Arizona Football: How far can Khalil Tate carry Wildcats?
By Zach Bigalke
2018 Arizona Schedule and Predictions
| WEEK | DATE | SCHOOL | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Sep. 1, 2018 | Arizona | vs. BYU |
| 2 | Sep. 8, 2018 | Arizona | @ Houston |
| 3 | Sep. 15, 2018 | Arizona | vs. FCS Southern Utah |
| 4 | Sep. 22, 2018 | Arizona | @ Oregon State |
| 5 | Sep. 29, 2018 | Arizona | vs. USC |
| 6 | Oct. 6, 2018 | Arizona | vs. California |
| 7 | Oct. 12, 2018 (FRI) | Arizona | @ Utah |
| 8 | Oct. 20, 2018 | Arizona | @ UCLA |
| 9 | Oct. 27, 2018 | Arizona | vs. Oregon |
| 10 | Nov. 2, 2018 (FRI) | Arizona | vs. Colorado |
| 11 | Nov. 10, 2018 | BYE | WEEK |
| 12 | Nov. 17, 2018 | Arizona | @ Washington State |
| 13 | Nov. 24, 2018 | Arizona | vs. Arizona State |
Arizona’s non-conference schedule seems fairly manageable. The season opens with BYU, a matchup between two charter members of the WAC back in 1962. Then Sumlin takes Arizona east to Houston to face a Cougars team he used to coach. The non-conference schedule concludes at home with a visit from FCS Southern Utah. A 3-0 start is not an unreasonable expectation.
Pac-12 play begins with a road trip to Corvallis to face cellar dweller Oregon State. Home games against USC and Cal to end September and begin October will determine how far the Wildcats have come midway through the year. A road swing to Utah and UCLA occupies the heart of October. Oregon visits Tucson in a game that usually features plenty of fireworks at the end of the month.
By the time Tate gets his second shot against Colorado in #Pac12AfterDark action on Friday night in early November, the Wildcats will have played 10 weeks in a row. A much-needed bye week comes before the final two tests of the season, a road trip to Washington State and a home showdown for the Territorial Cup against state rival Arizona State.
What’s next for Arizona?
The primary point of focus is the matchup with BYU. Because Arizona does not play a Power Five opponent out of conference this year, the showdown with the Cougars is a critical first test. If Arizona takes down BYU with ease in a blowout, it will bode well for Sumlin and his staff. A close call at home against the independent middleweight would be damning, as would a loss to Kalani Sitake‘s crew.
Prediction: 9-3 (6-3 Pac-12)
Carrying on with the tradition of engineering early turnarounds at his various stops, Sumlin will have Arizona running strong in 2018. While they won’t manage to overtake USC for the Pac-12 South title, the Wildcats will still manage to win nine games and earn a solid postseason matchup.
dark. Next. Top 25 projections after spring practices
The most likely losses are going to come against USC, either Utah or UCLA, and Oregon. There are question marks about all of those teams, so a few lucky bounces here and there could set up a season similar to Texas A&M circa 2012. More likely is eight or nine wins and a shot at Arizona’s first 10-win season since the Fiesta Bowl run in 2014.