Our injuries are starting to get difficult to overcome

[utetastic]

We are without, who I think, is our best corner (Josh Broughton)

Now we are going to be without our 3rd best corner (Faybian Marks)

Our remaining backup corners are Elisha Lloyd (true freshman), Caine Savage, Kenzel Lawler, Drew Rawls, and LaCarea Pleasant-Johnson. 

 

Our best defensive lineman (Vaine Moala) is out.

We were without one of our D-line starters this week. (Aliki Vimahi) For obvious and good reasons and if I were him I wouldn’t be available this week either.

 

We may be down 4 starters on the offensive line. Each of these 4 guys started for us at one time. Simi Moala (gone), Jaren Kump (out), Paul Maile (most likely out), Nick Ford (unknown, but could be out)

We could be down 8 starters for this game. (4 Oline, 2 Dline, 2 Corners) This isn’t including Tavion Thomas who we have no clue on. So if you count him that is 9 starters down.

 

If we win this weeks game down 8 or 9 starters it would be a minor miracle. 

 

[UtahMan17]

OL is worrisome for sure. But CB is okay. Our best CB imo is Phillips, and Vaughn has the highest ceiling of anyone. They’ll be fine and Mataele or a safety can play nickel just fine.

DL will be fine. Tafua is our best DL by far imo  (leads the PAC in sacks), Van will hold down the other side and our DT rotation will be fine. 

Tavion and our OL are the big concerns. I’ll feel way better about our chances of beating Oregon if 55 and 9 are out there on Saturday. Sounds like 55 very likely won’t be though…

[Ute Dub]

CB is the biggest concern IMO…not the OL. OL has played best with Daniels at RT replacing Moala and Bam has done well at LT replacing Kump.  Bills and Laumea can play the guards, we do need a center. We are paper thin at CB and Vaughn doesn’t know the plays whether we’re man or zone and he gave up a 50 yard play because he ran to the flat and his guy was wide open down the sideline.

[2008 National Champ]

That big play wasn’t on Vaughn, or at least not completely. He had two receivers to choose from and took the flat so I’m assuming he thought it was cover 2. If he was supposed to have deep third, where was the flat defender? Same with man in that someone else should have been on one of those routes.

Utah struggled all game to get the call in and figure out who they were covering. I’m pretty sure there are still Arizona receivers wide open over the middle.

[Larry B]

I was talking with my BIL (big Ducks fan) a couple weeks ago and he said that Oregon has lost 7 starters on defense this year, plus Verdell. All season ending injuries. I didn’t check to confirm that claim, but if it’s true then they’re pretty banged up too.

[Crazyforu]

This, exactly. Everyone is beat up. Utah has been missing guys all year, as has everyone else. W or L next week, they will put their best foot forward. 

No excuses, play them again in 2 weeks, regardless.

[Fabian]

I personally wouldn’t even count the moalas, kump and broughton since we’ve played all pac 12 games without them

[alUmnUs]

Thank you for pointing this out and releasing me from my eyeroll.

[AZUTE]

When did Ford get hurt?

He was in on the last drive and was moving well.

[Utah5410]

My guess is Ford plays, the DL was fine. Vaughn has played better than Marks. Everyone else you mentioned has been out for a while.

[UtahUtesRock]

PANIC!!!!!

[ironman1315]

At the disco!

[UtesRock]

Thanks for the update. It’s always been next man up, and don’t count out the true freshmen. The freshmen are hungry!

[Author]

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