Football is a game of inches.
If ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ junior cornerback Tacario Davis wasn’t blessed with lengthy arms and a 6-4 frame akin to a shooting guard in basketball, maybe the Wildcats don’t have the five pass breakups from the UA star in the upset win over No. 10 Utah in Salt Lake City on Saturday.
Three of those breakups were on fourth-down plays against the Utes — the first one against Utah standout tight end Brant Kuithe in the end zone during the first quarter; that play established a “no fly zone†the rest of the game, though UA cornerbacks coach Chip Viney said, “There were a lot of plays out there that set the tone†in the Wildcats’ biggest win under first-year ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ coach Brent Brennan.
“Any time you get a fourth-down stop, it’s huge for the team and the morale, but there were a lot of plays,†Viney said.
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ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ nickel back Treydan Stukes’ tackle for loss on a fourth-and-short play set the tone for Davis and the other ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ defensive backs to raise their level of play against Utah.
“That room, as connected as we are, when you have a senior leader like Stukes make a play like that, it charged up the rest of them,†Viney said.
After that, Davis had arguably his best game as a Wildcat with a career-high in pass breakups, when he entered Saturday without one this season, after leading the Pac-12 with 15 during his breakout sophomore season. Davis deflected passes from Utah wide receivers and the Utes’ bigger-bodied tight ends.
“The number one thing you don’t like dealing with is as a wideout or someone coaching is length,†said Brennan, a former wide receiver and longtime receivers coach. “When I was game-planning, that was number one thing I was looking for, length, and how we were going to negotiate that.â€
Brennan has seen the advantages of length on the other side of the ball with star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and his 6-5, 212-pound frame.
“It’s harder for some of those smaller corners to work around T-Mac,†he said, “but with (Davis), he’s got such length, that the length becomes a problem.
“He can take vertical speed off you and then he can get his hands on the football that other guys can’t.â€
Davis utilizes his length to “make them run around me and use good technique that just helps me squeeze them into the sideline or something.â€
Not every play was perfect for Davis and the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ defensive secondary at Utah. Former UA wide receiver Dorian Singer caught nine passes for 155 yards, with 23 yards after catch, when the Utes had plenty of field to work with.
“When you’re going up against the type of caliber of people we’re going up against week in and week out, guys are going to make plays,†Brennan said. “The challenge for any great corner is how do you respond to the play that was made? That’s any great player, but that corner position, where you’re out there, you’re so naked. The whole world sees those matchups clearly.
“So those corners have to be like a pitcher that just gave up a home run, because they gotta line up the next play. I thought Bobo did a great job answering that time and time again, as did the rest of our secondary,†he said. “There’s a lot of good stuff there.â€
Added Viney: “Playing a position like that, it’s not always going to be pretty, but he battled back. We’re very, very proud with that we put out by the end of that.â€
When playing cornerback, “you have to have that next-play mentality and just worry about the next play and don’t think about the play that happened or it’s going to start messing you up down the road in a game,†Davis said.
“You’re going to start thinking about trying to make a big play instead of being where your feet are and have that next-play mentality. Good players are going to make good plays. You’re going to make good plays, too, just make them at the right time.â€
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s success on defense against Utah had a trickle-down effect that was started by the defensive line applying pressure on Utes quarterback Isaac Wilson and corralling him in the pocket, which was a trending issue for the UA defensive front. Brennan said, “In order to make those plays, we need incredible push up front. The front seven was fantastic.â€
It led to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s linebackers and defensive backs making plays in the biggest game of the season — and having fun.
“It was great to see Tacario smiling and having fun. I think he cut it loose and really enjoyed the moment,†Brennan said. “He responded to the big stage and the big crowd the way you’d expect him to.â€
In the first three games, Davis, a potential first-round draft pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, was “just thinking too much.†He found the joy of playing football again in the win over Utah.
“Just having fun playing football, a game I’ve been playing for years,†Davis said. “Just going out there and having fun with my teammates.â€
Collectively, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s defense “showed a brotherhood†in Salt Lake City, the same spirit the UA defense had last year when it sparked a come-from-behind win against Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.
“Everybody was playing for each other, everybody was out there having fun and having a swagger that we always had, just being ourselves as a defensive unit,†Davis said.
Davis — and his five pass breakups — shined bright for the biggest win of the Brennan era, which earned him Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Week and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
“We have a very, very, very high standard in our room,†Viney said. “Expectations are high all the time.
“Obviously congratulate him on the accolades and things of that nature, but always looking for ways to improve and get better,†Viney added. “I’m just proud with the way he responded.â€
‘Manny’ gets first start
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ redshirt freshman cornerback Emmanuel Karnley started his first game as a Wildcat against Utah and replaced starter Marquis Groves-Killebrew, who had a steady start to his UA career but is nursing a leg injury.
Karnley, who is nicknamed “Manny†by the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ coaches, was told about his potential start during the bye week.
“They were preparing me earlier in the week and told me to stay ready, be ready,†Karnley said. “For me, it was a chance to help my team win. I didn’t even think for myself. I just wanted to come out for the team as much as I could.â€
Karnley “had the jitters, for sure,†the second-year cornerback from Antioch, California, said.
“I think anybody would, especially going into a big game like that against the No. 10 team in the nation,†Karnley added. “I had the jitters, but I was prepared for it and trust my coaches and my teammates each day of the week.â€
Davis’ message to Karnley before his first start: “I just told him, ‘It’s football. You’ve been playing it for too long to be nervous or be scared. Just have fun and be yourself.’â€
Karnley contributed four tackles and two pass breakups in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s win at Utah.
Whether it’s Karnley or Groves-Killebrew starting at cornerback this week, the UA defensive secondary will be tested against a Texas Tech team that ranks second in the Big 12 with an average of 486.4 yards per game. The Red Raiders are the highest-scoring team in the Big 12 and average 41.4 points per game this season.
“They have a really explosive offense, good receivers,†Karnley said. “For us, we just have to go out there and do what we do best and that’s cover.â€
Contact Justin Spears, the Star’s ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports