Utah has come a long way in stopping the run since Florida

Defensive ends coach Lewis Powell explained how far the Utes have come in stopping the run since week one.

Question: How has the team adjusted four weeks into the season?

Chase Kennedy, Utah Utes Fall Camp.

Courtesy of Utah Athletics.

Lewis Powell: "I think we're adjusting well. The young guys have learned a lot throughout the first four games. They understand that the task is pretty physical [this week]…probably one of the best teams in our conference. We're excited for the challenge."

Question: Is there a correlation between more physicality and an increase in sack numbers?

Lewis Powell: "We're trying to always stop the run first, then get after the quarterback. We're probably doing a good job stopping the run to have five sacks [at Arizona State]. But obviously, we want as many sacks as we can get, after we stop the run."

Question: What has changed in stopping the run between Florida and Arizona State? 

Utah Utes defensive end Gabe Reid (91) celebrates his sack against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half at Sun Devil Stadium.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Lewis Powell: "There's a lot that changed between those games. Guys on our defense just understanding their role, how they fit in our scheme, what they need to do. It was exciting for them to get better every single week. We went from Florida, to Southern Utah, to San Diego State, now Arizona State. Hopefully we continue to make progress and see good improvement in our fundamentals, technique and understanding of our scheme."

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