Kyle Whittingham: ‘It’s Really Hard To Beat Us When We Rush The Ball Effectively’
Oct 29, 2018, 5:23 PM | Updated: Oct 30, 2018, 9:42 am
The Utah bench celebrates a Ute touchdown during the University of Utah versus UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018. (Steve Griffin/Deseret News)
(Steve Griffin/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The University of Utah football team didn’t need the passing game to get out of Pasadena with a win, they used their rushing attack led by running back Zack Moss.
The Utes collected their fourth straight win on the road against UCLA, 41-10.
Stick To The Game Plan
Utah’s success against UCLA is because they stuck with their plan to run the ball. Head coach Kyle Whittingham said after the game that if they couldn’t get the run game ignited early in the game, they can’t go away from the plan.
“If you don’t have success early in the game running the football, you can’t give up on it,” he said. “You have to keep at it because sometimes you are able to wear teams down and that happens quite often,” Whittingham added.
The Utes have played extremely well in the last two games in the Rose Bowl against UCLA. Since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, the Utes have rushed for over 300 yards in a game twice. Both of those games were against the Bruins. The last time was in 2016 when running back Joe Williams rushed for 332 yards.
The Utes have been very reliable in the run game in 2018, ranking second in the Pac-12 as a team in total rushing yards with 1,640. They have 16 touchdowns on the ground, which is good for fourth in the conference.
Feed Zack Moss The Ball
Moss ran the ball 26 times for 211 yards against UCLA and the found the end zone three times. He was recognized by Pro Football Focus College for his performance against the Bruins.
Re-live the top individual performances from Week 9 of the college football season with our National Team of the Weekhttps://t.co/TGDXo7TyZP pic.twitter.com/Jd0kpQM3wd
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 29, 2018
Through 8 games this season, Moss has rushed for 964 yards, which is good for third in the Pac-12. He is second in the conference with 10 rushing touchdowns.
“I am taking care of my body, it’s really just a testament to that. Being in the training room 24/7,” Zack Moss said after the game. “Everything is just clicking right now, the offensive line is healthy and the play-calling is great,” he added.
Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) breaks free during the University of Utah versus UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018.
(Steve Griffin/Deseret News)
During the four game winning streak, Moss has racked up 575 yards on the ground to go with six touchdowns. He averaged 143.7 rushing yards per game.
Moss said that the best is still to come despite the Utes winning streak.
“I believe that we haven’t played our best game yet.”
The Utes will travel to Arizona State on Saturday at 2 p.m. on Pac-12 Network.
