SBNation.com User Blog: GambitUte

Stealing a player from you rival

GambitUte — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 23:37:33 -0000

One of the sites I visit regularly (Fans25) posted a rather interesting thread I thought would be fun to discuss a little bit here: If you could steal one player from your rival, who would it be?

In my opinion we really haven't developed any true rivalries yet here in the Pac-12, so I'll reluctantly pick someone from the TDS. Now before any of you crucify me for blasphemy, I want to make it clear I'm picking entirely based off of talent

Like Utah, BYU really doesn't have any standouts on the offensive side of the ball so I'll go defense and pick LB Kyle Van Noy. Again , I don't know a lot about him personality wise but based off his talent and numbers on paper he is the no-brainer pick in my mind.

Could you imagine the damage this defense could do with Van Noy and Star playing together?

Anywho, just thought it was a fun idea for a moment. And for those of you who absolutely refuse to pick a TDS guy, feel free to take a Pac-12 rival player (be creative though, Barkley is a no-brainer pick)

One of the sites I visit regularly (Fans25) posted a rather interesting thread I thought would be fun to discuss a little bit here: If you could steal one player from your rival, who would it be?

Could you imagine the damage this defense could do with Van Noy and Star playing together?

Studs and Duds: Week 2

GambitUte — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 23:07:14 -0000

You know the drill. I know I'm a little late but here it is anyway. I think it goes without saying there will be a lot more duds this week. Well, let's jump right in

STUDS:

Stud of the week: Kenneth Scott

I think we all agree, Scott was one of the few bright spots from Friday's travesty. The kid showed good jump ball moves and hopefully can contribute a lot to the QB transition period.

Coleman Peterson: Yeah, I know he missed in regulation (twice) but a 52 yarder is no easy thing and frankly after his horrible week 1 performance, he improved quite a bit.

John Hays: This is my borderline stud, Hays certainly gave the boys a momentum boost coming in for the injured Wynn, but his play late in the third and the fourth gave me little hope he has drastically changed from last year as some would have us believe. The kid had heart but he needs to really step it up for week 3

DUDS:

Dud of the week: The offensive line

Let's not sugarcoat it folks, we have BIG problems right now on the O-line. I'm not saying BJ called a great game but he is getting some unfair flak for his play calling on friday. The pass protection was horrible,and the run support wasn't that much better.How scary is it that a defensive front from a team of USU's caliber was doing practically ANYTHING it wanted against Utah's O-line? I hope this is an issue we fix fast.

Special teams unit: Many of us feared USU had a slim chance at an upset was if USU got us in an early hole,.....well, check on that one. Sellwood was pretty solid and the kick return coverage looked okay. That said, okay will not cut it when Pac-12 play starts. The margin of error was slim as it is and these guys dropped the ball several times Friday.

Officiating: Let's be clear, I don't think the refs costed us the game but there was just too much flags for my taste and the calls were very inconsistent. Yeah, I'm bitter about the bogus offensive PI call and the no call that followed but frankly we shouldn't have even been in that situation.

Jordan Wynn: Again just to be clear, I don't want this to look like I'm kicking him while he's down, this is based entirely off of his performance Friday. Granted, the O-line didn't do him any favors, but Wynn looked completely lost out there and clearly wasn't ready physically or mentally. I wish him the best for his future. Anyone who is glad he got injured is a loser, fact of the matter is he just had piss poor luck.

Like Jazzy said, this I haven't felt this much uncertainty since 2005 but I really hope the guys will come out pissed and ready to prove Friday was a fluke. Then again, BYU wants revenge for embarrassing them in LES last year. Which one will trump the other?

Well that's it for this week.......Thoughts?

You know the drill. I know I'm a little late but here it is anyway. I think it goes without saying there will be a lot more duds this week. Well, let's jump right in

STUDS:

Stud of the week: Kenneth Scott

I think we all agree, Scott was one of the few bright spots from Friday's travesty. The kid showed good jump ball moves and hopefully can contribute a lot to the QB transition period.

Coleman Peterson: Yeah, I know he missed in regulation (twice) but a 52 yarder is no easy thing and frankly after his horrible week 1 performance, he improved quite a bit.

DUDS:

Dud of the week: The offensive line

Well that's it for this week.......Thoughts?

Studs and Duds: Week 1

GambitUte — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:12:40 -0000

The idea is simple. Every week I will post who showed up to play and who layed an egg.

STUDS:

Stud of the week: Travis Wilson

I REALLY wanted to put John White here but I was just too impressed by the rookies debut. Even if it was Northern Colorado, this kid showed guts. two rushing TD's and a highlight play that we will see several times again (and hopefully more of in future games) I don't want to jinx our chances but I gotta say I like the depth we have if Wynn can't play.

-John White-

What else can you say? the Wolfman picked up exactly where he left off. While some are concerned about the depth behind him, my argument is when you get a guy as talented as him in a zone, he WILL get the carries.

- Tight Ends-

More and more we are seeing the TE position play a bigger part in football (just ask the New England Patriots) it is no different in Utah. Jake Murphy looked like a stud out there and the TE's gave us one more dimension we desperately needed after last year. If the WRs and Wynn can step up, this team can be scary good.

-Defense-

Though I would like to single out guys like Mo Lee and Star, this was a total team effort. Shutouts are far and few in between but these guys look dominant. Hopefully they will keep it up with the TDS and Pac-12 conference play coming later.

4th Down guts - I think it was ultimately Kyle's call to go for it on 4th twice and it paid off big. Some would say it's a no-brainer to go for it when your inside the 5 but I still like the aggressiveness. Kyle coached a good one overall and deserves a stud spot this week.

DUDS-

Dud of the week: Coleman Peterson

You knew it was coming guys. After hearing he was working with King Louie in the off season and the SLT article that he was working on his mental game, I wanted to cut him some slack but after hearing Kyle's concerns in spring and fall camp, I was weary. Yesterday, he showed us he still has some growing up to do. I don't know if its mental or if he lacks the skills but he needs to get some confidence quick before he costs us a victory....otherwise there will be blood in the water and the sharks will come.

WR play-

Even though I believe this will get better as the season goes on they did underwhelm us in week one. First game, new scheme, TE's stealing the show,new OC, I get it. but fact is these guys should have been doing whatever they wanted against NC. Call this a borderline dud,

Well , what do you think guys? who are the studs and duds I missed?

The idea is simple. Every week I will post who showed up to play and who layed an egg.

STUDS:

Stud of the week: Travis Wilson

-John White-

- Tight Ends-

-Defense-

DUDS-

Dud of the week: Coleman Peterson

WR play-

Well , what do you think guys? who are the studs and duds I missed?

Studs and Duds 2010

GambitUte — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:09:44 -0000

On one of the shows I listen to, they do a segment called stud and duds. Since the year is over, I thought I'd do the same for this years team. I have my stud ,duds and jokers (guys in the middle)

STUDS-

Brian Blechen: DB

This guy was an absolute beast on defense and had a knack for not only making key plays but being an assassin on defense with big hits. What made this even more cool is that he''s a freshman who was recruited as a QB!. Even though he got burned a bit on coverage a few times (which I attribute to a rookie learning curve), this guy was one of our brightest spots on defense. Give Brian a year or two to improve his coverage and fundamental DB skills and this guy could look scary.

Reggie Dunn: WR/ KR/PR

Every time Dunn touched the ball, Utah fans held their breath. He was that good this year. Sure, he had a few touches that went bad but for the most part, his speed was unmatched. I'm very disappointed Utah's coaching staff didn't utilize him more in the offense and the overall game plans (deep WR core or not). With Shaky, and Brooks leaving, I hope Dunn can be one of our go-to guys in 2011.

Chaz Walker: LB

With 2009 stud Stevenson Sylvester graduating, one of Utah question marks on defense was at LB. Personally, I think the LB core did a good job this year. Even though they might have been soft against the run this year, I gotta give props to Chaz. He was our sure tackle guy (when he wasn't blocked). I'm looking forward to one more year with Chaz.

Brandon Burton- DB

Even though Brandon didn't fully live up to his 2010 expectations (he was selected as a pre-season all-american) he was a ball hawk and one of the teams leaders on defense. Plus, when a player single handedly wins the Holy War with a highlight reel play , he's gonna be a stud in my book. I'm a little concerned with our depth at corner if he leaves though (As Lamar Chapman is gone after this year).

