蜜柚直播

蜜柚直播 hopes to go into the bye week 3-1, but No. 23 Utah stands in the way in the Wildcats' home opener. 蜜柚直播 reporters Michael Lev and Zack Rosenblatt talk about the best of the best from this week as the 'Cats prepare for the Utes.聽

Quarterback Brandon Dawkins seemed different last week to just about everyone in the 蜜柚直播 Wildcats football program 鈥� except himself.

More serious? Nope. More focused? Nah.

Dawkins insists he鈥檚 always serious and focused. He just doesn鈥檛 always show it. His public persona is positive and playful. Inside lies a ruthless competitor.

Coming off a career-best performance at UTEP 鈥� six total touchdowns and an 85.7 percent completion rate 鈥� Dawkins met the media this week in advance of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 Pac-12 opener against Utah on Friday night.

Dawkins discussed multiple topics, including his approach and what it鈥檚 like to play for Rich Rodriguez. Here鈥檚 a portion of that conversation:

On what felt different entering the UTEP game:聽鈥淣othing really felt different. Just the result was different. We executed a lot better. Taking the easy things that we could鈥檝e had, should鈥檝e had in prior weeks.鈥�

On his supposedly more serious demeanor before and during the game:聽鈥淚t鈥檚 just kind of what happened. I鈥檓 never not taking it serious. It鈥檚 a strange way to look at it to say I was taking it more serious. At my position, you can鈥檛 not take it serious and be able to execute or even play at all. You can鈥檛 go half-speed at quarterback. You can jog a route. You can鈥檛 catch the (snap) and linger back there. You鈥檒l get your head ripped off.

鈥淗aving a not-so-good week (against Houston), I鈥檓 the biggest critic of myself. I don鈥檛 need to look and read what everybody鈥檚 writing about it. I know how I played, and I know how it went. It just kind of pushed me to work that much harder than I鈥檓 already working.鈥�

On whether practices are tougher than games under Rodriguez:聽鈥淚 always try to make it tough on myself. I always take practice like it鈥檚 a game. You never want to go out there on a Friday or Saturday and turn it all the way on finally. You want to be already ready to do that. Practices, for me, are more mental, dealing with the dude up there (Rodriguez). Just trying to get on the same page as him. Bumping heads, having conflicting ideas on things but trying to see the same things he鈥檚 seeing and understand that.鈥�

On TV broadcasts showing Rodriguez鈥檚 sideline rants:聽鈥淭V, that鈥檚 nothing. Practice is a little bit more. He can stop the clock and really get on you if he wants to. In a game, he can鈥檛 really do that. He can call a timeout if he wants to, but he鈥檚 smarter than that.鈥�

On starting Pac-12 play:聽鈥淥bviously, conference means more. But every game means something. I don鈥檛 care if we鈥檙e playing Pima Community College in our first game. I want to come out with a win. Every game means something to us. Pac-12 obviously means a lot more. It doesn鈥檛 really change anybody鈥檚 outlook. Nobody鈥檚 going to be trying harder because it鈥檚 Pac-12 now. Everybody鈥檚 going to be giving a full effort.鈥�

Running back Nathan Tilford was the 蜜柚直播 Wildcats鈥� highest-ranked recruit this year. UA fans have been clamoring for him to play, well, running back.

Tilford wants that too. But with several veterans ahead of him on the depth chart, those opportunities have been limited to garbage time.

So Tilford has embraced a new role: kickoff coverage. Before last week鈥檚 game at UTEP, Tilford hadn鈥檛 covered a kickoff since Pop Warner. His reaction upon hearing of the assignment?

鈥淥h man, let鈥檚 rock and roll," he said. "Let鈥檚 get it. I鈥檓 down.鈥�

Tilford has embraced the chance to get on the field and contribute however he can. He recorded two solo tackles and one assisted stop against the Miners, helping limit them to less than 20 yards per return.

鈥淚t was fun,鈥� said Tilford, a graduate of Colony High in Ontario, California. 鈥淰ery exciting. I鈥檓 proud of myself. My family back home, I know they鈥檙e watching and proud of me. I was very happy. It was a good night.鈥�

It only got better from there. Tilford played running back in the fourth quarter. He carried the ball eight times for 37 yards and his first two career touchdowns.

Tilford got some tailback time in the Sept. 2 opener as well. His second career carry went for 65 yards. He finished with four rushes for 79 yards but came up a yard short of the end zone on his final attempt. Fellow freshman Rhett Rodriguez completed the drive with a QB sneak.

Tilford was determined to finish the job in El Paso. On fourth-and-goal from the 2, the 6-foot-2, 206-pound bruiser plowed through three UTEP defenders to cross the goal line. Tilford then jogged to the sideline to celebrate his achievement with the other running backs.

