This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Favorite Ute? Filipo Mokofisi knows the easy answer is his dad, Mokofisi Sr., a linebacker who piled up big-time stats back in the day.
But Mokofisi never saw his father play football. For his money, give him a guy he grew up watching, a guy from the trenches. Give him a defensive lineman.
"Steve Fifita, that guy was a monster," Mokofisi said, his voice dripping with awe. "When he was playing on that Fiesta Bowl team with Kelly Talavou and my cousin [Malakai Mokofisi], man those guys were baaaaad."
Trying to find the start of Utah's year-in, year-out tradition of fielding great defensive linemen is akin to trying to find what's on the other end of your cable cord. You can keep tugging, pulling out and not quite come to the end of it.
It's a decorated timeline. Nate Orchard, leading the nation in sacks entering the week, learned from the likes of Trevor Reilly and Star Lotulelei. Back then, those guys tried to carry on from the 2008 Sugar Bowl line, featuring Paul Kruger and Koa Misi, and those guys looked up to the 2004 Fiesta Bowl line.
But looking for a common thread, that's much easier. When a Utah defensive lineman puts his hand to the ground, he refuses to be intimidated by the men standing across the line of scrimmage. On game days, he brings an nasty attitude and a relentless work ethic.
"We always thought we're as good as anybody, and we didn't care who was in front of us," said Fifita. "Utah looks for guys with that kind of fight. To be a good D-lineman, you have to have nastiness."
Even dating to humbler days in the WAC, the Utes have kept a good thing going at the front of their defense. The Utes have produced at least one all-conference defensive lineman in 20 of the past 23 years, and at least 26 defensive linemen have gotten shots with NFL teams. Eight are currently on NFL rosters. When Utah plays on national television, color commentators inevitably mention the Utes' "physicality in the trenches. " Why? Because it's true, and has been for decades.
This year's group looks as promising as any: Utah entered the week leading the nation in sacks (5.6 per game), which was one of the biggest keys in orchestrating the Utes' 30-28 upset over No. 8 UCLA. Brett Hundley could certainly vouch for them.
The current Utes draw inspiration from that rich history. They've seen highlights from the bowl games or old BYU matchups flickering across YouTube. Some of the legends' portraits hang in the defensive line room, silently challenging them to take their place as one of Utah's great units.
"We see those guys when we walk into the building every day," Orchard said. "They've been our idols."
Most agree it all started with consensus All-America lineman Luther Elliss, who played from 1991-94 and left behind a career that has really never quite been equaled. But even that may not be entirely the beginning. Even legends have their own mentors. Elliss says his were Blaine Berger and Jimmy Bellamy.
But Elliss surely inspired a lot of local kids to take interest in Utah and follow in his footsteps. He had skills and strength that made him a terror, as well of a sense of swagger.
He was the program's first big figurehead, setting a precedent for more recruits, especially in the Polynesian community.
"Luther was kind of my main model, and he was the biggest deal around here," said Jason Kaufusi, who now coaches for Weber State. "When I was at East High, Luther was the big show in town. Everything he did, you wanted to do."
The line with Elliss and Bronzell Miller gave way to program-sack leader John Frank, Kaufusi, Ma'ake Kemoeatu and Garrett Smith. Those players were a part of the next wave, leading into Utah's biggest stretch of dominance.
One particularly fond memory for Fifita was marching into Provo for a snowy 2003 game and slugging out the Cougars, 3-0. It was the first time a BYU team had been shut out since 1975, an NCAA record string of 361 games.
"That was one of our defining moments for sure," Fifita said. "We just wanted to show up and kick people's butts."
What exactly does Utah do so well up front?
Recruiting is a big part of the equation. Kyle Whittingham and his staff don't just look for big and strong players, they also look for guys with good hands, and guys who can move. They don't mind poaching from other units if they must: Kruger was a top-notch quarterback for Timpanogos, while Orchard was a dominant receiver on Highland's 2010 championship team.
Through the years, coaches at Utah have been able to see who might fit on the line, regardless of where they've been before. Derrick Shelby weighed 190 pounds coming into the program, and beefed up over the years to become an all-conference defensive end. Christian Cox tried six positions before finding his home as an end, a position he had never played in his life.