Joe Phillips- K

Even though he lost some of his mojo late in the year (particularly the BSU game) I can't deny this guy was money in the bank when we needed 3 points.It was a tall task to fill the shoes of Louie Sakoda but Phillips did a damn good job at it. I'm gonna miss him next year.

Matt Asiata/ Eddie Wide III RB

Even though both didn't reach 1000 yds on the ground ,these guys did a great job pounding the rock. What made the two successful, was the fact they have two different running styles. I really hope Utah will keep rolling next year in the Pac-12 since we lost both of them (not to mention Shak).

DUDS

Jeremy Brooks-WR

Brooks wasn't horrible this year (51 catches, 633 yards and 4 TD's) but in my mind, he never really embraced the leadership role opportunity. I know it's not entirely fair to call him a dud for his key drops and lack of leadership but I just feel he could have done so much more.

The Utah O-line:

Early in the year, these guys were rock solid and I don't think that was entirely due to a favorable schedule. It just seemed after the TCU loss, they lost a step. In the losses to Notre Dame and Boise St., Utah fans were pulling their hair out with all the false start and holding calls Utah was getting hit with. I'm not ready to call for Blake Millers head but coach Whit needs to make serious adjustments before Pac-12 play.

Playcalling on offense

We've been here before, Utah play calling left much to be desired in 2010 but I think the main culprit was the two-OC system. Coach Whittingham needs to make ONE MAN they guy and hold him accountable for the offense. In my mind, I think Aaron Roderick can still be the man but he's gotta a tall mountain to climb next year.

JOKERS:

Shaky Smithson- WR/ PR/KR

Shaky was the epitome of the joker status: one game he was great and was our x-factor but at other times he would make stupid mistakes that hurt our chances. I lean more on puting him in the stud category but I think his costly drops and fumbles prevented it. Having said that though, he's a great player and we are gonna miss him.

Jordan Wynn- QB

If I'm grading the QB that played up to the ISU game then he was a stud for sure but when the tough teams came to town and he got hurt, he wasn't the same. I realize injuring your throwing shoulder is a huge deal but I just can't put all the blame of his late struggles on him being hurt.

What do you guys think? any more studs or duds to add to the list?

On one of the shows I listen to, they do a segment called stud and duds. Since the year is over, I thought I'd do the same for this years team. I have my stud ,duds and jokers (guys in the middle)

STUDS-

Brian Blechen: DB

Reggie Dunn: WR/ KR/PR

Chaz Walker: LB

Brandon Burton- DB

Joe Phillips- K

Matt Asiata/ Eddie Wide III RB

DUDS

Jeremy Brooks-WR

The Utah O-line:

Playcalling on offense

JOKERS:

Shaky Smithson- WR/ PR/KR

Jordan Wynn- QB

What do you guys think? any more studs or duds to add to the list?

Why the Air Force game scares me (and why it doesn't)

GambitUte — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 02:25:31 -0000

On November 6th the Utes face what could be one of the biggest match ups in college football: Notice I said 'could'. A small part of me is scared for this AF game: this game has trap game written all over it:

SCARY:

-Air Force has always had a history of playing us close. Is it the option? is it their effective (albeit dirty) blocking style? who knows. All I know is AF likes to keep us sweating for four whole quarters. Even in 04' and 08' these guys gave us plenty of room to worry. Back in 04' they raced to a 14-0 lead before Urban Meyers offense woke up and scored 35 unanswered points. In 08', we faced what was supposed to be a new look team but they surprised us with a balanced attack and their defense forced Brian Johnson to fumble twice. it was only a late TD that we got on top. Last year a missed PAT in regulation nearly costed us in an OT win.

-Even though we did well against Pitt (who admittedly wasn't as great as advertised on the ground).I don't think we have faced a true running threat like AF. Plus , let's be very honest, the defense has been doing a lot of bend-but-don't-break.

-Utah has had problems putting pressure on QB's: this is especially true with scrambling QBs.

-Air Force thrives on takeaways: A big part of the Falcons mentality is forcing turnovers (ala strips).

-TOP: Air Force LOVES to play keep away. This could be a big problem if the defense doesn't play it's A-game. If we can't establish our offense cause the Falcons are keeping them off the field (not to mention keeping our defense ON it) we could be in for a long day.

-This game has all the makings of a trap game. Let's face it: TCU is just around the corner and lots of fans are pumped up for a potential match up between two top-10 teams. Add the fact Utah has a big bulls-eye on it's chest and this game looks even more scary.

NOT SCARY:

-Kyle Whittingham has shown us he keeps his boys focused. There was plenty of room for distractions in 08' and the first half of this year but his staff has done good to staying prepared. Plus as Jazzy has previously mentioned, we have done good in avoiding trap games since we laid that egg against UNLV back in 07'.

-The loss of Jared Tew ( a preseason First Team All- MWC pick) gives the Falcons one less weapon the Utes have to worry about. On the other hand RB Asher Clark has filled in nicely since they lost Tew.

-The Falcons have shown they are vulnerable to the run. In all three of their losses they got burned by the running game (ironic huh?). If Asiata and Wide can find some holes, Utah could add to the Falcons woes

What do you boys think?

SCARY:

-Utah has had problems putting pressure on QB's: this is especially true with scrambling QBs.

-Air Force thrives on takeaways: A big part of the Falcons mentality is forcing turnovers (ala strips).

NOT SCARY:

What do you boys think?

Poll

Trap game?

Nah, Kyle and Co. will keep the guys focused.

26 votes

TCU around the corner does look like a distraction to me

5 votes

I'm just worried about AF period.

20 votes

No way! The Utes will crush em'.

7 votes

58 votes | Poll has closed

Week SEVEN'S Important games.

GambitUte — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:03:37 -0000

I'm simply continuing the trend Displaced started by analyzing each opponent ranked higher (and our OOC foes). The fact that we didn't drop a spot in the coaches poll and the initial BCS poll makes the sting of dropping in the AP much better. Truthfully I don't expect too many surprises this week due to the fact most of the teams above us are playing at home.

#1 Ohio St. @ #18 Wisconsin: The only reason I think this might be a game is because OSU has been good but not dominating. I doubt the upset will happen but there's certainly a chance.

#2 Oregon is on a bye week

#3 Boise St. @ San Jose St.- Upset is not gonna happen , all we can hope for is that they don't crush them as bad as we did. Moving on

#4 TCU vs BYU- There's a small part of me that thinks BYU has actually righted their ship somewhat and just might give the frogs a scare. I think it will only be for a quarter though. TCU will murder them cause they just got too many weapons for the kitties to handle.

#5 Nebraska vs Texas- The Longhorns have been a major disappointment in the Big-12 but after the talent they lost, I'm not completely surprised. The Huskers have revenge on their minds and they will punish Texas on their turf. Upset won't happen. Moving on

#6 Oklahoma vs Iowa St.- As much as I would love for the Cyclones to do us many favors by picking off the Sooners, it isn't gonna happen. Moving on

#7 Auburn vs #12 Arkansas- This game is lose-lose for us. If the upset happens, the Razorbacks will jump us for sure. If Auburn wins, they stay above us. Upset is very possible though.

#8 Alabama vs Mississippi- After getting shocked by SC, the tide will demolish the Rebels at home, upset isn't happening. Moving on

#9 LSU vs McNesse St.- Les Miles gets a break from his Houdini ways to face a cupcake. The next two weeks will be his true gauntlet. No chance for a upset here

#10 South Carolina @ Kentucky- Even though the Wildcats nearly upset Auburn last week, I doubt they will give Spurrier's squad a scare. Then again, the Gamecocks presence in the spotlight might be enough of a distraction to give KU a chance at surprising them. Again, I doubt it will happen.

Other games of note:

Pitt @ Syracuse: Syracuse has won all but one game so far (against Washington) so on paper it looks to be a problem for Pitt, I think Pitt can win this one if it can stop the internal bleeding so to speak. Pitt has been a major letdown but they still have time to turn things around.

Notre Dame vs Western Michigan: This game looks to be one of the easier games they face. Hopefully the Irish can pick up some steam in this one and their next following games (Tulsa and Navy) before we face off on November 13th.

#1 Ohio St. @ #18 Wisconsin: The only reason I think this might be a game is because OSU has been good but not dominating. I doubt the upset will happen but there's certainly a chance.

