SB Nation - Corbin Louks

Utah May Decide to Burn Freshman Jordan Wynn's Redshirt

Jeremy Mauss — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:56:33 -0000

Way back in August there was a three player battle for the Utes quarterback position and JUCO transfer Terrance Cain won the battle, which lead to Corbin Louks transferring to Nevada.

That left the Utes with no player on the roster who has taken a division one snap at the quarterback position with Cain the number one, and then true freshman Jordan Wynn as the back up.

My opinion was that if Wynn was not the starter then he should use 2009 as a redshirt year and then allow him the chance to start for three seasons. That plan some what went out the window with Louks gone, but as the season went on a redshirt seemed more likely.

Terrance Cain has been doing a solid job as the starter by leading the Utes to a 6-1 record, he is fourth in the Mountain West in passing yards, 13th in rushing and only behind the Air Force quarterbacks, but is so far unable to throw down field with great accuracy. Another down fall is his ability to run the zone read option to the success it could have. Cain is sometimes hesitant to fake the hand off and run the ball himself, even when the entire defense is following the running back thus leaving a huge hole for him to run.

Then the main concern is the fumbles and miscues on offense. The Utes are lucky enough to not lose many of those fumbles, and were very fortunate in the Air Force game where Eddie Wide recovered two fumbles with one being ran 44 yards for a touchdown.

Now, if Wynn was a redshirt freshman or upper classman he definitely would have entered the game, because Coach Whittingham hates turnovers and mistakes. Cain is still suffering from a lingering ankle injury which is why in the last two games his rushing totals were 22 yards against UNLV and minus 16 yards against Air Force.

Coach Whittingham this week addressed the issue if freshman Jordan Wynn would see time this year:

"We're hoping at some point (this season) he's going to get an opportunity — maybe this week," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said during the Mountain West teleconference on Tuesday. "We'll see."

The coach followed up on his comments about Wynn's situation later in the day after practice.

"We've been hoping to have gotten him in by now, but maybe this is the week."

Now, this could just be coach speak, because prior to the season Whittingham said that he wanted to play both quarterbacks. A big reason why a switch may not have been made this season is because back in 2006 -- Whittingham's second year as coach-- had a similar quarterback issue with Brian Johnson redshirting while recovering from an ACL tear, and the position between Tommy Grady and Brett Ratliff. In the opening game against UCLA on the road Whittihgam said both would play, and they did.

However, the move was disastrous as Brett Ratliff started the game, and then Whitt put in Tommy Grady who threw a pick six with his second pass attempt. That play and the indecision to stick to a quarterback hurt the Utes that season on their way to an 8-5 record. That is most likely why Cain has not been pulled for Wynn this year.

To bring in Wynn now with five games left could do a few things: the positives are that Wynn who is more of a passer then a pure runner like Cain and will spark the passing offense, it could hurt Cain's confidence and if their is a rotation between the two or if Wynn struggles and Cain is back that could cause mental problems with each player playing uptight as to not get pulled. The reason Wynn has not been put in any games now is that the Utes are winning and Cain has been doing well; up until the last two games. With the conference title and an outside BCS shot Whittingham wants to keep winning and not throw away any games.

Again, everyone must be reminded that Wynn did enroll early in January to be able to compete for the job and put on the necessary weight to be able to take the hits at the FBS level, but he is still a true freshman. Currently there are only three true freshman who are starting at the FBS level: Matt Barkley at USC, Austyn Carta-Samuels at Wyoming, and Tate Forcier at Michigan.

Out of the three Barkley is obviously the best and even he is putting up decent numbers. He is doing good in passing yards at 256 per game, but on the year has seven touchdowns to five picks. Michigan's Tate Forcier is well below Barkley in passing yards at 145, but is on the same level in his touchdown to interception ratio at 9:5. While Forcier has lead Michigan to a few come from behind victories he also has been benched. Finally, there is Wyoming's Carta-Samules and he was involved in a quarterback shuffle for a few weeks before winning the job, and is similar to Forcier with his passing stats to go along with two picks and six scores in five games as a starter and two in spot time.

These three true frosh are all fairly similar in that they are putting up decent passing numbers -- Barkley being the exception in that category-- and that they are not putting up huge touchdown numbers and have a slight problem in interceptions.

The move to Jordan Wynn at this point in the season should not be used to just get him playing time, spark the offense for a limited basis, or see if a change motivates Terrance Cain to rasie his game. A change at game seven should be permanent unless of injury or total ineffectiveness by Wynn thus putting the ball back into Cain's hand for the rest of the season.

Coach Whittingham is a smart guy and would not burn a players redshirt just for a few snaps in garbage time (something former Utah coach Ron McBride did to former Ute QB Alex Smith in 2002) The recent talk from Whitt about maybe putting in Wynn is just talk when asked, because he does not want anything to be definite to come back to him by saying either 'yes' or 'no.'

Poll

Should Utah Burn Jordan Wynn's Redshirt?

Yes

14 votes

No

43 votes

57 votes | Poll has closed

The Morning Blitz: Daily Utah links

JazzyUte — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:36:53 -0000

Tomorrow marks a week until the season starts! I'm ready, are you?

Honestly, it took me a bit to get into it. I think much of it had to do with the fact I wasn't sold on Corbin Louks and felt things were a bit more unsettled than they currently are. Since Louks has left and it looks like Terrance Cain just might get the nod, I feel far more optimistic and excited about the prospects.

Question: Who do you see as the surprise Mountain West team this year? I mean, a program similar to Colorado State last year and Air Force the year before. Will the Aztecs make a bowl game? How about UNLV?

UNLV seems to be the safe choice, but I don't think Mike Sanford is a good coach, so I'm going with San Diego State with a 6-6 record.

They'll be this year's Colorado State.

Zane Beadles Featured in Sporting News Today - UTAH OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

National stage awaits top Mountain West Conference teams | College Sports | Star-Telegram

Four Football Conferences in Search of Respect | Bleacher Report

Official Dawg Sports Glib and Flippant Conference Championship Forecasts - Dawg Sports

Go Cyclones - It's BCS teams, not BCS leagues

Cal's offense is offensive coordinator Ludwig's baby, too - San Jose Mercury News

Stowers just happy to be with team - Salt Lake Tribune

Bagley's Ute Practice Report - Aug 25th.

