SB Nation - Matt Asiata

Way Too Early College Football Top 25 for 2010

Jeremy Mauss — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:30:12 -0000

The bowl season is not even here yet and the only players to declare for the NFL are on non-bowl teams and most likely not on this list. National Champs has put together a top 25 list with another list of others to be considered for the 2010 season.

The biggest shocker is that Boise State is put second in their rankings while TCU comes in at sixth as the highest Mountain West team. That spot could be swapped depending who wins the Fiesta Bowl, but both of those schools return the majority of their offense. 2010 could be the year that a non-BCS school makes a n even closer run at that national title game appearance.

Neither Utah or BYU are on the list, which is understandable yet a little shocking as well. Utah returns their starting quarterback in Jordan Wynn, RB Eddie Wide, RB Sausan Shakerin, and possibly RB Matt Asiata if he wants to return. The Utes lose most of their receivers but they do have depth there, and they lose a few key offensive lineman. Defensively the Utes lose their top two big play defenders in DB Robert Johnson, LB Stevenson Sylvester, and DT Koa Misi. However the Utes, finally get to bring in the number one JUCO recruit in defensive end James Aiona to go along with the Kruger brothers.

BYU has a question mark if Harvey Unga goes pro, but they automatically lose QB Max Hall and TE Dennis Pitta which will hurt. The Cougars could be starting either true freshman Jake Heaps who is the number one quarterback recruit, or Riley Nelson who has not played significant snaps since his days as the starter at Utah State back in 2005.

Keep on reading to see who is on the very, very early top 25 list for 2010.

2010 Early Bird
Top 25 Preview
Click on each team for breakdown

1. Alabama
2. Boise State
3. Oregon
4. Florida
5. Ohio State
6. TCU
7. Texas
8. Georgia Tech
9. Iowa
10. Miami FL
11. Penn State
12. Nebraska
13. Southern California
14. Cincinnati
15. North Carolina
16. Oklahoma
17. Oregon State
18. Virginia Tech
19. West Virginia
20. Houston
21. Louisiana State
22. Wisconsin
23. Georgia
24. Arkansas
25. Missouri

Others Receiving Consideration
depth charts included

Arizona
Auburn
Boston College
Brigham Young
California
Clemson
Connecticut
Florida State
Michigan
Mississippi
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
South Carolina
South Florida
Stanford
Tennessee
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
UCLA
Utah

Poll

Will the winner of the Fiesta Bowl be ranked inside the top 3 in the pre season poll?

2009 Mountain West All-Conference Football Team Announced

Jeremy Mauss — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:54:10 -0000

As expected TCU lead the way with all-conference selections, but they ran away with 15 first and second team selections which more then doubles second place BYU with seven spots. The Horned Frogs also took home three of four player of the year awards, and coach of the year -- the one loss was freshman of the year which went to Wyoming's QB Austyn Carta-Samuels.

Some irony in the list is that New Mexico had the first team punter; he did have the most chances to impress. A choice that was not expected when the season started was Utah RB Eddie Wide who ran for over 1,000 yards but was to be the back up before Matt Asiata tore his ACL in the Louisville game.

The offensive player of the year award went to TCU's QB Andy Dalton while the defensive award went to TCU's DE Jerry Hughes. The rest of the awards are after the jump.

