Utah CFB Defensive Awards: Week 8
Week 8 has come and gone and the hierarchy of the college football world doesn’t become any more clear because of it.
The parity and balance in this year’s season has been exciting, unprecedented and still leaves a lot to be discovered.
On a week to week basis, you cant expect to discover a new favorite, rather you can expect good football and upsets galore.
It’s no different right here in the state of Utah.
The preseason darlings in Utah have more questions than they do answers and have now lost two consecutive ball games after falling to TCU in Salt Lake City 13-7.
The preseason afterthoughts at BYU are surging, stealing a victory from Oklahoma State 38-35 in Provo, allowing them to remain undefeated and tied atop the Big 12 standings with Iowa State.
Weber State got a heavy dose of heartbreak after mounting an epic 4th quarter comeback only to fall in Sacramento, dropping an overtime showdown 51-48 to the Hornets.
Utah State was on the wrong side of a 21 point New Mexico 4th quarter that downed the Aggies 50-45 in a high scoring Mountain West tilt.
Utah Tech lost a hard fought defensive slug fest in St. George to Austin Peay, 13-7.
If I had a nickel for every time a team lost a home game in Utah with a final score of 13-7 in the year of 2024 of week 8, I would have two nickels.
Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird its happened twice.
Anyways, lets get down to business, and hand out the defensive hardware from a wild week 8.
Awards will be given to the following:
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: JOHN MILLER, UTAH STATE
It was certainly a down week in terms of getting to the opposing quarterback for our beloved Utah schools.
Between all 5 schools in action there was a grand total of six sacks and 9 quarterback hurries in Week 8.
Utah did not record a sack against the Horned Frogs.
BYU’s Jack Kelly gave the Cougars their only sack of the night and added a hurry by nights end.
Weber State recorded a solo sack as well in the form of a Kao Hansen take down.
Only Utah State and Utah Tech had more than one sack as a team, both finishing with two total sacks.
Utah Tech’s came from two local individual’s with Herriman High’s Fisher Jackson and Desert Hill’s Jarron Polu both getting into the backfield once a piece.
For Utah State, it was one individual Aggie accounting for both sacks.
John Miller, the redshirt junior out of Oregon, ripped down the QB twice for a grand total of 15 yards lost in damages.
To add to his efforts, Miller also netted a hurry of his own.
Miller got home the most in Week 8 with his two sacks and ran unopposed, making John Miller your pass rusher of the week.
BALL HAWK: FRANKIE EDWARDS, WEBER STATE
The secondaries were busy for most of Utah’s D1 programs in Week 8.
Utah’s Keanu Tanuvasa and Weber State’s Toddrick Dixon led the state with two pass breakups each.
3 of the 5 schools recorded at least one interception.
Weber State had 1.
BYU had 2.
Utah State had 3.
Tommy Prassas, the man famous for the scoop and score VS K-State intercepted an OSU Alan Bowman pass that would turn into a BYU score on a short field.
Broc Lane, DJ Graham II and Avante Dickerson all forced a New Mexico turnover through the air tallying the three aformentioned interceptions for the Aggies.
Lane, the teams Tight End, was in to help prevent a desperation heave from the Lobos at the end of the 2nd quarter.
He did just that taking it back 35 yards the other way before the end of the first half.
In the BYU-OSU game, Tanner Wall hauled in an overshot Garret Rangel pass from the Cowboys signal caller and was a single yard away from making a house call.
As remarkable of a play as it was, that one yard proved to be the difference maker in determining who wins this week’s award.
The reason being is because Weber State’s Frankie Edwards had not only a touchdown return, but one that had massive game changing implications at the time.
Yes, Weber State still lost but with Sacramento State was up 41-24 at the start of the 4th quarter, the Hornets were once again in the redzone looking for one final blow.
Instead Frankie Edwards read the Hornets trick play to perfection, snatching a high hanging ball out of the air and ran 95 yards the other way for a Wildcat score.
Edwards got the massive return and made it a ten point game that the Wildcats would eventually tie up for an overtime showdown.
The pick, the score and the momentum shift land Frankie Edwards the award this week.
TACKLES FOR LOSS: SIMOTE PEPA, UTAH
Once again, John Miller of Utah State would fit the bill here with 3 tackles for loss and a total of -19 yards imposed on New Mexico.
But he’s already won and is no longer eligible for these fictitious awards.
So we turn our attention to the rest of the state, and let me tell you, there were only two players who had more than one tackle for loss.
Utah Tech’s Jared Fotu had 1.5 tackles for loss as a part of his 8 total tackles against the Governor’s.
Utah’s Simote Pepa only had 2 tackles but both were tackles for loss forcing -5 yards against TCU.
Pepa didn’t have the individual tackles but got in the backfield more and pushed the opposition back 3 more yards than Fotu, barely taking the award.
TACKLER: BREVIN HAMBLIN, UTAH TECH
4 players hit the double digit mark with overall tackles at the Utah D1 level.
Harrison Taggart had 11 for the Cougars.
Jordan Vincent had 12 (4 solo) while his teammate Jon Ross Maye netted 10 (all assisted)
Brevin Hamblin totaled 12 total tackles for the Trailblazers.
Taggart had six solo pursuits which fell one shy of Hamblin’s 7 solo tackles.
Hamblin had one more tackle overall than Taggart and the extra solo tackle, giving him an advantage.
This point aids in awarding our tackle of the week to the defensive back out of Syracuse High, Brevin Hamblin.