#2 Oregon is on a bye week

#3 Boise St. @ San Jose St.- Upset is not gonna happen , all we can hope for is that they don't crush them as bad as we did. Moving on

#7 Auburn vs #12 Arkansas- This game is lose-lose for us. If the upset happens, the Razorbacks will jump us for sure. If Auburn wins, they stay above us. Upset is very possible though.

#8 Alabama vs Mississippi- After getting shocked by SC, the tide will demolish the Rebels at home, upset isn't happening. Moving on

#9 LSU vs McNesse St.- Les Miles gets a break from his Houdini ways to face a cupcake. The next two weeks will be his true gauntlet. No chance for a upset here

Other games of note:

Sitting on the team bus. Jake Heaps just threw a bottled water to each of our WR's...they all...

GambitUte — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:08:44 -0000

Sitting on the team bus. Jake Heaps just threw a bottled water to each of our WR's...they all dropped it. Figures.

CoachBronco_BYU at Twitter

2010 season preveiw: part 2

GambitUte — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:19:26 -0000

Hello again Ute fans. This is the second part of my season preview which will cover my game to game analysis.

It goes without saying that this off-season was one of the most wild ones in recent history. The big news that Utah will join the Pac-10 next year was the golden news we had waited for. However, I do not wish to get ahead of myself in expansion talk. I share Coach Kyle Whittingham's view: when 2010 is over and the spring ball starts next year, then we can talk about Utah's chances in Pac-10 (or Pac-12 as it will be called) contention. So let's get started boys:

WEEK 1: vs Pittsburgh

This is a grudge match more than five years in the making. The last time we saw these boys were great times for Utah fans: Urban Meyer was just putting the exclamation point on a perfect season and newly promoted DC Kyle Whittingham was getting ready to take the helm. Make no mistake though, this is not the same Panther team we humiliated in the Fiesta Bowl: These guys are a top-notch team that is an early favorite to win the Big East Conference. Most of the talk we've heard is about potential Heisman candidate RB Dion Lewis and for good reason: this guy is a play maker and looks to have a great sophomore season. If that wasn't bad enough, Pitt also boast one of the finest defensive end duo's in the country in Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard. This game will be a true test in many aspects: Can Utah's run defense slow down Lewis, and can Utah's talented offensive line keep Jordan Wynn safe? Those two questions will be the key in this great season opener.

The Utes win if.... The offense is good as advertised in spring and fall camps. If the defense is one step behind than last year, the offense will have to play keep away and just outscore Pitt. Easier said than done, but tensions are always high in a season opener.

The Utes lose if... Lewis has a field day and Utah line struggles against the run as it did last year. Utah could also be in for a long day if Pitts ends spend a lot of time in Utah backfield.

My pick: I'm really pumped up for football and I think Kyle's boys are too. The offense and defense will have butterflies but I think this offense will make a statement that Utah is a good team and is not to be taken lightly. Again the most likely scenario for me is Utah outscoring the Panthers and keeping Lewis off the field. Utah 34 Pitt 21

WEEK 2: vs U.N.L.V

Like most of our conference foes, this could be the last time we play these boys for a long time. That being said, you have to give props to the Rebels. Our game against them a few years back was no doubt one of Utah's darkest hours but since then things have looked better for us. As for the Rebels? not so much. Gone is former Utah OC Mike Sanford who promised to return them into contenders and failed: The rebels bring in former Montana coach Bobby Hauck to turn things around: Hauck has an impressive resume in the division II football (better known as the FCS) but this is a new level of ball he's dealing with. The cupboard isn't exactly bare but UNLV has always been more of a basketball school thus it's been awhile since football made some serious noise in Vegas. Having senior QB Omar Clayton and a decent o-line will help, but I think UNLV will hit some serious bumps in this transition year

Utah wins if....They don't lose their cool , On paper Utah is just better than UNLV but as we learned back in 07', strange things happen in the MWC.

UNLV wins if...Clayton finds a grove and takes advantage of a questionable secondary that has many new faces.

My Pick: Having a conference game like UNLV will help us out tremendously. I think this one will get ugly and we'll see Terrence Cain taking some snaps . Utah wins 45-17

WEEK 3: @ New Mexico

Once upon a time, these guys we're one of the biggest thorns in our side. It seems even in our good years, New Mexico was never a gimme. Well, that changed a lot last year when first year coach Mike Locksley had nothing go right. I don't expect much to change this time around. I think Utah will open the playbook (so to speak) and use this game to give QB J. Wynn confidence for tough games later on.

Utah wins if....They just show up and play ball. They are the better team and as such need to put this one away early.

New Mexico wins if....Jordan Wynn gets injured (quick, knock on wood!) and NM shows us they have a few aces up their sleeves.....not likely, though.

My pick: Utah will take care of business and roll the Lobo's. Utah wins 49-10

WEEK 4: vs San Jose St.

Being perfectly frank, SJSU was just bad last year. On the other hand though, Utah struggled to put these guys away when we played them. We get them at home this time which will help out a lot. I see this being another ugly game for the Spartans though; This team has just too many question marks this year.

Utah Wins if...Again, if they just show up and put this one away early they should have no problem.

San Jose St. wins if...all hell breaks lose.I don't see it happening though

My pick : This one will be another chance for the offense to shine: Utah wins 52-7

WEEK 5: @ Iowa St.

This game is a lot like the SJSU game last year: we really don't know what to expect from them. What we do know is that they went bowling last year (beating Minnesota). I wouldn't take this one for granted though, teams in the Big-12 can surprise you. For starters they have a senior QB and a pretty good running back. Plus this game is on the road so this one isn't a gimme.

Utah will win if....They keep ISU's biggest weapon, RB Alexander Robinson at bay, and not just on the ground, he's also a threat at receiver. The good news is ISU finished next-to-last in the Big-12 conference in defense last year and look to replace some starters.

Iowa St. will win if...Their senior QB shows he has improved his passing game and/or Robinson finds some holes up front.

My pick: I wouldn't be surprised if this one was a blowout too but I'll give the Cyclones the benefit of a doubt. I think this one will be competitive but not necessarily a close game. Utah wins 35-24

WEEK 6: @ Wyoming

Last's years game against the cowboys at Rice-Eccles was the spring board of Jordan Wynn's collegiate career. He performed admirably and hopes to have grown a lot since then. Wyoming was one of the surprise teams in the MWC last year and look to build on Dave Christensen's first year success. Like our own QB, Wyoming QB Austyn Carta-Samuels had some success as a freshman last year and looks to be Wyoming's starter for the forseeable future. Because this game is in Laramie, this will be a tough one, especially if the cowboys have improved noticeably from last year.

Utah wins if....Jordan Wynn gives a great performance and shows the cowboys the same treatment he gave them last year. The Utes also need to stay focused: Laramie is a pretty tough crowd, and the weather could get rough.

Wyoming wins if....Samuels has a great game and the Cowboys feed off the home crowd. This is their last shot at us so they'll be giving it their all.

My Pick: I give Utah a small edge in this one, but like I said this one isn't a gimme. Utah wins 27-21

WEEK 7: vs Colorado St.

We've had our bumps with these guys but most of the games between Utah and Colorado St. haven''t been close. next year we start a new rivalry with the Rams hated foes: The Buffalos. hopefully we can give our Ram friends one last beat down before we leave. Coorado St. impressed many by winning early but they caved in and lost their last 9 games. I don't see the Rams going bowling this year.

Utah wins if...They take care of business at home....yeah, that's it.

Colorado St. Wins if...They show that last year was a fluke and that they are more like the team that went to a bowl in 08' .

My pick: Utah will show the Rams no mercy: Utah wins 49-13

WEEK 8: @Air Force

These guys need no introduction. The falcons famed triple option attack will be one thing the Utes will not miss next year. Air Force is the first of a brutal season ending stretch (provided Notre Dame and BYU perform well). The fact we play these boys in Colorado Springs will make things even more fun. One things for certain: The falcons love to play us close and I see no reason why this year will change. (especially if this is our last hurrah). Could this finally be the year the Falcons break into a top three team in the MWC?.

Utah wins if....They can stop that pesky running game!, that could happen too if the falcons o-line struggles to perform this year. (a definite possibly given most of the o-line is new). Air Force has also had a reputation of surprising us in the air, If Utah want to win this one they need to strike early and force the falcons to play catch-up.

