Thomas Yassmin Puts Utah On Board Against Oregon State In Fourth

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Utah tight end Thomas Yassmin rumbled into the end zone in the fourth quarter for the Utes’ first touchdown of the game.

The score was Yassmin’s first of the season and 7th in his career.

The YAC Man takes it in for 6!

📺 @FS1 https://t.co/ASj5Ph2un1#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/iNn4qpxGsV

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 30, 2023

Utah had struggled mightily on offense prior to the fourth-quarter touchdown. The Utes had gone scoreless in the previous five quarters of play going back to the game against UCLA.

RELATED: 60 in 60 -#32 Utah’s Thomas Yassmin (Tight End)

They trailed OSU 21-7 in the fourth.

Utah is on the board at last 🏈#UTAH 7 | #OSU 21

5:05 Q4#UTAHvsOSU

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 30, 2023

Utah had just 196 yards of total offense before the receiving touchdown by Yassmin.

Three Storylines For Utah Vs. Oregon State

1. Cam Rising. This will continue to be the top storyline until Rising makes his 2023 debut. Unfortunately, it’s feeling like once again this week will not be the week either. This storyline looms large the further the Utes get into their schedule because the opponents are only getting tougher, and the offense needs to figure out how to be more productive with or without Rising. For the record, this doesn’t mean they have to be high octane, they just need to be efficient with possessions which is well within the realm of reason and something backup Nate Johnson has shown he can do in crunch time.
2. Utah’s Defense & Special Teams. With the vibes trending no Rising again this week against Oregon State, more weight gets put onto Utah’s defense and special teams to perform– which to this point they have and impressively so. The Beavers are a tough matchup however because they love doing exactly what Utah loves to do- run the ball down an opponent’s throat on offense and stifle the run on defense. This game will likely come down to who can do those things better. Can Utah keep up their strong performances on defense and special teams for one more week?
3. Weather. There is rain forecasted in Corvallis on Friday. Thankfully, right now it looks like it should clear up by kickoff, but we all know how the weather can change at the drop of a hat- it’s not an exact science after all. If the conditions change to where a soggy game can be expected, execution and ball protection will become even more important.

 

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Two Questions Heading Into Utah Vs. UCLA

1. Who Will Be Available? By now everyone should know that Utah doesn’t talk a whole lot about who is and isn’t available for them each week, but they do give sometimes give some clues or indications. Head coach Kyle Whittingham said after post-game last Saturday they expected around 8-10 guys back for this week. He since adjusted that expectation on Tuesday to not quite that many. I mentioned the current vibe feels like Rising is not one of those guys. I believe it’s safe to assume the vibe feels like Brant Kuithe is also not one of those guys. However, Whittingham did seem bullish about where defensive ends Van Fillinger and Connor O’Toole are at along with offensive lineman Johnny Maea. Others are still shrouded in a lot of mystery. Mycah Pittman? Cole Becker? Ja’Quinden Jackson? Chris Curry? Etc. Obviously, any and all of this is subject to change either positively or negatively, but I do believe Utah will have a few more people back which will only help the cause.
2. Can Utah Be More Efficient On Offense? The answer to this question is very reliant on the first question. I do not believe Utah’s offense needs to put up 35-40 points to win this game as long as the defense and special teams keep doing what they are doing. They just need to be more efficient, run the clock/play keep away, and collect points when they run out of real estate. Continuing to gamble with quick three and outs due to not getting any kind of rhythm going is a dangerous game to play for a second week in a row against OSU.

 

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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

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