SB Nation - Eddie Wide

Seven Cougars Selected All-MWC 2009

sroufe — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:12:15 -0000

BYU's Jan Jorgensen tackles CSU's Leonard Mason on Sept. 26th. Jorgensen, the "Hammer from Helper", is the MWC all-time sack leader with 29. He has recorded 6.5 sacks and 56 tackles in 2009. (AP Photo/George Frey)

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Jan Jorgensen, Dennis Pitta, Matt Reynolds, and Harvey Unga were awarded All-Conference First-Team honors today. Andrew George, Max Hall, and Andrew Rich were selected to the All-MWC Second-Team. Additionally, six Cougars earned Honorable Mention status: Coleby Clawson, Brett Denney, Scott Johnson, Brian Logan, Riley Stephenson and R.J. Willing. Johnson and Matt Bauman were named Academic All-Americans last week as well. Congratulations to each of these student-athletes!

It should also be noted that Pitta was one of only three players (Jeremy Kerley and Jerry Hughes, TCU) in the conference to be a unanimous selection. For Pitta and Jorgensen this was their third time on the All-MWC First-Team.

TCU had an incredible 15 selections between the 1st and 2nd teams and nearly swept the player/coach of the year awards. The Utes also finished with six players on the All-MWC First-Team.

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.

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.

Utes rock Aztecs early, roll to 38-7 win.

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:16:42 -0000

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For the first few plays on the first drive it looked good for the Aztecs, but after an interception by Lamar Chapman it was all Utes from there on out. Utah scored 5 TDs on its first 6 drives en route to a 38-0 halftime lead and bled the clock to death in the second half with the running game while shutting down the Aztec offense. The Aztecs looked like their offense might come to life a couple times in the second half but only managed 7 points. SDSU actually ended up with more net yards passing than Utah, but the Utes racked up 189 yards on the ground to control the pace of the game and the game clock. The second half flew by and although the Aztec defense pitched a second half shut-out, the Utes did exactly what they wanted to do, which was bleed the clock. Catch the rest after the break.

Final - 11.21.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
San Diego St. Aztecs	0	0	0	7	7
Utah Utes	14	24	0	0	38

Complete Coverage >

Utah's offense led by freshman QB Jordan Wynn was explosive in the first half completing several deep passes to jump-start the offense. They even want to the back of the playbook for some trick plays with a double reverse that ended up back in the hands of the QB for a deep bomb which landed incomplete but drew an interference flag. RB Eddie Wide rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns. He came out of the game with what looked to be a knee injury but later returned to the game. I saw him grabbing his knee at first but I think it ended up being a muscle cramp in his thigh which he was banging on the sideline.

Shaky Smithson had the other rushing TD for Utah. Jereme Brooks led the way for the Utes WRs with 100 yards and 1 TD catch. After the first half the Utes went to the ground to eat up clock and racked up the yardage. Joe Dale led the Utah defense with a 30 yard interception return for a TD. The Utes held the Aztecs in check for most of the game and only allowed one score.

The few opportunities the Aztecs had were not capitalized on. Sophomore QB Ryan Lindley was off all night and the offensive line looked terrible; RB Brandon Sullivan started off strong and looked good at times but wasn't given much to work with. He had over 50 yards rushing in the first half but disappeared in the second half when SDSU was forced to go to the air.

Once again, the Aztecs failed to run the ball and were held to 55 yards rushing, although for some reason I think they count sacks because they gave Lindley -19 yards rushing. Demarco Sampson caught 76 yards and Dominique Sandifer caught the only TD of the night for SDSU to go with 74 yards receiving for him. The offense looked pretty good at times and the defense looked pretty good at times but poor execution and stupid mistakes once again kept the Aztecs from putting it together.

#23 Utah Looks To Bounce Back against San Diego State

BrysonCutla — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:38 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

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Next Game

San Diego St. Aztecs
@ Utah Utes

Saturday, Nov 21, 2009, 1:00 PM PST
Rice-Eccles Stadium

TV: Versus

Complete Coverage >

Utah is coming off its worst defensive performance since a loss to San Diego State 19 years ago. The Aztecs, though, certainly don't appear to be in any position to extend those struggles.

