Arizona Football: 3 takeaways from loss to Purdue in Foster Farms Bowl

1. Khalil Tate could be a serious Heisman contender in 2018

Sophomore quarterback Khalil Tate came essentially out of nowhere this season to star for the Arizona Wildcats. He had six straight games with 130-plus rushing yards from October to mid-November. He had a heck of a season as the team’s first-year starting quarterback.

Although his arm strength and accuracy had been in question all year as a run-first quarterback, he has all offseason to improve on that and he looked strong against the Boilermakers’ improved defense in the Foster Farms Bowl.

In fact, Tate finished with 302 yards and five touchdowns through the air, completing 17-of-26 passes. He silenced the doubters who believed he needed to prove himself as a capable passer.

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Tate finished the season with 1,591 yards passing and 1,411 rushing yards with 26 total touchdowns. There’s no reason he can’t be a serious Heisman Trophy contender in 2018, especially if the Wildcats are able to contend in the Pac-12.