Khalil Tate exited the field at 蜜柚直播 Stadium and approached a group of reporters with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.
The 蜜柚直播 Wildcats quarterback 鈥 who鈥檚 always a topic of conversation, and sometimes a subject of controversy 鈥 seemed to be in fine spirits. He was willing to talk about everything that happened last season 鈥 the hype, the injury, the frustration, the disappointment, the aftermath 鈥 unlike, well, during the season, when he at times brushed off questions he perceived as pointed.
Four years after enrolling at 蜜柚直播 as a 17-year-old freshman, Tate seemed to embrace and understand the pending finality of it all. He has one year left to show everyone 鈥 his coaches, his teammates, UA fans, the NFL 鈥 the player he鈥檚 capable of being.
Asked Thursday why he elected to return for his senior season 鈥 instead of declaring for the NFL draft 鈥 Tate said:
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鈥淚 knew I had a lot more to prove. I knew I left a lot on the table. I know what my ceiling is. I know what I can do.
鈥淲ith the circumstances I was dealing with last year, I couldn鈥檛 really perform to the best of my ability and show the next level what I can do. Thankfully, I had another year to learn and refine myself in this offense.鈥
蜜柚直播 QB Khalil Tate on why he returned to UA: 鈥淚 knew I had a lot more to prove. I left a lot on the table.鈥
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)
Those 鈥渃ircumstances鈥 Tate referred to? An ankle injury that nagged him for much of the season. He conceded that it was a hindrance, mainly because he never had dealt with anything like it before. He had been sidelined by minor shoulder injuries earlier in his UA career, but those didn鈥檛 prevent Tate from running. The ankle injury, suffered in Week 2 against Houston, left Tate looking and feeling uncomfortable.
鈥淚t was very frustrating,鈥 Tate said. 鈥淚t was definitely something different that I learned to cope with.鈥
When he burst into the national consciousness in 2017, Tate rushed 153 times for 1,411 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last season, those numbers plummeted to 74-224-2. Adjusting to a new system and a new set of expectations had something to do with it. The injury had a lot to do with it, Tate said.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e injured, it sets you back a bit,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kinda like, 鈥榃hat do I do now?鈥 鈥
Khalil Tate says sitting out after his ankle injury from the Week 2 loss to Houston would鈥檝e helped, 鈥渂ut I鈥檇 like to leave the past in the past.鈥
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)
Tate kept playing. Sometimes he performed well; other times he didn鈥檛. Finally, after a first-quarter tackle against Utah that had him hobbling, UA coach Kevin Sumlin pulled Tate. Sumlin then sat him the next week, at UCLA, giving his ankle time to heal.
Tate looked different upon returning 鈥 more like himself. 蜜柚直播 scored a combined 86 points in home victories over Oregon and Colorado. Tate threw eight touchdown passes. The Wildcats were back in the bowl hunt.
Then they lost their final two games 鈥 a blowout at Washington State and a blown fourth-quarter lead against 蜜柚直播 State. Tate threw a crucial interception against ASU (before almost throwing the winning touchdown pass 鈥 twice). He wasn鈥檛 happy about losing to 蜜柚直播鈥檚 rival and missing out on the postseason. Nobody was.
鈥淲e had a bad season,鈥 senior receiver Cedric Peterson said. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 like it. He was hurt half the season. (There was) a lot of criticism on the team. We all took it to heart.
鈥淲e鈥檝e just gotta step up to the plate now and prove everybody wrong. I know he wants to do the same.鈥
To that end, Tate is taking spring practice as seriously as a senior quarterback should. His goal for 2019, he said, is to 鈥渨in every single game.鈥 He then added:
鈥淚 think that comes with winning every single day. That starts in spring. I think we鈥檙e doing a great job in getting the little, minor details down. Last season we missed a lot of the minor details. That really affected us, and it showed in a big way.鈥
Some of Tate鈥檚 passing numbers improved last season. He threw for more yards, and he bettered his touchdown-to-interception ratio. But he also did a lot of damage by freelancing.
Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said earlier in the week that he鈥檇 like Tate to operate more within the system so he doesn鈥檛 have to rely as much on 鈥減izzazz plays.鈥 Tate said he feels more comfortable in the offense in Year 2.
鈥淔or sure,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t took a year. Anytime you put a new offense in, it鈥檚 going to take time. It doesn鈥檛 happen overnight. It鈥檚 gonna take repetition. It鈥檚 going to take losses to actually grow and learn.鈥
Tate used those same words 鈥 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take some time. It doesn鈥檛 happen overnight鈥 鈥 to describe the evolution of his relationship with Mazzone.
Mazzone said Monday that they experienced 鈥済rowing pains鈥 and that they understood each other better now. Tate bristled at the idea that the two ever were on bad terms.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been the same to me,鈥 Tate said. 鈥淢y family has told me things that they鈥檝e seen on social media, like we aren鈥檛 getting along, things of that nature. I don鈥檛 know where that would come from.鈥
Khalil Tate says his relationship with offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone has always been on the same page. 鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna take some time. It doesn鈥檛 happen overnight.鈥
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)
Tate and Mazzone didn鈥檛 appear to interact often on the sideline, and their relationship became a frequent topic on message boards. It wasn鈥檛 the Tate-related subject UA fans expected to be bantering about before the season.
Sumlin鈥檚 arrival, on the heels of Tate鈥檚 breakout season, put the talented quarterback on the short list of Heisman Trophy favorites. Tate landed on a regional cover of Sports Illustrated, which made this infamously bold declaration: 鈥淗and him the Heisman.鈥
Was the hype too much to handle?
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say it was too much. I would say it was new,鈥 Tate said. 鈥淚t was something I had to deal with. I didn鈥檛 know anybody that had dealt with it. It was definitely something I wasn鈥檛 familiar with. So I just kinda learned on the fly. I know a lot now.鈥
Tate said the events of last season made him stronger mentally. He feels good physically. He鈥檚 ready to answer Sumlin鈥檚 call for greater leadership and Mazzone鈥檚 challenge to re-earn the starting job.
鈥淢y mindset going into my last year is really just to get better every day,鈥 Tate said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the main thing as a quarterback 鈥 getting better every day and really pushing my teammates to get better also.鈥
Spring-game info
The UA announced details of the April 13 spring game.
The game itself is set for 5 p.m. at 蜜柚直播 Stadium. Admission is free. Parking is $5.
A pregame fan fest at Bear Down Field will begin at 2:30. Festivities will include music, prize giveaways, a food truck and activities for kids.
Seating will be general admission on the east side of the stadium. Concessions and restrooms will be open.
Sumlin and his players will participate in a one-hour autograph session after the game. Autographs are limited to one item per person.
The spring game also will be televised by Pac-12 Networks.
Extra points
- The team conducted a closed scrimmage at 蜜柚直播 Stadium. Several position groups did extra running after the scrimmage.
- The Wildcats have the weekend off. The eighth of 15 spring practices is scheduled for Monday evening.