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SALT LAKE CITY -- Coming off the lackluster offensive performance by the University of Utah against the California Golden Bears, the Utes battled back to dominate the Oregon State Beavers, winning 27-8. The performance was completely different from Utah's game last week, with the defense making Oregon State pay and the offense managing to put some points on the board.
Impression 1:
The Utes defense on Saturday was lights out. Nearly every player on the defense had great defensive stops, with Brian Blechen and Ryan Lacy hitting hard on every play. Trevor Reilly, Derrick Shelby, Tevita Finau and Matt Martinez put tons of pressure on Beavers quarterback Sean Mannion, sacking him six times for a loss of 59 yards. However it was Finau that should be credited for the most aggressive play, seeking out Mannion's number, sacking him three times.
Mo Lee and Lacy also had key interceptions in the first half to put the Utes in scoring position. In the second half, Martinez pulled down a third interception, ultimately sealing the fate for the Beavers. As a whole, the defense played hard on every play, making Oregon State work for every yard.
Impression 2:
Every game John White IV has more than 100 yards, the Utes have won. And the stat remains true with Oregon State, with White accumulating 205 rushing yards on the night. If given the opportunity, White is a threat, working for every yard, even after getting hit.
Unfortunately, White is the only option for the Utes offense to survive, putting him in a vulnerable position. If White so happens to get injured, the already poor Utah offense will have no options available to them. Other than Utah's defense, John White is the team's most valuable asset. There needs to be other players to step up to give White some rest.
Impression 3:
Jon Hays is still a risky option as quarterback. Although Hays didn't have a turnover in Saturday's game, he didn't do much to get his offense moving, throwing for only 62 yards. Norm Chow will be forced to play conservative with Hays under center.
At this point in the season, Utah knows exactly what type of player Hays is, which means recruiting will be key. Although Jordan Wynn remains the veteran quarterback, it is likely the Utes will look to the future with an incoming freshman or redshirt quarterback Tyler Shreve next season. California native Travis Wilson, who remains uncommitted at this point, and Utah native Chase Hansen remain strong prospects for the future.
Impression 4:
Utah played a much cleaner game against the Beavers, with only one turnover by White in the second half. Oregon State had a total of four turnovers, giving Utah the edge for once in the turnover margin. The turnover margin stat has been a telling stat for the Utes, who have won nearly every game where they were positive in the turnover margin. Utah's only loss when leading in the turnover margin was against USC, which came down to a game-tying field goal.
If Utah can continue to play clean football for the remainder of their schedule, it is likely the Utes will win. However, the offense needs to play strong and put some points on the board, even if they have to rely on the running game of White to get it done.
Had Utah played cleaner in their previous games, would they have had their first Pac-12 win earlier in the season?
Impression 5:
Although Oregon State is not the top of the Pac-12, Utah has to be proud about their first Pac-12 win. It still means they have to get a couple more to be bowl eligible, but it has to give a lot of confidence to a struggling Utah team; and confidence will continue to play a major role in the remainder of the Utes schedule.
With a defense that played nearly flawless, Utah has all the momentum in their direction, as long as the offense can make something happen. Utah has four games left on the season -- Arizona, UCLA, Washington State and Colorado -- and all of them are winnable for the Utes.
*Email: jfurlong@ksl.com*Twitter: @JFurKSL