The 23rd-ranked Utes look to win their 17th straight at home as they face the stumbling Aztecs in a Mountain West Conference matchup Saturday.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is eager to see how his team comes back from a 55-28 loss to No. 4 TCU last Saturday. It was the most points the Utes (8-2, 5-1) had given up since a 66-14 loss to San Diego State on Nov. 3, 1990.

"The key thing now is how we respond," Whittingham said. "We're still working on a pretty good season."

Five wins at Rice-Eccles Stadium have helped Utah enjoy another successful season. The Utes have given up an average of 14.5 points in 16 straight home wins since a 20-12 loss to Air Force on Sept. 8, 2007.

Recent matchups with San Diego State (4-6, 2-4) haven't given Utah's defense much trouble, either. The Utes have given up a total of 28 points in three straight wins over the Aztecs, including a 23-7 home win Oct. 13, 2007

In the last meeting, Utah had 520 yards of total offense and never had to punt in a 63-14 victory Nov. 15, 2008. The Utes have an opportunity for another easy win over the Aztecs, who are allowing 30.0 points per game and have surrendered 85 in losing their last two.

Utah can take some solace from its last game in knowing it had a respectable performance offensively against TCU's vaunted defense. Though freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn was making his second start, the Utes' 28 points were the most allowed by the Horned Frogs all season.

"The game was a big positive for Jordan," Whittingham said. "He handled himself very well. He hung in there and showed a great deal of toughness and resiliency and was very poised. He did a solid job given the circumstances and learned a great deal. He will be a better quarterback because of this."

Wynn didn't get much help from Utah's running game. The Utes scored three TDs on the ground, but were held to 65 yards on 27 carries.

Eddie Wide was limited to 25 yards on 14 carries after reaching 100 yards in six straight games. He did manage to score, though, putting him in a tie for the MWC lead with nine TDs.

Wide has a good chance to rebound against a San Diego State team that has allowed 512 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in its last two games. The Aztecs are allowing 167.4 rushing yards per game on the season.

San Diego State's defense was mostly to blame for its 30-27 loss to Wyoming last Saturday night. The Aztecs blew a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter, losing on a 43-yard field goal with 23 seconds left.

Brandon Sullivan was a bright spot for San Diego State, rushing for 105 y

ards and two touchdowns. The Aztecs had 157 yards rushing after averaging 58.5 in their previous four contests.

San Diego State is the seventh-worst rushing team in the nation, averaging 78.1 yards a contest.

The Aztecs rely heavily on sophomore Ryan Lindley, who has passed for 1,374 yards and 13 touchdowns with three interceptions in his last five games.

DeMarco Sampson has a team-high eight TDs catches, all over the last five games. Sampson has 38 receptions for 521 yards during that span.

Lindley was intercepted twice in last season's meeting with Utah. The Utes lead the series 15-12-1.

TCU Pounds The Utes and Makes A Big Statement

Michael Rueckert — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:11:08 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

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Final - 11.14.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Utah Utes	7	7	7	7	28
TCU Horned Frogs	14	24	3	14	55

Complete Coverage >

The 4th ranked TCU Horned Frogs did a lot more than beat a good, No. 16 Utah team. They made a statement. TCU dominated the Utes 55-28, and overcame their last serious threat to an undefeated season. Tonight, the Horned Frogs gave the nation strong evidence that they are worthy of playing in the BCS national championship.

What a scene Fort Worth was for the Mountain West Conference. TCU had an extremely large turnout for ESPN's College GameDay in the morning and set a Amon G Carter Stadium attendance record of 50,307. The game had a BCS type atmosphere which surely impressed the many bowl representatives that were on hand to behold just how good TCU is.

The defensive battle that we envisioned was actually more of a lopsided offensive shootout that TCU dominated. Utah was able to score 28 points, which was a largely a result of Wynn making deep passes to David Reed. TCU had a huge second quarter where they scored 24 points, putting the game out of reach early.

The numbers depict exactly how the game went. TCU outgained Utah in total offense 549 to 284. The Frogs ran all over the Utes with 342 yards. Their defense as expected was superb. TCU held the Utah rushing attack to just 65 yards on the night. Eddie Wide's 100 yard rushing streak came to a screeching hault as he was held to 25 yards on 12 carries.

