Utes ready for physical battle in the trenches
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL/GAME BREAKDOWN
Scouting the rush offense: While UCLA’s Joshua Kelley may be leading the Pac-12 in rush yards, there’s little doubt as to who the best running back in the conference is. That honor belongs to Zack Moss, Utah’s career leader in rushing yards and touchdowns, and a contender for all-America honors.
For how much quarterback Tyler Huntley has improved this season, the Utes still run their offense through Moss, who leads the conference with 11 rushing touchdowns. Showcasing a deft ability to stay on his feet and insane quickness/burst, Moss has proven to be one of the toughest tackles in the college football at 5-foot-10, 222-pounds.
On the season, Moss averages 103.5 yards per game, but expect him to surpass that number on Saturday night.
Behind an offensive line that has cleared holes for him all season, the Utes expect to push around a Bruins rush defense that ranks fifth in the conference by giving up 137.22 yards per game.
“Rushing. We take pride,” said Utah offensive lineman Darrin Paulo. “We always talk about who’s the leader in the conference. We like to pride ourselves on running the ball, especially against Cal and Arizona State. Those are good defenses we played against and we did well.”
Utah is more than just Moss running the ball, as Huntley is a threat out of the backfield as well. Rushing for 235 yards and four scores on the season, all second-best on the team, he is a threat to extend plays outside of the pocket.
Showcasing better than expected speed, Huntley keeps drives alive but understanding that picking up 4-5 yards per rush is way more valuable than trying to force the ball into double coverage.
UCLA will try to stop Utah’s dynamic duo with defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa leading the charge. He has 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks on the season and has been the main disruptor on the Bruins’ defensive line.
Bruins linebacker Krys Barnes, who leads the team with 60 tackles and 9 tackles for loss, will be tasked with stopping both Moss and Huntley when they get through the trenches. A wildcard for UCLA is fellow linebacker Keisean Lucier-South, who has just 11 tackles on the season but eight of them have come from a tackle for loss or sack.
Oct 17, 2019; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Jack West (10) throws a pass under pressure from UCLA Bruins linebacker Keisean Lucier-South (11) in the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. UCLA defeated Stanford 34-16.
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Still, Utah feels good about its running game, and not because of Moss and Huntley. The offensive line is starting to play some of its best ball of the season, and that bodes well for the Utes.
“I think everyone picks up for everyone well. … I think that we trust each other,” Paulo said. “Of course last year’s (O-line) and all the other past years, they trusted each other, but I think this year is a little different. We know that we have each others’ backs.”