Utes prove to be the more physical team under the lights

Before UCLA took the field on Saturday night in a big Pac-12 clash against UCLA, they heard all week about how they weren't going to be the more physical team on the field that night.

UCLA wide receiver Ethan Fernea started it when he said “Utah's known for being a tough team, but I think we're ready to go out and show we're the tougher team.”

Externally, the Utes didn't do or say anything regarding Fernea's comment. When pressed for a response, Utah was short and polite in its response, saying things like "We don't care what anyone else says" and "We just focus on ourselves."

But internally, the Utes were fuming and angry. And nobody outside of the program knew how much until after Utah beat the Bruins up and down the field to the tune of a 49-3 final score.

“I was excited when I heard we’d be up first. ... The whole defense was," defensive lineman Bradlee Anae said postgame. "We just came out and laid one on them, and we found out who the more physical team was for sure.”

Led by Anae, the defense really showed who the more physical team was.

The Bruins were the Pac-12's leading offense, averaging the most points and rushing yards per game entering Saturday night. But they ran into a stone wall against the Utes, who limited UCLA 50 rushing yards on 37 carries, a 1.4 average yards per carry. The 3 points scored were also a season-low by the Bruins, eventually proving who the more physical team was.

"Our guys heard what was being said and they didn't really let it bother them. ... At least that's what you guys know," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham told reporters postgame.

Utah prides itself on being the more physical and prepared team on game days, and last Saturday proved that you if you're going to talk about the Utes, you better be prepared to back it up.

UCLA wasn't. I wonder if teams will eventually learn from this, because the Utes are ready for all challengers.

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