Air Force wins if...Utah has trouble against the run, and the o-line grows up quickly. The Utes will also be in trouble if falcon QB Tim Jefferson gets in a grove in the passing game.

My Pick: As with our contests with the Falcons every year, this one could go either way. I think Utah is better this year but I'll still call this one a toss-up.

WEEK 9: vs TCU

This is the big one boys. without a doubt, I think this game will be Utah biggest test. TCU comes back to Rice -Eccles Statium in a huge grudge match from their last visit. Gary Patterson is cut from the same cloth as Coach Whittingham: he's a defensive minded guy. As such , I'm sure he'll find a way to replace losses on defense (namely Jerry Hughes) and give us all we can handle. Bottom line: these guys are the defending champions and will play like it. Playing this game at RES is key, even though Jordan Wynn got roughed up in Ft. Worth last year, he showed good poise. Hopefully he'll get the chance to pay the frogs back for last years embarrassment.

Utah wins if....It all begins with stopping senior Andy Dalton, if the Utes want to dethrone the Frogs, they will need to get after him and make sure he never gets comfortable behind the o-line. this is a very tall task as TCU line looks solid. Utah must also leave it all on the field. TCU's defense is rock solid but it isn't invincible. If Utah makes the right moves on offense they can run with these guys.

TCU wins if....They continue to dominate the Utes on defense and cause problems in the running game. Andy Dalton was great last year but it was the running attack and Utah turnovers that doomed them early in last years game. If Andy Dalton has time though, he will burn us.

My Pick: Utah looks to have improved on offense since last year but don't let that fool you if they don't play a near perfect game, TCU will beat us again. Realistically, I see a loss here although not a blowout like last year: TCU 45-38

WEEK 10: @Notre Dame

This game could have huge implications as well. ND was so-so last year costing Charlie Weis his job; Enter Brian Kelly. Kelly has shown he can succeed. (his record at Cincinnati is good proof of that) He hopes to succeed where Weis failed by making Notre Dame football relevant again. I believe he will do well but new coaches and new systems don't always pan out well for big name schools (just ask Michigan and Rich Rodriguez). In any case this will be a huge test for the Utes on the road.

Utah wins if....Jordan Wynn can show he can win on the road, Utah should have a clear identity by now. Just take care of business: that's all we can ask. Considering ND is moving to a spread attack (as opposed to a pro style offense) Utah have to plan well since they are a top notch spread team themselves.

Notre Dame wins if...They have success breaking in their new QB. ND has plenty of weapons on offense, (they have a top notch receiver and TE ) . Even though they lack a lot of experience on the defensive line, the Utes must keep an eye on LB Manti Te'o: he has a lot of potential to be a All-american pick.

My Pick: Again, this one is hard to call because we have no idea how the Irish will look by this time. On paper the Utes have more experience at various skill positions but don't count out Brian Kelly. Another toss up for me.

WEEK 11: @San Diego St.

I've joked in the past that the Aztecs are our annual tune-up game for the Holy War. Having said that though, SDSU could be this years surprise team (It seem they always have the potential to be good but fall short doesn't it?). They came close to bowling last year but a late season slump killed their chances. I really like what Brady Hoke is doing at SDSU. With time, I'm sure he can make the Aztecs relevant.

Utah wins if....They don't look ahead...The Utes need to put the brakes on SDSU offense early and quick like they have in the past.

San Diego St. wins if ....They find a groove in the passing game, SDSU has a decent QB in Ryan Lindley. He's just a little erratic and you never know if he'll be great or lay an egg (he lead the MWC in interceptions last year). you also can't count out our old friend Rocky Long and his annoying defense.

My pick: Even in down years, Utah has held it's own quite well against the Aztecs. This year will be no different. Utah will get its offense tuned up for it's annual contest the following week. Utah wins 54-20

WEEK 12: vs BYU

These boys really need no introduction. We love to hate these guys. Even though TCU is Utah biggest test, I think this years match-up between our rivals will be epic. Make no mistake, we will play these guys beyond 2010. But this game is the end of a long era. This is very likely to be the last season ending battle between the Utes and the TDS. On paper the Utes look much better top to bottom, but as we have learned the hard way 3 out of the last 4 years, overall records and stats mean nothing in this rivalry. One one end the Cougars look to give Utah a parting gift before they leave the MWC but on the other hand, Utah (particularly its fans) will have revenge on their minds due to former QB Max Hall's "I hate Utah" rant. I hope with all my heart we crush those zoobs into next week and give them a hangover so bad they won't be able to think (or play) strait on their annual visit to Vegas. By all accounts, BYU won't be terrible at QB, word is that Jake Heaps kid is pretty good....looks like we'll have to give him special treatment.

Utah wins if....They simply execute when the game matters most. With the exception of the blowouts of 04' and 08' , the Holy War has been decided by a touchdown of less for a very long time. The Utes also need to play top notch in the red-zone. that's what killed us last year. It would also help if we keep the penalties at a minimum too...I realize tensions are high in a rivalry game but you gotta keep your cool.

BYU...wins if.....The simply want it more in the end. Which is what happened last year.

My pick: I fully believe we will crush these guys this year...there just too much at stake for us to lose 4 out of 5. Having said that though, I stress again: ANYTHING can happen in the Holy War...Utah will win this one 52-35

I think this year has the potential to be something special like 04' and 08'but I take the one game at a time approach. This is one of the best offenses on paper , but this is also a very challenging schedule. Even if we don't win the MWC, I would be content with a 10 -win season and beating BYU one last time in MWC play.

Well that's my preview boys. Hope to share good times with you this season.

As always GO UTES!!!!

Hello again Ute fans. This is the second part of my season preview which will cover my game to game analysis.

WEEK 1: vs Pittsburgh

The Utes lose if... Lewis has a field day and Utah line struggles against the run as it did last year. Utah could also be in for a long day if Pitts ends spend a lot of time in Utah backfield.

WEEK 2: vs U.N.L.V

Utah wins if....They don't lose their cool , On paper Utah is just better than UNLV but as we learned back in 07', strange things happen in the MWC.

UNLV wins if...Clayton finds a grove and takes advantage of a questionable secondary that has many new faces.

My Pick: Having a conference game like UNLV will help us out tremendously. I think this one will get ugly and we'll see Terrence Cain taking some snaps . Utah wins 45-17

WEEK 3: @ New Mexico

Utah wins if....They just show up and play ball. They are the better team and as such need to put this one away early.

New Mexico wins if....Jordan Wynn gets injured (quick, knock on wood!) and NM shows us they have a few aces up their sleeves.....not likely, though.

My pick: Utah will take care of business and roll the Lobo's. Utah wins 49-10

WEEK 4: vs San Jose St.

Utah Wins if...Again, if they just show up and put this one away early they should have no problem.

San Jose St. wins if...all hell breaks lose.I don't see it happening though

My pick : This one will be another chance for the offense to shine: Utah wins 52-7

WEEK 5: @ Iowa St.

Iowa St. will win if...Their senior QB shows he has improved his passing game and/or Robinson finds some holes up front.

WEEK 6: @ Wyoming

Wyoming wins if....Samuels has a great game and the Cowboys feed off the home crowd. This is their last shot at us so they'll be giving it their all.

My Pick: I give Utah a small edge in this one, but like I said this one isn't a gimme. Utah wins 27-21

WEEK 7: vs Colorado St.

Utah wins if...They take care of business at home....yeah, that's it.

Colorado St. Wins if...They show that last year was a fluke and that they are more like the team that went to a bowl in 08' .

My pick: Utah will show the Rams no mercy: Utah wins 49-13

WEEK 8: @Air Force

Air Force wins if...Utah has trouble against the run, and the o-line grows up quickly. The Utes will also be in trouble if falcon QB Tim Jefferson gets in a grove in the passing game.

My Pick: As with our contests with the Falcons every year, this one could go either way. I think Utah is better this year but I'll still call this one a toss-up.

WEEK 9: vs TCU

WEEK 10: @Notre Dame

WEEK 11: @San Diego St.

Utah wins if....They don't look ahead...The Utes need to put the brakes on SDSU offense early and quick like they have in the past.

WEEK 12: vs BYU

BYU...wins if.....The simply want it more in the end. Which is what happened last year.

