Arizona Wildcats hot sheet: On Nathan Tilford being ready to shine, Jack Banda switching to offense and status of QBs

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

Quarterback Brandon Dawkins seemed different last week to just about everyone in the Arizona Wildcats football program … except himself.

More serious? Nope. More focused? Nah.

Dawkins insists he’s always serious and focused. He just doesn’t always show it. His public persona is positive and playful. Inside lies a ruthless competitor.

Coming off a career-best performance at UTEP – six total touchdowns and an 85.7 percent completion rate – Dawkins met the media this week in advance of Arizona’s Pac-12 opener against Utah on Friday night.

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

On what felt different entering the UTEP game: “Nothing really felt different. Just the result was different. We executed a lot better. Taking the easy things that we could’ve had, should’ve had in prior weeks.”

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

“Having a not-so-good week (against Houston), I’m the biggest critic of myself. I don’t need to look and read what everybody’s 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’m already working.”

On whether practices are tougher than games under Rodriguez: “I always try to make it tough on myself. I always take practice like it’s 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’s seeing and understand that.”

On TV broadcasts showing Rodriguez’s sideline rants: “TV, that’s 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’t really do that. He can call a timeout if he wants to, but he’s smarter than that.”

On starting Pac-12 play: “Obviously, conference means more. But every game means something. I don’t care if we’re 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’t really change anybody’s outlook. Nobody’s going to be trying harder because it’s Pac-12 now. Everybody’s going to be giving a full effort.”

Running back Nathan Tilford was the Arizona Wildcats’ 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’s game at UTEP, Tilford hadn’t covered a kickoff since Pop Warner. His reaction upon hearing of the assignment?

“Oh man, let’s rock and roll," he said. "Let’s get it. I’m down.”

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.

“It was fun,” said Tilford, a graduate of Colony High in Ontario, California. “Very exciting. I’m proud of myself. My family back home, I know they’re watching and proud of me. I was very happy. It was a good night.”

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.

“I did not know what to think,” Tilford said. “I was so overwhelmed. It was insane. It didn’t really hit me until after the game.”

It wasn’t entirely clear that it had him several days later.

“It’s been exciting,” Tilford said of his limited time at running back. “I don’t know how to explain it. There’s really no words for it. It’s like a dream has just come true.

“That’s all you’ve been dreaming of: ‘I want to do that when I go to college.’ Then it happens, you finally get your first couple yards and your first touchdown. It’s like, ‘Whoa. If I just keep working hard, I can be great at this.’ ”

A couple seasons ago, Jack Banda emerged as something of a cult hero on Arizona’s 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 Arizona’s roster as a true freshman, found himself suddenly in the playing rotation. 

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. 

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

“Everybody lost their mind," Dawkins said. “He made a couple dudes miss and if he’d have stayed in bounds he might’ve scored or something."

The Wildcats chanted “Banda! Banda! Banda!” in the locker room after the game. 

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’s there to stay.

“I felt like it was the best move to help the team out,” Banda said. “It felt natural.”

Banda played tight end all his life, he said, until his high school coach convinced him to play defensive end. That’s when schools, including Arizona, started taking notice.

Now he’s back to where he started, and he’ll 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 Arizona 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’ll still be available on defense if needed.

“I bring physicality and consistency. I love catching the ball, making plays, hitting people,” Banda said. “I had no idea I’d be thinking that I want to switch positions after the second game. I’m just going as it is, and playing it as it goes."

It’s been so long since Donavan Tate completed a pass in a football game that he couldn’t 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. 

Now Tate is nearly 27 years old — his birthday is next week — and a freshman quarterback at Arizona. 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. 

“It was good,” Tate said. “It’s 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 …

“It’s been about, what, eight years now? But I’m 1 for 1. I’m 1 for 1 and got 100 percent completion rate, so it’s good.”

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’s trying to get acclimated back into football, learning the plays, studying defenses, taking hits from college-sized defensive linemen ... and going to class.

“It’s been a lot but, I feel like I still have a long way to go,” Tate said. “Just learning football again is the big thing but I’m pleased with where I’m at right now. I just want to continue week by week to understand more of the game and get knowledge of what I’m supposed to be doing and when I’m supposed to be doing it.”

Added UA coach Rich Rodriguez: “He’s going to keep getting better. He’s a talented guy who can throw and run. He’s mature. I’m really proud of the way he’s worked.”

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

He’s ready.

“I’m just waiting for my opportunity,” Tate said. “I look forward to it. If I get the chance to go in a big game and make a difference I’ll be ready to go for sure whenever my number is called.”