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Facing a third-and-5 on Utah’s opening drive, the defense having just forced a fumble on Colorado’s first possession, offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig dialed up a run for Jaylon Glover. Glover took the handoff from quarterback Luke Bottari, burst ahead with significant speed, out of the grasp of three Colorado defenders, then made a cut to the outside — making cornerback Carter Stoutmire fall — for a 30-yard gain into the Buffaloes’ red zone.
“As I continue to grow here, I feel like I’m understanding the game a lot more and as the game is slowing down to me, I feel like I just have really been playing fast. So I’ve been seeing it this spring and I just feel like last season when I got my opportunities I was ready to go.”
— Utah running back Jaylon Glover
“When I get to the second level, that’s when my personality comes out, but it all starts up front. So I just want to say thank you to the big guys,” Glover said postgame.
Three plays later, Bottari would run it in himself for Utah’s first score of the afternoon.
That 30-yard run was the longest run of Glover’s college career, and it was just the start of a career day for the then-sophomore running back. Finishing with 107 yards on 17 carries, Glover was given a game ball in the locker room, with coach Kyle Whittingham dubbing it his “breakout game.”
With a fourth-string quarterback, Ludwig kept the ball on the ground 84% of the time in the 23-17 victory over Colorado, Utah’s final regular-season game as a Pac-12 member, and Glover was happy to oblige.
After a somewhat slow start to the season — though he did have 86 yards on 25 carries in September vs. UCLA — Glover started showing promise as the season wore on, capped by his first 100-plus-yard game against Colorado. Notably, he averaged 6.3 yards per carry in the final game of the regular season, continually improving his yards-per-carry game in the back half of the year.
The Lakeland, Florida, product finished the 2023 campaign that saw him fill the No. 2 running back spot with Ja’Quinden Jackson as the lead running back with 585 yards and two touchdowns on 137 carries, proving to be a steady option at the position by season’s end.
“Jaylon did have a hell of a second half of the season,” Utah running backs coach Quinton Ganther said. “He had me worried early. He had me worried. He was not playing well, he wasn’t playing well at all. And like I said to you, I said to him, he knows that. But that second half of the season, I think he calmed down and just kind came into his own and he was playing really well.”
Working with Ganther, who starred on Utah’s undefeated 2004 team and had a five-year NFL career, has been integral for Glover’s improvement.
“I don’t feel like I’d be where I’m at today without Coach Q. ... His hard coaching, how smart he is as a football player and as just a human being. I just feel like Q is one of a kind and I’m just so blessed to have him here,” Glover said. “... Everything that you see on this field, I put in the work, but he had a lot to do with it.”
Glover finally had the sophomore boost many players talk about, feeling the game slow down for him midway through 2023.
“As I continue to grow here, I feel like I’m understanding the game a lot more and as the game is slowing down to me, I feel like I just have really been playing fast. So I’ve been seeing it this spring and I just feel like last season when I got my opportunities I was ready to go,” Glover said.
Running was definitely more difficult than usual without starting quarterback Cam Rising in the game. Utah’s passing game was one of the nation’s worse, leading teams to comfortably stack the box against the Utes without much worry of getting burned in the throw game.
With Rising — and Utah’s passing offense — back this year, it should loosen things up for Glover and the other running backs.
“I always say he’s the ultimate leader and with him back you just feel so much (more) comfortable. He’s a winner. Like I said, he’s a leader and with that I just feel like as an offense, we just come together a whole lot smoother with him on the field,” Glover said.
One aspect of his game that he’s focused on in the offseason was building chemistry with his offensive line.
“Biggest thing I’ve been working on is trying to know, really know, what the guys in front of me are doing. I feel like once I know what my offensive line is doing, just making my decisions faster, especially in the run game and I could just play faster,” Glover said. “I just feel like this year I’m more about studying in the film room and just really understanding and getting better with my craft.”
This season, Glover is an upperclassmen, taking on more of a leadership role with the young running backs like Mike Mitchell, John Randle Jr. and Dijon Stanley.
“I’ve been really happy to see how the young guys have been developing, to be able to help them. It’s kind of crazy, like two years ago I was a young guy and now coming to be a vet and helping these guys with their reps and instilling in them the things that I instilled,” Glover said.
Along with his leadership qualities, his position coach is hoping that production from the latter part of the season can carry over to 2024 for Glover.
“I’m hoping for him to pick up where he left off. If he picks up where he left off and keeps going, he’ll have a hell of a season,” Ganther said.
In case you missed it
The Red Rocks won the final Pac-12 gymnastics championship, edging out UCLA to secure their fourth consecutive crown at the conference title meet. Next up for the Utes is a trip to Gainesville, Florida, for the NCAA regionals.
From the archives
Extra points
- ‘Showing a lot of promise’: After four years at Stanford, safety Alaka’i Gilman arrives at Utah with battle-tested experience (Deseret News)
- Back in Salt Lake City, Urban Meyer reminisces on undefeated 2004 season and gives his thoughts on Utah’s 2024 team (Deseret News)
- Miles Battle, Sione Vaki among Utes who impressed at pro day (Deseret News)
Up next
- March 27-30 | All day | Swim and Dive | NCAA championships | @ Indianapolis, Indiana
All times MDT.