Applying some logic to revive the BCS | College Football Preview | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News

Goble: Small schools deserve a chance : Kansan.com

Dana Greene - Miami Dolphins are Utah's team - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News

Deseret News | Utah Utes football: Peel is healthy, ready to contribute

OC Discussion: How Do Utah Fans Feel About Andy Ludwig?

Avinash — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:00:10 -0000

via blog.oregonlive.com

Cal fans don't have a lot of familiarity with their offensive coordinators. They come and go like bees, pollenating the flower that is the Golden Bear playbook with their own flavor of honey before moving onto other flora.

Thus we felt it necessary to look deep into the past concerning the new guy at the helm, Andy Ludwig. This isn't just because we're uncertain of what we're getting this season. It's because we're uncertain of whether we'll see him past next season.

We looked at not one, but two of his previous stints in a two part series. It's Utah today, Oregon Thursday.

We talked with the Utes SBN Blog, Block U, and their leader, JazzyUte, about Ludwig's strengths and weaknesses. Our questions are in bold, their answers are beneath.

1) When Ludwig left Utah, a lot of Utes fans didn't seem too bummed at his departure. Any reason for this?

Block U: Poor Andy Ludwig had to follow the Urban Meyer show and that obviously was not going to be easy. Of course, he didn't help matters by essentially saying he was going to bring in his own offense, even though the spread option had been extremely successful over Meyer's short two-year stint at Utah.

This got the relationship off to rocky start and I don't think Ludwig ever recovered. It's not to say the Utes were bad, they weren't, but he was doomed from the start. So many Ute fans thought they would not miss a beat after 2004 and they did. But beyond that, the offense really took a hit - especially in the 2006 season.

Ultimately, it was that year that put both Kyle Whittingham and Ludwig on notice. Struggles early in the 2007 season with injury didn't help matters and it seemed the offense really stagnated at times throughout his tenure here. Even in 2008, there were games where they couldn't get anything going on the offensive side and if it weren't for Brian Johnson, they probably don't finish 13-0.

Ludwig was also known for some head-scratching calls on 3rd and short (double-reverses that never panned out) and really packing it in before the game was over - often allowing the opposing team a chance for a comeback.

But with all that said, I don't think most Ute fans thought he was a bad offensive coordinator. They just didn't think he was a very good one. In fact, I think it's safe to say Ludwig fell somewhere in-between not so good and very good. There were games where he looked masterful and other games where you just didn't know what to think. So when he left for Kansas State, many were indifferent because they thought (and still do) the program could do better.

We'll see if they were right this season.

2) Utah was blessed with the offensive-minded Urban Meyer leading them to their first BCS bowl. What were the differences in the ways Meyer and Ludwig approached the offense and utilized the pieces they had? Was Ludwig always competing with Meyer's shadow?

Block U: As I mentioned, Ludwig certainly was consumed by Meyer's shadow because he had taken Utah football to new heights. 22-2 in two years, including the first undefeated season in the program's modern history was hard to follow and there were growing pains.

Ludwig's offense was never a true spread option because he didn't run the spread option at Oregon and Fresno State. He added aspects of it, but it was very common to see Brian Johnson line up under center as opposed to out of the shotgun like Alex Smith in 2003 and 2004.

Now fans have debated the effectiveness of this for the past four years, but the offense was a bit different from what Meyer had established here. That was evident in 2006, when Johnson sat out the entire season due to injury. Because of Utah's lack of a spread option quarterback and any type of running game, they were forced into a rather basic passing offense that rarely utilized the option until they worked Eric Weddle into the offense later in the season. But even then, it looked more like Ludwig's offense at Fresno State and Oregon than it did anything Urban Meyer ran here.

3) That Sugar Bowl performance...was that typical Ludwig, or were you surprised by how quickly they jumped out on Bama?

Block U: Not really. The Utes were not known for running the no-huddle offense under Ludwig, unless they were forced into their two-minute offense. But I will say what you saw was probably more like what Ludwig had been familiar with prior to arriving at Utah because there was almost zero spread option in any of the first three touchdowns against Alabama. That was purely an up-tempo passing offense that exploited a weakness that had hurt the Tide all season long - their inability to really step up and defend against the no-huddle.

4) How would you best characterize Andy's style of offense? What type of plays was he fond of running?

Block U: Ludwig was never fond of running the spread option here at Utah. We knew that from the start. That's fine, because some coaches just have a difficult time adjusting. This was ultimately Whittingham's fault for bringing him in knowing the fans wanted to keep the spread option. It didn't happen and though there were parts of it that remained in the offense, we were generally given an offense that worked with a mix of shotgun and lining Johnson up under center.

No problem there. I'll even admit that Ludwig switched things up a bit this season, specifically with the Corbin Louks package (a true spread option quarterback) and the Asiata pass. What that means for Cal, I can't say. Ludwig will probably feel far more at home running their offense than he ever did at Utah because he doesn't have to incorporate the spread option.

5) How good was Ludwig at developing his quarterbacks?

Block U: Well it's hard to say. Ludwig has pretty much only coached two quarterbacks here at Utah - Brian Johnson and Brett Ratliff. Johnson has turned out to be a good quarterback, but how much of that development was because of Ludwig I do not know. I liked Ratliff, but he didn't have any type of supporting cast in the backfield and it hindered the Utes greatly.

There was Tommy Grady, who only came to Utah because of Ludwig, but that was a disaster. I don't even want to get into that.

In the end, Ludwig had his ups and downs here at Utah and I think that is why Ute fans weren't as disappointed in his leaving as they were when Gary Andersen - the defensive coordinator - took off for the Utah State job.

Does that mean he won't be successful at Cal? Who knows. It's a different mentality there and it's a better fit than at Utah. But so was Oregon and their fans were extremely happy to see him come to Utah.

The 2009 SB Nation Mountain West Preview

Jeremy Mauss — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:57:25 -0000

The 2009 SB Nation Mountain West Conference college football preview is coming from the Mountain West Connection, Utah blog BlockU, BYU blog Vanquish The Foe, and Mid Major Madness. The Mountain West is trying to put on an encore presentation from the unparalleled success from 2008 which featured Utah winning its second BCS bowl in four years by defeating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and finishing with a number two ranking in the AP poll.

Then there was TCU who also finished the season in the top 10 with an impressive 11-2 record, and then BYU who completed its third straight 10 wins season and finished the 2009 season in the top 25.