Jerry Hughes gave freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn problems all night. He was just too fast and too athletic for Tony Bergstrom to hold him back. Jordan Wynn was pressured on nearly every single play. He finished the game passing 16/32 for 219 yards, with a touchdown and interception.

The Frogs came out of the gate fired up and took the lead early, and never looked back. TCU avenged their loss in 2008 and should take the Mountain West football championship for their first time since 2005.

After this game I think TCU deserves to play in the Rose Bowl for the national title. I expected them to be good, but they flat out dominated in all aspects of the game. I am still in awe of their incredible team speed. Speed that rivals with the likes of Florida.

It should be interesting to see what happens in the polls tomorrow morning. I wouldn't be surprised at all if TCU is rewarded with a few first place votes. TCU will probably still need a Texas loss to get into the BCS title game, which unfortunately for TCU, is looking very unlikely right now.

Poll

Where does TCU belong in the polls>

#1

47 votes

#2

33 votes

#3

17 votes

#4

12 votes

109 votes | Poll has closed

#14 Utah @ #4 TCU

JazzyUte — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:55:07 -0000

Next Game

Utah Utes
@ TCU Horned Frogs

Saturday, Nov 14, 2009, 5:30 PM MST

Amon G. Carter Stadium

TV: CBS College HD

Radio: Kall 700

Complete Coverage >

Utah faces its toughest test this Saturday as they travel to take on undefeated TCU. The Horned Frogs are vying for the school's first BCS berth and a win against the Utes would all but put them there.

For Utah, this game marks a chance to win at least a share of the conference championship (assuming they beat San Diego State in two weeks) and position themselves for a chance at the BCS. While the odds might be stacked for the latter to happen, it's certainly something they will be playing for this weekend.

Which is essentially the scenario we saw a year ago, though the roles were reversed. In 2008, a 13-10 Utah victory, the Utes entered their epic showdown against TCU undefeated and a test away from pretty much locking up a spot in the Sugar Bowl. The Frogs entered with one-loss and were trying to play spoiler, while also bolstering their BCS chances.

The game lived up to its billing, as Utah would only take the lead in the final 50 seconds after trailing the entire game. It was, until that Sugar Bowl, the biggest win in school history. It was also the biggest game in Mountain West history. Is this year's tilt even bigger?

Utah was ranked 10th and TCU 11th when they met a year ago. TCU was also poised to overtake Boise State with a win and that meant it was pretty much a BCS elimination game. This year, however, that isn't the case. TCU could be eliminated from the BCS picture with a loss, but a win by Utah doesn't assure the Utes anything except the inside track to the Mountain West title.

Which probably suggests last year's game was a bit more important. Plus, both teams appeared to be fairly equal. In fact, the Frogs actually were a couple-point favorites over Utah, even though the game was being played in Salt Lake City. This time around, it seems there is quite a bit of distance between the two programs. Which explains the Vegas line, which is as high as 17-points in some places.

The Utes also haven't looked entirely impressive this season. They've eeked out wins over San Jose State, Colorado State, Air Force and Wyoming - teams that, outside of the Falcons, aren't doing much this season. But is it fair to suggest Utah isn't impressive because their games haven't exactly been blowouts? I mean, this is a team that hasn't lost in conference play since the 2007 season and boast a solid 21-1 record in their last 22-games.

Yet the general consensus is that the Utes won't put up much of a fight. Which is hard to believe given the history of this series since TCU joined the Mountain West in 2005.

For starters, Utah is 3-1 against the Frogs over the past four seasons. That includes three straight victories and that lone loss came in overtime on a controversial play. The Frogs finished that year 11-1.

Only one team in the Mountain West seems to have their number and it is Utah. They're 1-1 in Fort Worth and with their worst team of the Whittingham era (2006) soundly beat TCU in Salt Lake. That would be only one of two losses. Their other came against BYU - who won the Mountain West that year.

Why the hype entering this game? They're good. Really good. Arguably the best team in Mountain West history. If they go undefeated, you might have to drop the arguably from that statement. The Utes, on the other hand, aren't really good. They might be good, but that's not good enough to beat what many perceive to be a national champion contender.