Well that's my preview boys. Hope to share good times with you this season.

As always GO UTES!!!!

This is for you Vaughn....

GambitUte — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:06:30 -0000

Over at Mountain West Connection, Jeremy posted his rankings on MWC coaches. Much to Vaughnzippers annoyance, Jeremy ranked Bronco below K-Whitt and Gary Patterson.

The following is Vaughns arguement for Bronco to be #1:

"If speed and talent are the things that everyone says hurts BYU then Bronco is the freaking man for making untalented slow white guys 10 game winners. Plus, he’s done all of this coming out of a very down period in BYU history with Crowton."

"Whitt on the other hand has had highs and lows but you have to contribute the 2008 season to what Meyer did in the 2004 season. All the players in the 2008 season were recruited based on the success from 2004. For that reason I have yet to give Whitt too much credit because last year was the first year we actually saw Whitt’s own team.

Bronco walked into nothing, Whitt walked into everything. Bronco should be #1… plus he has the best record and win pct."

Because I didn't wish to turn Jeremy post on MWC coaches into a Kyle vs Bronco fest , I'm continuing my retort here.

Vuaghn:

1: First of all I will not deny 2008 had a lot to do with 2004's success but you really are quick to take away credit from Whittingham. After the celebrations were done Kyle inherited a team he knew couldn't follow up to the marvelous campaign Urban Meyer had. First of all, he had to replace an OC and had no experienced QB. (BJ had only done minor mop-up duty for Alex Smith in 04'). Several key players besides Smith were gone too (Morgan Scalley, Sione Pouha, Steve Savoy, Paris Warren, the list goes on) . I think we both agree that BYU was a mess due to Gary Crowton's treatment but make no mistake: Utah was looking to rebuild too.

2. How can you say Kyle's first year was a picnic?. As I stated before, he only got ONE more win than Bronco did (7-5 compared to 6-6) do you base the first year woes on the fact Bronco lost the holy war and his first bowl game? If so I'll give you that one. If you take both Utah's 2005 team and BYU's 2005 team and put them head to head on paper, they are pretty equal in my eyes.

3. Your bit on Chris Paterson was weird because we weren't even discussing BSU. We'll make that judgment next year when he's actually a MWC coach. But to answer your question , Yes I think he is a great coach ,his record is better than Kyles and he has two BCS wins but we both know the WAC isn't exactly the SEC. (nor is the MWC for that matter) Better than Kyle? I honestly don't know.

4. Okay, how many players from 2004 played on the 2008 squad? yeah, I can only count them on one hand too. My point is four years is too much of a gap to claim 2008 was all from Meyers previous work. With the exception of the 2005 class, the recruiting gap between Utah and BYU wasn't all that huge. Plus 7-5, 8-5 aren't exactly prime examples of what you would normally call a successful year (especially if we got all those great recruits from 2004 you're talking about). YES, 2004 opened doors for us in recruiting but 2008 was Whittingham's work just as much as 2004 was Meyer's.

5. If all you Cougar fans claim that the 1984 championship gives you bragging rights, why can't we claim our BCS wins give us the same?. I get it, strait up a championship trumps a BCS win but the fact is your boy Bronco hasn't been able to do what Kyle W. , Gary P. and Chris P. have done: Get their team into the big game. It's not always fair that coaches are judged based solely on the biggest games they've been in but that's how sports works. Bronco's overall wins and better percentage in the MWC are impressive but until he can add the big game on his resume, people will not put him in the same discussion.

Bottom line is this: I don't think that Kyle Whittingham is a "better coach" than Bronco. He's just done more in his time at Utah than Bronco has at BYU. Both of em' has shaky first years, and both of em' saw their teams lay some serious eggs in their coaching years after 2004. All I'm saying is I object to the idea that all of Kyle's success was all Meyers doing. Both of em' are great coaches who were the right man to follow the respective situations they inherited from their predecessors.

Kyle's bowl record 5-0, Bronco, 3-2.

Over at Mountain West Connection, Jeremy posted his rankings on MWC coaches. Much to Vaughnzippers annoyance, Jeremy ranked Bronco below K-Whitt and Gary Patterson.

The following is Vaughns arguement for Bronco to be #1:

"If speed and talent are the things that everyone says hurts BYU then Bronco is the freaking man for making untalented slow white guys 10 game winners. Plus, he’s done all of this coming out of a very down period in BYU history with Crowton."

"Whitt on the other hand has had highs and lows but you have to contribute the 2008 season to what Meyer did in the 2004 season. All the players in the 2008 season were recruited based on the success from 2004. For that reason I have yet to give Whitt too much credit because last year was the first year we actually saw Whitt’s own team.

Bronco walked into nothing, Whitt walked into everything. Bronco should be #1… plus he has the best record and win pct."

Because I didn't wish to turn Jeremy post on MWC coaches into a Kyle vs Bronco fest , I'm continuing my retort here.

Vuaghn:

Kyle's bowl record 5-0, Bronco, 3-2.

2010 season preveiw: part 1

GambitUte — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 22:08:15 -0000

My first post on this site was a season preview of 2009. It's hard to believe it's been more than a year since I wrote that, my time here since then has been great. This year I decided to wait a bit later cause I wrote last years in July, thus some of my picks to start (like Corbin Louks before he transferred ) didn't pan out well. My previews are divided into two parts. This one will cover my opinion on potential starters. Part 2 will cover my view on the season itself .

I am pumped for this year as much as any Ute fan, we all expected a few bumps in 2009 after a very good 2008. Well, we got just that. Now that the offense has a year under it's belt (not to mention a clear starter at QB) good things could happen this year. Let's get down to business:

QUARTERBACK:

MY GRADE- A-

As I mentioned, this year we don't have to spend camp determining who will be behind center on September 2. Jordan Wynn is the key to how well this team will do in 2010. The question is how much has Wynn improved and can he play this season the way we saw him against Cal in the Poinsettia Bowl. I firmly believe that Wynn will do great and is the second best QB in the league (behind TCU's Andy Dalton). Playing behind Wynn is Terrence Cain. Yes, we know he was good but ultimately wasn't consistent enough to keep the job , word is though he has also improved greatly since last year. I actually feel relieved to have someone of his experience should Wynn get hurt. We all saw Cain can win games too. Speaking in a more optimistic sense, I see Cain being a change of pace guy (similar to what Corbin Louks was in 2007) because I think he's a better runner than Wynn. Bottom line: we have two guys who have experience and have won Division I games, not a lot of MWC teams can claim the same.

RUNNING BACK

MY GRADE- A

Even with a great QB to run the spread offense Utah has never been short on talent at tailback. This years backfield Is no different. I actually think this years RB corps is the best I've seen. We have two guys who have had great seasons in the past and what's better is that they play two different styles of running.

First we have long time Ute Matt Asiata, He plays a very physical style of running and isn't afraid to get dirty. The downside is he hasn't been very lucky and got injured several times . I'm of the opinion though that he could be this years version of former back Marty Johnson (who had very similar injury problems). The other great advantage Matt provides is veteran leadership. He's been here a while so he'll be a great example to the new guys. I also look forward to Matt running the wildcat again (no offense Shaky but I think Matt ran it more effectively)

secondly, (although not necessarily option #2) is Eddie Wide. Wide also likes to play physical but unlike Matt he's more of a speed back. When Matt went down last year, Wide certainly didn't disappoint by stepping up and having a 1000 yd. season. Just like our situation at QB, having two great guys is a big plus for us. Let us not forget other options though. Sausan Shakerin showed tremendous promise last year and we also have highly touted recruit Lucky Radley in the mix.

WIDE RECEIVER:

MY GRADE- B-

This group has the most to prove on offense in my mind. Even though the play at receiver was great last year (namely David Reed) It didn't live up to it's full potential. This year we lost some familiar faces but we have a lot of talent stepping up that could be great for us this year and in the future. Starting off we have veteran Jereme Brooks leading the pack. Brooks has great speed and he blocks very well, I see him being our go-to guy without question.