"We just had athletic skill sets which kind of got cushioned into the D-line," Cox said. "People like to say pass rushing is God-gifted, but I disagree. My coaches taught me how to manipulate offense linemen, and by my senior year, I had my success."
Not much has changed about Utah's core defensive concepts since the days of Ron McBride and Fred Whittingham, most ex-Utes said. The team likes having space eaters in the middle — Sione Pouha, Kelly Talavou, Star Lotulelei — and lightning quick athletes off the edge of the Kruger/Misi/Reilly mold, exploding through for sacks and fumbles. The line also opens up blitzing lanes for linebackers and corners to take down the quarterback: Jared Norris has four sacks this year, and he owed the defensive line a great deal for those chances.
The defensive line coaching also has shown a remarkable consistency: From Steve Kaufusi, Gary Andersen, John Pease, Chad Kauha'aha'a and now Ilaisa Tuiaki, it's tough to pick a weak link.
"Over the years our line coaches have done an excellent job of teaching fundamentals and technique," Kyle Whittingham said. "It comes back to talent, that's the basis; but we have been fortunate when it comes to coaching."
It's no surprise, then, that so many former D-linemen are coaching themselves: Jason Kaufusi is at Weber State, and Fifita is up north at Idaho State. Lewis Powell is at Hawaii.
Fifita said he's taken some lessons he learned from Andersen into his own D-line room, where he hopes to breed the same fire his old team had — well, that his old team still has.
Meanwhile, the current group has the nation's attention, appearing to be one of the best. And the old guard hopes they can continue upholding that tradition.
"I think we're just touching the surface of what this group can do," Elliss said. "I don't think that they realize how much talent they have. The sky is the limit."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Best ever?
Some of Utah's outstanding players on the defensive line over the years:
Steve Clark, 78-81 • 2 fumble recoveries, first-team All American in 1981, WAC DPOY in 1981
Jimmy Bellamy, 90-91 • 25 sacks, 34 TFL, 172 sack yards, first-team all-WAC in 1991
Luther Elliss, 91-94 • 18 sacks, 47 TFL*, 119 sack yards, consensus first-team All American in 1994, first round NFL Draft Pick
Bronzell Miller, 93-94 • 17 sacks, 26 TFL, 7 forced fumbles
John Frank, 96-99 • 27 sacks*, 29 TFL, 177 sack yards*, MWC DPOY in 1999
Sione Pouha, 01-04 • 6 sacks, honorable mention USA Today all-American in 2004, part of 2004 Fiesta Bowl team
Jason Kaufusi, 00-02 • 19 sacks, 38.5 TFL, 104 sack yards, first-team all MWC in 2001, 2002
Steve Fifita, 02-05 • 13.5 sacks, 32.5 TFL, all-MWC in 2004, 2005
Paul Kruger, 07-08 • 10.5 sacks, 24 TFL, 124 total tackles, second-team All American in 2008 as a sophomore
Koa Misi, 07-09 • 10.5 sacks, 26 TFL, 6 forced fumbles, first team all-MWC in 2009
Star Lotulelei, 10-12 • 22.5 TFL, 5 fumble recoveries, first team All American in 2012, Morris Trophy winner in 2011, first round NFL Draft pick
Trevor Reilly, 10-13 • 20 sacks, 37 TFL, 8 forced fumbles, first team all-Pac-12 in 2013
*School record —
Current Ute D-line standouts
Some of the Utah defensive linemen who have stood out in the first few games:
Nate Orchard, Sr. • 8.5 sacks (leads the nation), 50 sack yards, 34 tackles, 1 fumble recovered
Hunter Dimick, Soph. • 5.0 sacks, 29 sack yards, 18 tackles, 1 forced fumble
Jason Fanaika, Jr. • 3.0 sacks, 12 tackles, 1 fumble recovered
Lowell Lotulelei, Fr. • 1.5 TFL, 8 tackles, 1 forced fumble —
Utah at Oregon State
Thursday, 8 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports 1