Utah CFB Defensive Awards: Week 10

Week 10 of 15 in the college football world brought the action with upsets like South Carolina over Texas A & M.

Maybe you fancied both Kansas State and Iowa State falling to Houston and Texas Tech respectively as the hierarchy of the Big 12 now has one undefeated team left in BYU.

Perhaps Utah Tech as 24 point home underdogs handling #9 Central Arkansas, 34-21, was the game that made your week.

Once again I repeat, Utah Tech beat an FCS top ten team for their first win of the season in an absolute shocker in front of the hometown faithful at Greater Zion Stadium.

Southern Utah lost another heart breaker, a recurring theme for the T-Birds, falling 28-25 at Abilene Christian.

4 of Southern Utah’s 5 losses have been decided by 1, 3, 3 and 10 points.

Weber State returned from a bye week with a visit to Flagstaff after resting up from a 48 point outing against Sacramento State.

Unfortunately the offense wouldn't have an encore performance with the Wildcats being stifled 27-6 by Northern Arizona.

3 games, 3 bye weeks between the six D1 schools here in Utah and only one total win.

Defensive awards should be easy to sort through this week eh?

Here’s how we hand em out:

BEST PASS RUSHER

BEST BALL HAWK

TFL MASTER

BEST TACKLER

Reminder: We are naming the top defensive efforts from the following groups at the D1 level in Utah and Utah only.

Lets-a-go.
PASS RUSHER: KEMARI MUNIER-BAILEY, WEBER STATE

As a reminder, there were only three games this week for D1 Utah schools, meaning there was only a total of 6 sacks through the state.

Kemari Munier-Bailey had 1.5 of the six and was the only player to bring down the quarterback more than once.

Someone like Utah Tech’s Rick Mua’e makes a valid showing by having a sack and a quarterback hurry against Central Arkansas.

But ultimately Munier-Bailey’s efforts forced Northern Arizona back 9 yards where as Mua’e only caused a -4 in the loss department.

It gives Kemari Munier-Bailey the slight win in this weeks pas rusher category.

Kemari now has a total of 7.5 sacks on the season.
BALL HAWK: BRADY SORENSON, UTAH TECH

SUU’s George Ramirez nearly housed an 88 yard interception in the 4th quarter, making it all the way down to Abilene Christian’s 2 yard line.

It was a massive play well deserving of recognition as it would result in a 1 yard touchdown plunge for Targhee Lambson and an eventual 28-25 ball game with under 4 minutes to go.

No, SUU wouldn’t win, but the Ramirez pick gave them an opportunity when they needed it most.

Utah Tech intercepted Central Arkansas a whopping 4 times.

One went to Jaxson Smith, who also had a pass breakup.

Another went to Scooter Jackson.

And two went to Brady Sorenson.

The freshman defensive back made waves in what ended up being a 34-21 Utah Tech win.

In a game like that, halting two potential scoring drives goes a long way.

One pick, yielding a 19 yard return, came off a deflected pass from Quincy Lejay down at the Utah Tech 2 yard line, halting a Bears score in it’s tracks.

The 2^nd interception would come only minutes later, another deflected ball on Utah Tech’s side of the field, albeit just barely.

Two interceptions, a stop in the redzone and a win will take home the honors for Brady Sorenson.

TACKLE FOR LOSS: JACKSON FISHER, UTAH TECH

Rick Mua’e was the state leader in tackles for loss with an impressive 2.5 TFL for -4 yards.

The amount is impressive but the yardage would be topped elsewhere.

Lando Brown with SUU and Dane Whalen of Utah Tech both had two tackles for loss to sit near the top for their respective teams.

Brown caused a -10 yards in damages and Whalen a -2.

Brown had the yards, but Whalen forced a fumble.

Speaking of forced fumbles Fisher Jackson only had one tackle for loss but it was for a massive state high 28 yard setback.

Of course, it also resulted in another forced fumble that would be recovered by Cody Carlson at the Central Arkansas 5 yard line, which would usher in a Utah Tech score to go up 24-7.

Jackson didn’t have the grand total but a 28 yard loss with a forced fumble that would help Utah tech distance themselves from the Bears cannot be overlooked.

The sports center esque moment lands Jackson Fisher the award this week.

TACKLER: GEORGE RAMIREZ, SOUTHERN UTAH

QUINCY LEJAY, UTAH TECH

The tackler award this week belongs to the secondaries as the only two players to hit the double digit mark in total tackles are secondary players.

Utah Tech’s Quincy Lejay had 13 wrap ups.

Southern Utah’s George Ramirez had 12 total tackles.

Lejay had 8 solo tackles and 5 assists as well as a fumble recovery in the Trailblazer win.

Ramirez had 7 solo tackles and 5 assist to pair with a tackle for loss and his aforementioned 88 yard interception return.

This is a tight battle and I hate to leave either player out of winning the award.

So I wont.

Both George Ramirez and Quincy Lejay are your tackle masters of the week for getting it done from the second level.

Is it the easy way out?

Sure, but their was only three games this last weekend and these guys deserve the recognition.

Tune in next week when the competition ramps up as the FBS schools return.