Shaky Smithson also returns along with Luke Matthews and DeVonte Christopher. Smithson is a true player and like his name implies, he has moves that make him tough to take down. I really hope he can become the player we look to when we need to convert a third down. I also hope he excels again at the punt return game. Matthews and Christopher played well, and look to get better with a year under their belts. We also have new faces at receiver who could make some noise. Walk-on Griffin McNabb impressed many coaches with his great speed at spring ball, he also looks to be an option at kickoff returns along with Christopher. Other names to look out for are Sean Fitzgerald, Reggie Dunn and four star recruits Kenneth Scott and Terrell Reese

We also have plenty of talent at tight end too. Kendrick Moeai turned a couple of heads with his play in the Poinsettia Bowl, I see the TE playing a bigger role this year with guys like him , and senior Brad Clifford on board.

OFFENSIVE LINE-

MY GRADE- A+

Even with the loss of Zane Beadles, we got two All-MWC players on our team, so I think this years O-line also hold the keys to how well we do on offense. Anchoring the center position is senior Zane Taylor who looks to be a great leader on the line. At left guard we have fourth year starter Caleb Schlauderaff who has been a rock on O-line. I can easily see both of these guys earning First All-MWC team honors this year. There's also plenty of talent at other positions, Right guard is up for grabs, which is great cause we have two great guys in Tevita Stevens and Sam Brenner. At Right Tackle, we have Tony Bergstrom who is a beast (6’6”, 315). The real question is who will fill Beadles spot at Left Tackle. The obvious choice would be highly touted JC recruit John Cullen but I think he''l get good competition from redshirt freshman Percy Taumoelau. Bottom line: the o-line has the potential to be the best in the MWC this year.

KICKER/PUNTER:

MY GRADE - B-

Joe Phillips made great steps filling in for Ute legend Louie Sakoda, hopefully he has improved his range this year. I have to give him props though, he was the most consistent kicker as far as field goal percentage last year in the MWC. I also think the loss of Ben Vroman on Kick-off will hurt (the guy was automatic getting touchbacks) but hopefully we won't see a huge drop off with his replacement Nick Marsh. Sean Sellwood did great in punting last year but the punt coverage really needs to improve if we want to succeed.

DEFENSIVE LINE:

MY GRADE:B+

Coach Whittingham's bread and butter has always been defense. Having said, that I'm sure we can fill most the holes we have on the defensive side of the ball. Most of the experience coming back this year is our boys at DT. I really hope this year we can improve our run defense and play the way we know they can. Leading the way are Tackles Dave Kruger and Sealver Siliga who have all-MWC potential. It doesn't stop there though, highly touted recruit James Aiono missed out last year due to academics but if he's as good as advertised, we could have great depth at DT with guys like Aiono, Neli A’asa and Latu Heimuli. DT is certainly the strong point of 2010's defense. At DE we also have good talent. some say we lack a true pass rusher this year but I hope we prove them wrong. Starting off we have veteran Derrick Shelby who looks to play well after being injured last year. He'll try to win back his starters role from Christian Cox who replaced him and did a admirable job (leading the team in sacks). The question is can the Utes replace star Koa Misi at right end. Following in his brothers Paul's footsteps is highly touted freshman Joe Kruger. we'll see great competition for the RE job between him and Junior Tui’one.

LINEBACKERS-

MY GRADE- C+

This area is one of the question marks on defense. The loss of stud like Stevenson Sylvester and Kepa Gaison hurts us badly (not to mention the loss of Nai Fotu in spring camp) . We aren't completely without experience though. Looking to improve is J.J. Williams who will replace Sly at rover . I think he'll be better than last year thanks to a year of football after returning from a mission. Another solid option is Chad Manis (a former QB) who looks to solidify the stud linebacker position. Other names that could make great steps in replacing talent at LB include Matt Martinez, Chaz Walker, Boo Anderson and of course the highly recruited V.J. Fehoko.

DEFENSIVE BACKS-

MY GRADE- B-

Our other glaring weakness on paper is our secondary defense (primarily at safety). However, we have good talent that will help out tremendously in replacing star Robert Johnson. Leading the pack is All-American candidate Brandon Burton. On the other side at corner is Lamar Chapman who played most nickel last year.Other faces at corner include speedster Conroy Black,Reggie Topps and Kameron Yancy.

As far as safety goes, Justin Taplin-Ross was a decent back up to Joe Dale but now that Dale is gone, he looks to get a lot of minutes at strong safety. Other names who could make a dent are Damian Payne, Chris Washington, Joseph Smith and athlete Victor Spikes.

Well that wraps it up for part 1. I'm looking forward to a great year boys.

GO UTES!!!

Utah Football:Improving on 2009

GambitUte — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:24:47 -0000

Football season can't get here soon enough right boys?. The purpose of this post is to analyze the reasons why 2009 was a good year but not a great year and how 2010 could be different. So here are thew areas I believe were our greatest weaknesses:

Penalties:

It a clique in football by now but the words still ring true: The team that commits the fewest mistakes more times than not wins the game. With so many younger players last year, I can partially understand why we were flag prone, but that shouldn't be a legitimate excuse: we made far too many mistakes that easily could have been avoided. Penalties not only lower the morale of the team but they also can be huge momentum swingers. Bottom line: The Utes need to play smarter and more disciplined football in 2010.

Sloppy WR play:

I really hate to get nit picky here but in my mind the overall play of the WR in 09' was below standard. David Reed and Jeremy Brooks to an extent were the bright spots but in my opinion there was just too many dropped passes and sloppy mistakes. Because we have a lot of new faces at this position next year, I really hope Coach Whitt will do improve the overall play.

Special Teams: (particularly punt/kickoff coverage)

I think almost everyone expected a drop off with the loss of King Louie but be that as it may there is much to improve on ST next year. First of all I have to point out Joe Phillips was a step in the right direction and made the transition of post-Sakoda much easier. Back to my point though. In the Oregon game, poor ST play costed us dearly, I wont go so far as to say that if we didn't let them convert their first kickoff into a TD that we would have won but it was a prime example of our ST woes.

RED ZONE OFFENSE:

I'm sure most of you have guessed by now that I think this was our biggest weakness. I'm not gonna sugar coat it: our red zone offense play was downright horrible and costed us a win against BYU. If there was one thing that bugged me more last year it was that we didn't finish the job too many times. Again I have to give props to Joe Phillips for coming through for 3 many, many times but field goals alone don't win ballgames. This is a problem that needs to be addressed by the coaches in this off-season

I think it goes without saying that we have high hopes for our last season in the MWC. For 2010 to be a great year, I want two things: Have a respectable record (9-3 would do it) but more importantly: BEAT BYU. If the Utes can do better than that (say.....beat TCU and win the conference) it will be an awesome year.

GO UTAH!!!

Koa Misi and Zane Beadles get drafted in 2nd round

GambitUte — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:32:49 -0000

Koa Misi was selected by Miami (8th pick 40th overall) and Zane Beadles was selected by Denver (13th pick 45th overall) Great job boys,we wish you the best in the NFL. Hopefully some of our other former Utes will get selected as well (RoJo and Sly were looking at you). On a side note, Misi will get to join former Ute Sean Smith in Miami. I also tip my hat to Kyle Whittingham and the rest of our fine coaches at the U.

The class of 2010

GambitUte — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:05:38 -0000

Well, now that signing day is all but over for us,(unless of course we get some last minute surprises) I thought I'd briefly go over the list of guys I think could make a quick contribution to 2010. Looking over the rankings just now , Utah ranks just below BYU, however with the commitment of John Cullen (fingers crossed), I think it will barely push us over our rivals down south. This year was a little more quiet than most in terms of the in-state battle, I think the only real head to head loss we took was the decommitment of three star RB Joshua Quezada. to the Cougs . Anyways here are a few new faces:

V.J Fehoko: Four star LB

I was kinda shocked that our biggest rivals in getting him was not BYU but Utah St. I'm really glad to see this happening. With the loss of stud Stevenson Sylvester we have a chance to make the transition of replacing him more smoothly.

James Aiono: Five star DE (JC recruit)

Technically speaking Aiono was recruited last year but academic problems post-poned his debut to 2010 so I'll just include him in the new faces of this class. The word is this kid can play, with the loss of Koa Misi any help we get at DE is great. The question is though how much will his sitting for a year affect his overall impact. If he catches on quick , we should be doing just fine at DE considering he have a load of talent besides him with Shelby, Fotu ,Cox and the incoming Joe Kruger.

