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The University of Utah Athletics
Coaches’ Corner: Luther Elliss and Jim Harding
9/13/2022 8:05 PM | Football
Taking a look in the trenches ahead of Utah’s non-conference finale with San Diego State
SALT LAKE CITY – It's time to go up front and get a look in the trenches in this week's Coaches' Corner as defensive tackles coach Luther Elliss and offensive line coach Jim Harding visited with UtahUtes.com ahead of Utah's matchup with San Diego State.
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Utah is looking to conclude the non-conference schedule with back-to-back wins as well as avenge a road loss to SDSU during the 2021 season.
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Asked Tuesday how prep for the game is shaping up, "So far, so good," said head coach Kyle Whittingham. "We're only two days into it, but we were able to put the last game behind us and move onto the next opponent. The focus and concentration were very good today. Today was our heaviest day of the week. It was a good practice, very physical. We've got three more to go and then we'll be ready to play on Saturday."
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Defensive Tackles Coach Luther Elliss
On how his position group improved from Week 1 to Week 2…
"The opponent was different, but you still gotta work on your technique. It doesn't matter who you're going against; you've gotta have great technique. We did not have that the first game. We did not play the way we were capable of playing. It was good to see the guys step up this last week. Of course, there's still a lot of things we've got to get better at. But I felt like overall, the guys were better technicians, better energy. It was just a better outing by our guys."
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On what that growth can be attributed to…
"As much as we do have experience, we're still young. No excuses, but we still have young guys, and they've got to learn how to handle themselves. No matter what kind of game, what kind of environment, no matter who you're playing. Whether you're playing SUU or Florida or Alabama, you've got to show up every day and get the work in and play like you're supposed to play."
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On assessing the run defense…
"Right now, I think we have the potential to be really, really good. But we have to do things the right way. The first game, we didn't get it done the right way. Second game was a lot better—different opponent, [SUU is] still respectable, those guys are still big guys up front. They're doing a good job up front. But I thought [our] guys responded the way they should have this last week."
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What are you most confident in about the defense?
"We just have guys that I call dogs. Guys that want to play, guys that love this game, guys that want to get it done. When you have that kind of attitude, you have nothing but up. You can only get better. Guys feed off each other—you saw that this past game, guys feeding off each other and good things happening. When you have that kind of attitude, that's a good thing. Doesn't matter what's happening out there, as long as we stay with that positive attitude, and show up and be dogs, good things are going to happen."
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Offensive Line Coach Jim Harding
On his impressions of the offensive line through two weeks…
"I think it's certainly a faster start than what we've had in years past. But there's plenty of things we need to work on. Including this past week, there's still fundamentals we can continue to hone in on. This week presents a huge challenge for us. We've got to be ready to go."
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On what might've sparked the faster start…
"I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we identified the guys we thought were going to be the starting five sooner—or maybe the six, seven guys that we knew were going to be in that starting five. Those guys being able to play together a little bit longer, I think helped in Fall camp."
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On Michael Mokofisi's progression and mentality to becoming a starter…
"He's extremely physical, almost to the point you have to reel him back in. There were a couple things he did on Saturday, little bit close to the edge. But I'd rather have to pull a kid back than have to get him to go. High football IQ. But more than anything, he's just a physical kid and enjoys being physical."
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On the depth of the offensive line…
"Right now, I would say we have nine or 10 guys we feel comfortable playing. Certainly, this past Saturday those guys all got about 30 reps, which I think are invaluable. It also gives a chance to evaluate them in a game situation versus just out here at practice. I think we do have the depth, but certainly hope we don't have to test the depth."
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On challenges presented by SDSU up front…
"They move around a ton. They're well-coached, they play hard. They certainly had our number last year. They should have the attention of the kids. It'll be a good challenge for us just because I think they're really well-coached and they play their tails off."
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NEXT UP
The No. 14-ranked Utes are set to host San Diego State for its annual Ute Proud game on Saturday, Sept. 17. The game will kick off in Rice-Eccles Stadium at 8 p.m. MT on ESPN2.
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FOLLOW ALONG!
