Takeaways: Utah Welcomes Back Fans with 40-17 Win
The University of Utah kicked off their 2021 season in eventful fashion. From unveiling the new south end zone, to honoring Ty Jordan and inducting new members into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame, it was set to be an action-packed night. However, the monsoon that came a few minutes into the game was the most eventful, leading to an hour and a half delay.
As play resumed, the Utes did what they were supposed to do, beating Weber State, a worthy FCS team, 40-17. The game wasn’t clean as is expected with most first games, but a win is a win and the Utes still had a lot of good come from it.
Here are the takeaways from the game:
Receivers and tight ends were a mixed bag
It was a sloppy night on offense and though the win was comfortable, Kyle Whittingham won't be happy with the mistakes made and the dropped passes. One of the things that was needed to be seen coming into this game was which receivers would step up—including the tight ends. Dalton Kincaid didn't disappoint, bursting onto the scene with four catches for 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Solomon Enis also had a nice game, with four grabs for 62 yards and a score. While one would have hoped to see more from Theo Howard and/or Devaughn Vele, all I really wanted was for one or two guys outside of the proven commodities like Covey, Kuithe, and Dixon to step up and show they could make plays. Kincaid and Enis did that. It appears that this receiver and tight end group has balance, but do they have one player that will be able to become the go-to target and perhaps eclipse the 1000-yard mark? That remains to be seen.
RB1 and RB2 solidified, but in no order
A few things were easy to decipher from how the running backs were used and performed, and it really was no surprise either. Micah Bernard got the start, had some effective runs, but was most effective in the passing game out of the backfield. Tavion Thomas received the most carries and led all Utah backs in yards. It was telling how much Andy Ludwig and Whittingham like Thomas, as he was benched after a careless fumble, but the punishment didn’t last long at all.
As for TJ Pledger and Chris Curry? Pledger had been talked about a bunch in camp, but his touchdown drop immediately hurt him, when Bernard was reliable and brought the same skill set and more. Curry seemed to be the odd man out early on, as he wasn’t mentioned as much in fall camp. His first carry came after the Thomas fumble.
Heading into the BYU game, both Bernard and Thomas seem entrenched at the top. The only question that might remain is, who will be RB1? These two bring different skill sets and are interchangeable, although with how loose Thomas carries the ball, Bernard is the more reliable back at the moment.
Dominant Defense The bad news is 17 points is more than you want Utah to give up. The good news is Utah's defense didn't give up most of the points Weber State scored. A kick return touchdown and a field goal off a fumble (a drive where the Wildcats averaged just 3.4 yards per play) accounted for most of the points, with a garbage-time touchdown the rest of the total. The Utes swallowed up the Weber State run game, allowing just 1.9 yards per carry and the secondary kept the Wildcats in front of them. There were no glaring weaknesses and it's clear that the front four are going to be a handful for offensive coordinators all season long.
Utah tight ends are an opponent’s nightmare
With defenses deploying smaller lineups to be able to combat the spread attack that has taken over football the University of Utah has created a problem for defenses with their tight ends. Brant Kuithe is a known commodity, a matchup nightmare. Pac-12 defenses have had to scheme to try and slow him down and it seldom works. What we saw last night was several other tight ends showing they can make plays, as Utah’s depth and the ability to line up with three tight ends on the field at the same time creates countless opportunities for the group.
The coaching staff has been talking about Dalton Kincaid all spring, summer and fall. Last night we saw why. He runs crisp routes and his combination of size, speed and his elite ball skills are going to keep defensive coordinators up at night.
Up next
After the pandemic stopped the two teams from meeting in 2020, the Utes will travel to Provo to take on BYU. Last year’s game would have been played at Rice-Eccles Stadium, but the two teams decided to not change up the games going forward. The Utes will be looking for their 10th rivalry win in a row and the Cougars will have a ton of new faces heading into the matchup. The game is Saturday, September 11th at 8:15 PM on ESPN.