June 13, 2025
Jason Christensen
The Shred just completed a 31-19 win over the Oregon Steel June 13, a high-scoring night that kicked off with some incredible plays on defense.
Salt Lake passed the thirty-point mark for the first time this season in their rematch against the Steel. This milestone would not have been possible without the help of a masterclass from the Shred’s d-line in the first quarter.
Great defense might just be the best offense
The Shred started the game with their d-line on the field, including the return of Nate De Morgan to the starting lineup. They quickly put together a break to go up by one at the start of the game, to which Oregon responded with a goal of their own. Then, it was the O-Line’s turn to get another point on the Shred’s board.
After that, Salt Lake’s O-Line waited to reappear in the game until there were two minutes left in the first quarter. In that stretch, the D-line scored five more breaks unanswered. Oregon’s habit of turnovers made another appearance in the rematch with the Shred, and before anyone knew it, Salt Lake had eight points to their name in one quarter of play.
“We really wanted to make plays,” said Shred defender Tony Mounga. “We knew this team was gonna huck it. We knew that they were going to be big, and we wanted to finish the plays on the defensive end and then make them work defensively.”
The pressure never let up once it was the offense’s turn despite the absence of Chad Yorgason. The team captain was recently named to the midseason All-UFA First Team by Evan Lepler and Adam Ruffner, but was out for the Oregon rematch with an injury. He still demonstrated great leadership as he supported the rest of his teammates from the sideline.
The o-line played exactly the type of game they love to play; patient, deliberate passing and precise communication got them in the endzone on almost every possession they had. If their last game against the Steel was about winning the turnover margin, the Shred figured out how to turn that game plan into a science. The Shred’s hold rate ended the night at a staggering 90%, contributing to a night where Salt Lake scored eight points in three of four quarters–and seven in the other.
Hucks continue to be a weakness for the Shred’s defense, but against the Steel, they were happy to give up a few of those to contain the real momentum-shifting opportunities. Oregon only succeeded on two breaks in the whole game to Salt Lake’s twelve, which likely had something to do with the three blocks the Steel managed across the whole game.
The calm before the storm
The Shred is coming up on another bye week, which represents a great opportunity to keep hold of the things that worked in the first half of the season, clean up what needs polishing, and get some rest. This young Shred team has a lot to prove still, as head coach Bryce Merrill noted after the victory.
“It’s early in the season,” Merrill said. “We’re 1-1 against teams with .500 records.”
Salt Lake’s remaining schedule includes five games against opponents with records over .500. This team is hungry for the moment, something that has been part of their identity since before the season began.
“The emphasis then, as it is now, is on guys that enjoy competing,” said Merrill. “We wanted guys that would rather be down one in the fourth than up twenty in the first, because they want the tight game, they want the pressure. And so building a team around young guys like that, we’re going to have some variability, but we feel like we’re always in it because guys just want to be out there competing.”
Their first test after the bye will come in the form of a rematch against the Oakland Spiders June 27, where the Shred hopes to repeat the success they had on the road just a few weeks ago.