To get an inside look at the Utah Football program, follow the Utes on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Football | Instagram: @UtahFootball | Facebook: Search Utah Football), along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com for news, schedule and roster updates throughout the season.
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— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 11, 2022
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— Tavion.Thomas (@thiagoothomas9) September 10, 2022
Utah is looking to conclude the non-conference schedule with back-to-back wins as well as avenge a road loss to SDSU during the 2021 season.
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Asked Tuesday how prep for the game is shaping up, "So far, so good," said head coach Kyle Whittingham. "We're only two days into it, but we were able to put the last game behind us and move onto the next opponent. The focus and concentration were very good today. Today was our heaviest day of the week. It was a good practice, very physical. We've got three more to go and then we'll be ready to play on Saturday."
Â
Defensive Tackles Coach Luther Elliss
On how his position group improved from Week 1 to Week 2…
"The opponent was different, but you still gotta work on your technique. It doesn't matter who you're going against; you've gotta have great technique. We did not have that the first game. We did not play the way we were capable of playing. It was good to see the guys step up this last week. Of course, there's still a lot of things we've got to get better at. But I felt like overall, the guys were better technicians, better energy. It was just a better outing by our guys."
Â
On what that growth can be attributed to…
"As much as we do have experience, we're still young. No excuses, but we still have young guys, and they've got to learn how to handle themselves. No matter what kind of game, what kind of environment, no matter who you're playing. Whether you're playing SUU or Florida or Alabama, you've got to show up every day and get the work in and play like you're supposed to play."
Â
On assessing the run defense…
"Right now, I think we have the potential to be really, really good. But we have to do things the right way. The first game, we didn't get it done the right way. Second game was a lot better—different opponent, [SUU is] still respectable, those guys are still big guys up front. They're doing a good job up front. But I thought [our] guys responded the way they should have this last week."
Â
What are you most confident in about the defense?
"We just have guys that I call dogs. Guys that want to play, guys that love this game, guys that want to get it done. When you have that kind of attitude, you have nothing but up. You can only get better. Guys feed off each other—you saw that this past game, guys feeding off each other and good things happening. When you have that kind of attitude, that's a good thing. Doesn't matter what's happening out there, as long as we stay with that positive attitude, and show up and be dogs, good things are going to happen."
Â
Offensive Line Coach Jim Harding
On his impressions of the offensive line through two weeks…
"I think it's certainly a faster start than what we've had in years past. But there's plenty of things we need to work on. Including this past week, there's still fundamentals we can continue to hone in on. This week presents a huge challenge for us. We've got to be ready to go."
Â
On what might've sparked the faster start…
"I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we identified the guys we thought were going to be the starting five sooner—or maybe the six, seven guys that we knew were going to be in that starting five. Those guys being able to play together a little bit longer, I think helped in Fall camp."
Â
On Michael Mokofisi's progression and mentality to becoming a starter…
"He's extremely physical, almost to the point you have to reel him back in. There were a couple things he did on Saturday, little bit close to the edge. But I'd rather have to pull a kid back than have to get him to go. High football IQ. But more than anything, he's just a physical kid and enjoys being physical."
Â
On the depth of the offensive line…
"Right now, I would say we have nine or 10 guys we feel comfortable playing. Certainly, this past Saturday those guys all got about 30 reps, which I think are invaluable. It also gives a chance to evaluate them in a game situation versus just out here at practice. I think we do have the depth, but certainly hope we don't have to test the depth."
Â
On challenges presented by SDSU up front…
"They move around a ton. They're well-coached, they play hard. They certainly had our number last year. They should have the attention of the kids. It'll be a good challenge for us just because I think they're really well-coached and they play their tails off."
Â
NEXT UP
The No. 14-ranked Utes are set to host San Diego State for its annual Ute Proud game on Saturday, Sept. 17. The game will kick off in Rice-Eccles Stadium at 8 p.m. MT on ESPN2.
Â
FOLLOW ALONG!
To get an inside look at the Utah Football program, follow the Utes on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Football | Instagram: @UtahFootball | Facebook: Search Utah Football), along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com for news, schedule and roster updates throughout the season.
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Players Mentioned
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