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SALT LAKE CITY — It didn't take long for the momentum to shift fully into UCLA's favor last October.
Playing from behind, Utah rallied and kept pace with UCLA until late in the third quarter. Bruins veteran quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw an incomplete pass on third-and-6 from the UCLA 29-yard line, but Utah was flagged for a roughing-the-passer penalty.
The penalty gave the Bruins life in a game that had already been in its favor for much of the day.
A few players later, Thompson-Robinson connected with wide receiver Jake Bobo on a 10-yard pass in the end zone to give the Bruins a double-digit lead and the reins to an eventual victory. It was just one of many instances of UCLA picking apart a Utah defense that looked lost at times and was otherwise ineffective on the road.
Utah's defense is ready for a do over.
"They definitely out-physicaled us last year, and that was definitely embarrassing," Utah defensive end Jonah Elliss said. "I mean, that's our mentality going into this is we've just got to be physical, man. Like, they showed us up last year and we've just got to do that to them this year."
"I mean, we owe them one," added linebacker Lander Barton. "They got us last year. They played a really good game last year; they flat out beat us. We own them one. They're coming here, so it should be a good game."
Utah overcame the loss and eventually claimed its second Pac-12 conference title, but it put the defense on notice that it needed to improve.
In the first three games of the season, Utah has been much improved and looks more like the defense that head coach Kyle Whittingham and defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley hope to employ each time the Utes take the field. It's a defense that is "ahead of schedule, meaning we're further along than we were last year," defensive line coach Luther Elliss said.
Even with a handful of starters out, Utah has held opponents to 10.3 points per game, good for ninth in the country, and has allowed only 270.7 total yards per game, which is good for 18th in the country. The opposing offenses in the Pac-12 are expected to be better than what Utah has faced, but the early results are positive for a team working to do even more.
"It'd be great to get our guys back and to get to 100% and see what they can do," Luther Elliss said. "See what we continue to build together."
"Stats wise, we're doing pretty well, but we're trying to be No. 1 in everything — run game, pass game, sacks, takeaways," added Jonah Elliss. "We're trying to be No. 1 at everything, so we need to work on everything to keep improving."
So what's the difference this year?
Jonah Elliss said the team is having more fun as a collective group. Even with the starting lineup fluid on a game-to-game basis, it's Utah football playing loose and comfortable as a veteran unit.
"I think we're doing awesome," Jonah Elliss said. "I think we're running around having fun. Honestly, that's probably what it is, we're all just having fun, so it's a lot of fun to be out there."
Part of that fun is knowing that the games matter even more now. The nonconference schedule is a good test and can help provide the foundation for a season where Utah could challenge for a College Football Playoff spot — a spot available at 3-0 — but Pac-12 play is where the games mean something every week of the season.
With eight teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, there is no scheduled off week, especially as Utah works toward its third consecutive conference title.
"I mean, it gets me all excited," Elliss said. "I love playing other games, too, but once it comes to Pac-12, I just feel some sort of way."
"You know what's on the line," Barton added. "Those regular season games, you could lose them and it doesn't affect your ability to win the Pac-12 championship. But now that conference play's here, it's just exciting. Energy is up everywhere. We know what's at stake, and we've got some good opponents in the Pac, so it should be fun."
And though Utah wants to have a better showing against UCLA this time around, to Whittingham, it's more about the totality of the season and not getting too focused on one game.
"I think that's been one of our strengths through the years is to not get on the roller coaster, just be at a high level every week and prepare the same way and not try to play outside the framework of our schematics and our structures and just be able to handle adversity, which we've done an excellent job of that this year so far," Whittingham said.
Whether it's UCLA or some other opponent, the defense feels ready for whoever lines up against them this year.
