Utah Ute football: Defense stepped up, stifled the Tide

NEW ORLEANS — Utah's defensive game plan for Friday night's Sugar Bowl was to stop the Alabama running attack and put pressure on quarterback John Parker Wilson.

The Utes accomplished both goals in a big way, holding a Crimson Tide team that had averaged 196.5 yards per game rushing this year to a season-low 33 net yards and sacking Wilson eight times.

Two days before the game, Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen expressed confidence that his team would be able to stop the vaunted Alabama offense — and he turned out to be right.

"I felt good about it," Andersen said. "There's a lot of unknowns in those situations, but the key was stopping the run. We had to stop the run and take some chances to do that. The way we stopped the run was fantastic, especially against a team that runs the ball that well."

By stopping the run, the Utes were able to use more blitzes, and that accounted for the sacks against a team that allowed just two per game all season.

"We knew we had to bring pressure and get after them, and the kids covered very well on the back end," Andersen said. "I don't know anybody that didn't play well. They got two short fields and that's all they got."

Linebacker Mike Wright led the team, along with Stevenson Sylvester, with seven tackles, and Wright came up with a key pass break-up in the fourth quarter on third down to force an Alabama punt.

"That's what we've been able to do all year — stop the run and force them into long situations and put pressure on the quarterback," said Wright. "That's what we did tonight."

Sylvester said, "Coach Andersen brought a great scheme and we were ready each and every week. The key to the sacks was getting there, it was a will to win, just leave it on the field. That was the motive."

Kepa Gaison, playing at the stud linebacker position in place of injured linebacker Nai Fotu, played a key role, coming up with two sacks for 12 yards and finishing with six tackles, third-best on the team.

"Our plan was to stop the run and force them to pass," Gaison said. "Our game is speed defense and we proved that tonight. We filled our gaps and everyone played their assignments well."

In the defensive backfield, Robert Johnson came up with two interceptions, one that set up Utah's second touchdown and another to clinch the victory in the final minutes.

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