Utah tight finish Dalton Kincaid is tackled after a catch throughout sport towards USC at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Kincaid was focused by Utah QB Cam Rising 16 instances and completed with 16 catches in Utah’s 43-42 victory over the Trojans. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Utah tight finish Dalton Kincaid (86) is introduced down by USC Trojans linebackers Shane Lee and Tuasivi Nomura throughout sport at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Utah received 43-42 and Kincaid had a monster night time. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Utah soccer coach Kyle Whittingham, a person not given to overstatement, as soon as informed reporters that Dalton Kincaid was “the best-kept secret within the Pac-12. I’ve been saying that in camp and in a number of interviews.”
Kincaid is just not a secret anymore, not within the Pac-12 or anyplace else. Kincaid, who wasn’t even thought of the most effective tight finish on his personal group, had ESPN announcers gushing about him and calling him maybe the most effective tight finish within the nation throughout Saturday night time’s nationally televised USC-Utah showdown.
If receivers had an effectivity score much like that used to guage quarterbacks, Kincaid would have posted an ideal rating. Rising threw 16 passes to Kincaid; Kincaid caught 16 passes.
The Trojans, one of the vital proficient groups within the nation, merely couldn't cease Kincaid whereas he did his finest Rob Gronkowski impersonation. He performed an enormous half in handing the beforehand unbeaten, No. 7-ranked Trojans their first lack of the season, 43-42.
They merely couldn't cowl Kincaid. He caught 16 passes for 234 yards and one landing. Each time the Utes wanted a giant play, quarterback Cam Rising went to Kindcaid. Eleven of Kincaid’s 16 catches went for first downs and one other went for a landing. Six of his final seven catches got here on third down. All however certainly one of his 10 second-half catches resulted in a primary down or a landing. He had 4 catches on the ultimate, game-winning drive.
If receivers had an effectivity score much like that used to guage quarterbacks, Kincaid would have posted an ideal rating. Rising threw 16 passes to Kincaid; Kincaid caught 16 passes.
These had been Rising’s stats when he was throwing to Kincaid: 16 makes an attempt, 16 completions, 234 yards, 1 TD; these had been Rising’s stats when he threw to the opposite receivers: 14 of 28 for 181 yards and 1 TD. Kincaid caught greater than half of the quarterback’s completions and passing yards.
In additional than a century of soccer, just one Utah receiver has had extra receiving yards in a single sport, and he was a large receiver — Carl Harry collected 255 yards in 1988 in a sport towards lowly Idaho State. Just one Utah receiver has ever caught extra passes in a single sport — Loren Richey caught 17 in 1986 in a sport towards one other poor group, UTEP.
Kincaid’s star flip got here towards the storied USC program on nationwide TV.
Even when everybody within the stadium knew the ball was coming to Kincaid, the Trojans couldn’t cowl him. With the Utes going through second down on the 4-yard line within the third quarter, one of many Fox broadcasters requested his sidekick what he would do on the upcoming play. He stated he’d search for Kincaid. Kincaid caught a landing go.
Throughout one stretch late within the second quarter, Kincaid caught passes on three consecutive performs, for 15, 9 and 30 yards, respectively. The Trojans couldn’t do something about it.
Go determine. USC’s soccer program attracts greater than its share of blue-chip recruits annually. They’re quick, they’re athletic, they’re completed. To make issues extra daunting for opponents, Lincoln Riley introduced a number of prime gamers with him when he traded the top teaching job at Oklahoma for the top teaching job at USC final winter.
However the most effective participant on the sphere throughout Saturday night time’s sport was an afterthought as a highschool senior and no person’s blue chipper. He performed just one yr of highschool soccer, preferring to concentrate on basketball as an alternative. His pals satisfied him to strive soccer. He was named to the all-state group.
Kincaid spent the following two years taking part in soccer on the College of San Diego, an FCS program that doesn't award athletic scholarships. Kincaid collected 68 catches for 1,209 yards and 19 TDs in two years, which earned him a scholarship provide from Utah.
Since becoming a member of Utah in the summertime of 2020, he has largely been Brant Kuithe’s wingman. Kuithe is taken into account one of many prime tight ends within the nation, however Kincaid’s play induced the Utes to discover a strategy to play each of them, both splitting time or using a two-tight finish lineup.
Utah tight finish Dalton Kincaid (86) is introduced down by USC Trojans linebackers Shane Lee and Tuasivi Nomura throughout sport at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Utah received 43-42 and Kincaid had a monster night time.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Kuithe had 50 catches for 611 yards and 6 TDs in 14 video games; Kincaid had 36 catches for 510 yards and eight TDs in 13 video games. Preseason soccer web sites rated them among the many prime 10 tight ends within the nation, with Kuithe forward of Kincaid. They had been splitting time once more this season when Kuithe suffered a season-ending knee harm three weeks in the past.
Kincaid’s manufacturing was, however, underwhelming — 23 catches by way of six video games, or lower than 4 catches per sport — however turning them into 5 touchdowns. Aside from the sport towards FCS college Weber State (a career-high seven catches) he hadn’t had greater than 4 catches in any sport this season.
A couple of days earlier than the USC sport, following a loss to UCLA, Whittingham informed reporters, “We have to get (Kincaid) the ball extra. … We've to contain him extra. We've to throw the ball to him extra, goal him extra. He had 4 catches (towards UCLA), which isn't sufficient. He has not been as a lot of a focus of the offense as he must.”
Message obtained. All that modified in a spectacular method towards a storied USC program Saturday night time.
Kincaid’s sport towards USC by the numbers
First quarter
12:50 Kincaid reception, 4 yards
11:58 Kincaid reception, 23 yards, first down
Second quarter
14:10 Kincaid reception, 4 yards
1:09 Kincaid reception, 15 yards, first down
:53 Kincaid reception, 9 yards
:40 Kincaid reception, 30 yards, first down
Third quarter
13:58 Kincaid reception, 30 yards, first down
12:02 Kincaid reception, 4 yards, landing
10:53 Kincaid reception, 18 yards, first down
6:26 Kincaid reception, 19 yards, first down
5:43 Kincaid reception, 17 yards, first down
0:00 Kincaid reception, 11 yards, first down
Fourth quarter
6:04 Kincaid reception, eight yards
4:35 Kincaid reception, 12 yards, first down
3:33 Kincaid reception, 19 yards, first down
2:35 Kincaid reception, 11 yards, first down