This year the preseason polls are still in love with the Mountain West with the three usual suspects --BYU, Utah, and TCU-- being represented in both top 25 polls. The obvious big question for the league is what team, if any, will make it to a BCS bowl game.

The Mountain West over the summer desperately tried to force the hand by waiting until the elevnth hour to sign the BCS agreement and presenting a playoff proposal to possibly bring on change. None of those seemed to work, so all the Mountain West can do is keep winning games and hope it is enough to garner BCS inclusion when the four year evaluation cycle ends after the 2011 season.

The league also has new coaches with Mike Locksley taking over at New Mexico after serving as offensive coordinator at Illionois, Dave Christensen coming from the offensive coordinator post from Missouri to take over for 'Cowboy' Joe Glenn at Wyoming, and finally Brady Hoke left Ball State after a great season to become the head man at San Diego State.

The league has scheduled big again by facing 14 teams from four of the six BCS leagues with only the SEC and Big 10 off the schedule this year.

So go ahead and enjoy the 2009 SB Nation Mountain West Conference college football preview again being provided by Mountain West Connection,Mid Major Madness, BlockU, and Vanquish The Foe.

The projected order of finish is voted using 9 points for first place through 1 point for ninth place.

2009 Projections

1.TCU 34 (2 first place votes)

2.BYU 33 (2 first place votes)

3.Utah 29

4.Air Force 22

5.UNLV 20

6.Colorado State 14

7.New Mexico 13

7.San Diego State 13

9.Wyoming 4

1. What team will be the biggest surprise in 2009?

BlockU:
The most likely option would have to be San Diego State or New Mexico, since they bring in new coaches. While I have both finishing with a losing conference record, I don't think it's impossible one of them climbs high enough to break even and receive a bowl bid.

Adam from Vanquish The Foe:

UNLV. Mike Sanford’s club returns 8 starters on defense – including Preseason All-Conference selection Jason Beauchamp at OLB. The Rebels won 5 games in 2008, including the upset of then 15^th ranked Arizona State in Tempe. The offense also returns 6 starters – including WR Ryan Wolfe, an All-Conference 1^st Team selection last season. With Brian Johnson (Utah) graduated, junior Omar Clayton could be the most versatile quarterback in the conference. UNLV has a real chance of a win at Texas A&M and could very well improve upon last season and become bowl eligible in 2009.

Layton From Vanquish The Foe:

San Diego State is my surprise team.

Mountain West Connection:

Has to be UNLV and it is not even close. If not for a monumental letdown against San Diego State 41-21 which would have made the Rebels bowl eligible. The Rebels are my super-extreme darkhorse to win the Mountain West, but do not have the guts to put in the preseason rankings. There is rationale behind that and it comes is in their schedule because they get two of the big three at home in Utah and BYU.

Plus remember when UNLV shutout Utah in 2007 at Sam Boyd Stadium, and in 2008 the BYU game at LaVell Edwards stadium came down to the wire with backup quarterback Mark Clausen getting significant snaps while starter Omar Clayton was out with an injury.

Their tough road conference games are at Air Force and TCU. It all starts with QB Omar Clayton who is finally a fit for Mike Sanford's spread attack and toss in potential All-American WR Ryan Wolfe and the Rebels should be much improved, all they need is to find a serviceable running back to replace Frank Summers who went to the NFL.

2. What player if lost will impact their team the most?

BlockU:
I think you have to go with quarterback Max Hall at BYU. If he's taken out for even a few games, it could cost them any hope of a decent season. I just don't see their defense carrying the team without Hall and I'm not sold on backup Riley Nelson.

Adam from Vanquish The Foe:

The conventional answer would appear to be Max Hall, BYU’s QB. But I’m going to actually go with a pair of DE’s: BYU’s Jan Jorgensen and TCU’s Jerry Hughes. Without Jorgensen the Cougar’s pass-rush is dramatically reduced, and with an inexperienced secondary and no standout linebacker like Bryan Kehl and David Nixon of previous years, Bronco Mendenhall will be relying heavily on last year’s all-conference first team selection. In fact, without Jorgensen I think BYU finishes behind both TCU and Utah, again.

Jerry Hughes is quite simply the best defensive player in the conference and an excellent NFL prospect. He anchors TCU’s defensive line, but at least Hughes has Daryl Washington behind him at linebacker to create plays. Still, if Gary Patterson’s team wants to reach the BCS they’ll need Hughes healthy – especially for games at Clemson and BYU.

Layton From Vanquish The Foe:

Quarterback Max Hall at BYU if he goes down, then BYU is looking at 6-6.

Mountain West Connection:

Hard to argue anyone but BYU quarterback Max Hall, the only othe player that might cause his team failuer is Utah running back Matt Asiata just because of the inexperience at quarterback. Back to Hall, who is a senior quarterback and if you back into BYU history they typically win conference titles with senior quarterbacks.

Rile Nelson has not played in two years since he was on a Mormon mission,and prior to that he was the starting quarterback at Utah State, so Nelson just does not have the reps or real experience in the offense to lead the team if Hall goes down for a significant amount of time. Max Hall has been in this system for years and knows the offense so well, and with the Cougars breaking in a new line he an experienced quarterback is necessary for their success.

3. Does a team from the MWC make a BCS game?

BlockU:

No, I see a real logjam at the top of the conference this season. TCU has a very tough test on the road against Clemson and BYU (both losses in my book), while I think the Cougars drop games to Oklahoma and Utah, with Florida State acting as another potential loss.

With the Utes, they'll lose to Oregon and TCU, though I think they have a higher chance of dropping another conference game than either the Frogs or Cougars, especially with the final season showdown coming at LaVell Edwards Stadium. If that scenario happens, I don't see any MWC team busting the BCS this year.

Adam from Vanquish The Foe:

No. I think TCU and BYU have about an even shot at reaching the BCS but I think they’ll each stumble somewhere, and the conference doesn’t appear as deep as 2008. BYU’s non-conference schedule against Oklahoma and Florida State will not allow them to lose a MWC game if they want to reach the BCS.

I’m not saying Max Hall and Co. have no chance against the Sooners, but with that banged up offensive line it is extremely unlikely. Injuries (Matt Reynolds, Jason Speredon, and Houston Reynolds) could also potentially be a big factor and prevent the Cougars from getting what would be a major win against the Seminoles in Provo. TCU’s non-conference opponents aren’t as tough - but they could have a tough time with Clemson in South Carolina.

