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PROVO — “Defense wins games” is a common phrase you hear in sports.
For Utah football, having a solid defense has helped the program throughout the years. Saturday night was no different as the Utes traveled an hour south to play in-state rival BYU. Utah left with a 19-13 victory to extend their win streak to seven-straight games against the Cougars.
Utah (2-0) forced three interceptions and six punts, raked in three sacks and allowed 63 rushing yards. The Utes held a 13-point lead to end the third quarter, but a late fourth-quarter touchdown cut their lead to six points. As one of the Pac-12’s best defenses, Utah stayed calm and forced three incompletions to regain possession and the win.
“I thought they played a great game, especially defensively,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake.
The first points on the scoreboard came in the middle of the first quarter from a Utah field goal that was set up by a BYU (1-2) turnover. On second-and-9, BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum threw an interception to defensive back Boobie Hobbs, who returned it 29 yards to the Cougars’ 9-yard line.
The ball kept landing in the Utes’ hands defensively in the second half. The Cougars’ first two drives of the third quarter ended with interceptions. Defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei knocked down a pass that ended up in fellow defensive tackle Filipo Mokofisi’s hands. It eventually led to a 5-yard touchdown, boosting Utah to a 16-0 lead at the beginning of the second half. On BYU’s next drive, freshman defensive back Jaylon Johnson came up with the pick. Utah couldn’t capitalize on Johnson’s interception, instead fumbling the ball on first down and returning it back to BYU.
“"Last year we had a great secondary. We got a ton of turnovers,” said Hobbs. “People kind of think we're weak back there in the secondary. Turnovers were a big part in this game.”
Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley has repeatedly said he doesn’t agree with the idea that Utah’s secondary is weak. Instead, he believes the talented unit is the team’s most inexperienced. Through two games, the secondary hasn’t really missed a beat from last year. Turnovers were a key part, setting up 10 of the team’s 19 points, in Utah’s victory at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“You have a team that can do so many different things with their defensive backs at Utah,” Sitake said.
Defensive back Chase Hansen led the Utes with eight tackles, followed by linebacker Kavika Luafatasaga with seven. But the secondary wasn’t the only defensive unit to get in on the action. The Utes brought Sack Lake City to Provo, finishing with three sacks for a loss of 24 yards.
In the game’s second quarter, defensive back Casey Hughes blindsided Mangum with a big sack for an 11-yard loss. It pushed the Cougars from second-and-4 to third-and-15 and set up a punt. Sitake described Hughes’ play as a “really good call” by Utah.
“They disguise the blitz really well,” Sitake said.
Linebacker Cody Barton sacked Mangum for a loss of 7 yards on first-and-10 in the middle of the third quarter. Despite getting within 5 yards of the first down, the Cougars couldn’t move the chains on their third try.
Utah’s third sack of the night came when Mokofisi brought down Mangum in the fourth quarter. It was a big stop on third-and-2, forcing another BYU punt.
“You’re going against a good D-line. Trust me, I know those guys,” said Sitake, who was an assistant coach at Utah from 2005-14. “That’s a really good D-line. When you have two D tackles that are captains on your team, that’s a good thing.”
Utah’s secondary credits the defensive line for helping them get their turnovers. Hobbs attributed the team's interceptions to the linemen creating pressure.
“Without the defensive line there's no turnovers, there's no picks. You know, those guys play a (heck) of a game by getting pressure and when they get pressure, we get picks, so we like it,” said Hobbs.
As for BYU, Sitake is relieved he doesn’t have to deal with Utah’s senior linemen after Saturday’s game.
“I was there when those guys were true freshmen. It’s nice they’re seniors now, so I don’t have to see them next year.”
