Utah TE Brant Kuithe Pushes Forward For Wildcat Rushing Touchdown
Sep 21, 2024, 3:26 PM
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - AUGUST 29: Brant Kuithe #80 of the Utah Utes runs off the field after scoring a touchdown against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds during the first half of their game at Rice Eccles Stadium on August 29, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, Okla. – Utah Football tight end Brant Kuithe had an injury scare early in the first quarter against Oklahoma State but that didn’t stop him from scoring the Utes’ first touchdown.
Midway through the second quarter, Kuithe lined up under center and powered through both lines for the first TD of the game.
WILD KUITHE!!! 🙌
📺 @CFBONFOX #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/kaYG7d59yh
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 21, 2024
Early in the first quarter, freshman QB overthrew Kuithe on a long pass near the left sideline.
Kuithe extended to try and make a play but came up shot and fell hard on his shoulder. It took a couple of minutes for him to get up and catch his breath.
It only took one play for Kuithe to get back out on the field. He saw a few targets before the rushing touchdown but was unable to pull any down.
Utah’s Brant Kuithe is down after hitting the ground pretty hard… that looks like a rib, hopefully just knocked the wind out of him. But he’s still down
— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) September 21, 2024
With QB Cam Rising out, the Utes needed other veterans to step up.
Kuithe had his name called on the goalline in the wildcat and showed off his toughness as he punched in six. It was the fifth rushing touchdown of Kuithe’s career.
Three Game Day Thoughts From Utes Insider Steve Bartle
1. Utah O vs Oklahoma State D In The Red Zone
Oklahoma State’s defense has earned a reputation for conceding a lot of yardage to opponents, as they currently give up 462.7 yards per game.
At the same time, they do a surprisingly good job of limiting the opponent’s scoring efficiency. That comes down to good defense in the red zone.
Under Andy Ludwig, the Utes own the No. 4 ranked red zone offense (2019-2024, excludes 2020) in the country according to SportSource Analytics Red Zone Rating (a proprietary rating that combines both Red Zone Drive Percentage and Points Per Red Zone Drive to formulate an overall Red Zone performance score).
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys own the No. 12 red zone defense in the same Red Zone Rating formula over that same period.
Through three games of 2024, neither program is playing to the same level. However, they are nearly identical in the 2024 rankings.
The Utes own the No. 46 red zone offense, while the Cowboys have the No. 47 red zone defense.
Utah should have opportunities in the red zone in this game. The key is to capitalize with points on the board.
Toooooo clean🥶#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/4sBM43V7cw
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 21, 2024
2. Utah Football Needs 200+ Yards On The Ground
After rushing for 221 yards and a touchdown last week, Utah will need another strong effort on the ground against Oklahoma State.
The Utes were able to generate more movement up front in week two. Then, they were able to execute more efficiently in getting to the second level last week.
That allowed Micah Bernard and Mike Mitchell to rip off a handful of chunk plays, which led to a 7.2 average for Bernard and 5.4 for Mitchell.
Utah is going to need more of that this week against a Cowboys defense that’s allowing 157.3 rushing yards per game (No. 93 in the country) and 4.41 per carry (No. 88 in the country).
The Utah offensive line should be able to generate positive movement.
The Cowboys concede 3.21 defensive line yards (Baylor gives up 2.57, USU 3.74), while Utah’s offensive line generates 3.08 offensive line yards.
When Utah runs for 200+ yards, which they’ve down 32 times since 2019, they own a 28-4 record.
Live from Stillwater.
2 of the best in all the land.@Utah_Football | @CowboyFB #Big12FB | 📺 FOX 4ET pic.twitter.com/EEfTOt2YIN— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) September 21, 2024
3. Pressure Oklahoma State Pass Attack
Utah’s pass rush vs Oklahoma State’s pass protection is going to be a huge factor in this one.
The Utes have one of the top pass rushes in the conference and country. They own the No. 8 sack rate in the country, which features the conference leader in Van Fillinger with 3.5 sacks.
The Cowboys have one of the top pass protection rates in the conference and country. They have given up 11 total pressures and 0 sacks so far through three games.
A significant factor in their efficient pass blocking is Bowman’s ability to get the ball out quickly. Of 140 qualified quarterbacks, Bowman owns the No. 7 fastest ‘time to the throw’ at 2.26 seconds. Only 32.7% of his total dropbacks have registered a ‘time to the throw’ of 2.5 seconds or more.
𝐆𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐠. 𝐆𝐨 𝐔𝐭𝐞𝐬. pic.twitter.com/k4tZSnCXsf
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 21, 2024
That puts a bit of the onus on the secondary to also apply pressure to the passing attack as well. Utah needs to disrupt the quick timing Bowman has played with. That can be accomplished through physical force with defensive backs in press coverage or through schematic confusion to create hesitation on Bowman’s part.
Oklahoma State hasn’t given up a sack yet this season but when they lose the sack margin to the opponent, they own a 6-12 record since 2019.
For the top Utah Football storylines, follow Utah insider Steve Bartle or check out his coverage on sports.ksl.com.
