Nate Ritchie

good.

One of the things that we've seen a lot of from Utah this year is that three safety look where they've got – Rabbit playing free safety or the equivalent of they've got Nate Ritchie playing strong safety and then Benny basically being in the nickel.

And they did that a few years ago to great success.

And I do think that they can shift a guy like Benny and he's a good matchup there and bring in an extra corner if they need to.

I'm looking at Jackson, Benny.

He still has missed.

He's missed for this season, including three versus Iowa state and Nate Ritchie.

The two of them have been much, much better.

So hopefully that shows up Saturday.

Both Robert and Nate Ritchie have been playing at an extremely high level through the first six games.

Just what has stood out about their play to you?

Man, they just seem so comfortable inside the scheme now.

Yeah, I agree.

I think when you look at their star linebacker, Jonathan Hall, the safety, the box safety, Nate Ritchie, they do a really great job at the second level.

And even on the first level of the defensive line, Ethan day and those guys up front, really good job stopping the run.

Both of these teams have very good run defenses where I would be a little bit more concerned for Utah's defense, especially against this Houston offensive line.

Made open field tackles.

We've been seeing Rav, Nate Ritchie.

We've been seeing these guys do it in the game.

So, man, I'm ecstatic, and I'm ready for the next game with my boys.

Rabbit's doing great.

Nate Ritchie, uh, the godfather out there, the grandpa of the group.

And he's commanding and demanding and, and I love him to death.

Uh, and then you got a young safety who's in, um, Nate Tillman, who's doing a great job, and he provides a lot of support, so the safeties are phenomenal.

And, uh, no surprise when we're talking about Sharif Shaw, but, but Coach Odom comes back onto this staff, and immediately the safety's ...

I mean, Nate Ritchie's playing better football than he ever has.

I think we gotta give him, eh, the players certainly get credit, but I think Coach Odom gets credit as well.

Why, I agree with all of that, Sean.

The safety room's always good for Utah.

I think a big part of it for Nate is he's healthy.

I mean, Nate, Nate Ritchie has battled injuries throughout his career at Utah.

He is finally healthy.

You look at that safety room with Benny, Rabid Evans, who's a Texas kid, uh, went to high school just outside of Houston, went to Blinn College, uh, and then came to Utah.

Rabid Evans and then Nate Ritchie, who's a senior in this program.

Those three safeties, because Scally and Swan and all the guys before him, they love to use those safeties as chess pieces and move those guys around and let them be interchangeable.

And, and the corners on the outside have been good, too.