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Utah’s defense has noticeably improved, but Oregon State serves as first true test

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Utah’s defense has noticeably improved, but Oregon State serves as first true test


Estimated learn time: 6-7 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — R.J. Hubert received a smirk on his face when he was requested about it — virtually like there was some hidden and secret that means behind it, however not fairly of the sinister sort.

It actuality, although, it was only a stat — a measurement of success — for the way nicely Utah’s protection has come collectively since a Week 1 outing towards Florida that head coach Kyle Whittingham described as “comfortable.”

Three weeks after permitting Anthony Richardson and the Gators to run throughout them, Utah’s protection gave up solely 6 speeding yards to Arizona State.

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Even when the misplaced yardage attributable to Utah’s 5 sacks on the evening is taken out, Arizona State solely managed 53 speeding yards — and that included bottling up the NCAA’s main energetic profession rusher, Xazavian Valladay, to solely 31 yards in a 35-13 win to open up convention play.

“We grasp our hat on that,” Hubert mentioned, addressing the smirk on his face meant to point the delight the protection feels in a restricted run recreation. “After we did not maintain groups to that few yards, like after they had been getting 200-something on us, it was very disheartening and we needed to type of have a look at ourselves within the mirror and say, ‘OK, what are we doing mistaken? How do I enhance?’

“We cleaned these issues up, and that’s, I suppose, the fruits of all that work that we have put in these final couple weeks.”

The about-face to what Utah’s protection trotted out onto the sphere in Gainesville, Florida, on Sept. 3 has been noticeable — even to the untrained eye. There’s been a greater emphasis to include the run, higher all-around protection, higher communication on the sphere, and total success limiting groups to low complete yardage and factors.

Within the three video games since Florida, Utah has given up simply 27 factors collectively (7 factors got here in rubbish time towards Arizona State), which remains to be decrease than any of Utah’s ultimate scores in every of the three video games since. Moreover, in these three video games, Utah’s averages on complete protection (175.0 yards/gm), speeding protection (54.0 yards/gm), and passing protection (121.0 yards/gm) would rank first or second within the nation.

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Whereas the totality of the season have to be factored into the stats, in addition to Utah’s opponents, it is a clear sign that Utah’s protection is bettering because the season develops. From prime to backside — the coaches and gamers — attribute their current success to raised “fundamentals,” “approach,” and “mentality.”

“The basics and the approach have been getting higher and higher, and actually the entrance has gotten higher because the first recreation,” Whittingham mentioned. “The primary recreation, as we talked about, was simply an aberration, I suppose you could possibly say — it was not good.

“However that is been the largest secret is these (defensive) tackles have settled in and actually are doing an excellent job with their hole management, which lets the linebackers match and circulation. The defensive ends have been fairly stable all yr controlling the sides, however the improved play of the D tackles has been the largest distinction.”

A type of defensive tackles, sophomore Junior Tafuna, attributed the current success to having a greater “mindset” in regards to the video games and what the groups’ objective is every week, particularly on the defensive aspect of the ball. He mentioned the Week 1 recreation was “simply plenty of noise” and a “lot of expectations” to be good that Utah type of misplaced itself.

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Since then and the “studying expertise” the workforce went by, the protection has been a lot improved.

“The primary week is not how we wished it,” Tafuna mentioned. “I believe since we have bounced again from that first week, it is simply been like our fundamental focus of the place we need to go and the place we need to be. So it is type of only a realization and bringing again that swagger and confidence to our minds. I would say it has been serving to us, been serving to me, and serving to all of the boys on the road.”

Added Hubert: “We have at all times had the expertise to do it, it is simply we did not do it and we weren’t dedicated to doing the appropriate approach and utilizing the appropriate fundamentals. And as soon as we received again to that and polished these issues up, the rating and the stats actually began to indicate that.”

It is a gradual course of, particularly because the workforce returns a number of veteran gamers however has a number of underclassmen filling in roles in key positions, like on the edge place reverse Van Fillinger or at linebacker. It is a group that’s coming collectively and studying to speak and perceive one another’s tendencies to place out a greater product on the sphere.

But it surely’s not a completed product simply but.

