Utah Football: 3 takeaways from loss to Stanford in Week 6

1. Utah’s defense is legitimate

Many questions surrounded the quality of Utah’s defense after a string of solid performances against sub-par teams. The Utes currently rank 18th in the nation in points allowed, but much of their success was downplayed in light of lackluster competition. However, they clearly proved their legitimacy in both the pass and run game Saturday against the Cardinal.

While the Utes defended the pass exceptionally well, it was their containment of Bryce Love that was most impressive. A 68 yard touchdown run hurt the stats for Utah, but anyone watching the game witnessed complete dominance from their defensive line.

Utah limiting Stanford to 23 points on the day only helped their cause in terms of national perception. Limiting North Dakota and BYU to under 20 points won’t garner national attention, but a performance like this on the big stage certainly will. In light of some of Utah’s offensive blunders, this game coming down to a failed onside kick was a victory for the defense.

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Despite a solid effort against Stanford, their success may be short-lived as they travel to Los Angeles to face off against Heisman candidate Sam Darnold and the USC Trojans. Regardless, head coach Kyle Whittingham should have his team ready to go next Saturday with their season still very much alive.