“Gifted.”
“Big-time.”
“Versatile.”
That’s how Oregon coaches and players described Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate this week ahead of the Ducks’ Saturday matchup with the Wildcats. Tate is one of the most dangerous playmakers in the country; a quarterback who punishes teams with his legs more than his arm. He presents a unique challenge for Oregon’s defense – one that few other teams have been able to solve this year.
“He’s going to make his plays,” defensive line coach Joe Salave’a said. “The goal is to minimize and put ourselves in a position to be successful.”
Tate started this season as a backup to Brandon Dawkins, who served as Arizona’s starting quarterback for the first five games of the season. But Tate took over primary quarterback duties early in the Wildcats’ week-six bout with Colorado, which Arizona won thanks to 327 rushing yards and five touchdowns from Tate.
In the five games since then, Tate has rushed for 880 yards and seven touchdowns, leading Arizona to a 4-1 record over that span. He currently ranks seventh in the nation in total rushing yards, reaching that point on 111 attempts, good for a nation-best average of 11.6 yards per attempt. No team has held him under 130 yards rushing since he entered the starting lineup.
So what is Oregon’s plan to stop him?
“We need a 12th guy,” defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt said. “There’s no question. We need 11 guys to play defense and another guy just to go run after [Tate].”
If only that was possible. Any other suggestions?
“Pray,” head coach Willie Taggart said.
In all seriousness, Oregon coaches said that they put an emphasis on tackling this week in practice. That was an area that Leavitt wasn’t satisfied with in Oregon’s 38-3 loss to Washington two weeks ago, and for good reason; all five of the Huskies’ touchdowns came on big plays of 30 yards or more.
Oregon has had time to prepare for Tate, though, thanks to a well-timed bye week. They’ve used that time to focus on tackling and creating defensive schemes to stop the dynamic quarterback.
“We’ve got to do a great job of tackling and make sure we’re going to know where he’s at. We’ve just got to do a good job of getting to him and tackling,” Taggart said. “They’re a dynamic offense that has challenges, but if we’re on top of our game and play with a lot of emotion and passion and discipline then we’ll have a chance.”
Tate has drawn some lofty comparisons due to his success as a dual-threat quarterback. Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb were several names that Salave’a threw out when asked if Tate reminds him of anybody he played against during his time in the NFL.
“The kid is gifted,” Salave’a said. “And there [are] some things he’s doing that you can’t coach. It’s a tribute to him and his competitive nature, but also in the scheme that Rich Rod plays, it’s a perfect match.”
The Ducks will have their hands full on Saturday, but they know what it’s going to take to stop Tate.
“It’s gotta be sound football, from the first whistle to the last,” Salave’a said.
Follow Gus Morris on Twitter @JustGusMorris
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