2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Andy Dalton	Jr.	TCU
WR	David Reed	Sr.	Utah
WR	Ryan Wolfe**	Sr.	UNLV
RB	Harvey Unga	Jr.	BYU
RB	Eddie Wide	Jr.	Utah
TE	Dennis Pitta**#	Sr.	BYU
OL	Matt Reynolds	So.	BYU
OL	Erik Cook	Sr.	New Mexico
OL	Marshall Newhouse	Sr.	TCU
OL	Marcus Cannon	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Beadles*	Sr.	Utah
PK	Ross Evans	So.	TCU
PR/KR	Jeremy Kerley*#	Jr.	TCU
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Jan Jorgensen**	Sr.	BYU
DL	Jerry Hughes*#	Sr.	TCU
DL	Koa Misi	Sr.	Utah
DL	John Fletcher	Sr.	Wyoming
LB	Carmen Messina	So.	New Mexico
LB	Daryl Washington	Sr.	TCU
LB	Stevenson Sylvester	Sr.	Utah
DB	Reggie Rembert	Jr.	Air Force
DB	Rafael Priest	Sr.	TCU
DB	Nick Sanders	Sr.	TCU
DB	Robert Johnson	Sr.	Utah
P	Adam Miller	Sr.	New Mexico
--Two-Time First-Team Selection *--Three-Time First-Team Selection #--Unanimous Selection
2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SECOND-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Max Hall	Sr.	BYU
WR	Vincent Brown	Jr.	San Diego State
WR	DeMarco Sampson	Sr.	San Diego State
RB	Joseph Turner	Sr.	TCU
RB	Jared Tew	Jr.	Air Force
TE	Andrew George	Sr.	BYU
OL	Nick Charles	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Peter Lusk	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Caleb Schlauderaff	Jr.	Utah
OL	Jake Kirkpatrick	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Taylor	Jr.	Utah
PK	Erik Soderberg	So.	Air Force
PR/KR	Dion Morton	Sr.	Colorado State
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Wayne Daniels	Jr.	TCU
DL	Ben Garland	Sr.	Air Force
DL	Johnathan Rainey	So.	New Mexico
DL	Cory Grant	Jr.	TCU
LB	Tank Carder	So.	TCU
LB	Mychal Sisson	So.	Colorado State
LB	Brian Hendricks	So.	Wyoming
DB	Andrew Rich	Jr.	BYU
DB	Anthony Wright	So.	Air Force
DB	Tejay Johnson	Jr.	TCU
DB	Chris Prosinski	Jr.	Wyoming
P	Brian Stahovich	So.	San Diego State
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Andy Dalton, Jr., QB, TCU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jerry Hughes, Sr., DE, TCU
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jeremy Kerley, Jr., KR, TCU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Austyn Carta-Samuels, QB, Wyoming
COACH OF THE YEAR Gary Patterson, TCU

2009 HONORABLE MENTION
Air Force:	John Falgout, Sr., LB; Brandon Geyer, Sr., P; Ryan Gonzales, Sr., OL; Chris Thomas, Sr., DB.
BYU:	Coleby Clawson, Sr., LB; Brett Denney, Sr., DL; Scott Johnson, Sr., DB; Brian Logan, Jr., DB; Riley Stephenson, Fr., P; R.J. Willing, Sr., OL.
Colorado State:	Adrian Martinez, Sr., OL; Nick Oppenneer, Sr., DB; Cole Pemberton, Sr., OL; Shelley Smith, Sr., OL; Tim Walter, Sr., OL.
New Mexico:	Kendall Briscoe, Sr., DL.
San Diego State:	Davion Mauldin, Sr., KR; Jerry Milling, Sr., LB.
TCU:	Evan Frosch, Jr., TE; Antoine Hicks, So., WR; Jeremy Kerley, Jr., WR; Ed Wesley, Fr., RB; Jimmy Young, Jr., WR.
UNLV:	Jason Beauchamp, Sr., LB; Joe Hawley, Sr., OL; Matt Murphy, Jr., OL.
Utah:	Joe Phillips, Jr., K; Sean Sellwood, Fr., P; Sealver Siliga, So., DL; Mike Wright, Sr., LB.
Wyoming:	David Leonard, Jr., WR; Austin McCoy, So., P; Mitch Unrein, Sr., DL.

Early Look at Possible Coaches to Take Over UNLV Job

Jeremy Mauss — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:13 -0000

Football Scoop has put together a list of possible coaching candidates at all levels and there has been some word on the UNLV job.

There are some names that Football Scoop mentions:

Our source close to the situation tell us that Athletic Director Jerry Koloskie and President Neal Smatresk are looking for someone with head coaching experience.

Footbal Scoop has confirmed that the short list for coaches are Tyrone Willingham (Former Washington Head Coach), Butch Jones (Central Michigan Head Coach), Dirk Koetter (Former ASU Head Coach/Jacksonville Jaguars OC), Nick Holt (Former Idaho Head Coach/Washington DC), and Rocky Long (Former New Mexico Head Coach/SDSU Defensive Coordinator). Current Cal and former Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig is also being considered.

With Sanford earning $425,000 per year; the new coach probably will make around $800,000, according to our source while the Coordinators will be close to $250,000.

That nearly double pay raise should be able to attract a few more coaches then before. That $800K is comparable to the top programs in the Mountain West.

