Kevin Sumlin is mere months into his tenure as the Arizona football head coach. Will he survive the length of his five-year contract?
Mayday, mayday, mayday. After eight quarters under Kevin Sumlin, it’s time for Arizona football fans to officially be concerned with the trajectory of their program. Things weren’t great under former head coach Rich Rodriguez, but the early results from his replacement look dour, at best.
Kevin Sumlin was let go from his position at Texas A&M after a productive six-year stretch that included a No. 5 finish, a Heisman Trophy and a victory over No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Despite the incredible moments, Sumlin’s track record without wunderkind Johnny Manziel was mediocre — and that doesn’t cut it in the SEC West.
The Pac-12 South is a bit more lenient and Sumlin has the benefit of another Heisman contender, Khalil Tate. Or at least, Tate was a Heisman contender before Sumlin’s offense was installed in Tucson.
Tate was hamstrung in the Wildcats’ opener, a loss to a BYU team that doesn’t project to be much good at all. In the loss, Tate carried the ball just eight times for 14 yards. The final box score against Houston was just as dismal.
Arizona averaged 3.1 yards per carry. Tate completed 53 percent of his passes with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. He carried the ball just seven times for an underwhelming eight yards and one rushing touchdown.
Kevin Sumlin is going to get more than two games to prove he’s the right man to lead Arizona. Yet, how much leniency should fans expect if he turns Tate’s Heisman hopes into a forgotten pipedream for a program in need of some reasons to hope? Sumlin needs to win by 50+ points next weekend against Southern Utah. Otherwise, Arizona is going to have to start talking about contingency plans who’d be on the table in a year or two.