The WR commitments: (Kenneth Scott, Terrell Reese and Dres Anderson)

The loss of David Reed and Aiona Key is huge as such, I think this years WR class could make a big impact. I do like that we have Jeremy Brooks and Shaky Smithson coming back. Their senior leadership will be key in helping the new guys get settled.

Joseph Smith: three star athlete

Keep in mind I'm a mormon guy, so the irony of this guy playing for us and not BYU is not lost on me. All joking aside though, I just have a gut feeling this guy is gonna be a good football player. Since our secondary is taking one of the biggest hits with the loss of RoJo, we'll need plenty of help replacing him and Joe Dale.

John Cullen: four star offensive tackle (JC recruit)

If this year is going to be successful, QB Jordan Wynn will need a great O-line. This move will help tremendously especially with Zane Beadles graduating and with a line that already consists of Zane Taylor and Caleb Schlauderaff, it should be even better.

We have loads of talent coming in, I really hope we can find a good place for all of them and that the depth will push us one step closer to another super season.

V.J Fehoko: Four star LB

James Aiono: Five star DE (JC recruit)

The WR commitments: (Kenneth Scott, Terrell Reese and Dres Anderson)

Joseph Smith: three star athlete

John Cullen: four star offensive tackle (JC recruit)

We have loads of talent coming in, I really hope we can find a good place for all of them and that the depth will push us one step closer to another super season.

What if......Whittingham had gone blue?

GambitUte — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:27:08 -0000

Since we're quickly approaching the Holy War, I thought I'd bring up an interesting what if scenario: What would have happened if Kyle Whittigham had chosen the BYU job over Utah?. There are several aspects to this question that make it interesting:

1 . Who would replaced Urban Meyer?

Mike Sanford; one of the other leading candidates to replace Meyer had already bolted to UNLV, (yeah....that worked out well). So who would have been 'the man'?. Let's not forget folks 2005 wasn't all that bad but it was still a season to forget (besides the OT win in Provo and the Emerald Bowl of course) In other words any coach (including Kyle) knew beforehand that the Utah job was a rebuilding task. I really can't think of anyone else who would have stepped up.

2: Had K-Whitt taken the BYU job, how well would he have fared?

When I said Utah was a rebuilding job, the same goes here. BYU was a mess thanks to the horrible Gary Crowton era nevertheless BYU did have some talent to work with. (for starters, they didn't have to break in a new QB like Utah). I honestly believe Coach Whitt would have done just fine at BYU. 12-0 good? I'm a little more hesitant to give him that much credit. Another aspect that Utah fans can be thankful for is that if Kyle went blue, he most likely would have taken Gary Anderson with him. (thus our defense would have taken a huge hit).

3. Would 13-0 even have happened if Kyle left?

Was Kyle Whittingham lucky?, was the Utes magical run in 2008 more the product of all the right chips falling into place (mediocre high profile opponent, our biggest games were at home and a Div II team on our OOC schedule) or was the Utes great run a reflection of good coaching?. In all honesty I have to say it was a little bit of both. I don't wish to take anything away from Kyle Whittinghams achievements but we did catch some real lucky breaks last year (case and point: TCU practically gave us a game with missed field goals) but on the same token Utah 2008 showed they could really play ( case and point: the OSU thriller and the Sugar Bowl domination). In the end I have to admit 13-0 would not have happened if Kyle left.

Looking back, I remember going though the 2004 offseason wishing and hoping Coach Whitt would have stayed with us. At the time there was a part of me that really thought that he would become the Cougars coach. Luckily he proved me wrong and I have to say despite the bumps in Coach Whitt's coaching road (7-5 in his first year, the UNLV loss and two strait losses to BYU) I have to say I don't regret his path choice one bit.

Kyle Whittingham is the man!!!

GO UTES!!!!

1 . Who would replaced Urban Meyer?

2: Had K-Whitt taken the BYU job, how well would he have fared?

3. Would 13-0 even have happened if Kyle left?

Kyle Whittingham is the man!!!

GO UTES!!!!

Poll

Do you think Kyle Whittingham would have succeeded if he had taken the BYU job?

Yes

52 votes

No

9 votes

61 votes | Poll has closed

The BCS question:

GambitUte — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:14:57 -0000

Well folks it's finally here, the match up that most likely will decide the champion of the MWC. Utah vs TCU. Lot's of talk has been with TCU and rightly so, They are dominating the competition and have an inside track into busting the BCS. their one road block however, is the last team to go BCS bowling: Utah.

I've been browsing on several sites, and have found several comments (probably from TCU or Cougar fans) that it is in Utah's best interests to lose at Fort Worth cause if the Utes pull off the upset, they will cost the MWC a bowl berth and millions of dollars. In answer to these folks I say HOGWASH!.

Let's get one thing strait boys: the players on the Utes team couldn't give a rats a** about "costing the MWC millions" they don't see a cent of that money. To them, its all about the game and the rivalry. you NEVER just lose because the fans and media thinks it's in your best interests. On that same thought, why would you want your rival to thrive at your expense?. I guarantee you BYU was fired up in 2004 and 2008 to throw the monkey wrench in Utah's BCS plans.

My point is players don't care about the off-field politics, they take care of business on the field and let the media, and the rankings worry about the rest . Utah is gonna give this game everything they got and won't hold back just cause TCU is the BCS darlings.

GO UTAH!!!!!!!

The crucial game.

GambitUte — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:58:49 -0000

Before the season started, a lot of us saw the Oregon game as the key game that could define how Utah (and Oregon's) season would pan out. Despite all the hiccups, Utah is 2-0 like they should be and now they face the real true test of the year. I have no doubt that this game could very well be 'the crucial game" that could define the 2009 campaign. To better illustrate my point I'll go back to 2008 and reminisce what I believe was the game that defined us last year: Oregon St.

Even though the Utes were 4-0 going into that match, they were still very inconsistent thus I didn't know which team would show up: the team that barley beat Air Force or the team that dominated Utah St. and Michigan (the first half that is). I was sitting near one of the end zones watching with excitement and frustration. I remember Brian Johnson throwing a pick that was returned for a TD one minute, and then with horror, watching the Beavers score late in the fourth quarter taking the lead by 8.

I admit I was hanging my head and conceded that the game was lost, luckily BJ had other plans that night. My disappointment was quickly turned around when BJ ran the ball in for the two point conversion after the Utes got the quick score and then chanting "Louie!, Louie!" with the rest of the Ute crowd when we got the quick three and out and got in field goal range with 2 seconds left on the clock. Not long after King Louie kicked the bulls-eye, I ran onto the field with the rest of the fans and was celebrating the great win. As I wandered the field (saying a quick hi to BJ and Matt Asiata), I noticed a TV camera filming a few fans and hearing them chant "BCS! BCS". My first initial thought was BCS was a little too much to wish for at this point given that we still had BYU and TCU looming ahead but when I really thought about later that night I thought to myself this win could very well be the turning point from Utah becoming a good team to a great team. And so it proved to be.

Saturday's game against Oregon could very well be this years crucial game that the Utes could show everyone that they are a great team. I hope so. I'm not expecting undefeated but This could still be a great year. Go Utes!

-GambitUte-

Formula for the NT Game

GambitUte — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:38:25 -0000

Looking at several BYU season previews, I have to admit the Cougs are in a better position than most in the MWC. There have even been some whispers that if BYU can accomplish the unthinkable (topple Oklahoma) that they could get a potential sniff at the National Title.

I personally don't buy into all the hoopla, (the fact that the Cougars are our bitter rivals is the LEAST of why this is so). However, BYU has the potential advantage of being the first non-BCS conference team to bust the BCS with one loss (It should be noted that TCU came damn close last year). Utah will not be forgiven so easily, a season opening loss would be a disaster in countless ways, but getting back to my point, I ask the question: what would be the formula for making a NT appearance for a non-BCS school?,.Here's my theory of ingredients:

1. A respectable pre-season ranking:

In 2004, we all saw just how much a pre-season ranking helped out the Utes, had it not been so, there is no doubt Utah would have not been playing Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl. In order to make something that big happen, you need to have a really good foundation to start.