First off, stay away from Andy Ludwig, while he did help lead Utah to a 13-0 record in 2008 his play calling is odd at best. He would run plays just so they would be on film; for example on third and one he would run a reverse or a jet sweep with the wide receiver instead of using their strength with RB Matt Asiata. Also, last off season he left Utah for Kansas State to be an offensive coordinator without ever stepping foot on campus, but then mid summer bolted to take the same position at Cal. There is a reason the guy has twenty years of coordinating experience yet has not landed any heading coaching.

It is hard to see Rocky Long taking over UNLV, just because he is one year removed as the New Mexico head coach. If he is offered the job I could see him declining the offer and build up San Diego State and then get a more high profile job then UNLV. Having said that Long would make a good head coach at least on the defensive end which is what the Rebels have been lacking under Mike Sanford. The down fall besides --in my opinion-- lack of interest is that he has not run a spread offensive attack; while at New Mexico he ran a pro style offense which was successful with seven straight 1,000 yard rushers.

Dirk Koetter is an interesting choice, because his collegiate coaching career was a mixed bag. He was the first coach to get a big job from Boise State after his three successful years at Boise where he won two Big West conference titles and two bowl wins. Just for a perspetive 1998 Boise State was in the Big Sky a FCS league, and he helped them make the jump and they just built upon that to what they are today. He then jetted to Arizona State and while he had a good record overall at 66-44, but was 21-28 against the Pac 10. Big games he was terrible 1-11 against top 10 ten teams and a poor 2-19 against all ranked teams. Koetter was fired from ASU in 2006 and has been the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars for 2007-2009. Koetter's offensive success at Jacksonville has been so-so, but what he did at Boise and Arizona State was having a high flying passing attack which was some what successful.

Butch Jones is out of Central Michigan and has done a great job after taking over for Brian Kelly who took off to Cincinnati. With the soon to be loss of QB Dan LeFevour to graduation Butch Jones may want to jump ship to UNLV which would pay more and if he hangs around long enough the Mountain West may be a BCS league. He was at Central Michigan from 1998-2004 coaching various offensive positions before calling the plays from 2002-2004, and then went to West Virginia for two years before taking over Central Michigan in 2007. His current gig is his only head coaching experience and is looking to go to his third straight bowl apperance and third straight MAC championship. His offense is 18th in the nation in scoring offense and in the top third in total offense. This choice would be under the radar, but his short success could translate to UNLV. Jones has the defense to match and has the Chips only giving up 18 points per game.

Tyrone Willingham no, no, and no UNLV should not take on Willingham. He has notorious stories about butting heads with boosters which is a very important part of being a college football coach. For all the talk about that 1999 Rose Bowl Willingham did at Stanford the team was 8-4 and was crushed by Texas 69-17 and then also San Jose State 44-39. Also, Ty Willingham has had only one season with double digits which was the 2002 Notre Dame and that was with Bob Davie's players. One other coaching fact is that he has a combined record of 76-88-1 with only six of the 14 seasons that ended up with a winning record. I would take Andy Ludwig over Ty Willingham.

Nick Holt is the baddest and most intimidating coach in college football and can scare kids in going to his school. Holt is a defensive coach which is a change from the prior candidates, however his head coaching experience at Idaho lasted only two years --2004 and 2005 as he went 5-18 overall with the Vandals. Holt resigned as head coach to initially go coach the defensive line for former Idaho alum Scott Linehan with the St. Louis Rams, but then was picked up by USC and Pete Carrol to coach the defense. Currently he is the defensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies. As the USC defensive coordinator from 2006-2008 he was the man behind the defense that ranked 20th, 2nd, and 2nd nationally. He is the only of these candidates to have ties to UNLV as he was a coach there from 1987-1991 as a graduate assistant and a linebackers coach. Holt has the experience with big time programs and success, but lacks the success at any head coaching level. One concern is that if things go south --as in Idaho-- he could jump ship because his teams are not progressing.

Here is how the very early coaching candidates should be ranked:

Butch Jones (Central Michigan HC)
Dirk Koetter (Jacksonville Jaguars OC)
Nick Holt (Washington DC)
Rocky Long (San Diego State DC)
Andy Ludwig (Cal OC)
Tyrone Willingham (Unemployed)

My wild card pick that has not been mentioned is current University of Houston's head coach Kevin Sumlin who has been the coach for two years at Houston and has made them a known program, plus he was at Oklahoma under Bob Stoops as a co-offensive coordinator. He is a dark horse candidate for this job.