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“I positively do not assume we have hit our greatest,” Tafuna mentioned. “However I do know each week we’re getting higher, and so each week is at all times gonna be our greatest simply due to the follow we put in and the movie and arduous work we put in.

“We’re all enjoying in unison proper now, and that is most likely been the very best factor, as a result of we’re on the market having enjoyable collectively; you will see us celebrating collectively. And that is been the largest factor. That is making us play unfastened on the market as a protection enjoying collectively as a substitute of only one man making a play — he is celebrating — however we’re all there.”

Arizona State running back Xazavian Valladay (1) during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Tempe, Ariz.
Arizona State working again Xazavian Valladay (1) in the course of the second half of an NCAA school soccer recreation towards Utah, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Tempe, Ariz. (Picture: Rick Scuteri, Related Press)

Oregon State would be the stiffest take a look at so far to see how a lot Utah’s protection has improved, particularly after the Beavers held a high-powered offense in USC to a low-scoring affair. However the identical fundamentals and practices stay: Utah’s protection takes delight in stopping the run earlier than the rest — even earlier than havoc performs like sacks or tackles for loss.

Cease the run, flip the ball over, and Utah likes its possibilities in any recreation — at the least with its defensive efficiency. And with Oregon State being considerably of a “revenge recreation” after the Beavers gave Utah its sole convention lack of the season final yr, the stakes stay excessive for the protection to showcase its enchancment over the past three weeks.

“It was for certain a recreation that we will not neglect,” defensive linemen coach Lewis Powell mentioned. “There’s some guys that had been youthful that had been freshmen, together with our two defensive tackles that recreation, which might be excited for going through these guys once more and hopefully get some payback.”

“This is essential for lots of us, as a result of plenty of us did play in that recreation, and it’s extremely private,” Tafuna mentioned. “Simply because taking place there, I imply, yeah, we received ran in all places, but it surely simply brings in a complete deeper that means of why coming to Rice-Eccles and why we have to step up our recreation and simply carry out and execute our approach to have the ability to come again and win.”

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Josh is the Sports activities Director for KSL.com and beat author of College of Utah athletics — primarily soccer, males’s basketball and gymnastics. He’s additionally an Related Press High 25 voter for school soccer.

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Utah ‘firenado’ with 122-mph winds leaves behind terrifying path of destruction

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Utah ‘firenado’ with 122-mph winds leaves behind terrifying path of destruction


A surging wildfire ripping through eastern Utah wilderness over the weekend triggered a rare “firenado”, unleashing a terrifying mix of wind and flames that left one home and several other outbuildings severely damaged.

The Deer Creek Fire had already burned several thousand acres just north of La Sal on Saturday when the column of flames and hot gases began spinning, creating the surreal sight of a firenado.

“One of our firefighters captured this unusual phenomenon of a fire vortex tearing through pinyon-juniper woodland on the Deer Creek Fire, just outside of La Sal,” said officials with the Utah Bureau of Land Management.

The firenado did significant damage as it wreaked havoc on a neighborhood caught in the blaze. The National Weather Service estimated that wind speeds inside the twister reached 122 mph – strong enough to rate an EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

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What’s worse, instead of typical tornadoes that may only spend moments to seconds blasting a neighborhood as the storm blows through, this firenado was nearly stationary, spending 12 minutes swirling its flame-infused fury.

On Saturday, July 12, a fire-induced tornado developed within the Deer Creek wildfire near La Sal, Utah. National Weather Service
The tornado was on the ground for approximately 12 minutes from 1:03-1:15 PM MDT and remained nearly stationary. Dwellings and outbuildings in the area sustained a mix of fire and wind damage. National Weather Service

“Dwellings and outbuildings in the area sustained a mix of fire and wind damage,” said NWS meteorologists in Grand Junction, Colorado, who later surveyed the damage. “Many of the affected structures burned after the tornado occurred, but wind damage sustained by the remaining structures resulted in the tornado being given an EF-2 rating.”

Luckily, residents had already evacuated with the approaching wildfire and no one was injured, NWS officials said.

Fire whirls or “firenados” are spinning columns of hot air and gases rising up from a fire, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. When the air and gases rise, they also carry up smoke, debris, and even fire, as seen in the vortex of fire in the video.

