Utah’s Offense Has Creatively Utilized Different Players With Good Results
Nov 8, 2022, 2:02 PM | Updated: 2:56 pm
Utah quarterback Cam Rising gathers the Utes in a pre-game huddle before taking on #7 USC. (Photo Cred: Michelle Bodkin)
(Photo Cred: Michelle Bodkin)
SALT LAKE CITY- No one likes injuries, but they are a natural part of football. After escaping last season relatively healthy on their way to a Pac-12 Championship and Rose Bowl berth, it appears Utes’ luck on offense has run out a little on the health front in 2022.
Both Ja'Quinden Jackson and Jaylon Glover shined for @Utah_Football in the run game, but unfortunately, may be facing injuries. @UtahCoachWhitt addressed it in his post-game press conference. #GoUtes #UteProudhttps://t.co/dfZTRQOpHK
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 6, 2022
The good news is outside of tight end Brant Kuithe and defensive end Van Fillinger, the injuries have not been season-ending. However, having guys needing to miss a game or be limited isn’t ideal either. The other piece of good news in all of this though, is that the Utes seem to have done well in finding creative ways to use players (particularly on offense) to get by with pretty good results.
“Every season is different, every game is different, every week is different so there are challenges and without a doubt there have been some challenges this particular season,” Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said. “I’m very proud of the player’s work and their work ethic and the ‘next man up’ mentality that goes throughout this entire football program.”
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A Different Day, A Different Ute Stepping Up
Whether it has been Ja’Quinden Jackson switching from quarterback to running back, Thomas Yassmin making plays in Brant Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid’s absence, Jaylon Glover carrying a bigger load as a freshman, Bryson Barnes filling in for Cam Rising, Johnny Maea snapping the ball for Paul Maile at center, quarterback Nate Johnson using his speed on the perimeter, or the whole defensive unit coming together to ease the offense’s responsibility while they heal up- the Utes have had each other’s back all season.
Nate Johnson 2⃣ TD's 👀#GoUtes https://t.co/jWJPtfXQH2
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 6, 2022
Every week it’s felt like a different player or unit has stepped up in some form or fashion to continue pushing Utah toward their ultimate goal- a second Pac-12 Championship.
“It’s been a great challenge and very rewarding,” Ludwig said of the efforts he’s seen. “Watching the players step up- it’s been a different guy each week that has shown up and I’m proud of our player’s efforts and the ‘next man up’ mentality this squad has.”
Here’s how you can watch this week’s Utah game against Stanford.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports
@kslsportscom Tavion Thomas back on🔥🔥 #collegefootball #utahutes #utahfootball #pac12 #utes #goutes ♬ Chicago Bulls Intro Theme (Sirius) – Official Sports Bar Version – Playin’ Buzzed
