JB Brown lined up across from Cal tight end Ian Bunting. Brown, a sophomore defensive end for the 蜜柚直播 Wildcats, expected what he has come to expect on almost every play at his newish position: a violent collision.
Except Bunting didn鈥檛 engage Brown. Bunting took a step to the inside, tripped over the left foot of tackle Patrick Mekari and stumbled into a double team of UA nose guard Abraham Maiava. Brown suddenly was presented with a dream scenario: an unabated path to the quarterback.
鈥淪o I had to hit him with all my might,鈥 Brown said Tuesday.
Brown smashed into Cal quarterback Brandon McIlwain, tackling him just before he could release the ball. It fell to the turf, where Brown鈥檚 teammate, Dereck Boles, cradled it. The Wildcats had their second takeaway of the fourth quarter.
Brown had his first career sack.
People are also reading…
鈥淲ords can鈥檛 describe it,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t was unbelievable.鈥
JB Brown recorded the first sack of his career last weekend against Cal. The Wildcats sophomore walks us through the play
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)
蜜柚直播 would take the ball away four times in all during Saturday鈥檚 24-17 victory over Cal. The Wildcats will be seeking a similarly spirited defensive effort Friday night at Utah, where they are double-digit underdogs.
Brown is an underdog of sorts. He isn鈥檛 the most famous football-playing sibling in his family; that would be older brother Jayon, who played at UCLA and has made 10 tackles each of the past two weeks for the NFL鈥檚 Tennessee Titans.
JB Brown, whose given name is Joshua, came to 蜜柚直播 as a middle linebacker. Classmate Colin Schooler鈥檚 emergence didn鈥檛 leave much in the way of playing time for others at the 鈥淢ike.鈥 With the defense in dire need of pass rushers, the coaching staff moved Brown to defensive end early last season.
鈥淢iddle linebacker, you kind of see what鈥檚 unfolding in front of your face,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淒efensive end, they鈥檙e right there in your face. So you鈥檝e gotta be ready.鈥
The product of Southern California powerhouse Long Beach Poly High School likes the view from the edge. Brown has become a rotation regular, alternating with PJ Johnson on a defensive front that has become increasingly disruptive.
Brown finished with four tackles against Cal, matching his total against Southern Utah. He had a career-high six stops against Oregon State.
Brown and Johnson have taken over the defensive end spot previously manned by Justin Belknap. Belknap suffered a broken foot in practice last month and could miss the rest of the season.
Belknap has been exempt from UA coach Kevin Sumlin鈥檚 policy that restricts in-game sideline access to healthy players. Crutches and all, Belknap has been around to counsel Brown the past two weeks.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my boy,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淲hen he got hurt, he pulled me to the side. 鈥榊ou gotta step up. There shouldn鈥檛 be (any) drop-off.鈥
鈥淗e鈥檚 very vocal. He helps me out throughout the game. I鈥檓 pretty sure that鈥檚 why he鈥檚 there.鈥
Brown also carries with him the wisdom of his older brother. Jayon plays linebacker, but he has experienced everything JB is going through as a Pac-12 student-athlete. They text each other regularly and talk when they can find the time.
Jayon鈥檚 main message for his youngest brother?
鈥淚t鈥檚 just football,鈥 JB Brown said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e been doing this your whole life. You don鈥檛 have to be scared or nervous or nothing.
鈥淎t the end of the day, they put their stuff on just like you put it on. So just go out there and have fun.鈥
Defending Tate
Redshirt-junior receiver Cedric Peterson is among Khalil Tate鈥檚 confidantes. That makes Peterson a trusted source to assess the low-key quarterback鈥檚 physical and mental well-being.
Tate has been playing through an ankle injury since the first quarter of Week 2. Although he hasn鈥檛 missed a start, he hasn鈥檛 run the ball with the explosiveness he displayed last season.
鈥淚f you really want to be (part of) a winning team, your body鈥檚 not going to be a hundred percent. I feel like he鈥檚 really coping with it well,鈥 Peterson said. 鈥淚t is what it is. We鈥檙e all nicked up, banged up.
鈥淚t all comes down to how mentally tough you can be. I feel like he鈥檚 really mentally tough.鈥
Cedric Peterson, talking about Khalil Tate鈥檚 health, says injuries and fatigue in the middle of a season come down to mental toughness
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)
Tate brought the 蜜柚直播 Stadium crowd to its feet with a 17-yard run in the fourth quarter against Cal. It was a rare glimpse of the speedy, aggressive Tate who dominated the Pac-12 at times in 2017.
鈥淚 thought he was going to take off, just like how he did at Colorado,鈥 Peterson said, alluding to Tate鈥檚 breakout performance in Boulder last October.
鈥淧eople haven鈥檛 been really happy with him not running the ball. It鈥檚 not really a bad thing to me. It鈥檚 just a part of the offense.
鈥淟ast year, not too many people were ready for his running capabilities. Now a lot of people are kind of keying on it. He鈥檒l take it when he gets it.鈥
Opponents have so far locked down Khalil Tate鈥檚 running ability. 蜜柚直播 receiver Cedric Peterson says the QB has been 鈥渇ocusing on another key in his game鈥
— Dominic Baciocco (@DominicBaciocco)
Peterson said Tate has been concentrating more on improving his passing skills. Last week marked just the second time in his career he has completed at least 60 percent of his throws while attempting more than 20 in a game.
鈥淚 feel like this year he鈥檚 mainly trying to focus on his arm,鈥 Peterson said. 鈥淲e all know what he can do with the ball in his hands, running-wise.鈥
Extra points
- Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on 蜜柚直播鈥檚 offense: 鈥淭hey are getting about 450 yards a week offensively, so they are very productive. Their quarterback is playing more from the pocket than he has in previous years, but he is still a huge threat to run the football. As the coaching changes take hold and get some traction throughout the season, I think you start to see more of what their true capabilities are.鈥
- Despite the four takeaways and limiting Cal to three points in the second half, no UA defenders made Pro Football Focus鈥 All-Pac-12 team for Week 6.