Since TCU's loss to Utah in November of last year, they've yet to lose. That includes an impressive bowl win over the Boise St. Broncos in the Poinsettia Bowl (their main challenger this year for a BCS spot) and road wins over Clemson and BYU. But beyond just wins, it's been the way they've won that has turned heads. Because if you look at the statistics, it paints a clear picture - TCU has dominated this season. That's not quite something Utah could have said a year ago entering their game against the Frogs.

Nationally, their defense ranks fourth in points given up per game and third in yards given up per game. But what really sets this TCU team apart from other Mountain West squads (and TCU of '08) is their offense.

Believe it or not, the Frogs rank sixth in the nation in points per game. They also rank eighth in yards per game. So, they basically have a great defense and a really good offense. For any opponent, those are numbers you do not want to see because it signals there isn't much weakness to exploit.

The good news is that the Utes have a really good defense. It might not be great, though a great performance this week would certainly make it that, but it's extremely good. I don't anticipate TCU putting up 37-points Saturday (their season average). It's just not going to happen.

That's why I believe Utah has a chance to win. I've always thought it better to have a so-so offense and a really good defense than a so-so defense and a really good offense (if you can't have both). Just look at BYU. I think it's safe to say they have a really good offense. But how'd that help them against TCU a few weeks ago? Their offense was shut down and because their defense was suspect, it allowed the Frogs to move the ball pretty much at their desire. The same thing happened a year prior.

This will not be an issue for Utah Saturday. They might not have a very good offense, but they don't need a very good offense to beat TCU. They just need their defense to step it up and keep the game close enough so that a few potential mistakes by the Frogs, or big plays by Jordan Wynn or Eddie Wide, could push them to the win.

Obviously Utah is facing a tall order here. Winning will take absolutely the best effort we've seen from them since the Sugar Bowl. But like the Sugar Bowl, it can be done. The Utes know this and they will enter Saturday's game with the mindset they can win. Just like they did back in January when they first stunned the college football world. Well the world is watching and doubting again and there is no better time to prove to them that Utah is still the King of the Mountain West and the best non-BCS team in the country.

Utah wins if...They don't turn the ball over. They have to thread the needle with this one if they even want to be in the game entering the final minutes. Turnovers will kill them. If Wynn struggles as the new starter and throws a couple of interceptions, or the receivers fumble, it's going to be a long night. TCU has too good of a defense to not pounce on Utah mistakes. And while our defense will do its job at keeping us in the game, if they're going to win it, they'll need an error-free night by the offense.

TCU wins if...They force Wynn into turning the ball over and shut down the run. TCU's run defense is good, but Utah's run offense is good (26th nationally), too. If the Utes can't run, they can't win.

What will happen...Utah plays a mistake free game. They find a solid running attack, chew up some game clock and play very conservative on offense. Defensively, they shut down Andy Dalton, stall the Frogs' running attack and the game plays out similar to 2007. Utes win 21-17.

Am I nuts for picking Utah? I can't go against them. I just can't. Not in a big game. Not after I've seen Whittingham teams rise up even when they weren't very good. We will win this. What are your predictions?

No. 14 Utah rolls against New Mexico 45-14

Michael Rueckert — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:06:56 -0000

More photos » by Colin E. Braley - AP

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Final - 11.7.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
New Mexico Lobos	7	0	0	7	14
Utah Utes	7	10	21	7	45

Complete Coverage >

The No. 14 Utah Utes -- in arguably their best performance or the year -- crushed the winless New Mexico Lobos 45-14. True freshman, Jordan Wynn, in his first ever start was impressive. Wynn completed 18/28 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns. The Ute offense has been struggling all season long, but in this game they rolled.

Eddie Wide broke a school record with his sixth straight 100 yard rushing game, as he ran for 145 yards, with 2 touchdowns, on just 20 carries. Wide wasn't the only Utah running back to rush for 100 yards. Sausan Shakerin rushed for exactly that, on just 16 carries.

Wynn showed us all night why the coaches promoted him to starting quarterback over Terrance Cain. He completed many passes down the field, and led the Utah offense into the endzone time after time. Wynn averaged a gain of 10.6 yards per pass, which is very different than the offense when Cain was the starter. The Utes used less screen passes and many more deep balls. The Utes had 557 yards of total offense on the game.

