Tag: Sione Vaki

USC will have a tough matchup against Utah’s Sione Vaki

Move over, Travis Hunter. There’s another two-way threat in the Pac-12, and he faces USC next.

The Utah Utes have lost Micah Bernard and Chris Curry in the backfield. Ja’Quinden Jackson finally looked healthy this past Saturday (against Cal) for the first time in weeks. However, Kyle Whittingham and the Utes used safety Sione Vaki at running back in that Cal game as well. It paid off versus the Golden Bears.

Vaki stepped up for Utah in a 34-14 win. Vaki posted 15 carries for 158 yards and two touchdowns and added four total tackles on defense.

Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said, “Sione has a great offensive background, he was a really good offensive player in high school.”

Sione Vaki was named the Paul Hornung Award National Player of the Week for his two-way excellence against Cal. The Paul Hornung Award is given to the most versatile player in college football. Travis Hunter of the Colorado Buffaloes is an obvious candidate. Vaki became a prime candidate with his game against Cal.

Look for Ludwig and Whittingham to use Vaki in offensive packages against the Trojans on Saturday.

Follow Fighting Irish Wire for more on Notre Dame after the Irish beat USC.

Follow Buffaloes Wire for complete coverage of Deion Sanders and Colorado.

Follow Ducks Wire for coverage of Oregon football after the loss to Washington.

Oklahoma fans were right about Lincoln Riley, at least for this specific season.

USC assistants need to be coaching for their jobs against Utah and into November.

Lincoln Riley did not assemble an elite 2023 roster, which surprised us and a lot of other observers.

Is USC ready to win in 2024 with Miller Moss or Malachi Nelson at quarterback? Lincoln Riley has to be honest about how he answers that question.

Brent Venables is coaching Oklahoma far better this year than Lincoln Riley is coaching USC. It’s up to Riley to change that reality against Utah.

Utah safety Sione Vaki breaks 72-yard TD run out of wildcat formation

Sione Vaki goes 72 yards out of the wildcat for Utah

Utah’s Sione Vaki came into Saturday’s game with one rush for 6 yards in 2023.

That’s okay because Vaki is a safety on the Utes’ defense.

Against Cal in a Pac-12 game, Vaki came in and took a snap out of the wildcat formation, which he had done a number of times previous in this game.

He added 12 times the amount of rushing yardage he had coming into the game after the play.

Cal might be excused for not being ready because Vaki hadn’t been a rushing threat for a few years.

His high school stats:

  • 1,684 all-purpose yards as a senior included 111 kick return (1 TD), 96 punt return, 75 interception return and 43 rushing (1 TD).
  • 65 receptions for 1,359 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2018, averaging 104.5 yards per game and 20.9 yards per catch.
  • Part of the 2018 Liberty BVAL championship squad that finished second in California in the open division.
  • 45 tackles, an interception returned 47 yards for a touchdown and two fumble recoveries as a junior in 2017.
  • As a junior, 1,214 all-purpose yards included 809 receiving (12 TD) and 358 rushing (6 TD), helping Liberty to the 2017 CIF North Coast Section Division I state title.