UTAH UTES

Utah Football’s Nick Ford, Mika Tafua Named Morris Trophy Recipients

Dec 9, 2021, 2:49 PM

Nick Ford - Mika Tafua - Utah Utes...

Utah football's Nick Ford #55 (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) and Mika Tafua #42 (Photo by Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(Photo by Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah football’s Nick Ford and Mika Tafua swept the Morris Trophy awards for the Pac-12 Conference’s top offensive and defensive lineman.

The duo was honored as the league’s best lineman on Thursday, December 9.

Each season the Morris Trophy is given to the Pac-12’s top offensive and defensive lineman.

Ford received the 2021 Offensive Morris Trophy while Tafua earned the 2021 Defensive Morris Trophy.

Pac-12 defensive lineman voted for the offensive winner and the league’s offensive lineman selected the Morris Trophy’s defensive winner.

With the sweep by Ford and Tafua, Utah became the fourth Pac-12 program to win both awards in the same season since 1980 when the award was created.

Ford has been a standout player for the Utes and started all 13 games this season.

Tafua had been a standout player on Utah’s defense with 47 total tackles, 30 solo tackles, 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and three pass breakups.

Ford and Tafua helped the Utes to a 10-3 record, the program’s first Pac-12 title, and an appearance in the Rose Bowl Game.

Utah will play Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on Saturday, January 1 at 3 p.m. (MDT) on ESPN.

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Utah Football’s Nick Ford, Mika Tafua Named Morris Trophy Recipients