Even without Jerrae Williams, UNLV defense hunting turnovers

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Friday, Sept. 29, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Is the UNLV defense good, in the traditional sense? Opponents are averaging 6.0 yards per play through four games, which is a better clip than the Scarlet and Gray offense (5.6). So no, it probably wouldn’t be fair to say the defense is lock-down.

But it is opportunistic. And that’s been good enough to launch Barry Odom’s squad to a 3-1 start.

UNLV has excelled at creating havoc, harassing opposing quarterbacks and ballcarriers into nine turnovers so far this season. That total ranks them eighth in the country, and their turnover margin of +4 is the 16^th-best mark.

Against UTEP, the Scarlet and Gray stayed hot on defense with three interceptions, and they also blocked a punt, which doesn’t technically count as a turnover although it does flip field position like a turnover.

Odom says the coaching staff has been emphasizing the importance of creating turnovers, and the players have bought in. And they’ll need to keep doing it in order to maintain their winning ways — including Saturday against Hawaii.

“If we could keep that pace going, we’ll need it,” Odom said. “We need to get as many takeaways as we can.”

Odom has done his part by installing a defense that thrives on the opponents’ side of the line of scrimmage. Heavy blitzing has been a staple, with defenders rushing from a variety of angles; six different players have recorded sacks, including two defensive backs.

Against UTEP, they forced 10 plays of negative yardage, with eight of those explosive hits coming in the first half as UNLV built a 28-14 lead.

The fulcrum is slot cornerback Jerrae Williams. The 5-foot-10 senior has an interception and a fumble recovery, which he returned 41 yards for a touchdown, but most of his highlights have come in the backfield. Williams leads the team in sacks (3.0) and tackles for loss (7.0), earning him the nickname “Big-play Jerrae.”

While Williams is gameplanned to be a frequent blitzer, Odom attributed some of his game-changing plays to good instincts.

“That position is really important,” Odom said. “A lot of that is natural instinct and ability. Some of it is play call. But also, there are times within the read that it looks like that position is on a blitz, and it’s not — it’s just a really good read.”

Unfortunately for UNLV, Williams suffered a foot injury against UTEP and underwent surgery this week, meaning he is unlikely to play in the near future. It's a big blow to a defense that has come to rely on Williams for momentum plays.

Odom believes the next man up can be productive in Williams' role, as long as they adhere to the principles that are being taught in practice.

“When the ball is loose or a tipped ball, are you swarming the ball?” Odom said. “Are you populating the ball? Is your effort the way it needs to be? Because if you get a number of hats around the ball, numbers say you’re going to come up with it if it’s loose.”

Hawaii has thrown six interceptions this season and committed seven turnovers, so odds are the UNLV defense will have its chances on Saturday. If they keep making those big plays, the Scarlet and Gray will keep winning.  

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.