Utah’s defense draws the line
Utah has one game under their belt after their 24-17 victory over Michigan, and they are taking this season one step at a time with no reservations at all. This week, however, the Utes do not expect to easily pocket a win against Utah State.
While the offense is developing some work with the wide receivers, the defense is focusing their efforts on how to stop USU’s playmakers. Utah defensive coordinator Justin Ena is preparing his players like he would for any other game.
“We face them as good as we can, and we’re excited to play against Utah State,” Ena said.
The Utes expect Utah State’s quarterback Chuckie Keeton to be on his A-game Friday night. He will be an impactful force on the Aggies’ offense, and Utah is anticipating he will bring his best performance.
“Chuckie Keaton is very scary,” Ena said. “We watched him the last two to three times that we played him — he’s phenomenal; he’s a playmaker.”
Interceptions, run-hits and sacks ignite a lot of confidence in Utah’s defense and they will need to attack as soon as the ball is snapped. Overall, the defensive coordinators are pleased with their performance as of late, but there are things they want to continue to work on, like controlling themselves and their plays and executing at the right time.
“It’s about understanding when to be physical, when to strike, when to be violent.” said Ena. “We just need to make sure that we maintain our hits, thin our gaps completely right, and we’ll be fine.”
Utah is glad to have Dominique Hatfield back. He contributes to the defense and has performed well during practice this week. The players and coaches look forward to seeing him back on the field, whenever that may be, especially Ena.
“I’m excited. It was exciting for the coaches and for the players,” said Ena. “I think he completes our DB spots. He’s a great kid. You learn how to be emotional, but keep it in contact to become a great football player.”
Tradition and rivalry
Utah’s coaching staff and players appreciate playing credible teams and tough opponents and look forward to their 2015 schedule. They consider each team to be a special opponent to prepare against. Utah State brings a unique situation to this contest that quarterback Travis Wilson is not overlooking.
“They have some good athletes on the team,” Wilson said. “They’re definitely going to have a good defense, so we need to be ready for them this Friday. Last time we played them, we beat them so I know they are going to be bringing their best game.”
A large majority of Utah football fans crave that in-state rivalry game, and Rice-Eccles will likely be electric on Friday night.
Improving day by day
Head coach Kyle Whittingham is making sure to cover all bases by focusing on individual improvements for his players and separate teams. Whittingham specifically wants to work on more pass-rush on defense in addition to getting the outside receivers more involved to see the offense stay on track.
“We need to run the ball more. We got a couple plays out to Tyrone Smith, but the tight ends were open a lot, so we were” said Wilson.
Special teams had a pretty average performance last week, so from that standpoint, Whittingham would like his players to amp up their energy. For right now, the Utes are focused on fixing all of their mistakes.
“We still have two days of practice, and it’s a work in progress,” Whittingham said.