Poll

Who should be the next UNLV head coach?

Butch Jones

78 votes

Andy Ludwig

27 votes

Tyrone Willingham

372 votes

Rocky Long

20 votes

Nick Holt

84 votes

Dirk Koetter

102 votes

Other (put in comments)

28 votes

711 votes | Poll has closed

Mountain West Football Mid Season Review and Rewards

Jeremy Mauss — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:59:31 -0000

Each team has played six games for the Mountain West, so now is a good time to see how all the preseason projection here at SB Nationhave been wrong and time to hand out some mid-season awards. The biggest error in judgment is that Wyoming was picked to finish last in the Mountain West, but there are sitting pretty at four wins and a real chance to get to a bowl game for the first time since the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl.

Then there is New Mexico who is not just the worst team in the Mountain West but is one of the worst teams in all of college football. They ranked 100 or below in every major offensive category, oh and their coach split the lip of an assistant coach by punching him in the face.

The midseason has pretty much gone according to plan with BYU, TCU, and Utah at the top of the standings and the Mountain West is looking to snag an at-large berth bid to the BCS. The league has three teams in the top 20 in the BCS standings which is as many as the SEC, Big 10, and ACC for the most top twenty teams. Having three teams this high in the BCS standings is huge, since these standings are a main part of the BCS evaluation cycle.

As for the midseason awards the offensive player of the year is an odd choice, but they have the best stats which is a difference from the MVP. Also, the coaching choice may be odd, but I feel this team has done the most with the least.

Air Force

The Falcons have done what they normally have done the past five years, and are on pace for another bowl appearance. Besides the conference title the Falcons always want to win the Commander-in-Chief award; something they have not done in seven years, because of an overtime loss to rival Navy.

The quarterback play comes into question because Tim Jefferson is the starter, but he has been suffering an ankle injury which has hindered his play, but backup Connor Dietz has been an admirable replacement. Whoever is at quarterback has been solid, but choosing one the rest of the way could shape the season. The second half schedule for the Falcons is tough with road games at Utah, Colorado State, and BYU.

BYU

The Cougars 6-1 record is not a surprise, but the real surprise was that the single loss was not to Oklahoma, but rather a blowout loss at home to Florida State. QB Max Hall is the teams most valuable player, but he is near the top in the nation with ten picks, but has thrown zero in the last two games. The defense is still a concern, because against FSU they gave up over 300 rushing yards, and then the secondary is questionable as well with last weeks win over San Diego State; the Cougars gave up over 300 yards and three scores.

The season is going as planned -- record wise-- and a BCS shot is still in play if they win out and get a little help from Boise State. The main thing the Cougars need to do the rest of the way is to run RB Harvey Unga there have been too many times when he has the hot hand, but the coaches want to be balanced.

Colorado State

That 3-0 start seemed such long ago. The season started great with a quasi-upset over rival Colorado on opening day and then won two more. Since then the Rams have lost four straight to Idaho, BYU, Utah, and TCU; but the good news is that is the toughest part of their schedule is long gone and some cupcakes start appearing.

New Mexico

This is the worst year for New Mexico football, as mentioned above Mike Locksley punched an assistant, and is sitting out this weekend's game against UNLV. Locksley made believers out of people including me that they would be competitive this year, but 0-12 looks like at least a 50/50 shot.

San Diego State

The new coach Brady Hoke came to town made the move from Ball State to reviatlize the Aztec program, and while the wins are not there the Aztecs are getting better. This year has been tough because Hoke runs a pro style offense in comparission to the spread that former coach Chuck Long. It is cliche to say that Hoke does not have the players, but it is true especially up front in the line because lineman in the spread offense are more quick and are more of a pass blocking group, while the pro-style offense needs the line to run block more.

QB Ryan LIndley is still the offensive MVP for the Aztecs, and while he is still near the national lead in picks with nine, but his yards are up there and is able to keep his team in the games. WR Vincent Brown is a stud reveiver and is leading the MWC in nearly every receiver category and it is not even close.