Jereme Brooks had a career game as well. He had 135 yards receiving on just 6 receptions averaging a staggering 22.5 yards per catch. Brooks caught quite a few of Wynn's downfield passes, and did a much better job this game in not dropping any. He had two touchdowns, one from a long pass, and one off a reverse.

New Mexico scored their first touchdown on a 59 yard pass play from Donovan Porterie to Ty Kirk. Their other touchdown came with just 17 seconds left in the game when the Utes unloaded their bench. The Lobos had a very difficult time moving the ball against the touch Utah defense. It doesn't get any better for the Lobos this season as they lose their 13^th straight game with TCU, and BYU still on their schedule.

The stage is now set for the TCU vs. Utah showdown. Both teams had blowout wins, and this match may be between two Top 10 teams, since four teams ahead of Utah lost today. ESPN's College GameDay may be on hand for what should be one of the biggest games in Mountain West football history.

What We Learned from Week Eight Of Mountain West Football

Jeremy Mauss — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:42:05 -0000

Air Force

The Falcons are a much, much better team when QB Tim Jefferson is running the show. Jefferson is more of a passing threat then Connor Diets, and it showed as Jefferson tossed two touchdown passes. Air Force has five wins on the year and should become bowl eligible when ESPN GameDay comes to Colorado Springs as they take on the other service academy Army.

BYU

The Cougs used the bye week to get healthy and get WR McKay Jacobson back in the lineup, and BYU still insists on executing their plays and saying that will work. One word: 'speed' which is what Utah will bring on defense at the end of the year.

Colorado State

Tailspin anyone? The Rams are a mess they are losers of six in a row and one more loss takes them out of bowl consideration. Coach Fairchild insists that Grant Stucker is the starter this week, but I see Jon Eastman getting some snaps. Their defense needs to hold somone, and also maybe inform the team there is a second half of football.

New Mexico

Can I pass? The Lobos came the closest to victory with a three point loss to San Diego State. This week is not any easier as they take on Utah on the road. Maybe last weeks game gave them some confidence?

San Diego State

Aztecs are .500 and have a legit shot at making their first bowl game since joining the Mountain West. The bad news is that stud WR Vincent Brown is out for the year with thumb surgery, however DeMarco Sampson has stepped up in his place quite nicely the past few games.

TCU

The past three games TCU has outscored their last three opponents by 133-13, and the BCS is in reach. The Aztecs have one more tune up against San Diego State before they welcome in Utah to Fort Worth for the MWC crowne.

UNLV

Oh the how the Rebels deceive us with their preseason hype. UNLV's supposed offense is stagnent as they got shut out by TCU and look terrible on both sides of the ball. UNLV may have to eat the three years left on his deal, but all could be somewhat forgiven if they can somehow beat Colorado State.

Utah

Jordan Wynn or Terrance Cain? That is the question o' the week as to who will be the starter. It obviously will be Jordan Wynn, while his stats were not impressive he brings in a more diverse passing game then Terrance Cain who relied on slants to David Reed and then run the ball. Wynn is not the athlete to run, but the Utes have Luke Matthews, former QB DeVonte Christopher, Eddie Wide, and Shaky Smitheson to take a direct snap in the running game. It is New Mexico but it will be a test for Jordan Wynn to see how he does in a full game.

Wyoming

The Poke had their chances against Utah with a dropped sure pick six that could have won them the game. Dave Christensen is the best new coach in the league, but does not quite yet have the athletes to run his system. QB Austyn Carta-Samuels is the future for Wyoming and it looks promising. They are on track for a bowl berth which would be huge for Wyoming. WR David Leonard is quietly having a great season with 52 catches and 452 yards, and more then triples the next closest Wyoming receiver in receptions.

Wyoming report card

JazzyUte — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:26:32 -0000

More photos » by Colin E. Braley - AP

about 1 month ago: Utah fan, dressed up for Halloween, waits for the start of the Utes home game against Wyoming at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Saturday Oct. 31, 2009, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah defeated Wyoming 22-10. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

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This was a weird game. Maybe that's fitting, since it took place on Halloween. I don't know. I can't say I was disappointed with the Utes' performance. I felt the Cowboys offered a defensive test and was fairly confident they wouldn't score much on Utah. They didn't. In fact, the Utes held them below their season average.