I think Utah has a remote possibility, coming off of last season’s success – but don’t expect them to beat Oregon, TCU and BYU all on the road without some of those key players who’ve since graduated.

Layton From Vanquish The Foe:

With BYU's schedule they can make the BCS. Even if they lose a close game to Oklahoma the first week of September, they can then win out and still go to the BCS. Any other loss, and the MWC has no team in the BCS. Utah won't because they plat at TCU and BYU. And TCU plays at BYU which hasn't lost in 18 games in Provo. That leaves BYU as the lone dog at the top.

Mountain West Connection:

TCU will be making their first ever BCS bowl game. It could be that I am high on the MWC but their schedule sets up the best for a BCS run (sorry BYU fans when a loss is nearly certain the schedule is not set up for you this year) with their toughest game at BYU in late October.

Clemson is tricky but they always seem to underachive each year, Virigina is nothing special, and the rest of the non-conference is Texas State and SMU. The toughest conference game is at BYU who have won 18 straight entering the season, but last year the biggest problem for BYU was their offensive line stopping TCU's defensive line. TCU does only return four starters on defense, but Gary Patterson always has players in the wings to step up, plus this is the year the offense finally steps it up to the same level as the defense.

Team Capsules

Air Force by BlockU:

The poor Falcons seem destined to be overshadowed by Utah, TCU and BYU every single year. Even though Troy Calhoun has put together two solid seasons in Colorado Springs, they are again not getting much mention for a spot at the top of the league. Is this the year Air Force positions itself for a title run? I don't see it. That isn't to say the Falcons are bad, but the top-three of the Mountain West is just that good. There really isn't enough room at the table and I think Air Force needs to get comfortable being the 4th-best team in the conference, because it's likely they are going to be there for a while.

With that said, they are going to be a scary team because there is the potential to beat the top-three at any point this season. Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year Tim Jefferson returns at quarterback after a solid freshman campaign and it appears he's distanced himself in fall camp to reclaim the starting role. The fact there is some stability there is enough to create a threat - especially since Jefferson put up decent numbers last year.

Pushing Jefferson for the starting role was sophomore Asher Clark, who Calhoun expects to get some snaps. However, when he's not at the quarterback spot, it's almost certain he'll line up in the backfield with Jefferson - creating another offensive weapon.

The Falcons also bring back a decent and experienced defense, which helped the offense through its growing pains last year. But, as it generally is with Air Force, they do lack size, especially up front. That could prove to be a weakness if they have trouble stopping the run (last year, they gave up 139 rushing yards per game).

Ultimately, the Falcons' biggest problem might be their schedule They face Minnesota, New Mexico, Navy, Utah, Colorado State and BYU on the road - which all could be losses. Their home slate is easier, but that TCU game could be the difference between a bowl berth and staying home for the holidays.

BYU by BlockU

Asking a Ute fan to preview BYU is a lot like asking Rush Limbaugh to critique President Obama. But I'll try to be as non-partisan as possible, though there are no promises!

Without a doubt, the Cougars return the most potent offense in the conference this season. I don't think I can emphasize enough how big it is to return a senior quarterback, especially one who hasn't lost many games for BYU. Of course, there are some questions that will have to be answered if the Cougars are going to put together that dream season everyone in Provo thought was going to be delivered last season.

For starters, how well is that offensive line going to adjust to not only their inexperience, but the injuries brought on by fall camp? The Cougars' offense is going to live or die based on that line and if they struggle, especially against Oklahoma, it could set the course for a difficult season. I say this because if they can't protect Hall from the probable swarming Sooner defense, he not only faces the prospects of injury, but potential issues with his game.

Hall has not performed at a high-level against very good defenses, as was on full display against TCU, Utah and Arizona last season (all losses) and a blowout loss to start the season could leave him mentally and worse - physically - scarred. If that happens, it could snowball from there and cost BYU crucial games and derail their season.

Of course, that seems overtly critical and it is, but if I were a Cougar fan, this would be my number one concern. However, nothing is set in stone and as John Beck proved, a quarterback can make a gigantic leap mentally and emotionally from his junior season to his senior one.

I mention Beck because in his 2005 season, BYU was fairly average. They had some decent wins and a nice offense, but there were issues against better teams and the lingering doubt Beck just could not get it done. I think we all remember the overtime loss to Utah to end the season and how Beck really crumbled when the Utes' defense pressured him.

Well a year later, in a near-similar situation, he stepped up and found a wide open Jonny Harline for the win. There was so much growth between '05 and '06 and it marked arguably the best season in a decade for the Cougars. Will Hall make that same step and deliver a memorable season? We'll see...

Colorado State by Vanquish the Foe

Last year's Rams finished a satisfactory 7-6 overall. They went to a bowl game for the first time since 2003 (the New Mexico Bowl), beating Fresno State 40-35 in what was also their first bowl win since 2001. However, CSU was still average within the MWC at 4-4. Steve Fairchild's (former Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator) team was able to give both TCU (13-7) and BYU (45-42) very close contests, but came up short each time. 2008 was Fairchild's first season, after taking over from long-time head coach Sonny Lubick.

At the forefront of CSU's success in 2008 was RB Gartrell Johnson who ran for 1,476 yards (including 285 on the ground against Fresno State) and a 1^st Team All-MWC selection. Johnson is gone now, but the CSU offense still returns 7 players including WR Rashaun Greer a 2^nd Team All-MWC pick in 2008. Last year's QB, Billy Farris has graduated with Johnson, leaving Fairchild to find his starting man under center from the likes of senior Grant Stucker and JC transfer Jon Eastman. Sophomore Klay Kubiak is also in the mix but is coming off shoulder surgery.

TE Kory Sperry also finished his career at CSU with over 1,700 yards receiving. Despite these losses (Johnson, Farris and Sperry) the offense's strengths in 2009 should be in its receivers and lineman. Greer and the other wide-outs should make up for some of the lack of experience at QB while Preseason All-MWC 1^st Team selection OG Shelley Smith should provide the QB with some time to throw.