TCU

The Horned Frogs are following up last years top 10 finish in hopes of finishing in a BCS bowl for the first time in school history. The offense has nearly caught up to the their defense by being in the top 10 nationally in scoring points. The running game is there with multiple backs splitting the carries and two being either a redshirt or true frosh in Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker. The defense is still lead by AA candidate DE Jerry Hughes who is near the top nationally in sacks and tackles for loss. The two biggest games of the year are upcoming with BYU this week, and then Utah a few weeks later. The key player for TCU the rest of hte way is WR/PR/KR Jeremy Kerley who is second in receiving and a player in special teams.

UNLV

In what was to be a surprise season has turned into traditional Rebel football. The team has no defense what so ever, and the offense is inconsistent. One week they play Oregon State down to the wire and the next they get blown out by Utah and BYU. A bowl berth was expected, but now seems like a long shot. Mike Sanford may gone unless the team shows extreme progress the second half.

Utah

The Utes are a mere under thrown pass from being undefeated in that Oregon. The Utes have had their share of injuries the main being stud RB Matt Asiata who tore his ACL in the Louisville game after he stood up from a touchdown run. The early season quarterback battle left the Utes with JUCO transfer Terrance Cain as the starter, and he has progressed as the season goes along. He is a dual threat player and is running more with Asiata out, but his passing is suspect; especially on the deep balls. Utah is still in the hunt for a potential BCS bid -- with help-- and the MWC conference champ if they take care of business.

Wyoming

The Pokes are the surprise team this year in MWC play. The beginning of the year was tough with three players vying for the starting quarterback position. The position is now in control from a true freshman Austyn Carta-Samuels who is another dual threat quarterback and possibly could lead the Cowboys to a bowl bid. They are currently 4-3 with winnable games against rival Colorado State and then San Diego State. Wyoming also had a great turn around from their turnover margin last year which was 119th last last year to 11th in the nation.

Best Team

TCU Horned Frogs

Worst Team

New Mexico Lobos

Surprise Team

Wyoming Cowboys

Most Valuable Player

Max Hall, QB, BYU Cougars

Offensive Player of the Year

Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego State Aztecs

Defensive Player of the Year

Robert Johnson, DB, Utah Utes

New Comer of the Year

Terrance Caine, QB, Utah Utes

Coach of the Year

Dave Christensen, Wyoming

Best Win

BYU 14 Oklahoma 13

Worst Loss

Colorado 24 Wyoming 0

Go ahead and comment on who you should have been voted where.

What We Learned from Week Six of Mountain West Football

Jeremy Mauss — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:20:20 -0000

Air Force

QB Tim Jefferson is still out with that ankle injury, while backup QB Connor Dietz has done a good job of running the offense the Falcons really need Jefferson to get back quickly. The Falcon defense did surprise by holding TCU to under 200 yards, but speedy WR Jimmy Young was able to beat the secondary for over 100 yards. The Falcon secondary is good at covering in front of receivers and the middle of the field, but the big pass play is always a concern against Air Force. The Falcons recovered two fumbles against TCU which decreased their turnover margin to a plus 2.67 per game which leads the nation.

BYU

QB Max Hall for the the first time in nine games did not throw an interception in the teams thrashing over UNLV late Saturday night. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae used RB Harvey Unga to his full abilities and ran him a lot which lead to 149 yards and three scores with over 100 coming in the first half. The BYU secondary which had been questioned throughout the year was able to get three picks, however they did give up 292 yards against UNLV. This offensive performance looked real good and shows how good BYU can be this year.

Colorado State

The Rams are on a three game losing streak after their loss to Utah over the weekend. The Rams in reality could have beaten Utah and Idaho, and be sitting at a stellar 5-1 record. The running game for the Rams finally kicked into high gear with Leonard Mason rushing for 130 yards on Utah's defense. QB Grant Stucker now has nine interceptions on the year and has thrown a pick in every game except for the Nevada. Preseason All-Conference WR Rashaun Greer still has yet to score a touchdown this year.

New Mexico

Besides New Mexico sucking, head coach Mike Locksley will have a decision made on Tuesday if he will stay on as the coach, take a leave or be fired. That's all anyone needs to know about New Mexico.

San Diego State

The Aztecs were off and they need it to try to find a running game against BYU. Perhaps they can channel the Florida State game when the Cougars travel to San Diego next week.