鈥淚 did not know what to think,鈥� Tilford said. 鈥淚 was so overwhelmed. It was insane. It didn鈥檛 really hit me until after the game.鈥�

It wasn鈥檛 entirely clear that it had him several days later.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been exciting,鈥� Tilford said of his limited time at running back. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how to explain it. There鈥檚 really no words for it. It鈥檚 like a dream has just come true.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 all you鈥檝e been dreaming of: 鈥業 want to do that when I go to college.鈥� Then it happens, you finally get your first couple yards and your first touchdown. It鈥檚 like, 鈥榃hoa. If I just keep working hard, I can be great at this.鈥� 鈥�

A couple seasons ago, Jack Banda emerged as something of a cult hero on 蜜柚直播鈥檚 defensive line.

He came from out of nowhere to record two sacks against Colorado in 2015. Banda, a lightly-recruited kid from Georgia who was nearly cut from 蜜柚直播鈥檚 roster as a true freshman, found himself suddenly in the playing rotation.聽

His playing time dwindled, and Banda eventually requested a change. The senior re-emerged at a new position in last week's 63-16 win over UTEP.聽

Banda, now a tight end, caught a 10-yard pass from backup quarterback Donavan Tate late in the Wildcats' win. 蜜柚直播's sideline celebrated as if the Cats had just won the Super Bowl.

鈥淓verybody lost their mind," Dawkins said. 鈥淗e made a couple dudes miss and if he鈥檇 have stayed in bounds he might鈥檝e scored or something."

The Wildcats chanted 鈥淏anda! Banda! Banda!鈥� in the locker room after the game.聽

Banda said he approached UA co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Calvin Magee about switching to tight end last week after starter Trevor Wood got hurt.

Now he鈥檚 there to stay.

鈥淚 felt like it was the best move to help the team out,鈥� Banda said. 鈥淚t felt natural.鈥�

Banda played tight end all his life, he said, until his high school coach convinced him to play defensive end. That鈥檚 when schools, including 蜜柚直播, started taking notice.

Now he鈥檚 back to where he started, and he鈥檒l likely receive some real playing time as soon as Friday against Utah, too. Wood is questionable to play this week and backup Jamie Nunley (shoulder) is out, leaving 蜜柚直播 with freshman Bryce Wolma and redshirting freshman Bryce Gilbert at the position. Banda, listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 247 pounds, adds some size to the position. He鈥檒l still be available on defense if needed.

鈥淚 bring physicality and consistency. I love catching the ball, making plays, hitting people,鈥� Banda said. 鈥淚 had no idea I鈥檇 be thinking that I want to switch positions after the second game. I鈥檓 just going as it is, and playing it as it goes."

It鈥檚 been so long since Donavan Tate completed a pass in a football game that he couldn鈥檛 even tell you about his last one.

His last football game came nine years ago, when Tate was at Cartersville High School in Georgia. Tate endured 20-degree temperatures to throw for 253 yards and four touchdowns in a state playoff loss.聽

Now Tate is nearly 27 years old 鈥� his birthday is next week 鈥� and a freshman quarterback at 蜜柚直播. In between, Tate played seven years of minor league baseball after being drafted No. 3 overall in 2009, came back from a battle with drug addiction and is now married with children.

So yes, Tate said, it was special when he competed his first college pass last week, a 10-yarder to fellow Georgian Jack Bands.聽

鈥淚t was good,鈥� Tate said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long time waiting for the opportunity to get in there and play and get my feet wet a little bit, but it was fun 鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 been about, what, eight years now? But I鈥檓 1 for 1. I鈥檓 1 for 1 and got 100 percent completion rate, so it鈥檚 good.鈥�

Tate was a four-star recruit out of high school who had committed to play football at North Carolina before committing to the baseball diamond. Now he鈥檚 trying to get acclimated back into football, learning the plays, studying defenses, taking hits from college-sized defensive linemen ... and going to class.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot but, I feel like I still have a long way to go,鈥� Tate said. 鈥淛ust learning football again is the big thing but I鈥檓 pleased with where I鈥檓 at right now. I just want to continue week by week to understand more of the game and get knowledge of what I鈥檓 supposed to be doing and when I鈥檓 supposed to be doing it.鈥�

Added UA coach Rich Rodriguez: 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to keep getting better. He鈥檚 a talented guy who can throw and run. He鈥檚 mature. I鈥檓 really proud of the way he鈥檚 worked.鈥�

Last year, 蜜柚直播 dealt with so many injuries at quarterback that coaches inserted Matt Morin, a third-string tight end, to play the position. Even though he鈥檚 behind Brandon Dawkins, Khalil Tate and Rhett Rodriguez on the depth chart, Tate knows he could be called on any time.

He鈥檚 ready.

鈥淚鈥檓 just waiting for my opportunity,鈥� Tate said. 鈥淚 look forward to it. If I get the chance to go in a big game and make a difference I鈥檒l be ready to go for sure whenever my number is called.鈥