Across the LOS, the Ram's best player is without question sophomore LB Mychal Sisson. Sisson may be undersized (at 5'11", 203 lbs. he was recruited as a safety) but he was second among NCAA freshman last year in tackles with 105. Sisson was a 2008 All-MWC honorable mention and a Sporting News 1^st Team All-American. However, CSU's defense lost multiple key contributors to graduation - including three starters on the D-line, and LB Jeff Horinek who started 48 games as a Ram. The new core of LB's consists of junior Alex Williams, former safety Davis Burl, and redshirt freshmen James Skelton and Chris Gipson - and of course Sisson. They were supposed to have last season's second leading tackler Ricky Brewer as well, but he was suspended for all of 2009. The secondary should be in better shape, with returning starters at both field and boundary corner.

Overall, Fairchild's Rams have their work cut out for them in order to have as much success as they did in 2008. The losses of Johnson and Farris will be big. But their non-conference schedule is extremely weak and includes Weber State and Nevada coming to Fort Collins and the Rams traveling to Idaho. With as many players returning as they have - including leaders in Sisson, Greer and Shelly - CSU should win those games, but expect the Wolfpack to be trouble. San Diego State, Air Force and Wyoming are all coming to Fort Collins and should be winnable contests as well. The Rams goal this year should be to win seven games again, but realistically they'll probably only win five or six and be stuck in the middle of the MWC yet again.

New Mexico by Mountain West Connection

The Lobos bring in new coach Mike Locklsley from Illinois where he served as their offensive coordinator, and help create what Juice Williams has become. The hope in Albuquerque is that Donovan Porterie --who is coming off of a knee injury-- can become a similar player to Juice Williams.

The Lobos are looking to run a no-huddle offense to increase the tempo and catch defense in an unfavorable set with their lineup. Porterie is a talent and in his last full season in 2007 he passed for over 3,000 yards and is back in the starting role after missing the last eight games in 2008.

New Mexico traditionally has had one of the best running attacks in the nation and have had seven straight years of having a 1,000 yard rusher --which is the longest streak in the nation-- and who knows if the new offense will allow that. Nonetheless, the Lobos are going to have a new starter and there will be some competition between James Wright, A.J. Butler and Desmond Dennis.

There is talent but the 1,000 yard rusher may not happen, because of the offense they run. To cross reference the Illinois offense under Locksley the only year he had a 1,000 yard rusher was when Rashard Mendenhall roamed the backfield in 2007. The other years in 2005-2008 Locksley produced solid run offenses that ranked 47th, 10th, 5th, and 38th respectively in the nation.

With the spread attack that will be implemented many a players will get to touch the ball and the eighth straight season of a 1,000 rusher may not happen, but the rushing attach as a whole should be pretty good. Porterie is a much better passer then Locksley had at Illinois, and this could be the thing that makes the Lobo no-huddle attack that much more dangerous.

The receiving corp is very important to the offense and even though the top three receivers are back they are either undersized or not that fast. Those wide outs will be getting a lot of balls thrown their way and will need to make plays to make this offense work.

The main problem for New Mexico last year was their defense --which is changing from a 3-3-5 to a 4-3 -- the teams that beat the Lobos all had a decent to really good offense and averaged at least 25 points per game. The hope is that the move to the traditional 4-3 will put less strain on having to find five defenisve backs that are good enough to defend the pass and the rush.

Surprisingly New Mexico ranked in the top third in scoring and total defense, even though they suffered eight losses on the year, so there is some talent on the defensive side of the ball. They did lose their top two corners to the NFL last year and experienced corners are hard to replace. New defensive coordinator Doug Mallory who was previously the LSU co-defensive coordinator is taking over the defense and should get them to adjust nicely to the new defense.

Former coach Rock Long did not leave the cupboard bear and the main reason the Lobos suffered such a drop off in production from their bowl season in 2007 was because of injuries, so Locksley will have talent to work with and the Lobos will be competitive in 2009 and jumping point for the future. Their first five of seven games are against teams that went bowling last year so do not look for them to get off to a fast start.

San Diego State by Mid Major Madness

The Aztecs are coming off an extremely disappointing season in ’08 with a 2-10 record, with a lack luster defense who is not returning there star linebacker and safety for the ’09 season. Newly acquired coach Brady Hoke will be looked upon this season to turn around the last place Aztecs. Hoke is coming off a 12-2 season at Ball State and has his work cut out for him with a team who just suffered their first 10 loss season and has not had a winning season since 1998.

Although inexperienced, the Aztecs did have talent on the offensive side of the ball and with the addition of an offensive minded coach in Hoke, this could lead to great success through the air and on the ground. The offense is returning leading rusher, Atiy Henderson, reception leader Vincent Brown and Ryan Lindley at quarterback. Last year as freshman Lindley completed over 50% of his passes and threw for 16 TD’s.

If he can grow and learn under Hoke’s system, Lindley can be dangerous this year especially with the talent that surrounds him. Henderson rushed for over 500 yards last season and if linemen Ikaika Moleta, Trask Iosefa, and Peter Nelson can improve on opening up holes from last season, Henderson will hope to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark this season.

Again, if the linemen can supply time and protection to Lindley he has a couple of solid targets to throw to. Brown led the team with over 60 receptions and accumulated over 600 yards receiving. With Darren Mougey 2ot returning, veteran Robert Wallace will have to step up to be a constant number two receiver.

The defense was definitely the low point of the Aztecs team last season. They finished last in a majority of the conference defensive statistical categories, giving up on average 450 yards a game. Although the defense lost two of its stars, they are returning seven starters so the experience is in place. The question is if the defense can learn from their mistakes last season and improve upon what was an embarrassing display.

Although I do not see the Aztecs being bowl eligible this year I do believe they will improve. They have some tough road games at UCLA, Utah and Air Force, which will tell coach Hoke where this team stands in its maturing process.

TCU by Mountain West Connection

The Horned Frogs finally looked poised to get to a BCS game for the first time in school history. The schedule plays out nice with their non-conference not terribly difficult with the two big games on the road against Virginia and Clemson, and then the conference slate only has two tough games at BYU and at Air Force beyond that the games are manageable. The touted defense only returns four starters, but that defense is lead by All-American defensive end Jerry Hughes and Gary Patterson always has a good defense on his hands.

The biggest concern on defense is that the front line needs to replace three starters, with only Jerry Hughes the returning along that line. TCU also lost to all-league safeties but they do bring in junior college transfer Malcolm Williams fill one of those positions. Williams originally was an Oklahoma signee before heading to a junior college. The player to emerge as the next star for TCU is linebacker Daryl Washington who in his first start in the Poinsettia Bowl recorded six solo tackles, and is the best athlete on defense which is saying a lot since Gary Patterson puts athletes on defense.

