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Derrick Odum 10-20-26 Post Practice Media Availability · ESPN 700 & 92.1 FM | Utah's #1 Sports Talk

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Coach, what do you guys need to tighten up on
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: in the back end, giving up a lot of explosive
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: plays in the last two weeks? Yeah, it was one
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: of those deals where if one guy is not right,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: they did some stuff that made things difficult a little
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: bit with the.
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: Way they ran their patterns and things like that. So
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: we just didn't have the communication that we needed to.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: And on the back end, if that happens, it's a
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: big play.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: So sometimes inside, interior, if you're not right, it gets
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: covered up.
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: In the back end of camp, you know, so we
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: got to get better.
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: We did, you know, do a nice job today in practice,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: kind of cleaning those things up.
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: So, uh, hopefully that shows up Saturday.
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: Both Robert and Nate Ritchie have been playing at an
• 0:38
  Speaker 3: extremely high level through the first six games. Just what
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: has stood out about their play to you?
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Yeah, they just seem so comfortable inside the scheme now. And, um,
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: you know, they're playing like they're so together, like the
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: way they, they work together. There's, as far as our communication,
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: each snap, um, and they're just having fun out there.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: So it's really cool to see them, you know, just
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: striving and working hard in practice and that showing up in,
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: you know, on game days.
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: But, yeah, I mean, we're.
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: Halfway there, but really pleased with those guys right now.
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: What have you seen from Conway from this team?
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: He's special, that guy. He can sling it all over
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: the place, and he's a tough runner as well. We're
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: having our hands full. He's a guy that doesn't make
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: many mistakes throwing the ball. I think he has 20
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: touchdowns and two interceptions.
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: He's really good with the football. He takes care of it.
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: Like I said, he's a really good runner in space.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: He gives their receivers a chance to make a play.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: He puts it in a spot where they can only
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: make it. If it's not them, it's going.
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: To be out of bounds. He's a special player. He's
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: the best we've faced this year.
• 1:45
  Speaker 4: The start of the season, how exciting is it to
• 1:47
  Speaker 4: have some big games coming up with Houston and then
• 1:50
  Speaker 4: BYU later on, and how exciting is it to have
• 1:53
  Speaker 4: those big matchups coming up the second half of the season?
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: Well, it's just exciting to be 6-0 at this point,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: you know what I mean?
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: And next week is trying to go 1-0. That's it.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: I know we have some games down the line that
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: could have a lot riding on it, but this one
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: is the most important because all those don't matter if
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: you don't take care of the week that you're in
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: right now. So, We know that's some stuff coming down
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: the line, but this is the most important one. Houston,
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: they're in their formidable outfit on offense for sure.
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: Jackson Benny mainly saw a lot of time at nickel,
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: but last week versus Colorado, we saw him a little
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: bit at back in safety. Just how much does it
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: make your job easier knowing that he can kind of
• 2:27
  Speaker 3: mix it around and play in different spots?
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's really because he's a versatile guy.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: We've been playing, like you said, at the nickel spot,
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: but he's a safety at heart. Last game, they gave
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: us some personnel groups that enabled him to be more
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: of a safety player. And he took that and just
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: really did a nice job. I think he had led
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: the team in tackles or at least tied for team in.
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: Tackles that last week. So very versatile guy.
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: He has to know a lot in this defense because
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: of the multiple positions he plays.
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: But he's doing a really nice job so far. What
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: stands out about the pass catchers that Houston has on tape?
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: A lot of speed. They've got guys that can fly,
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: and they have a couple, you know, their tight end is.
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: Their leading receiver as far as receptions.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: So they're very, you know, they have backs that catch
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: the ball. Everyone does a nice job in space. They've
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: got a lot of speed. They're tough runners when they
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: do after the catch, you know, so. They've got a
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: really tough outfit to defend. They have so many weapons
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: that they can go to, whether it's throwing the football
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: or running it. And their tight ends are really good.
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: Going back to spring ball, you harped a lot about
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: tackling and just getting this group better. Just how do
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: you think the defense as a whole in your group
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: specifically has been in that category?
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I really think that they've taken a lot of
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: strides in that area.
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: You know we always have a goal of no missed
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: tackles in a game and you know that can be
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: a tough goal to get because of so much you
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: know these guys that you're trying to tackle you know
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: they got all this space and they're fast and tough
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: and strong and so that's always a goal every single
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: week and I think we've done a pretty good job
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: so far again it's funny because you see them if
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: they do miss one man they're down on themselves because
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: they know like that's a critical piece of what we're
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: trying to do so and that's all you want and
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: We work on it every single day in some form
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: or fashion, and, you know, hopefully it shows up on Saturdays.
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: Thanks, Coach.