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There was a time when Utah corner Mo Lee felt a little lost on the football field. Having made the switch from receiver to the defensive side of the ball in the spring, the junior hasn't always felt sure of himself on the football field as he learned his new position.

But Saturday against Oregon State, Lee felt right at home, in more ways than one.

Lee made his first career interception against the Beavers, returning it 30 yards to Oregon State's 18-yard line, setting up a touchdown run by John White.

"Once I saw the quarterback lift his arm up there, I felt like a receiver all over again," Lee said.

However, Lee is playing like a good defensive back, too, getting 18 of his 20 total tackles and three pass breakups in the last four games.

The improvement in his play is a result of more time in the film room, Lee said.

"I've been working hard studying and the coaches are trusting me more," he said.

Now penciled in as a co-starter with Ryan Lacy, Lee is part of a secondary that is improving, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.

"Eric Rowe has gotten involved and he and Brian Blechen are becoming a good tandem back there and Mo Lee with Brian and Lacy and Reggie Topps, they are making some big plays for us," Whittingham said. "We're seeing some guys really emerge."

Like old times

One of the few players familiar with the University of Arizona is fullback Luke Matthews, who grew up about an hour away, in Phoenix.

He attended games at Arizona and Arizona State.

"I went to camps down there my senior year [in high school] and they were always a target for me, but they never offered me," Matthews said of the Wildcats. "They have a great college atmosphere there. They have the Zona Zoo and their fans are great. It will be a big, full stadium, so it will be a fun place to play."

No surprises

Now that the Utes are more than halfway through the Pac-12 schedule, they have a better idea of what it's like playing in the league. The answer? About what they expected.

"We watched tape all offseason and the tape doesn't lie," Whittingham said. "You face great quarterbacks, receivers … and running backs, so I'm not surprised at all. We preached that in the offseason and summer, so the team understood going in the bar has been raised."

No advantage

Arizona has a familiar coach in its staff in Robert Anae, the offensive line coach and run-game coordinator who joined the Wildcats after coaching at BYU for six years.

Whittingham said the familiarity doesn't help or hurt the Utes' preparation in any way, particularly since the Wildcats lean on the passing attack more than the run game. "They like to throw, and with good reason," he said. "They've got good receivers and a good quarterback."