Quarterback-turned-safety Chase Hansen is done for the rest of the season after sustaining a lower leg injury in the final play of the game against Washington. This was his first start as a Ute, and he also led the team with 11 tackles.
Despite the win, the team had a somber attitude in the locker room after watching Hansen get carted off the field. Gionni Paul has seen how much work he has put into switching positions, and watching him go out the way he did was not easy.
“The locker room was kind of dead,” Paul said. “We know how hard Chase worked. We knew how hard he prepared — working overtime just to learn technique. I was bummed he got hurt. When he got hurt, I was just hoping and praying it was nothing serious, but it turned out to be season-ending, so it was hurtful.”
Head coach Kyle Whittingham will leave it up to Hansen whether he wants to remain at safety or play quarterback next season. Regardless of what he chooses, he has a spot on this Utah roster, and it’s a tough loss for the team.
Although Whittingham is not completely sure, Hansen’s injury will most likely require surgery.
“It’s a shame — he played lights out in this game. Just phenomenal with his play,” Whittingham said. “Bottom line is he’s going to be on the field somewhere for us. Whether it’s quarterback or safety, he’s going to be a starter.”
Paul raking in the weekly awards
After a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and an interception returned to the four-yard line, Paul received the Pac-12 Player of the Week and the Walter Camp National Player of the Week awards.
When he first picked up the loose ball, all he could think to himself was that there better not be any yellow flags on the turf to take this moment away from him.
“That was one of my first college touchdowns, so it was just a good feeling,” Paul said. “Just to get two back-to-back plays like that, I think I’m very blessed. Somebody up there [is] watching me.”
Being the team player he is, he credits his stellar play to the rest of the defense and feels more confident in them than ever before. But even being a team player, he did venture outside his assignments because he had a good feeling about what was going to happen.
Overall, Whittingham thinks he had an outstanding performance and hopes it translates over into the rest of the season.
“Gionni’s great,” Whittingham said. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s got a passion for the game and his passion and enthusiasm is infectious among the rest of the team. He’s a great leader for us.”
Leading the Pac-12 South
The Utes are still in control of the Pac-12 South after a win against Washington, but Paul knows they cannot let off. They need to continue fighting because of the nature of the conference.
“Any team can get beaten on any given day,” Paul said. “The Pac-12 is a tricky conference. We just got to go out there and play.”
While the team has a game-by-game mentality, the Utes are also looking at the big picture and the main goal — to get to the Pac-12 Championship game. For now, Utah will try to find an answer to a Wildcat team that has given it trouble the past three years when it travels to Tucson on Saturday.
“We’re aware of where we are in the standings on what needs to happen,” Whittingham said. “We have to focus on us and what we need to do to play good defense. The stakes get higher every week. The best thing right now is that we control our own destiny.”
@kbrenneisen