Dwellings and outbuildings in the area sustained a mix of fire and wind damage. National Weather Service
Many of the affected structures burned after the tornado occurred, but wind damage sustained by the remaining structures resulted in the tornado being given an EF-2 rating. National Weather Service

The vortices can be as small as under one foot wide to over 500 feet wide, the NWCG said. Fire whirls on the larger side can be as strong as a tornado, as evidenced on Saturday.

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One of the largest and most destructive fire whirls occurred in 2018 during the Carr Fire in Redding, California, the National Weather Service said. It had wind speeds of about 143 mph, equivalent to those found in EF-3 tornadoes.

Tornadoes in any form, be it thunderstorm or wildfire-driven, are rare in Utah.

The firenado was only the second twister to be given an EF-2 rating in Utah since the Enhanced Fujita scale was implemented in 2007. Prior to that, only nine other tornadoes had been rated at least an F2 on the original Fujita Scale since 1950.

Meanwhile, firefighters are still battling the Deer Creek Fire, which had burned more than 15,600 acres as of Thursday morning’s update. The blaze is about 7% contained. It’s one of eight large wildfires burning in Utah that have scorched over 60,000 acres so far this summer.

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Video shows dramatic rescue of Utah family whose car rolled into the Snake River – East Idaho News

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Video shows dramatic rescue of Utah family whose car rolled into the Snake River – East Idaho News


A Utah family narrowly escaped after driving into the Snake River Monday afternoon. | Courtesy Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office

IDAHO FALLS — A newly released video shows the dramatic rescue of a Utah family whose van ended up in the Snake River after veering off the road.

Officials responded to the incident around 12:20 p.m. Monday after the driver called for help, advising they rolled into Snake River downstream from the Fall River Campground, about 45 miles from Idaho Falls.

RELATED | Utah family rescued from Snake River after vehicle veers off road

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The driver said his wife and four children were still inside the van floating downstream, and they were having difficulty getting out while water was filling up inside.

The Swan Valley Fire District posted a video of the rescue to their Facebook page Tuesday, saying they were able to save the family of 6 after the van floated 100 yards and landed on top of a high gravel bar.

“One by one they were safely extracted from the vehicle and brought back to land,” says the Facebook post. “This was an extremely lucky accident for them all to walk away unharmed and we couldn’t have asked for a better outcome!”

KSL TV reports Susan Richardson saw the van in the water and recorded the rescue.

“I always get nervous about that,” Richardson said about driving the narrow road through the Fall Creek area. “It’s scary sometimes.”

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Richardson told KSL that she and her husband were relieved that the family made it out safely.

“We feel like they were very fortunate that things didn’t take a more serious turn.”

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A look at which Utah, BYU players were picked in this year’s MLB draft

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A look at which Utah, BYU players were picked in this year’s MLB draft


The MLB draft wrapped up Monday night after 20 rounds and 615 picks.

Four local players were selected, including two from the University of Utah, one from Salt Lake Community College and one from BYU.

Utah’s Core Jackson was the first local player off the board, selected by the New York Yankees in the fifth round with the No. 164 pick.

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Jackson starred at Utah for two seasons at shortstop, earning first-team all-conference selections in the Pac-12 and Big 12. He batted .364 in 2025, hitting 12 home runs, driving in 44 runs and hitting 19 doubles.

Nine rounds later, another Ute came off the board in pitcher Merit Jones, who was selected by the Minnesota Twins with the No. 419 pick.

Jones started 14 games for Utah, posting a 6.95 ERA and a 4-6 record. He struck out 58 batters during his 79 innings pitched this season for the Utes. He ended his time with Utah ranking No. 10 in career strikeouts with 175.

Pitcher Jaxon Grossman from Salt Lake Community College went 56 selections later to the Texas Rangers. Grossman, who began his career at Utah in 2023, had a 5.15 ERA over 50.2 innings pitched, with 55 strikeouts. He allowed just two home runs this season.

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BYU pitcher Garrison Sumner rounded out Utah ties in this year’s MLB draft after being selected with pick No. 598 by the Boston Red Sox.

Sumner, who pitched at Utah in 2023 and Salt Lake Community College in 2024, had an 8.32 ERA and went 3-3 in 2025 for the Cougars. He struck out 60 batters in 61.2 innings pitched for BYU this season.



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