Lance Holtzclaw is Hyped for the Battle of the Brothers
Summary
OL/DL: Lance Holtzclaw and the Utes defensive line are off to a strong start.
Lance Holtzclaw and the Utes defensive line are off to a strong start. Through two games, Holtzclaw has done a great job applying pressure to opposing offenses, and he's looking forward to doing the same vs. Utah State. Holtzclaw spoke with the media ahead of the Utes matchup with Utah State.
Question: Lance, how was Tuesday's practice?
Lance: Today's practice was good. We're coming out here in full pads, getting after it, installing the playbook for this week. Guys are flying around and we're having a good day.
Question: Two games in, how would you assess how you and the defensive ends are playing?
Lance: We're having fun out there. We're playing from all different positions. We're playing inside, we're playing outside, we're dropping into coverage, and we're just showing our versatility out there. We're flying around the field making some plays.
Question: How fun was Saturday? You hear all those narratives about SEC football, this and that. How fun was that for you guys to have that performance?
Lance: Hey, coming out with a win every single week is amazing. It's super fun, and people want to sit there and tell you about things. Then you keep doing exactly what you do every day. Now it's keep letting them talk and keep letting them talk, and we're gonna keep doing our part too.
Question: Lance, you have led the team in pressures so far this season. What has worked for you that has let you get in the backfield?
Lance: Just working with the rest of the guys on my team and working with our linebackers, working with our safeties, working with our defensive tackles, and just understanding the spacing, understanding what our guys are doing, what our opponents are doing, and how our guys play. Just finding the spaces and getting over there.
Question: Gaining the experience you have through these first two games, where do you feel like you can continue to develop as a player?
Lance: Moving around again and definitely working with our guys and being able to set things up so guys know how to play off each other. We definitely got some new guys in here and different guys that have transferred in and stuff like that that we're playing with. So if we start getting together and start playing like that and start playing with each other rather than just everybody out there trying to get theirs. It definitely opened up some holes for us.
Question: It's been two games, but what have you noticed about the way Coach Swann calls the game?
Lance: I mean, he calls it like Utah special, man. People have known the Utah defense for a while and know how it goes, and he keeps it the same. Guys are sitting there sending up the heat, and he's going to play how he plays, man. People see man coverage; people see all the pressure coming through. So it's similar to the way that people are used to.
Question: You mentioned dropping into coverage. How long has it been since you've done that, and how comfortable are you in that role?
Lance: I've been dropping in coverage since my freshman year of college. So it's been comfortable for me. I was always a versatile athletic body out there. Dropping in coverage is a little bit fun for me too. I like learning that part. So anytime I get time to learn something else or feel like I'm learning another position, it's fun for me.
Question: What do you think the matchup you have coming up on Saturday with Utah State will be like?
Lance: I mean, Utah State versus Utah is always a tough-fought game, and I don't expect anything less from them. But the thing is, we're not going to play them differently than we play anybody else. We're going to come out the same way, and we're going to play the same way, and it's going to be a good game.
Question: What stands out about their offensive line?
Lance: They gotta play us, and we gotta play them. So that's what it's looking like
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