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Utah Utes running back Micah Bernard (2) slips a tackle by Baylor Bears safety Devin Lemear (20) at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
All of Rice-Eccles Stadium, from the fans in the stands to Baylor’s coaches and players, knew what was coming.
Utah’s defense, which held the Bears to just 12 points and 223 total yards on Saturday, was rolling with eight tackles for loss, including three sacks. After Cam Rising exited the game with a finger injury, the Utes’ game plan for most of the second half was obvious — keep the ball on the ground for the majority of the time and don’t turn it over.
So Baylor’s defense could guess with a high degree of certainty what was coming when the Utes’ offense embarked on their second drive of the fourth quarter.
Runs, runs, and more runs.
In all, Utah ran the ball 11 times on the game-clinching drive that bled over seven minutes off the game clock. Isaac Wilson didn’t pass the ball once, and there wasn’t even a play-action pass mixed into offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s calls.
Nope, this game was going to be won on the ground, much to the delight of senior running back Micah Bernard.
“I kept hearing run after run after run. I’m like, all right, well that’s more carries, more touches. I’ve always wanted more carries, more touches,” Bernard said.
Though the Utes have handled running back duties by committee, Bernard has been the closest thing Utah has had to an RB1, and looked the part on Saturday. Mike Mitchell — who’s been dealing with “little nagging things that have bugged him throughout fall camp,” according to Utah coach Kyle Whittingham — hurt his ankle in the second quarter.
Mitchell was on the sidelines for most of the second half, but returned…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/micah-bernard-utah-running-game-023731388.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-09-12 02:37:31
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