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Stats and Rankings on the 2019 Utah Utes
12/8/2019 12:47 PM | Football
Updated Statistical Notes on the 2019 Utah Utes
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- Utah is 11-2 and won the Pac-12 South Division for the second year in a row with a conference record of 8-1, its best in nine seasons as a Pac-12 member. The Utes ran off an 8-game winning streak in Pac-12 play.
- The 11 wins are third-most in school history.
- Head Coach Kyle Whittingham has guided the Utes to two of the three winningest seasons in school history: 13-0 in 2008 and 11-2 in 2019. He was defensive coordinator for 11 of the 12 wins in 2004 and co-head coach for Utah's Fiesta Bowl win that completed a 12-0 season, second-most wins in school history.
- Utah is No. 11 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, 12th in the latest AP poll and 10th in the Coaches poll. The Utes reached as high No. 5 in all three rankings entering last Friday night's Pac-12 Championship Game vs. Oregon.
- Utah leads the Pac-12 and ranks sixth nationally in weeks ranked in the College Football Playoff Poll, with 30 weeks, trailing only Alabama (37), Clemson (37), Ohio State (37), Oklahoma (35) and LSU (33).
- The Utes' No. 12 pre-bowl AP ranking is their highest at this stage of the season since ranking 7th in the Dec. 7, 2008 poll as an 11-0 team en route to a 12-0 season and final No. 2 ranking.
- No. 11 is Utah's highest position in the final CFP rankings.
- Utah, Clemson and Ohio State are the only ranked FBS teams to rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive yards per play.
- Utah is 10th in off. YPP (6.75) and 4th in def. YPP (4.40)
- Clemson is 4th offensively (7.51) and 2nd defensively (3.96)
- Ohio State is 7th offensively (7.02) and 1st defensively (3.93).
- The Utes have logged five games this season with more than 500 yards of total offense, their most since 2005 (5). The last time with more was 2004 (6). Utah also has scored 30+ points 10 times this season, the most by a Utah team since 2008 (10).
- Utah's defense continues to rank among the best in the FBS:
- 1st in rushing defense (70.3 ypg); opponents average just 2.7 yards per carry
- 3rd in total defense (256.2) and pass efficiency defense (108.86)
- 4th yards per play (4.40) & first downs allowed (186)
- 6th in scoring defense (13.2)
- T-2nd with five defensive TDs (1 fumble return vs. UCLA, 11/16 … 4 INT returns: 2 at BYU, 8/29; 1 at Oregon State, 10/12; 1 at Washington, 11/2).
- The Utah offense also figures among the top programs nationally in several categories:
- 2nd in completion pct. (73.2%)
- 7th in team passing efficiency (177.79)
- 10th in yards play (6.75)
- 13th in 3rd-down conversions (47.8%)
- 2nd in time of possession average (34:33)
- T-2nd among Power 5 teams in fewest interceptions thrown (4) behind Ohio State (1)
- In addition to ball-control ability, Utah ties for most plays of 80 yards or longer (3) among FBS teams (91-yd. TD rush by Zack Moss, 83-yd. TD pass Huntley-Nacua & 82-yd. TD pass Huntley-Thompson).
- Utah has held 11 of its 13 opponents under 100 rushing yards, the most such games by an FBS team in a season since Alabama did it 13 times in 2016, according to sports-reference.com. Only 3 other FBS teams in the past 10 seasons have held opponents under 100 rushing yards in 11 or more games in a season.
- Further, the Utes have held 10 opponents under 70 rushing yards, the most by an FBS team in a season since 2006 (Michigan, 11). The 2006 Wolverines and 2019 Utes are the only two FBS team to do so in the last 20 seasons.
- The Utes have held six opponents this season to 7 points or fewer (0 by Cal and Idaho State, 3 by ASU and UCLA and 7 by Oregon State and Arizona), the most in a season by Utah since 1969 (6). The last season with more than six was 1964 (8).
- From Oct. 12-26 Utah held three consecutive Pac-12 opponents (OSU, ASU & Cal) to single digits—first time overall since 2007—and the first time Utah has posted two shutouts in the same season since 2003.
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Utah was the first team to shut out its opponent in the first half of three consecutive Pac-12 Conference games within one season since 1991 (Washington) with its performances against OSU, ASU and Cal.
- Utah has shut out its opponent in 10 halves of football this season
- The Utes have held an opponent to single digits 27 times in Kyle Whittingham's 194 games as head coach, with six coming this season.
- The defense has allowed just 76 second-half points through 13 games (5.8 per game), with 14 of those points coming on an opponent's final possession against the Utes' second team.
- Opponents have had 72 total possessions in the second half and scored on just 12 (10 TDs, 2 FG). Of the remaining 60 possessions:
- 37 Punts (24 3-and-outs), 9 Interceptions, 6 Downs, 4 Fumbles, 3 Ran out clock/End of game, 1 Missed FG
- Opponents have held the ball for just an average of 4.4 plays per possession against Utah in the second half this season.
- The Utes are outscoring opponents 208-78 in the second half (76 defensive points allowed, plus two points on a safety, at USC, 9/20).
- Utah's eight-game winning streak from Sept. 28 through Nov. 30 was its longest in a single season since winning 8 in a row to begin the 2010 season, and its longest overall since winning 8 in a row spanning the final 2 games of the 2014 season and the first 6 games of 2015. The Utes defeated eight consecutive Pac-12 opponents for the first time since joining the conference in 2011 and at 8-1 posted their best Pac-12 record season record (previous: 6-3 in 2015 and '18).
