In Utah’s 21-17 victory over Washington State, the Utes had to overcome playing without quarterback Cam Rising and running back Tavion Thomas.
But what coach Kyle Whittingham was most happy had nothing to do with the offensive side of the ball.
“The biggest positive was the way our defense responded,” he said. “They did a good job of keeping us in the game. It was the flip side of the game before (a 43-42 win over USC) when the offense kept us in the game by keeping pace with the scoring. The defense kept us in the game this past week by getting stops.”
“I feel like we have great coaches, great leadership, so we should be able to build on this performance and keep going.” — Utah linebacker Mohamoud Diabate
The Utes held the Cougars to 264 yards of offense, including 42 yards rushing, and they recorded four sacks.
Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate said it was an effort the defense could use as a springboard for the rest of the season.
“I feel like we have great coaches, great leadership, so we should be able to build on this performance and keep going,” he said. “It’s simply about owning your 20 square feet and making sure you do everything you can to be the best you can for the program.”
Linebacker Karene Reid said that defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley simplified the approach.
“The game plan was perfect,” he said. “We did a lot of film study and we were able to match our calls with what we were seeing.”
The Utes will be challenged again this week when they host Arizona Saturday (5:30 p.m. MDT, Pac-12 Network). The Wildcats, led by quarterback Jayden de Laura, are averaging 32.2 points and 474.9 yards per game.
Utah’s defense has experienced some struggles this season, particularly in losses at Florida and at UCLA.
How does Whittingham assess the defense right now?
“We’ve played some really good offenses. We’ll have another one this week. These guys are second in the league in offense. So it’s been a year of a little bit of ups and downs,” he said. “But when you look at the numbers, we’re No. 1 in the league in total defense. … When you judge the season as a whole to this point, I think we’ve done a really nice job defensively in a lot of areas. There’s still some deficiencies but for the most part, very good defense.”
Whittingham likes how the defensive line has been able to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks the past couple of games.
“It gives the defensive coordinator a lot more flexibility and a lot less risk-taking,” he said. “We had four sacks this past game. That is a big benefit in being able to do some creative things with his coverages and still hang yourselves out to dry. … You don’t always have to sack him, you have to speed things up and do things to disrupt him. That’s what we did.”
Against WSU, the defensive line took a big step forward.
“The front four, it was one of their better games,” Whittingham said. “The D line was the key to this last game.”
In what way has the defense progressed the most?
“Tackling overall, confidence and guys executing assignments,” said defensive tackles coach Luther Elliss. “Coach Scalley did a great job coming up with the scheme and then the guys executed. Anytime you have that, we have the talent to play at a high level. We just need to execute and do things well.”
Van Fillinger, who had 1 ½ sacks against WSU, has been solid this season.
“Van’s just a beast. He’s a big, strong guy. He does some great things,” Elliss said. “He had a great year last year and he’s doing great this year. He’s one of those guys that’s blue collar, gets the work done, doesn’t say much. He just makes plays.”
Elliss said the future is bright for the D line.
“I’m very excited about the future; even the rest of this year,” he said. “Every week, guys keep getting better and better. … The guys are getting it done.”
Backup freshman safety Sione Vaki was Utah’s leading tackler against Washington State. He recorded nine total tackles.
“He’s a guy that is a really good player,” Whittingham said. “He made the most of his opportunity. You’ll continue to see him being a factor for us on defense.”
So last week on a night in Pullman when the Utes weren’t at full strength, at a place where it’s not easy to win, Utah earned a hard-fought victory.
“We have faith in everyone on our team,” Reid said.
Diabate liked how the Utes came together against WSU. When asked to describe the experience, he said, “Team win. Two words for you. It was a team win. That’s it.”
And Utah will need some more strong defensive performances in the final month of the season if it is to win another Pac-12 championship.
Utes on the air
Arizona (3-5, 1-4)
at No. 12 Utah (6-2, 4-1)
Saturday, 5:30 p.m. MDT
Rice-Eccles Stadium
TV: Pac-12 Network
Radio: ESPN 700