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OGDEN — At this point of the season, it seems like the keys to the game for Weber State football remain fairly consistent.
Turnovers have negatively affected Weber, as has the inability to force any turnovers. But there are so many other keys.
Weber State coach Jay Hill mentioned the turnover issue as something the Wildcats have to win to get their first victory. However, Hill also said Weber State can do a few more things to achieve victory, including giving the ball to running back Zach Smith more frequently.
The Wildcats will have a stern test this week as they face ninth-ranked Montana State. The Bobcats’ star quarterback, Dakota Prukop, contributed to six touchdowns last week against UC-Davis, as Montana State scored 77 points against the Aggies.
Weber’s keys start with a familiar theme.
In his postgame press conference after a loss to Cal Poly, Hill said the Wildcats have to win the turnover margin to win games. Weber has forced only three turnovers on the season, with each of the turnovers happening at home.
Hill said he has the defense doing the same drills Utah did when the Utes led the Pac-12 in interceptions and takeaways, but Weber has struggled to duplicate the same results.
On the road, Weber has to take away the ball and not give the ball up. It’s that simple.
Dakota Prukop is a Walter Payton finalist for a reason — he can flat out play football. Again, Prukop rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns last week, and also threw for 361 yards and four touchdowns.
The best way for Weber to stop him will be to set up in man-to-man defense, and match their most athletic defensive player against him. Whether it is a linebacker or safety, the Wildcats will have to assign a player that can handle his speed and strength.
Hill also discussed how important it is to give more carries to Zach Smith. Since recovering from a minor injury, Smith is averaging over 5 yards per carry and rushed for 132 yards against Cal Poly. Against the Mustangs, Smith averaged 8.3 yards per carry.
Weber needs a quality running attack to enable the play-action passing game, and Smith can provide that better than any running back the Wildcats possess.
Weber quarterback Billy Green has been a positive for the team, but his performance against Cal Poly was less than positive. Green threw for only 97 yards in the loss and appeared to struggle after throwing an early interception. If Weber can’t pass the ball, the Wildcats will struggle to win games.
Getting takeaways is so important to getting a victory over ranked opponents on the road, it is getting mentioned again.