What I didn't like was that, once again, Utah failed to put together a solid four-quarter game. There hasn't been one yet and we're winding down the 2009 season. That either means we're poised for one in the coming weeks, or it's never going to happen and most likely will result in a loss. I'm hoping it's the former.

Regardless of those issues, though, the Utes are 7-1. Not a bad start. It's about where most of us felt Utah would be at this point in the season. They've avoided ugly losses (2005 and 2006 come to mind) and for that, the consistency might suggest we're moving beyond those struggles and actually putting together reloading seasons instead of rebuilding ones. You know, because you can't really call 7-5 reloading - but you surely can call 11-2 or 12-1 that.

The grades after the jump...

Offense: B - I'm going to probably go against the grain here. The offense wasn't that bad. Just look at the yards they racked up. Sure, there are issues and those issues cost them a higher grade (and a bigger win), but both Terrance Cain and Jordan Wynn were good when it came to passing (both combined to go 20 of 28 for 211 yards) and that has to count for something.

Eddie Wide was also his amazing self. He tied the school record for consecutive games (5) with 100 or more yards and was instrumental in sparking the Utes' offense in the second half.

Of course, the story of the night was at quarterback. Cain, who went 10 of 13 for 121 yards, was pulled by Kyle Whittingham at the half and replaced by true freshman Jordan Wynn. Wynn, playing in his first game ever at any level of college, stepped up and threw a touchdown, while finishing the night completing 9 of 14 passes for 82-yards.

The performance wasn't the greatest Utah has seen this season and things will need to improve if they're going to beat either TCU or BYU, but it was a step in the right direction I think. Especially when you consider the offense is now not just transitioning from one quarterback to another, but now changing who calls the plays up in the box.

Defense: A - The Cowboys' offense is not good. I said as much in the preview and was backed up by their performance Saturday. Even so, I think Utah's defense did what they needed to do. For starters, they held Wyoming below their point total on the season and only allowed 202 total yards. That isn't bad and well below the Pokes' average on the season (312.8 after Utah's win).

They also shut out the Cowboys in the second half. Any time you do that, you're doing something right.

Special Teams: B - It started badly for Joe Phillips, as he missed a 43-yard field goal (his first miss of the season). However, he stepped up and connected on three the remainder of the game. There were also no fumbles on the punt returns and most of Utah's punts sailed down field and pinned the Cowboys deep - especially in the second half.

Coaches:

Aaron Roderick: B - I wasn't impressed with the first half, but I think Utah changed it up a bit in the second. For his first game in the box calling plays (though I do think Dave Schramm had the final say), he did a good job. Whittingham suggests he won't become Utah's new OC. But he's in the box and calling plays - isn't that what he is, regardless of title?
Kalani Sitake: B-plus - The defense was good. I've been impressed with how the defense has progressed this season. I'd still like to see a few more big plays, but Saturday you saw glimpses of it. R.J. Stanford had an interception and Austyn Carta-Samuels was sacked five times.
Kyle Whittingham: B-plus - Maybe I'm being a bit extreme here, but I think Whittingham has produced his best coaching job ever. With what he was dealt in terms of injury and turnover, it's pretty impressive this team is 7-1. Sure, their schedule hasn't been great, but four years ago, losing those games undid Utah's first rebuilding season under him. That hasn't been the case this season.

I wasn't totally impressed with Utah, but I think this team will be all right. Maybe they won't win out or even finish 3-1 in their final four, but it really wasn't about being good this season. It was about putting together the foundation for a great run next year and right now, that is exactly what they're doing. It's only an added bonus if the Utes somehow manage to pull a stunner in two weeks.

Let's see your grade...

Poll

How'd they do?

A - Big win over an improving Wyoming team.

11 votes

B - A good win, but still much to improve on.

100 votes

C - We're melting down...

18 votes

D - Freaking out...

