Arizona @ Hawaii preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2016 ) Hawaii 28, Arizona 47

Arizona's success will largely depend on the arm and legs of quarterback Khalil Tate as the Wildcats open their 2019 season at Hawaii on Saturday. Tate's dual-threat capabilities were limited as he battled an ankle injury throughout most of last year but the senior from Inglewood, Calif., is ready to go, telling reporters: "I’m healthy. When I’m healthy, I can do a lot … as you guys have seen in the past.”

Tate rushed for 1,411 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2017 before he hobbled his way to 237 yards and one TD last season. "It’s night and day,” Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin told reporters about Tate’s mobility. “He looks comfortable. He looks healthy.” The Rainbow Warriors, who are coming off their first winning season since 2010, are loaded with experience as they return 20 starters from last season - tied for the most in the nation with Ball State, Indiana, No. 20 Michigan State and No. 13 Oregon, including nine that contributed to the country's No. 9 passing offense (310.3 yards per game) in 2018. Arizona was voted to finish second-to-last in the six-team South Division of the Pac-12 while Hawaii was tabbed to wind up fourth in the six-team West Division of the Mountain West Conference.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Arizona -11

ABOUT ARIZONA (2018: 5-7): Junior running back J.J. Taylor (5 feet 6, 195 pounds), who like Tate appears on preseason watch lists, rushed for 1,434 yards and six touchdowns last season and should take some pressure off his quarterback. Tate's top two receiving options - Shawn Poindexter (42 catches, 759 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Shun Brown (64, 655, six) - are gone, leaving senior Cedric Peterson (18, 268, four) as the top returning wideout. The defense, paced by junior linebacker Colin Schooler (team-high 119 tackles last season), allowed opponents to score in the red zone 77.1 percent of the time - good for 21st nationally and second in the Pac-12.

ABOUT HAWAII (2018: 8-6): Junior quarterback Cole McDonald finished sixth in the country last season in touchdown passes (36) and eighth in passing yards (3,875). John Ursua, McDonald's favorite target in 2018, was picked in the seventh round by the Seattle Seahawks but senior wide receivers Cedric Byrd (79 catches, 970 yards, nine touchdowns) and JoJo Ward (51, 865, nine) are back to help ignite the potent run-and-shoot offense. Senior linebacker Solomon Matautia (team-high 92 tackles) and senior lineman Kaimana Padello (club-best 8.5 sacks) will try to help improve a defense that was 100th among the 129 FBS teams in total defense (439.7 yards per game) last season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Wildcats have won all five meetings, with a 47-28 victory in the last encounter at Tucson, Ariz., in 2016.

2. Dick Tomey died May 10, 2019 at age 80. He coached Hawaii from 1977-86 and Arizona from 1987-2000 before concluding his career at San Jose State (2005-09).

3. Arizona last played a true road opener in 2010, when it won at Toledo 41-2.

PREDICTION: Arizona 42, Hawaii 31