The offense is finally in a position to potentially outshine the defense, or at least be on par with them. Andy Dalton returns for his third year as the starting quarterback. Dalton is a good quarterback but not a great quarterback, but improve his accuracy from year one to year two by decreasing his interceptions from 11 to 5. Dalton is not just a manager of the game but makes plays with his arm and his feet by having five games by passing over 200 yards in those games, and knows how to win games.

The running game for TCU does lose Aaron Brown, but they do return Joseph Turner and touted freshman Ed Wesley. Last season when Turner took the starting job while Brown was out on suspension he emerged just as good for Brown and even better in the touchdown department where Turner had 11 scores. Besides the running game being a plus for 2009 the receving corp is near the top of the Mountain West, and Jimmy Young is the star who had 988 yards last year, which was second most in school history.

Antoine Hicks originally signed with the Texas Longhorns and transferred before he ever played, and last year played in only the last two games and garnared only seven catches. 2009 should provide an increase in his production and help the team get closer to their BCS goal. Then there is do everything wide out Jeremy Kerley who takes snaps from shotgun and is an all around play maker who was able to cause havic on opposing defenses.

This TCU team is the most balananced in a long time and their offense looks to be in the upper tier of the Mountain West and with their defense as good as it usually is should be able to lead the Horned Frogs to a potential BCS bowl.

UNLV by Mountain West Connection

UNLV looks to improve of last years three win improvement and make the next step to a bowl game. It all starts with quarterback Omar Clayton who is not a Pac-10 or JUCO transfer but is rather a quarterback who came through the UNLV system. Clayton is the perfect quarterback to run Mike Sanford's spread option attack, and even though Clayton did not run too much last year he is capable of running at the correct times. Also, for a first year starter Clayton threw 18 touchdowns and only four picks.

To go along with Omary Clayton is all-world wide receiver Ryan Wolfe who last year caught 88 passes for over 1,000 yards, and six scores. 2009 will make Wolfe more of a target because the other star receiver from 2008 Casey Flair has graduated making Wolfe the man. It may be hard to improve too much off of Wolfe's number except that his touchdowns could increase.

The second receiver to take over for Casey Flair is most likely going to come from either Phillip Payne, Jerriman Robinson, and Rodelin Anthony all who played last year and it could be Payne who pulled in seven touchdowns last year. Payne could have had more production but missed the last three games because of a concussion he suffered, so if he is back and fully healthy then look for Payne to take full control over the second receiver spot.

The running back position is the biggest question mark on offense, because Frank Summers was drafted in the NFL and the early replacemnt looks to be CJ Cox who was the primary back to Summers last season. Cox only had 54 carries all year and rushed for under 191 yards, also Summer was a larger back and just ran through defenses while CJ Cox is only 5-11 and 195 pounds and is more of a speed back.

Defensively the Rebels were 104th nationally in total defense and 101st in scoring defense by allowing 32.6 points per game. So, if the defense even makes improvements to be in the top 50 defensively UNLV has the chance to continue their improvement. The secondary which was a problem last year and this year UNLV brought in four JUCO transfers and converted two quarterbacks to help shore up the safety position.

The front seven was not much better as they were 115th nationally in rush defense, and the only play maker is linebacker Jason Beauchamp and tackle Malo Taumua besides that there is nothing much on the front seven. The thinking is that the experience from last years team or the JUCO transfers will be enough to make the defense at least average.

Even with the defensive short falls the Rebels should make a bowl game and have a good chance at seven or eight wins.

Utah by Mid Major Madness

Unfortunately the Utes will have several major obstacles coming into the 2009-10 season. The first is they took a major blow during the offseason from players declaring for the NFL Draft as well as graduating seniors. The team lost Paul Kruger, Sean Smith, Brice McCain, and Freddie Brown to the pro’s meaning head coach Kyle Whittingham will have his hands full trying to find suitable replacements.

In addition to players going to the NFL Utah lost defensive coordinator Gary Andersen to become the head coach at Utah State, and then offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig who left to go to Kansas State and then ended up at Cal before the summer even ended to take the same offensive coordinator position.

The offense was hit the hardest with all of the departures. The loss of quarterback Brian Johnson and wide outs Freddie Brown and Bradon Godfrey will put a big dent in the electrifying passing game which was the key to their success just a season ago.

The group connected for a combined 1456 yards and 11 TDs. The loss of Johnson sets up a quarterback competition between Corbin Louks, Terrance Cain and Jordan Wynn, all of whom Whittingham has the out most confidence are capable of leading the team to its second perfect season in a row. Louks ended up transfering to Nevada-Reno and the current depth chart has true freshman Jordan Wynn as the number one and JUCO transfer Terrance Cain as the number two. However coach Whittingham

Another problem the offense will face is the loss of three of their linemen. This could pose as a major setback because without sufficient protection it will be extraordinarily difficult for the Utes to establish a run game or give ample time for their new quarterback to find his open target downfield.

The defensive side will undoubtedly be able to cope with the losses of key players such as Kruger, McCain, and Smith. Defense has be the staple point during Whittingham’s time in Salt Lake City. He has established one of the most respected defensive programs in the nation, which allows him to have the luxury of swapping in a new defender to take over instead of rebuilding the entire team.

The strength in the defense for the 2009-10 looks to be the linebacker core that showcases Stevenson Sylvester who led the team with 4 sacks and finished second with 73 total tackles.

Utah’s defense is a powerhouse and there is no argument about that. However the primary reason for the team’s great success last season was because the offensive production finally reached an equilibrium point with that of the defense.

This is going to be difficult to repeat in the upcoming season but it is very feasible. In order to do so they will have to beat some tough out-of-conference teams such as Oregon and Louisville as well as an even tougher in-conference schedule in which they play TCU and BYU, both of whom are ranked in the preseason top 25.

Whittingham’s standpoint on the upcoming season is to stay positive and use last year’s finish of No. 2 in the nation to help motivate his team. Although another undefeated season is unlikely, it would not surprise me at all if the team will be able to overcome the adversity and do so.

