Utah’s defense has been a different unit this season, and Nate Ritchie says the answer starts with the work the group has put in since winter workouts.
The Utes opened with a shutout, and Ritchie said that kind of performance means everything to the defense.
“I mean, anytime you can shut a team out, it's a win. So we're just happy that we could go out there and perform as a team, as a unit, and accomplish that together.”
The tackling has been a major part of the turnaround, and Ritchie pointed straight to repetition.
“Just working on it. We've had that emphasis on just tackling since day one we got back in winter workouts. So just consistently working on it”
Morgan Scalley recently said Ritchie has been playing some of the best football of his career, and Ritchie said his growth has come from tightening up his own game and learning more of the bigger picture.
“Just working on my deficits and continuing to learn football, learn offensive football, learn the scheme, and trust my teammates.”
Even with that praise, he isn’t ready to call it his best football yet.
“I mean, I wouldn't say that there's always room to improve. But I'm happy with what I'm doing. But I want to keep getting better and show more of what I can do.”
Ritchie also had plenty of praise for Rabbit Evans, who has been productive this year.
“He's just a dog. That's it, man.
Rabbit is an athlete; he's a baller, and he's smart. I love playing with him.
That's just it. He's just Rabbit, man.
I don't really know how to explain him. He's just a beast.”
On the other side, Iowa State has earned his respect.
“They're a good team. They're physical.
They have a physical run game. All props to them, all respect to them.
We're excited to go up against them and see what we can do.”
Ritchie said Trey Reynolds has been a steady presence for him in the program.
“He's my guy. I follow him around everywhere.
He tells me; he shows me what to do. So anything good I do is because of him.”
He also pointed to the value of experience in the back seven, saying the group’s familiarity helps them on and off the field.
“I think not only the experience, but we've been around each other for a while so whenever you're around each other for a while, you just build chemistry. You can talk football behind the scenes in the film room and keep building chemistry on and off the field.”
Utah now heads into a road game, and Ritchie said the team is embracing the next challenge.
“I mean, we're always excited. Another game to prepare for.
And, you know, on our journey, it's another game to be excited for. So, yeah, we're, we're stoked.”
As for the Big 12 spotlight and the weather forecast, he said the Utes will approach it the same way they approach everything else.
“Yeah. I mean, every game is our Super Bowl, so we're going to prepare like it. Whether it's Big 12 or whether it's not, we're going to prepare like it and go out there and have fun.”
If conditions turn ugly, Utah will keep it simple.
“I mean, we will prepare for it. We're prepared for the worst and, you know, hope for the best.”
And the method for dealing with that kind of weather?
“I mean, the only really thing is just simulate things that you can simulate, you know, maybe, I don't know, water on the ball. I don't know.
Stuff like that. Grass cleats, you know, getting, getting your cleats in there.
I don't know. Yeah, I mean, it would have been nice; today was a little rainy, so helped out a little bit, but.”
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Utahs Two Quarterback Attack Is Giving Iowa State A Real Problem
Iowa States Big 12 opener comes with an early test right out of the gate, as the Cyclones get No. 15 Utah at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday. The Utes have rolled through their first three games by wide margins, and part of what makes them different is the way they split the quarterback work between Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin, giving the offense a look that is not easy to prepare for on a short week.
Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers said Utah presents problems on both sides of the ball, and he has seen enough similar systems to understand why. For the Cyclones, the challenge is not just sorting out which quarterback is on the field, but matching an offense that can change speed and style while backed by a defense that has helped Utah build its early-season momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs Big 12 Opener Just Got Trickier Than Anyone Expected
Iowa State arrives for Utahs Big 12 opener in a state of transition, but not one that looks especially fragile on defense. After Matt Campbell left for Penn State and took a number of players with him, new coach Jimmy Rogers has leaned on the transfer portal to help rebuild the roster, and early returns have been better than expected on that side of the ball. For Utah, that makes the matchup feel less like a straightforward conference debut and more like the kind of early test that can expose whether a team is ready for the grind.
The forecast adds another layer, with rainy conditions expected in Salt Lake City, but Morgan Scalley said the weather will not change Utahs plan. That matters because the Utes are heading into a game where they may need to be patient and precise against an Iowa State defense that has already shown it can be sturdier than the rebuilding label suggests. When the conference schedule starts with bad weather and an opponent that is already ahead of schedule defensively, the opening night pressure gets real in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
BYU May Have Found A Receiving Threat Big 12 Defenses Will Fear
Utahs defense has spent plenty of time measuring itself against the Big 12s best offenses, and one of the reasons the league has looked so dangerous early is the way receivers are stretching the field. Utah and BYU have both seen productive seasons from wideouts such as Legend Glasker and Braden Pegan, who rank among the conference leaders in receiving yards per game and have helped underscore just how much big-play potential the Big 12 has at the position.
For BYU, Glaskers rise has been especially notable because coach Kalani Sitake has already pointed to his development and the way he fits into the offense. The bigger picture for Utah fans is clear enough: the leagues top receivers are piling up yardage at a level that compares favorably with even the SECs best, and BYU appears to have found another threat that defenses will have to account for every week. [Read more 🡒]