TCU

Turnovers were a problem against Air Force with three, but they are a great team and still managed to pull the victory out over Air Force. The rush defense took a big hit against the Air Force triple option by allowing over 200 yards which moved TCU all the way down to eighth in the nation in rushing defense. WR Jimmy Walker woke up with a 100 yard receiving game, but overall the offense looked pedestrian; could have been the frozen weather.

UNLV

Time to start the Mike Sanford count down to being fired clock. Another bad performance against a very good team; at least they did not give up over 700 yards this week rather a modest 611 yards. The team is not getting the ball to either wide out play maker in Ryan Wolfe and Phillip Payne, they have no running game, and again their defense is very, very bad.

Utah

The Utes pulled out a come from behind win this week, and in the process RB Eddie Wide who is replacing the injured Matt Asiata had a nice game with 102 yards and a score. The problem seems that the offense plays safe mode which has lead to the opposing team pulling ahead, but then something clicks and the offense moves the ball at ease. This could be a problem when they play TCU and BYU later on. Also, DB Robert Johnson is the man he had three picks and was the player of the game against Colorado State.

Wyoming

Just two wins away from bowl eligibility, however they have yet to play the best part of the MWC schedule. The still play Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, TCU, and Utah; not an easy stretch. I feel I can safely say the quarterback situation is set with Austyn Carta-Samuels.

Utah Comes From Behind To Beat Colorado State 24-17

Michael Rueckert — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:24:05 -0000

Final - 10.10.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Utah Utes	3	0	7	14	24
Colorado St. Rams	0	3	14	0	17

Complete Coverage >

In below freezing temperatures Saturday the Utah Utes overcame a 14 point deficit to defeat the Colorado State Rams in Fort Collins, Colorado. Utah quarterback Terrance Cain had one of his best games completing 24 of 32 for 248 yards and two touchdowns. His performance was largely overshadowed by senior safety Robert Johnson. "Rojo" intercepted Colorado State quarterback Grant Stucker 3 different times including one that stopped Colorado State's game tying drive.

David Reed led the Utes with 140 receiving yards on just 9 receptions, including a 45 yard touchdown pass in the 4th quarter. Running back Eddie Wide filled in nicely for injured Matt Asiata with102 rushing yards on 17 carries with 2 touchdowns rushing and receiving. Dion Morton had a good game catching 5 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.

Colorado State was led by senior quarterback Grant Stucker who completed 50% of his passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. Leonard Mason rushed for a career-high 130 yards with one touchdown on the day.

The Utes suffered another blow to their running back depth when newly converted running back Shaky Smithson went down in the first half with an ankle injury after rushing for 24 yards. With Matt Asiata out for the season and Sausan Shakerin still having injury problems as well this could pose as a big problem to the Utes.

The Utes scored 14 points while holding Colorado State scoreless in the fourth quarter. The Utes showed poise in this win, something that they had much of last season. They converted on 6 of 6 third downs in the fourth quarter. With this win the Utes have moved back into the AP top 25 and are currently ranked #24.

The Utah offense seemingly was in control but was unable to get points on the board. The real question for Utah is that it seems they play their best offense with the play book opened up more when the Utes are down. What happens when they play TCU who has a great defense or BYU with their offense? The Utes need a game where they get up big and blow out an opponent, rather then coming from behind.

Highlights from The Mtn.

The Morning Blitz: Daily Utah links - game day edition

JazzyUte — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:17:54 -0000

More photos » by Colin E. Braley - AP

2 months ago: Louisville quarterback Justin Burke (13) is sacked by Utah linebacker Mike Wright (20) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in Salt Lake City. Utah defeated Louisville 30-14. (AP Photo/Colin Braley)

Browse more photos »

Since it doesn't look like the weather will cooperate, I'm not quite sure what to expect today. I'm guessing it's going to be sloppy conditions, which means a more run-oriented game by both teams. For the Utes, that's a big question mark, since they've lost their leading rusher (Matt Asiata) for the season. However, the Colorado State Rams may face a bigger concern because their offense has been heavily influenced by the pass this season.

The Utes' run defense, though, has been shaky to say the least and CSU is toward the top in the conference in that regard. So this game could come down to turnovers - depending on how bad the snow gets.

