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He has seen Lowell Lotulelei do it plenty of times. The way the 6-foot-2, 310-pound defensive tackle eats up two blockers at a time and stuffs run lanes makes it look second nature.
But watching it only counts for so much when two blockers come for him, Pasoni Tasini said. The senior lineman is still learning.
"I definitely don't handle it the way that Lowell does. He's a lot better at eating up double teams," Tasini said. "I feel like I have to step and learn how to take on double-teams better, get tips from him this week, and just try to help out by taking up double teams so our linebackers can get free."
One of the most heralded units on the team entering the season is now the most beat-up. Utah's defensive line suddenly lacks depth after Kylie Fitts was lost for the year against BYU, and Lotulelei was forced to tap out of the USC game with an apparent shoulder injury. While the position is one of Utah's deepest, the missing parts aren't interchangeable — both Lotulelei and Fitts were considered preseason all-conference candidates, and Sports Illustrated recently predicted Lotulelei could be a first-round NFL Draft pick in 2017.
Lotulelei's injury wasn't the only factor working against the defense, but it certainly a large one against the Trojans. After allowing 3.5 yards per carry in the first three games, Utah was ripped by Justin Davis and USC's run game to the tune of 6.5 yards per carry.
That improved in the second half when Utah only allowed 76 yards on 16 carries, but on the whole, the game showed a vulnerability against the run. Just one sack of USC freshman quarterback Sam Darnold also was a bit of a letdown following a 10-sack game on the road at San Jose State.
"Just miscommunication, we saw it on film," junior tackle Filipo Mokofisi said. "Some people were out of spots, some people were getting reached or were losing guys. Nothing that we can't fix. But it was a good eye-opener that we're not what everybody says. We're still human. We still make mistakes and everything."
Coach Kyle Whittingham said the team is "hopeful" that Lotulelei can play on Saturday at Cal, but players said they are preparing as if Lotulelei won't be suiting up — better safe than ill-prepared.
The big-bodied tackle's absence creates different matchups, shoving some of his duties on Mokofisi and Tasini. That means they'll have to handle more double-teams and try to fill more run lanes, an area Whittingham said was a problem in the last game.
While Cal's run game is a clear second to its pass (135 yards per game, 4.0 yards per carry), Whittingham stressed that Cal's efficiency on the run because it stretches the field with its throw game can hurt a defense caught unprepared. But senior cornerback Dominique Hatfield said he thinks with a full week of prep, the defensive line will be ready.
"I don't think we prepared for this because it's Lowell; he's a workhorse, he's a tank," Hatfield said. "With Pasoni, he probably knows Lowell is getting a double-team one play, and he can get up in there. Now [Tasini] is getting a double team, so he's gotta find a way up in there. Adjusting with the game, it helps going along."
The other question: How will Utah fare getting to Cal quarterback Davis Webb?
The Golden Bears have given up 11 sacks this year, but Webb, similar to predecessor Jared Goff, releases his throws extremely quickly. Pro Football Focus graded Webb, who leads the country with 1,837 yards and 18 touchdowns, as the fourth-best quarterback in football, with an average release of 2.33 seconds — barely enough for a few steps in his direction, much less a sack.
And yet, passing 62 percent of the time, Cal will give Utah plenty of opportunities to make Webb uncomfortable. While Utah didn't blitz much against Goff last year, preferring to let their coverage keep him guessing, the defensive line takes the challenge personally.
"We definitely see it as an opportunity," Mokofisi said. "They're just a big passing team Hopefully we do get home this week."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
No. 18 Utah at California
P Saturday, 4 p.m. MDT
TV • Pac-12 Network