Arizona Football: Wildcats down Colorado to reenter Pac-12 South race
3. Khalil Tate has a shot to be the pocket passer he wants to be
A Heisman frontrunner at the beginning of the 2018 season, the dynamic rushing ability of Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate was expected to be the engine that made this offense run. Nothing could be further from the case for Tate and the Wildcats. Tate had 10+ carries or a rushing touchdown in every game he started last season, tallying 1,411 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Injuries and a new coaching staff have turned this former dual-threat quarterback into a drop-back passer. Tate has his eyes on the NFL, and that’s going to require further development and a mental transition from run-first to pass-first.
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Tate has had some growing pains, but Friday against Colorado the lightbulb finally came on. He completed 17-of-22 passes for 350 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He rushed four times for 15 yards. It’s hard to say which of those numbers is more surprising, the passing or the rushing. The end result, though, was a win and a sliver of hope for Tate’s aspirations to be a true pocket passer.