Cincinnati · W 49-25
7 tackles, 0.5 for loss
The other 7 games average 4 tackles. This one was 3 above.
“Terrible tackling Ritchie”
Nate Ritchie
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. The five seasons at Utah span two head coaches: Kyle Whittingham and Morgan Scalley. On tape: 7 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss against Cincinnati, Week 9, 2026.
35 tackles · 1 sack
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
35 tackles. 2 passes defended. 0 interceptions. 3 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Fans first named Nate Ritchie vs Idaho.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Last game (Wk 9): 1 pass breakup, 7 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 8 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 66-14vs Idaho | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 43-10vs Arkansas | 6 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | W 33-0vs Utah State | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 31-17@ Iowa State | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 41-24vs Kansas | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 27-24@ Colorado | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 21-13vs No. 14 Houston | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 49-25@ Cincinnati | 7 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Total | 35 | 18 | 3.0 | 1.0 | — | 2 |
Oct. 31 · W 49-25 at Cincinnati, play by play
7 tackles, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 6 of his 7, sacks included.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 3 tackles for loss, 1 of them a sack, in the 8 games with play by play.
How Utah’s defense played that day
Cincinnati’s 11 drives: 7 stopped (2 takeaways) · 4 scored. His pbu came with Utah up 7.
4 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 5 for him; the box score credits 4.
2 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
3 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 2 of his 3, sacks included.
4 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 3 of his 4, sacks included.
6 tackles, including 1 sack.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 2-yard loss. Third quarter, up 26-0.
6 tackles, including 1 more for loss, 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
3 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Week 9 · 2026
W 49-25
at Cincinnati
0.5 tackles for loss · 7 tackles · 1 pass breakup
Dominant 24-point win on the road against Cincinnati.
Ratings of the games shown run from -9 to +13 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
PD rate
6%2 pass breakupsTackle volume
35tackles this seasonTFL rate
9%3 TFL35 tackles · 3 for loss · 1 sack · 2 pass breakups.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 4.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Road3g | 4.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 4.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 5.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Morgan Scalley
Pass share
45.0%
247 pass / 302 run
Plays / game
68.6
8 games
Team sack rate
3.7%
272 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
About as many tackles a game as a typical FBS defensive back who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Former four-star. Now #207 at the position.
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 29 games over five seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2020–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Kyle Whittingham → Morgan Scalley. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