Wyoming by Vanquish the Foe

The 2008 Cowboys finished below .500 for the seventh time in the past nine years. They won only one conference game - and finished 4-8 overall. This led to the school dismissing head coach Joe Glenn after six years and hiring Dave Christensen as a replacement. Christensen was the offensive coordinator at Missouri and there oversaw the recent offensive success the Tigers had with QB Chase Daniel, WR Jeremy Maclin and TE Martin Rucker - playing in back-to-back Big 12 championships. Now, Christensen inherits a Wyoming offense that was among the worst in college football last season.

Last season the Wyoming offense averaged only 117 yards a game and had terrible inconsistency at the QB position. Three QB's - Chris Stutzriem, Dax Crum, and Karsten Sween - combined to throw 17 interceptions and just eight touchdowns, a miserable 91.7 passer rating overall. Needless to say, the QB position in Laramie has been there for the taking in 2009. ESPN's Graham Watson reported this week that JC-transfer Robert Benjamin is the current QB getting reps with the first unit in camp. Benjamin was a NJCAA Region I Offensive Player of the Year at Phoenix College last season. Sween still has a shot apparently, but look for Benjamin to start the season as the Cowboy's starter at QB.

Wyoming returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense. However, the biggest loss to the offense will be RB's Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon - each among the best rushers ever at Wyoming. Moore finished with over 1,300 yards rushing in 2008 and leaves the biggest void. On the other side of the ball the biggest loss is certainly LB Ward Dobbs. Dobbs started 40 games as a Cowboy and was All-MWC in 2008.

Defense was the team's strong suit last year and should remain so in 2009. The D-Line returns three players that have started a combined 24 games together. Two of those lineman - John Fletcher and Mitch Unrein earned MWC honors last season and are a legit force against the run. LB Weston Johnson (78 tackles in 2008) and All-MWC honorable mention free safety Chris Prosinski return also.

Wyoming has a more difficult non-conference schedule than most in the conference: they host the Texas Lonhorns on September 12th, and travel to Colorado and Florida Atlantic (tougher than it sounds). In conference play the Cowboys also have to travel to UNLV, BYU and TCU. It could be a long first year for Dave Christensen and his staff. Expect Wyoming to lose all of the above mentioned matchups. However, they should beat Weber State, and play New Mexico at home. Overall this team could wind up winning just two contests. A solid goal would be to equal the four wins of 2008. Expect them to win 3 or 4 games but for the passing game under Christensen to improve dramatically as the season progresses.

Fall camp day 14 links

JazzyUte — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:40:22 -0000

The big news out of camp yesterday was Koa Misi's back injury. Though we won't know until later today how serious it was, from what I've read, it didn't look that bad.

Utes Football – Misi goes down with back injury

Preseason NCAA football rankings need improvement - Covering The Louisiana State University Community (LSU) -- Tigerweekly.com

Ego Trip: Corbin Louks Reluctant to Adapt with Utes | Bleacher Report

Deseret News | Utah Utes football: Eight receivers are enough

Deseret News | Utah Utes football notes: Backup RB Wide is carrying a load

Key aims to make impact as receiver - Salt Lake Tribune

Utah defensive line looking good - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News

Utes Midway Between Start of Camp and First Game - UTAH OFFICIAL ATHLETIC WEBSITE

Fall camp day 13 links

JazzyUte — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:12:36 -0000

Corbin Louks is gone, Terrance Cain is right on Jordan Wynn's ass and now there is speculation we might not have a starting quarterback until the week of Utah State.

Who said fall camp lacked intrigue?

Seriously, folks, this is turning out to be one of the most exciting and unknown fall camps in Utah's history and I just hope it doesn't mean we're in for some troubles this season.

Anyway, lots of news out of the day, but Louks' decision dominated the discussion. This has probably zero impact on Utah's offense this season, since he was being groomed more for the defense after the coaches demoted him to 3rd behind Wynn & Cain. Of course, it's never good to have upheaval in the program - stability is best.

Utes: Cain making QB battle interesting - Salt Lake Tribune

Ute Camp: Bagley's Report on Ute Scrimmage 8/18

Beadles gives Utes, others a lift - Salt Lake Tribune

Monson: Y., U. could get lousy postseason reward - Salt Lake Tribune

Deseret News | Utah Utes football: Louks transferring to Nevada

Deseret News | Utah Utes' QB race still a dead heat

ksl.com - Utah Football: Louks transfer the big news from today's scrimmage

Utah Quarterback Battle: a Wynn-ing Proposition?

ksl.com - 3 Utes named to Rotary Lombardi Award watch list

Wynn and Cain Split Reps - UTAH OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Making the Rounds: Hodgepodge

Jeremy Mauss — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:32:23 -0000

Air Force

A rarity at the Academy as they have seven freshman on the varsity squad. The best athletes are going to play defense. Jon Davis only plays basketball for fun.

BYU

Max Hall is fine after dislocated his right ring finger, and this has nothing to do with him throwing two picks in practice. The 25^th and possible final recruit for the 2010 class.

Colorado State

The quarterback situtation is still iffy after the first scrimmage, but at least it is done from four to two players.

New Mexico

Mike Locksley is being accused by a former employee combination of age discrimination and sexual harassment. The new look no-huddle offense looks to get everyone involved.

San Diego State

Touted freshman linebacker Jacob Driver is making a dent in the Aztecs deepest position. No look for you! Aztecs close scrimmage to the public.

TCU

Recruit fails to make the grades, and is not joining the team, and highlights from the first scrimmage.

Utah

Terance Cain earned more reps at quarterback in practice over the weekend. Recruit number fifteen offensive linemen Archie Muniz comes from alma mater out of Houston, TX. Corbin Louks transfers to Nevada-Reno, and a Seattle paper previews Utah.

UNLV

JUCO transfer linebacker BJ Bell has chance to make an impact in 2009. Former Falcon hoops player Saj El-Amin is joining the Falcons as a wide receiver, after spending three years on the hardwood. The over looked kicker position is settling in.

Wyoming

Transfer QB Robert Benjamin is in a dead heat for the starting job. Defense wants to improve off of the 14 take aways from last year. Freshman receiver Chris McNeill is ok after being carted off the field with a head injury. Get to know Dave Christensen.

Let's Do the Quarterback Shuffle

Jeremy Mauss — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:28:14 -0000

So far the biggest quarterback battle is taking place at Utah between Terrance Cain and Jordan Wynn. Today is another scrimmage between the two and the depth chart has a chance to flip with Cain being number one and Wynn the two. Recently in practice Cain has been earning more reps with the first team, so today's 80 play scrimmage is huge.

