Getty TUCSON, AZ - NOVEMBER 24: Quarterback Khalil Tate #14 of the Arizona Wildcats looks to throw a pass as he rolls out against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half of the college football game at Arizona Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)
Even college football’s “Week Zero” will have some #Pac12AfterDark, as Arizona and Hawaii will get an early start to the 2019 season when they meet Saturday night for an intriguing matchup in Honolulu.
The game is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on CBS Sports Network. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
CBS Sports Network is one of the 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports.
You can start a free seven-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which will allow you to watch the game on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Hulu With Live TV comes with Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies and 60-plus live TV channels, including CBS Sports Network.
You can sign up for Hulu with Live TV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
YouTube TV comes with 70-plus live TV channels, including CBS Sports Network.
You can sign up for YouTube TV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the YouTube website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or other compatible streaming device via the YouTube app.
If you can’t watch live, YouTube TV comes with included DVR.
Arizona vs Hawaii Preview
It was a similar story for both of these teams last year, as injuries to their star quarterbacks greatly affected their seasons.
For Arizona, Khalil Tate entered the year with legitimate Heisman buzz after torching defenses for 1,591 yards and 14 scores through the air and an absurd 1,411 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground in 2017. The Wildcats finished just 7-6 that year, but it appeared to be a sign of greater things to come.
But instead of challenging for the Heisman in 2018, Tate battled an ankle injury that he suffered in the second game of the season and a head-coaching change that kept him in the pocket more. The result was more passing stats (2,530 yards, 26 touchdowns, eight interceptions) but a near non-existence as a runner, as he finished with 224 yards and two scores on the ground. By comparison, he had two games when he surpassed 224 yards on the ground in 2017.
Tate is one of the more interesting players in the country this season. He no longer has the Heisman hype, but he still has the dazzling dual-threat talent that got him there in the first place.
“People have forgotten about this monster named Tate that’s still down there,” said Stanford coach David Shaw. “When he’s healthy, he’s as good as anybody in college football.”
The big question is whether or not he’ll be unleashed as a runner, where he has shown he can absolutely take over any game. Johnny Manziel ran for 1,410 yards and 21 scores under Kevin Sumlin during his Heisman year, so it’s certainly possible, but last year wasn’t exactly encouraging.
For Hawaii, Cole McDonald began 2018 by throwing flames–418 yards and three touchdowns at Colorado State, 428 and six scores against Navy, 319 and four versus Rice. Following a 44-41 win at San Jose State, McDonald had completed 65.0 percent of his passes for 2,100 yards (8.75 YPA), 24 touchdowns and two interceptions, and the Rainbow Warriors were 5-1.
But McDonald, who was already dealing with a strained MCL he suffered in the season opener, took a hit in the San Jose State game that resulted in internal bleeding.
He missed next week’s win against Wyoming, and then in the seven games that followed, McDonald completed 52.9 percent of his throws for 1,775 yards (7.27 YPA), 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and Hawaii went 2-5.
Even so, the 8-6 final record represented Hawaii’s first season above .500 since 2010. Now, while a healthy McDonald looks primed for a huge season, he’s more concerned with improving on the team’s success.
“I’ve never been one to look at the hype,” he said. “It’s just hype after all … To me, it’s more so just about the team. Personally, I wouldn’t know where I’d be without these guys. Just the camaraderie and the passion they’ve had this past year and this fall camp. I’m excited for what’s going to happen and actually go prove something.”
If they both stay healthy, Tate and McDonald–who were two of 30 QB’s named to the Davey O’Brien Watch List–could be two of the most exciting players in the country, leading two of the more explosive offenses in the country.
Don’t be surprised if we see a preview of that on Saturday night. The over/under is at 71, so we could be in store for some late-night offensive fireworks to kick off the 2019 season.