- The Utes' 11-2 record is second-best in Kyle Whittingham's 15 seasons as head coach behind the 13-0 record in 2008.
- The Utes have won 11 consecutive home games (and 13 of their last 14), their longest home winning streak since the 21-game streak from 9/15/07 through 10/23/10 that ranks as the second-longest home winning streak in school history.
- All-America and Heisman Trophy candidate, Sr. QB Tyler Huntley, has been outstanding this season and ranks statistically among the most efficient and effective quarterbacks in the FBS.
- Heisman Trophy Candidate | Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist | Walter Camp Award semifinalist | Davey O'Brien semifinalist | Manning Award Watch List
- Huntley ranks 2nd in completion pct. (73.7%; 205-278), 4th in yards-per-pass attempt (10.67), 5th in passing efficiency (181.9) and 8th in yards per completion (14.47).
- He ranks 6th in ESPN's Total QBR (84.0) behind only Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa (94.6) , LSU's Joe Burrow (93.7), Ohio State's Justin Fields (92.4), Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts (90.6) and Clemson's Trevor Lawrence (88.3).
- Huntley has the most pass completions of 80+ yards (2) in the FBS, tied with 6 other players, and ties for 6th-most completions of 60+ (5).
- Huntley now has 7,225 career passing yards (5th all-time by a Ute) and 559 completions (5th).
- His 45 career TD passes rank 6th on Utah's all-time list.
- Career record as a starter: 23-9. The 23 wins are third-most in Utah football history.
- All-America candidate, Sr. RB Zack Moss, has broken six Utah Football career records this season: rushing yards (4,010), rushing attempts (696), rushing TDs (38), total TDs (41), 100-yd. rushing games (19) and 1,000-yard seasons (3). He also has tied the single-season rushing TDs record (15) and with 17 total touchdowns is one behind the single-season record.
- Maxwell Award semifinalist | Doak Walker Award semifinalist
- Moss (219-1359-6.2, 15 TDs in 2019) ranks 1st in the Pac-12 and 12th in the FBS in rushing yards per game (113.3).
- Moss ranks 13th in the FBS in all-purpose yards (144.4)
- Moss ranks 12th in the FBS in rushing TDs (15) and 14th in total TDs (17), 1st in Pac-12 in both.
- His 91-yard TD run at Oregon State (10/12) is the third-longest rush in Utah Football history and the fourth-longest play from scrimmage. It is the longest play from scrimmage by Ute since 2004 and the sixth-longest rush in 2019 by an FBS player (14th-longest gain from scrimmage).
- Moss has the sixth-most rushing yards among active FBS players (4,010).
- Most Rushing Yards—Active FBS Players
- 1. Jonathan Taylor, Wisc., 6,080
- 2. Walter Fletcher, Ball St., 4,639
- 3. A.J. Dillon, Boston College, 4,382
- 4. J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State, 4,285
- 5. Rodney Smith, Minn., 4,053
- 6. Zack Moss, Utah, 4,010
- All-America candidate/Bednarik Award semifinalist, Sr. DE Bradlee Anae, has 12.5 sacks this season and 29.5 for his career.
- Morris Trophy winner, best defensive lineman in the Pac-12 (voted by conference's offensive linemen)
- He has four multi-sack games this year (3.0 sacks Oct. 19 vs. ASU and Sept. 7 vs. NIU; 2.0 vs. UCLA; 1.5 vs. CU).
- 12.5 sacks this season (1.04/gm.) ties for 7th among all FBS players and ranks second in the Pac-12. He also ranks 2nd in the Pac-12 in tackles for loss (13.5).
- 29.5 career sacks tie for Utah's all-time record and rank fourth among active FBS players.
- Most Sacks—Active FBS Players
- 1. Curtis Weaver, Boise St., 34.0
- 2. Chase Young, Ohio St., 30.5
- 3. Joe Gaziano, Northwestern, 30.0
- 4. Bradlee Anae, Utah, 29.5
- Anae also has played a significant role in two of Utah's four pick-sixes in 2019.
- In the season-opening win at BYU he pressured QB Zach Wilson into a throw that Francis Bernard intercepted and returned 58 yards for a Utah touchdown.
- In the Oct. 12 win at Oregon State Anae deflected a Jake Luton pass that Devin Lloyd intercepted and returned 64 yards for a score.
- All-America candidate, Sr. DT Leki Fotu, has had an enormous presence up front for a Utah defense that ranks No. 1 in the FBS in rushing yards allowed per game (70.3) and 3rd in total defense (256.2), while allowing just 2.7 yards per rush.
- Fotu averages 0.65 tackles for loss per game (8.5/-50 yds.) and has one sack (-13) among his 27 tackles, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.
- All-America candidate, Jr. CB Jaylon Johnson, scored on the second pick-6 of his career in the 33-28 win at Washington on Nov. 2. His third-quarter 39-yard interception return for a score pulled Utah to within 2 points at 21-19 and sparked a second-half surge that propelled the Utes to the road win. He has two interceptions on the season and leads the team with 11 pass breakups.
- 13 total pass breakups (including INTs) rank 4th in the Pac-12.
- So. DE Mika Tafua is tied for the FBS lead in fumble recoveries (4) and Sr. S. Julian Blackmon is tied for 17th in the FBS in interceptions (4).
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