This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Gionni Paul left the University of Miami too soon to have saved a football program that imploded last weekend, when Clemson destroyed the Hurricanes and the school fired his old coach.

Even being almost three years removed from Miami, Paul said, "You could see it happening."

Paul salvaged his own college career by coming to Utah, now 6-1 and ranked No. 13. His move from Miami has been described as a mutual parting. Paul and the Utes are equally thankful that they got together at this version of "The U.," where Paul has grown into the player and person he knew he could become.

The linebacker is the Utes' ultimate playmaker, as illustrated by his six interceptions in 15 games for the Utes and 5.5 tackles for loss in last Saturday's 42-24 loss at USC. As a transfer, he has upgraded Utah's talent level in the Pac-12, starring for a team that went 2-7 in conference play while he redshirted in 2013 and is 8-5 in his two active seasons. And his mentality is captured by his insistence that his 17 tackles against USC were insufficient.

"If you don't know me," he said, "I'm the type of guy that always finds negatives in my game. So I left five plays on the field that I could have made."

As the Utes approach a reunion with their former defensive coordinator, Kalani Sitake of Oregon State, Paul said, "I believe we've got a kettle on the stove. It's boiling. … We got punched in the mouth, and we've got to get up and punch this opponent in the mouth."

Ute receiver Britain Covey remembers wanting to make an impression in preseason camp as a freshman, following assistant coach Taylor Stubblefield's advice to make himself "annoying." So as Covey aggressively blocked Paul, he said while laughing in retelling the story, "he just rips my helmet off."

That may have not been the proper response, and the same is true of Paul's two 15-yard penalties in the season opener against Michigan. But his aggressiveness and leadership are good traits, and his teammates respond to him. "Every team needs somebody like that," Covey said.

Miami could have used him for two more seasons (he would have completed his Hurricane career in 2014). Both sides apparently recognized that the Florida native was not maximizing his ability, amid some discipline for what Paul labels "small trouble." As one of Al Golden's original recruits, he respects the former coach and other staff members and has friends among the Hurricanes, but he long ago recognized the symptoms that surfaced in Miami's 58-0 loss to Clemson.

"I don't think guys were buying in," he said, including himself. "We were all over the place. That's one of the reasons I left, and I never looked back."

Paul's connection to Utah was assistant coach Dennis Erickson, who had recruited him as Arizona State's coach. Once Paul arrived on campus, Erickson and Sitake helped him redirect his efforts. Paul responded well to a new environment that "really slowed my life down," he said.

A self-described "basket case, a knucklehead" in his Miami days, Paul refocused himself in Utah's program. "I'm big on family. I was built on family," he said. "The more I'm close to guys, the harder I play for the guy beside me."

USC interim coach Clay Helton was impressed last weekend. "He's just a real football-instinctive kid," Helton said. "We had some success running the ball, but when you look up, he's still there making tackles."

Paul was involved in five running plays that went for negative yardage and also recorded a sack. In preparing for Paul and Jared Norris, who missed the USC game with an injury, Helton determined "there may not be a better linebacker combination in our league."

Paul will be Oregon State's problem this week. He became close to Sitake, and when his position coach departed for OSU last winter, Paul told him he understood the move and wished him well. But come Halloween, Paul good-naturedly warned him, there would be "no mercy."

"I guarantee you," Paul said this week with a smile, "when I make a play on their sideline, I'll say hi to him."

Twitter: @tribkurt —

Loss leaders

Utah's top tacklers for loss in a game:

No. Player Opponent Year

6 Jeff Reyes Hawaii 1983

5.5 Gionni Paul USC 2015

5 Sharrieff Shah Oregon State 1991

5 John Frank Boise State 1999

5 Jason Kaufusi Arizona 2002

5 Paul Kruger Utah State 2008