Last week, many Utah fans wondered whether the Utes would be able to keep their focus on the task at hand as they welcomed a winless New Mexico team into Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utes took on their last opponent before heading to Fort Worth to meet the team at the other end of the winning spectrum.
The Utes sent the Lobos back to New Mexico after claiming a dominating 45-14 win, and after nine weeks of waiting, were finally able to start preparing for TCU.
“We don’t look ahead, but now that it’s arrived, it’s about time,” said defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake. “We’re ready to go out there and see what we’ve got and see how we match up to the No. 4 team in the country.”
TCU remains the only team in the Mountain West Conference with an overall undefeated record and could be the Utes’ Achilles’ heel in their quest to claim the 2009 conference crown.
With a title and a possible BCS bowl hanging in the balance, Utah’s defense isn’t taking the game lightly.
“They’re a damn good football team,” said senior linebacker Stevenson Sylvester. “They’re No. 4 in the country with an unbeaten record, but they should be No. 1, I feel like. I think they’re playing better than the three teams ahead of them. We’ve got a tough test ahead of us.”
All season, the Utes’ defensive emphasis has been to force the pass, but with TCU’s Andy Dalton in the pocket, Utah’s protection will have to be ready for just about anything.
“Andy Dalton is one of the best quarterbacks in the country.” Sitake said. “He’s dynamic, he can run the ball, he’s athletic and he’s tough. Obviously, we’ve got to figure out ways to contain him. We’re gonna make it difficult for him8212;that’s what our goal is. Any time we can get him to hesitate a little bit, that will be good for us.”
Dalton is ranked the fourth most efficient passer in the nation and averages more than 37 rushing yards per game, with a season high of 86 against Clemson.
“It’s like another intangible with a running quarterback.” Sylvester said. “You gotta prepare for them running and passing, instead of just the pocket passer where you just gotta worry about the pass. It’s just another thing you gotta worry about.”
Utah’s defensive players will surely have their hands full containing the run, as the Horned Frogs’ offense has incorporated several backs to gain their yardage on the ground throughout the season. As a team, TCU has averaged more than 242 rushing yards per game and has accumulated nearly 2,200 rushing yards on the season, the seventh highest total in the nation.
“It’s going to be a hard task for us to (limit Dalton and TCU’s run game), but we don’t have a choice,” Sitake said. “We have to do that in order for us to win this game.”
With the Utes’ biggest game of the season thus far finally upon them, Sylvester said the team is excited and ready to play.
“(It’s going to be) two very good football teams going head-to-head, and it’s going to be a great college battle,” Sylvester said. “It’s teams like this that you look forward to playing.”
Mike Mangum/The Daily Utah ChronicleStevenson Sylvester and the defense will need to stop Andy Dalton and the TCU run game if the Utes are going to have a chance at winning. TCU as a team is averaging 242 rushing yards a game.