Now like I have mentioned before if Jordan Wynn is not named the starter then he should redshirt, but now that is not an option with an announcement earlier today that Corbin Louks is transferring to Nevada.

Wyoming is also in the race for a quarterback, and so far Senior Karsteen Sweed is in a dead heat with junior college transfer Robert Benjamin. Benjamin was a Dave Christensen recruit who ran a similar spread attack at his previous school and what is going to be run at Wyoming.

The Pokes had their second scrimmage yesterday and all coach Christensen would say is that both have flaws, but both have been playing well. Benjamin may gain the job off of experience running this type of offense.

New Mexico has a quasi-controversy, mainly because former quarterback Donovan Porterie is coming off a knee injury. Expect Porterie to win the job because Mike Locksely utilized Juice Williams at Illinois as a dual threat quarterback and as long as Porterie's knee holds up he will be running the no huddle offense.

The other options are Brad Gruner who played in place of Porterie last year, and then there is redshirt frosh B.R. Holbrook. The Lobos had a scrimmage the other day and all three threw a touchdown pass, but Porterie was by and far the best quarterback on the day. No official announcement has been made, but Porterie looks to be the best to run Locksley's system.

The Colorado State Rams have three in mind and a decision may not be made until kickoff. The team did have their first scrimmage and the three in the race are Klay Kubiak, Jon Eastman, and Grant Stucker. Out of the three Kubiak was the most consistent however neither Estman nor Stucker turned the ball over, and the two combined for three scores.

Coach Fairchild was hoping for someone to step up in the first scrimmage, but he will have to evaluate the talent with the next scrimmage in a few days.

Fall camp day 9 links

JazzyUte — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:10:16 -0000

Jordan Wynn's getting the nod over Corbin Louks and Terrance Cain dominated the news, but I think as we move further from this, it's being accepted as the right decision by most.

Beyond that, though, it looks like the coaches may be prepping for Louks to play a defensive role. If he stays and switches sides, it could benefit the team in the long run. But right now, I'm not sure even Louks knows if he's staying or going.

Deseret News | Utah Utes football camp report

Some sports questions are tough to answer - Salt Lake Tribune

Louks gets defensive - Salt Lake Tribune

Deseret News | Utah Utes football: Louks may make switch to safety

ksl.com - Another Kruger brother has his sights set high

Deseret News | Utah Utes football: Williams now on a mission to tackle

Rivals.com College Football - Mountain West preseason unit rankings

Rivals.com College Football - Mountain West's best all harbor BCS dreams

How We See It: What mid-major football team will crash the BCS bowl party? CMU? WMU? - MLive.com

What Wynn means to 2009 and beyond

JazzyUte — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 06:57:27 -0000

I've got to admit, I was pretty surprised at yesterday's news. I expected if Corbin Louks trailed off a bit, Terrance Cain would get the nod because he is obviously the safer choice. The coaches, on the other hand, think differently and have decided to peg true freshman Jordan Wynn as the current starter heading into the 2009 season.

It's a move that is extremely high risk, but also offers far greater reward than the other two options if it pays off. Of course, that's the big unknown at this point - whether Wynn will prove to be worth it. If he doesn't, this moment might handicap Utah throughout the 2009 season and could ultimately hinder the growth most fans expect heading into what could potentially be another 2008-like season in 2010.

Because of the possibility, Wynn being named the top-quarterback has generated a lot of buzz around the nation. Rightfully or not, this has thrust the Utes back into the national spotlight, as the media, local and beyond, try to really decipher what this means for Utah football.

Now the implications of the decision involving Wynn won't be known until the season fully gets going. But that shouldn't stop us from speculating, especially with the season less than a month away.

For starters, what does this mean for Louks? It's very possible he decides to leave the program, since he clearly expected to be named the starter throughout spring and fall camps. This we know because he said as much in interviews and not making the cut - and being forced to third on the depth chart - just might be what it takes for him to leave the program. We won't know for a bit, but his own remarks suggest he's looking at every possibility.

If Louks stays, I do think his role on the team would be an expanded form of what we saw last year - using him to shake things up a bit on offense, especially in the spread formation. This is why many expected him to be the starter, because offensive coordinator Dave Schramm openly discussed going back to a more spread option-like offense similar to what Rich Rodriguez ran at West Virginia.

However, that isn't going to happen with Wynn at quarterback. Not to say it won't happen down the road, but it appears he's more a Brett Ratliff than an Alex Smith - though there have been comparisons to Smith and if true, he might be far more adaptive to the spread option.

Which means the transition on offense actually might go a bit easier, since the Utes haven't really ran a true spread option since 2005 (and even that was a bit watered down). With Asiata to fall back on and the possibility of Louks coming in to run the option portion of the spread offense, Wynn will certainly have some foundation to work on and that ultimately could help in his progression throughout the season.

If this is the case and Wynn does step into the role with minimal issues, the long-term result will most definitely prove the ends justified the means and the risk was well worth it. If he does struggle and Utah drops 4 or 5 games (yikes, maybe even more), there will be some questions the coaching staff will have to face - especially if Wynn is the major reason behind the problems.

This is why I'm not sure what to make of this news. I won't ever question the decision of the coaches until it proves to not work, but I also don't buy into the blind faith argument - at least until I see some results. There is a reason Utah will be joined by Michigan and USC as the only three programs in the nation this season to start a true freshman at quarterback. It doesn't happen much because it's very difficult to step out of high school and onto the football field in front of 45,000 (or more) screaming fans. The experience gained by even sitting out a season and surveying things from the sidelines as a redshirt are invaluable to many quarterbacks. Just look at Kellen Moore of the Boise St. Broncos. He was a RS freshman last year, led his team to an 11-1 record and has them as the preseason favorite to bust the BCS this year.

Would he have done that had he not redshirted in 2007? Maybe, but I think the possibility of regression and struggles are higher than what he saw because of that one year on campus.

Regardless of all of this, though, Wynn very well may be the best candidate for the job. It's not his fault Louks failed to separate himself from the other two quarterbacks and it's logical to assume if Louks couldn't do that, then he probably wouldn't amount to anything as a quarterback. But as it is with all of this, we just don't know. We can only speculate and hope.