I have a few questions and concerns about this season

[rbmw263]

But the more I think abut it, I might be most concerned at our lack of size on defense. Ive thought we were small on that side of the ball. I was looking at the roster a week ago, and you look at every rotation guy on defense, and pretty much all of them are undersized.

We’ve gone the speed > size route before and it has worked (2008), but im not sure thats as viable these days. Too many guys on the most talented teams are big AND fast. Im worried we might get pushed around a bit. We really need to focus on how to be disruptive with quickness, sound assignments and fundementals

[Utesbyfive]

We got pushed around by Ohio State. I have been worried about the same thing.

[Ute2]

I don’t recall getting pushed around by Ohio st. I recall failing to generate pressure. But that defense was completely hamstring schematically by the CB injuries.

[Ute2]

And tafua was playing injured as I recall which really hurt

[bopahull]

When tOS started the game, they tried to run a normal offense against us and really got nowhere. It wasn’t until they decided to pick our depleted secondary apart that we couldn’t stop them.

[Ute2]

Ya know…

I don’t see it.

where are we undersized?

i guesssss corner, but nobody is sneering at broughton and Phillips…  broughton is 6-0 and that is good size for that spot.  

line backers are big fellas aren’t they?  

d, line?  We’ve got men there.  Are safety’s aren’t small.  Isn’t bishop like big enough that people think he’ll go all chase Hansen at some point and move to LB?

[Central Coast Ute]

The DT’s are smaller than usual Utah DT’s

[rbmw263]

We are absolutely undersized at LB and DE. Id argue our whole DL is significantly smaller than ones weve had in the past. 

[UtahUtesRock]

I get that as fans that as we wait for the start of the football season we agonize over anything we can until the games start. However we won the PAC12 championship 270 days ago with by in large the exact same team. Our most productive loss on defense was 6’3. We replaced him with a guy who’s 6’4. Our most productive loss on offense is 5’8″. I’m not aware of anybody we brought in at his position who’s shorter than that. Take a deep breath folks, we’ll be just fine from a height standpoint. You’re talking about inches. We’ve recruited well. 

[Tednab]

That 5’8” guy will be hard to replace this year

[UtahUtesRock]

Absolutely, same with the 5’8″ guy on offense but the original post is concerned with lack of size not talent. Just trying to point out that heart and talent makes up for a lack of size. I think we’ll be fine this year. Florida game is first though. They don’t play them all at once. 

[2008 National Champ]

in a matchup of similar measurables, heart and talent are usually the decider. When the measurables and (assumed) talent level favor one side, heart only matters in an upset.

[DieHardUtahUtesFan]

I’m 6′ tall and I’ve stood next to Britain Covey. 5’8″ in cleats on a concrete surface would be generous. Every time someone says he is 5’8″ it reminds me of my senior year of high school when my QB told me I had to be 6’2″ because he was 6′.

[chinngiskhaan]

Happens to me every time I tell someone I’m 6’4.

when people ask me how tall I am I now just say, “I don’t know.” That way I don’t have to stand there and listen to someone backtrack out of their lie.

[AZUTE]

If size was all that mattered in winning football games everyone would weight 400 lbs.

It’s when you can combine size with technique is when you start creating problems for the Oline.

Arron Donald arguably the best player in the NFL and a DT is maybe 285lbs. His incredible speed and quickness combined with technique make him the most feared player in football.

The job of a DT at Utah is to eat up Olinemen and keep the LB and SS clean to make plays. They have to keep the OL occupied and not let them get to the second level and pick off the LBs

It becomes a numbers game. Florida will be in a lot of 12 personnel (1 RB 2 TE) with those TE being blockers primarily. Utah will start in its familiar 4-2-5 with Bishop being down in the box as essentially another LB.

Utah’s DE have to set the edge and keep contain. Florida will run read option with Richardson and if Van or Ellis get sucked in AR will burn Utah bad with his legs.

I also expect a lot of counter plays with a pulling guards. Here the DTs job his to hold his blocks and just muddy up the waters as it were. No clear running lanes. Keep the LBs and SS free to make the tackle.

NO MISSED TACKLES PLAY SOUND FUNDAMENTAL FOOTBALL

[mfaulk80]

The job of a DT at Utah was to eat up Olinemen.  Since the hiring of Luther Ellis, they’ve talked about changing to a more disruptive and attacking philosophy along the DL. That makes more sense with the smaller DTs too.