Utah's defense doesn't miss a beat behind linebacker Sylvester | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan,

Ute football: Utah run game faces tough challenge at CSU - Salt Lake Tribune

Utes hope to be Ram tough - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News

Deseret News | Utah Utes football: Rams' homecoming foes

Deseret News | Utah Utes football gameday

MWC football: The climb begins - Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Looks to Start Strong in Conference Play

BrysonCutla — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:35:53 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

3 months ago: Utah's Terrance Cain throws down field against San Jose State in the second half of an NCAA college football game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Browse more photos »

Next Game

Utah Utes
@ Colorado St. Rams

Saturday, Oct 10, 2009, 3:00 PM PDT
Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium

TV: The Mtn

Complete Coverage >

Utah (3-1, 0-0) heads to Fort Collins to take on the Rams (3-2, 0-1) in the Utes conference opener. Utah, with star running back Matt Asiata out for the season will try to repeat as the Mountain West Champs. Even with Asiata out, don't expect Utah to be conservative with the running game. A rushing attack led by RB Eddie Wide and Quarterback Terrance Cain will be just as effective or more effective for the Utes. Also, look for Utah to use wide recievers in end arounds for different looks on running plays.

For the Rams, who are on a two game losing streak, look to go back to their winning ways. CSU is led by senior QB Grant Stucker who has passed for 1,245 yards with 10 touchdowns. Success for the rams will depend if they turn the ball over. If Utah establishes the rushing attack and Cain makes good solid decisions, the Utes should take care of business on the road. The field conditions will not be great with a 32 degree high and a 70 percent chance of precipitation -- a mix of rain and snow.

Look for Grant Stucker to keep going with the deep ball and hopefuly convert them unlike the Idaho game. Plus, look for the Rams to challenge the Ute corners with Rashaun Greer who is a stud. If the Rams complete the deep passes then Utah could be in trouble.

Colorado State is coming off of two road losses, at BYU (42-23) and Idaho (31-29). Colorado State has not lost three consecutive games under their head coach, Steve Fairchild. The last time Colorado State beat Utah was on October 8, 2005, the season after Utah went to the Fiesta Bowl. The Rams won on a disputed goal-line call against the Utes who had four tries on the one yard line and came up short.

Poll

What will be the outcome in Saturday's game?

Utes win big

14 votes

Utes win in a close one

6 votes

Rams win big

2 votes

Rams win in a close one

7 votes

29 votes | Poll has closed

The Morning Blitz: Daily Utah links

JazzyUte — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:44:29 -0000

More photos » by Colin E. Braley - AP

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Beyond adverse weather that could handicap Utah's offense, I think this game Saturday will give us an idea of what to really expect for the remainder of the season. I say this because Colorado State is not a good defensive team and if the Utes do struggle moving the ball, especially in the absence of Matt Asiata, it may foretell future problems. However, if they roll up a good amount of yards (and points - bet you didn't know the Utes lead the MWC in offensive yards per game), than they could be sitting pretty over the next few weeks.

What I expect Saturday is ball movement and better red-zone production. The Utes have struggled in this regard, ranking 112th nationally. That has to improve as the season progresses because if Utah struggles at capitalizing on scoring situations, sooner or later, it will catch up to them. We all remember four years ago how they failed to punch it in on first and goal against these same Rams. An issue like that again Saturday - or further along in the season - will certainly come back to haunt them.

But beyond that, I look for Terrance Cain to continue his progression. I thought he played pretty well against Louisville and with Colorado State's sketchy secondary, he's just asking for another solid game. Especially with some questions surrounding Utah's running game now that Asiata is down.

So Saturday will mark a game where the Utes can measure their offensive success against a bad defense. They have had their chances in the past (USU, SJSU), yet this is deeper into the season and I think that will hold more weight than the first two-games.

If they struggle, unless it's a complete whiteout, then I've got to wonder if Utah is a bit worse than we had originally thought.

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Utah (3-1) @ Colorado State (3-2)

JazzyUte — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:18:53 -0000

Date & Time: October 10th, 2009, 4:00 MST
TV: the mtn.
Radio: Kall 700
Location: Hughes Stadium, Fort Collins, Colorado
All-time series: Utah leads 53-22-2
Last meeting: 2008, Utah 49, Colorado State 16

It wasn't but a couple of weeks ago Colorado State was looking like the surprise team of the 2009 season. They had opened the year with an impressive victory over rival Colorado and then two weeks later beat what many thought could be a BCS contending Nevada squad. Even after last week's loss to BYU, the Rams still seemed formidable. Not so much now after losing a close one to Idaho. And really, it wasn't the fact they lost to the Vandals, but how they lost to them.

