Utah must shore up this part of its defense for Big 12 matchup vs. Colorado

Utes entertain the Buffaloes at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday

BYU Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (middle) runs against Utah Utes safety Jackson Bennee (23) and cornerback Elijah Davis (9) during the first quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Ranking among the top 12 teams in the country in efficiency and points allowed, Utah's defense through the first seven games of the 2025 campaign has generally looked like the stout unit Morgan Scalley has shaped it be over the course of his 10 seasons as the team's defensive coordinator.

However, if there's any snags that need mending ahead of Saturday's matchup against Colorado, it would be the hole in the Utes' run defense.

"Our run defense this year is not as good as it typically is," said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham during his weekly press conference. "I think a big reason for that is we've seen so much QB run game in the first seven games of the year."

Sep 13, 2025; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Heading into Week 9, Utah yields 150.7 rush yards per game to its opponents (seventh-most in the 16-team Big 12) while allowing 4.1 yards per carry — a considerable drop off from last season when it gave up 129 yards on the ground per contest and 3.8 per attempt.

It's grown more difficult for the Utes to slow down the run with every mobile quarterback they come across on their Big 12 schedule. In Utah's last four games, its allowed 196.3 rush yards per contest. During that same stretch, opposing signal-callers averaged 65 yards on the ground.

For comparison, in the Utes' first three games of the season, they gave up a total of 45 rush yards to opposing quarterbacks. Granted, the way the NCAA counts sack yards against a team's rushing total skews the numbers slightly, but even the ole fashioned "eye test" would be able to indicate just how much Utah has struggled recently with dual-threat quarterbacks.

Saturday's opponent won't look much different than some of the others Utah has faced in Big 12 play. While the Buffaloes' run game hasn't exactly been on-par with the top teams in the league, their quarterback, Kaidon Salter, has proven he can be effective with his legs.

Oct 11, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) passes the ball in the first quarter against the Iowa State Cyclones at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

"They're like a lot of the teams we've played this year," Whittingham said. "They got a quarterback who's really a good runner."

Salter checks in with the sixth-most rushing yards by a Big 12 quarterback this season with 270 on 65 attempts (4.2 per carry) and five touchdowns. Being surrounded by a couple of standout wide receivers in Omarion Miller and Joseph Williams helps the Buffaloes move the chains through the air, though Salter's ability to keep plays alive and his team on schedule with his legs shouldn't be overlooked by the Utes going into their matchup at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

In Colorado's three wins this season, Salter put up 55.7 rushing yards per game (6.2 per attempt). Conversely, he averaged just 34.3 rushing yards and 2.8 per carry in the three starts he lost.

Considering Utah is No. 12 in the nation in both defensive efficiency (80.5) and points allowed per game (15.3), it's lack of consistency against the run feels like even more of an outlier for a unit that's predicated on being tough-minded and physical in the trenches. With more dual-threats like Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby and Kansas' Jalon Daniels on the docket, the Utes will have to be better defending designed run plays like speed or triple option if they're to regain their form defensively.

"The quarterback run game is probably right towards the top of the list of things we need to be concerned with this week," Whittingham said.