5 games for 5 teams took place this last weekend involving Utah D1 schools.

BYU stayed undefeated and continued their storybook season by taking over FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, dispatching the UCF Knights in impressive fashion with a 37-24 win that saw the Cougars up by as much as 24 at one point.

Utah State went into Laramie and knocked off Mountain West foe, Wyoming, in the battle for Bridger’s rifle, escaping the Cowboy state with a 27-25 win due to a last second 40 yard field goal off the foot of Tanner Cragun.

Southern Utah evened up their record at 4-4 and went 3-1 in UAC conference play in Carrollton, Georgia, toppling the West Georgia Wolves 28-17.

The Utah Utes went to Houston and dropped their 4th consecutive contest, falling to the Cougars in the 4th quarter as Houston overcame a 14-7 Utah lead to eventually hit a walk off 43 yard field goal, picking up a 17-14 win.

Utah Tech slipped to 0-9 on the season despite a 231-75 passing yards advantage to Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels would win in front of the home town faithful 28-17.

Weber State was on a bye week.

With 5 games, 5 teams and their athletes are eligible for our weekly awards, this time of the defensive variety.

Here’s what we are giving away:

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: CIAN SLONE, UTAH STATE

The state of Utah as a whole only produced six sacks on the weekend.

Blake Mangelson had one for BYU.

Lando Brown got one in the SUU win, and teammates Josh Dunn and Anisi Purcell split a sack amongst themselves.

John Sniffen got home once for Utah Tech.

Only one player got two individual sacks accounting for 33 percent of Utah’s totals in regards to ripping down the opposing QB.

That was Utah State’s Cian Slone who forced Wyoming back 12 yards on two sacks, all a part of a 5 tackle day for the Senior.

No one in the state had more sacks or forced more yards lost due to said sacks, making Cian Slone the easy winner.
BALL HAWK: JORDAN VINCENT, UTAH STATE

The state breakdown consist of 4 interceptions and 10 pass breakups.

Faletau Satuala had an interception in the 4th VS UCF for the Cougars.

Johnathan Hall snagged a pass during 3rd quarter action VS Houston returning it 24 yards the other way.

The run back would set Utah up to the take a temporary 14-7 lead after a Micah Bernard 14 yard dash into the end zone.

But the only two players in the state with both a pass breakup and an interception were BYU’s Isaiah Glasker and Utah State’s Jordan Vincent.

Glasker’s breakup and interception both came in the 3rd quarter of BYU’s win, with the pick resulting in a six yard return to the UCF 27 yard line off an errant pass from a heavily pressured Jacurri Brown.

It would result in a field goal for the Cougars and a 34-10 lead at the time.

In a tied ball game at 10 a piece in Laramie, Jordan Vincent would halt a Wyoming drive with a 10 yard interception return and give the Aggies the ball back with 35 seconds remaining in the half.

That 35 seconds proved to be a game changer for the Aggies, as a 36 yard trick play pass from Grant Page to Rahsul Faison would set Utah State up for an 8 yard push into the end zone for Faison, giving USU a 17-10 lead at the break in what ended as a 27-25 Aggie win.

Glasker’s play was cool and his impact evident but Vincent’s interception impacted the outcome of his teams game much much more, giving him and his 6 tackle advantage (11 to 6) the victory here.

TACKLES FOR LOSS: JOHN SNIFFEN, UTAH TECH

20 is the grand total of tackles for loss in the state from this last weekend, a stout number indeed.

Excluding our pass rushing winner in Slone (see above) only one other player in the state had a grand total of two tackles for loss.

You had a couple of 1.5 TFL competitors like Anisis Purcell with SUU. Connor O’Toole at Utah or Utah State's Logan Pili.

But Utah Tech’s John Sniffen totaled 2 tackles for loss unlike anyone else in the state who hasn’t already won an award this week.

Not only did Sniffen trump everyone else by at least a .5 TFL, he also was responsible for causing the most yards lost for opponents.

-7 yards is what Sniffen inflicted upon Eastern Kentucky, the top mark for anyone with more than 1 Tackles for loss.

Leading he way in both overall TFL’s and yards lost for players with more than 1 TFL, gives Sniffen the leg up this week.

TACKLES: LANDER BARTON, UTAH UTES

5 players in the state hit the double digit mark in total tackles.

One was a winner of the ball hawk award in USU’s Jordan Vincent with 11 tackles (9 solo).

Two were Utah Tech teammates with Quincy Lejay and Brevin Hamblin both totaling 11 tackles.

Lejay had 10 solo, Hamblin had 9.

George Ramirez had 6 solo pursuits on his way to 10 total for the T-Birds.

Lastly Utah Utes Junior Linebacker, Lander Barton, established defensive dominance with 12 total tackles.

Not only was 12 the most tackles by an individual in the state but his solo tackles checked in at a whopping 11 total, another best in state stat.

Barton was the only player with double digit tackles to also record a TFL. Only adding to his award winning resume.

It’s a great showing from multiple guys but Barton is the easy selection here.

 

That does it for this week, tune in next week when more football is played allowing for more awards.

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