1 votes

F - OMG

1 votes

131 votes | Poll has closed

New Mexico (0-8) @ #16 Utah (7-1)

JazzyUte — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:23:49 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

about 1 month ago: New Mexico quarterback Donovan Porterie (15) throws a pass under pressure from San Diego State's B.J. Williams (90) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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Next Game

New Mexico Lobos
@ Utah Utes

Saturday, Nov 7, 2009, 4:00 PM MST

Rice-Eccles Stadium

TV: the mtn.

Radio: Kall 700

Complete Coverage >

The Utes look for a bit more consistency this Saturday as they take on what could be the worst team in the nation. New Mexico, who only a year ago nearly upset Utah in Albuquerque late in the season, has fallen to 0-8 and stand a real shot at going winless for the first time since 1987.

For Utah, though, the questions this week don't really center around the Lobos. No, instead, we're focused on the brewing quarterback battle between Terrance Cain and Jordan Wynn. Cain had started in Utah's first seven games, but was pulled at the half of last week's game against the Wyoming Cowboys as the Utes fell behind 3-10 before rallying in the second half behind the arm of Wynn and the ground game of Eddie Wide.

That set in motion the current position Kyle Whittingham and the Utah offensive coaching staff finds themselves in entering the final four games of the 2009 season. It's also that coaching staff that has some questions of their own - like who will finish out the year as Utah's offensive coordinator.

In a surprising move prior to the Wyoming game, Whittingham pulled Dave Schramm from the box and let wide receivers coach Aaron Roderick - who had been pegged to be co-offensive coordinator with Schramm before he left Utah for Washington and then returned - call the game. His first half performance was mixed, especially with the poor play of the offensive line (though that falls on coach Blake Miller), but the second half looked far more consistent and smooth. Which explains the 19-second half points. A far greater improvement over their three in the first half.

It's those two news stories that obviously will dominate the discussion this week and you've got to wonder if it could throw Utah off their game heading into what many consider a near automatic win. If that's the case, are the Lobos capable of beating the Utes?

The short answer to that, of course, is a no. If they did, it would be considered one of the biggest upsets in recent college football history. I mean, it isn't like the Lobos are a close 0-8 here. They've lost a lot of games by a lot of points and aren't a very good team. In fact, last week's performance against San Diego State was probably their best of the season and that was against an Aztecs team that has won only 4-games.

Beyond that, New Mexico ranks dead last in the Mountain West in points per game (15.5), yards per game (306) and points given up in a game (35). They are lucky enough to be second to last in yards given up (413). The Lobos can thank UNLV for that.

Because of this, I believe Utah will actually have a great performance this week and dominate from start to finish. If they don't, well then, I think the team is probably destined for a poor finish and a no-worse than 9-4 record. That wouldn't be horrible for a rebuilding year, but it probably means they finish unranked (which could hurt their standing entering next year) and they will have ended the year winning only two of their final five games. Not the type of finish we're used to seeing under Whittingham.

This makes Saturday an important setup game for Utah, especially if they're breaking in Wynn. TCU will not be easy and I know some Ute fans are already conceding a loss, but I never, ever concede a loss to anyone (even though I might predict it...but that isn't the same, trust me), so I look at this game as a possible tuneup to the biggest Mountain West game EVER (well, at least since last year's Utah-TCU contest). That means they can't amble through another game against another bad Mountain West team. If they do that, I don't think they'll be mentally ready for what the Frogs have to offer.

And it's that mental toughness I think Utah needs to work on, specifically on offense. The Lobos, whose defense is rather poor (and that's putting it nicely), should offer Utah a way to work out those kinks. Will it be enough to beat TCU? Who knows. But a solid performance here would give Utah their sixth win in a row and surely move them up in the rankings. That puts them in a good position entering a game that will decide the Mountain West.

Not bad for a rebuilding year.

Utah wins if...They pretty much show up. The Lobos are the worst team Utah will face this season (and that takes into account Utah State, San Jose State and the faltering Colorado St. Rams). No excuses here for this even being a game entering the fourth quarter.

New Mexico wins if...We enter some weird alternate universe where the Lobos are actually good and Utah is actually bad.

What will happen...I'm going to be bold here. I think Utah comes out fired up and rolls New Mexico easily. It'll be the best - and least satisfying - victory of the season. They'll kick ass from start to finish and finally put together a complete game. Utes win 42-10.

Give me your predictions.