Adam Jude

The Seattle Times

From the other side of the field, Washington senior cornerback Jordan Miller thought he heard something thunder down from the heavens.

“B-Murph’s hit? Oh man. I didn’t even see it because I was in coverage. But I could hear. I was like, ‘Oh my god, was that lightning? What is going on?’” Miller recalled Monday.

He’s talking about the hit fellow UW cornerback Byron Murphy delivered on Utah receiver Britain Covey late in the second quarter of the Huskies’ 21-7 victory at Utah on Sept. 15. It was a textbook hit: Murphy led with his shoulder and delivered a blow to Covey’s chest, knocking the receiver flat on his back (and, it appeared, knocking the wind out of him in the process).

Washington players and coaches came out of that game talking about how much respect they had for Covey, the Utes’ 5-foot-8, 170-pound slot receiver and punt returner. He took a pounding that day against the Huskies, and he kept getting up.

UW senior safety JoJo McIntosh delivered the final blow late in the game, making a diving breakup of a pass intended for Covey across the middle at the goal line. Covey rolled off his back and punched the end-zone turf three times as he tried to catch his breath.

“That is teach tape,” UW co-defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said. “Those are the ones the NCAA should pull out and go, ‘Hey, we’re not taking away big hits in football. Here’s how you do it.’ Your head is completely out of it. We’re leading with the shoulder and we’re not leading to the opponent’s head; we’re leading to their body.

“And now maybe the air gets knocked out; maybe you break a rib. But at least we’re not messing with anything from the neck and above.”

Miller said the Utah game this year was one of three most physical games he’s played in during his UW career (he pointed to this year’s Apple Cup and the 2015 Apple Cup as two other memorably “physical” affairs). Two Utah players were ejected from that game for targeting hits.