the Wildcats

Arizona Football (5-5, 4-3) gets a much needed bye week to get healthy, and prepare for their final two games of the regular season.

Arizona Football is on a roll of late, however the road gets a bit tougher from here on out. After a rough, 0-2 start to the season, the Wildcats have found a way to bounce back and get within one win from being bowl eligible.

More shocking, is that the Wildcats currently sit, tied for first place in the Pac-12 South along with Utah and USC. So, winning the Pac-12 South isn’t entirely out of the question, although it will still take some work and some luck.

Arizona Wildcats

Regardless, after battling adversity and clawing their way back to a 5-5 record, the team will now have a well-deserved bye week. For the Wildcats, it also comes at an opportune time.

It’s no secret Arizona has had their fair share of injuries, and according to Sports Reference, here is what the injury list looks like:

OL- Nathan Eldridge is out for season.
DL- Justin Belknap (foot) is done for the year.
OL- Alex Kosinski is still out and will unlikely play this season.
CB- Jace Whittaker (hamstring) has been sidelined and it’s unknown when he’ll return.
OL- Bryson Cain (unknown) sat out versus Colorado and his status is unclear versus WSU.
RB- Gary Brightwell (ankle) missed the game versus Colorado and is questionable against WSU.
RB- Darrius Smith (foot) has missed a few games and is questionable against WSU.

While it’s unknown who comes back following the bye week, nonetheless having the extra time to get healthy can’t be a bad thing, right?

In addition to those players listed, you also have Khalil Tate getting over that nagging ankle injury he suffered early in the season. The junior quarterback has battled all season, but finally seems that he is getting healthy.

In Kevin Sumlin’s interview with Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel, here is what the Arizona head coach had to say:

“Everyone thinks I’m trying to change his game… he’s been hurt. The hardest part for me is that the kid is tough enough to play, but he’s not himself. He’s getting healthier by the week.” Sumlin continued, “He’s bounced back and is approaching complete health. He’s become a different guy.”

In the interview, Sumlin had noted that the bye week should help him to get healthy for the final two games of the season.

“Everyone thinks I’m trying to change his game… he’s been hurt. The hardest part for me is that the kid is tough enough to play, but he’s not himself.”

Perhaps that’s an indication that Tate’s role of being a “true” dual-threat quarterback could increase moving forward, so long as he’s healthy.

In the game versus Colorado, Tate had a remarkable performance in the passing game, finishing with 350 yards and five touchdowns. However, he finished the game with 28 yards rushing on four carries, his longest run going for 25 (his longest of the season).

While it’s hard to say if Tate will get an increased role in the running game, but I can’t help but take Sumlin’s quote for face value. If he get healthier, and is able to be utilized more, that would only help the Wildcat offense moving forward, which is a good thing!

That’s why this bye week comes at a great time! Arizona is playing well of late, and the team is getting healthier and better! This is a perfect opportunity to get re-oriented and focused to finish the final two games strong.

Arizona will face a talented, one-loss team in Washington State next week, followed by a competent opponent in rival ASU the following week. The road is daunting, but it’s at least doable for the Wildcats to become bowl eligible.

At Zona Zealots, we’re hoping the Wildcats can make the most of their opportunities during this bye week, and come back even stronger for the rest of the season! Bear Down, Arizona!