The Rams defense struggled. Idaho pretty much had their way with short passes and worked them pretty well. This was most apparent during the fourth quarter when Colorado State needed a stop. They never got it and ultimately, now sit at 3-2 on the season because of it.

Which sets up Saturday's game between the two. It's an important one for both, because CSU can't afford a three-game losing streak. Not if they're going to contend for a bowl berth. The Utes, on the other hand, should win. This isn't 2005 - where Utah was struggling to find itself in Kyle Whittingham's first season. They have rebuilt rather well over the course of the last four games and look the part of a conference contender. But these type of games, on the road, can always wreak havoc on a team that is still fairly inexperienced. That is probably my biggest concern heading into the contest because even though the Utes are more talented and should win this on paper, it's still a conference road game and you generally can't take those for granted.

On the other hand, Utah will have had two weeks to game plan for the Rams and that seems to be one of Whittingham's biggest strengths. The Utes are undefeated in games after a bye-week and you can throw in his 4-0 bowl record for good measure. They will be ready. They also know these are the games you can't lose if you're going to contend for a conference championship. Four years ago, they lost to Colorado State in Fort Collins and it all but did in any hope of winning the Mountain West that year.

So what should the Utes look for Saturday? Well for starters, this is a very different Colorado State offense. Like Utah, they've had to replace their quarterback and running back (now that Utah lost Matt Asiata).

That offense really didn't struggle against Idaho, but the Vandals defense isn't really all that great, either. On the season, CSU ranks fifth in the Mountain West in total offensive yards per game - the Utes are first. Their passing offense is third in the conference at an average of 262-yards per game. So expect them to really test Utah's secondary.

Leading that offense is quarterback Grant Stucker. On the season, he averages 141-yards per game and has thrown for 10 touchdowns, though he also has seven interceptions on the season. His best game actually came against the suspect Cougar defense. Though they lost, he was 30 of 50 for 372-yards and two touchdown throws. I don't expect him to put up near the same numbers against Utah.

But as I mentioned, it's not the offense that will decide the game. The Utes' defense is pretty stout, as they rank 3rd in the conference in yards per game allowed. Victory will come down to whether Utah can do what it seems every team this season has been able to do - score on the Rams. Colorado State ranks sixth in yards allowed, and points given up (27). Breaking that down just a bit more, CSU has struggled in their pass defense, which ranks near the bottom in the conference. For a still progressing quarterback like Terrance Cain, that's huge. It means he should be able to pick apart their defense without much problem.

The fact this will be the first game Utah will play without Asiata leads me to believe the offense will rely more on Cain like it did against Louisville. Though if Eddie Wide can put up a similar performance to what he had in that game, the transition should be fairly seamless.

While the Rams do rank second in the conference in run defense, I've got to think that has more to do with the fact teams opt to pass on them than their defensive line actually creating a wall at the line of scrimmage. But without having really watched many of their games, I can't say for certain.

The bottom line with this game is that I see the Utes pretty much imposing their will on the offensive side. The game might not be the blowout we saw last year, but I don't expect it to come down to the final play like it did four years ago.

Utah wins if...They don't turn the ball over too many times and exploit the deficiencies in CSU's pass defense. The constant theme throughout this preview is how more talented the Utes are than the Rams. I believe this. Now that doesn't mean they can't lose, but if Utah comes to play - there won't be an excuse for losing.

CSU wins if...They force Utah into mistakes early, set the tempo and find a ground game. The Utes pass defense is too good to really be picked apart like the Rams did to BYU two weeks ago (and to a lesser extent, Idaho last week). If they're going to win this game, I've got to think it's through Utah turnovers and a ground game.

What will happen...Utah's offense continues to improve and Cain again has a pretty decent game. I expect them to move the ball with ease on Colorado State and if they can't, there might be some problems that will undo the Utes' season.

The Rams are not a bad team, but they're not good, either. If Utah is going to establish itself as a good team, these are the games they will have to win and thankfully, I think the team realizes this. They know it's not going to be a cake walk, but CSU should not test them like the other top teams in the conference will. Utes win 42-21.

What are your predictions?