2. A respectable non- conference schedule

This is an ingredient that I believe BYU has this year, but unfortunately (in my opinion) it wont be enough. Even though many complain about the MWC being inferior to the BCS leagues (I'll refrain from answering that accusation being it would take a whole post on and of itself) I'm sure most will admit BYU's non conference schedule looks pretty good. I tip my hat to what Utah did in 2008, but the fact of the matter is we did have a very favorable path to the BCS. Michigan was a huge question mark and we had a Division II school on our non conference schedule (not to mention our less than talented rivals: The Aggie's) . My point is if you want to make big noise you gotta break a couple of big heads to do it.

3. A year similar to 2007 (i.e. LOTS of upsets),plus a strong finish

2007 was a very interesting year, It was amazing that no one could stay in the #1 spot for more than a week before they got toppled too. I admit sometimes I think about the "what ifs". What if Utah had it's great run in 2007 instead of last year. We would had a pretty good resume (Oregon St., UCLA, and Louisville) and probably could have made a pretty convincing argument over a freaking 2 loss SEC team. Upsets had a lot to do with Utah first BCS appearance (remember the BCS was actually harder to bust back then) and all laments of fairness aside, the fact is no one will take an undefeated MWC team over a good Pac-10, SEC or Big-12 School. The home stretch plays a HUGE part cause college football is VERY unforgiving to teams that lose late in the season.

4. Not one but TWO undefeated seasons in a row

As I stated earlier, even BYU has a slim chance to go even if they did run the table this year, Why? look back at 2008 for them, all the decent teams they faced beat them rather comfortably. With that said, the BCS is very unforgiving to "one-hit wonders". Consistency is everything in college football, and as such, two undefeated seasons in a row would be a hard arguement for anyone not to swallow for a NT appearance. Winning 25 games in a row (give or take) is a tall task for anyone, even if you do come from a conference like the MWC or the WAC.

For any non BCS school like BYU, TCU, Boise St. or Utah to have a shot at the NT, all four of these elements would have to be there and that requires an insane amount of luck. I think we all agree the best solution to the mess that is the BCS, would be a playoff, but being a realist, I know that train will take years to get here. In closing I think the only chance there is for the little guys is to first have a year like Utah had last year, and to have another undefeated run using BYU's formula this year (strong SOS).

I wish all the little guys luck, (their really gonna need it to stick it to those greedy suits).

-Gambitute-

1. A respectable pre-season ranking:

2. A respectable non- conference schedule

3. A year similar to 2007 (i.e. LOTS of upsets),plus a strong finish

4. Not one but TWO undefeated seasons in a row

I wish all the little guys luck, (their really gonna need it to stick it to those greedy suits).

-Gambitute-

The Best Holy War

GambitUte — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:00:14 -0000

I was reading JazzyUte's post on the 93 Holy War and it got me thinking a little bit, It seems this decade of Holy War games have really been something. Outside of the blow outs of 2004 and 2008, every game this past decade has been decided by a touchdown or less. Because I became a Ute fan in 2003, I unfortunately missed some of the nail bitters prior to 03. I just thought it would be fun to rank the five best Holy War games I saw.

#5 2007

I know is seems kinda strange to put a Cougar win on this list but the competitor and sports fan in me has to admit that a game that is decided late in the fourth quarter is defiantly a great game. This one really hurt me cause like most Ute fans, I had revenge on my mind for the 2006 outcome. I remember the adrenaline flowing through me when the Utes had the Cougars where we wanted them on (fourth down) and the frustration in hearing them (I was listening to the game on KALL 700) blow the chance to close em' out . (the fact that my little brother was grinning smugly didn't help my mood either).

#4 2008

Some would argue that this game should be ranked higher for the BCS implications it had, however the inescapable fact is this game was a blow out. One of the primary reasons I rank it here (besides the BCS berth) was the grand relief I had knowing that two years of disappointment (and friends trash talk) was finally over with. It was kinda hard to choose from the 2004 and the 2008 BCS berths but this win meant a lot more to me than the one in 2004.

#3 2005

2005 was a slap in the face to a lot of Ute fans but considering the 2004 campaign went so well , we all kinda saw it coming in a way, The uncertainty leading up the game made it all that more interesting (the loss of Brian Johnson to injury). Out of nowhere a backup named Brett Ratliff came out on the field and shocked the Cougars with his speed. I remember the sensation watching the game go into overtime and praying my Utes could continue their winning streak. It was only when a cougar WR (I'm not sure who it was, Micheal Reed maybe? ) made an ill fated attempt to dive for a catch in the endzone that I was finally able to breathe easily and take the game in. Overtime games are always great.

#2 2006

This game is still to this day a dagger to my heart, I remember being in a sports deli FULL of cougar fans and watching in horror Johny Harlene celebrating in the end zone after catching John Becks miracle throw. Up to this point, the Utes had a four game winning streak and were a sack away from making it five. However, I had to admit in the end a game that is decided by the last play ogf the game is one for the ages (just like the 2007 game that was decided in the end). Even though this game was one of the darkest times being a Ute fan, I have to admit It made me appreciate the 2008 outcome all the more.

#1 2003 Utah 3. BYU 0.

This game means a lot to me because it was part of the beginning of my path to becoming a Ute fan. I remember flipping through the channels (back in the dark ages when Ute games could still be found on KJAZZ) and always going back to that game. (I also vividly remember some of those Urban Meyer commercials before the season). I have always been a great fan of defensive efforts rather than shootouts so to see the Utes battle it out in a blizzard and shut out the Cougars meant something to me. I remember I was not really all that big of a football fan but watching the Utes come out victorious out of the Snow Bowl (that's my personal title ) plus the later Liberty Bowl win started me on the path to becoming a true red bleeding fan. (which is very ironic, considering my late dad was a die-hard cougar).

So what Holy war game sticks out in your mind boys? , I 'd love to hear the feed back.

-GambitUte-

#5 2007

#4 2008

#3 2005

#2 2006

#1 2003 Utah 3. BYU 0.

So what Holy war game sticks out in your mind boys? , I 'd love to hear the feed back.

-GambitUte-

Poll

Which Holy War game ranks the best in this decade

2003

5 votes

2006

5 votes

2005

9 votes

2008 (or 2004)

9 votes

Other

2 votes

30 votes | Poll has closed

2009 Season Preview Part 1

GambitUte — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:50:43 -0000

GambitUte has a great preview of Utah's 2009 season. This Part I, you can read Part II here.

Welcome Ute fans. This is my first attempt at a blog here on this site so please don't give me too much flak if I totally suck. Please forgive me for my poor grammar skills, I'll try my best to make my points the best way I can.

Although it seems a little bit premature to make a season preview before camp is finished, I thought I'd do it anyway. The primary purpose of this post is to give my thoughts on potential starters and a brief review how I believe the season will go.

I believe it goes without saying that this year will be very different from last years undefeated campaign. with several holes in both offense and defense, the Utes will have to step up their game. With that said , I personally believe the circumstances of this year are very different from the 2004-05 transition. We still have a great coach and loads of talent to continue our success in the MWC.

QUARTERBACK

MY GRADE- B-

With the loss of senior Brian Johnson, the question who will play under center is the greatest hole the Utes have to fill, however unlike 2005 (no offense BJ) the Utes do have some good options to step up and keep the Utes competitive.

The most likely candidate to claim the job will be junior Corbin Louks, who played as Johnsons backup last year. We already know that Louks can run the ball but the two biggest questions that Louks will have to answer is how good is his throwing game and how well he will adjust to the full-time starter role in the Utes spread attack. Even though Louks has been facing some tough competition in camp, I believe he will be the man who starts.

Behind Louks is some potentially good talent as well in highly heralded JC recruit Terrance Cain and surprise freshman Jordan Wynn. I see Cain playing in the backup role and Wynn possibly being used similar to Louks last year in special packages to take advantage of his good arm strength.

RUNNING BACK-

MY GRADE- B

The role of tailbacks are usually less vital in most spread option attacks, however the tailbacks at Utah have played a key role in the offense as well, In terms of overall talent, I think this area is one of Utah better strengths going into camp even with the loss of Darrell Mack.

Leading the pack is senior Matt Asiata who shared carry duties with Mack last year. Asiata showed great numbers (146 carries for 707 yards.) and I believe he will do even better with the full time role. Even though Asiata isn't the fastest tailback in the league he still is a big bruiser that fights for every yard.

Other names that could make a big impact as well include junior Eddie Wide and newcomer Sausan Shakerin. I see Whittingham using both with their good speed to compliment Asiata in the backfield.

WIDE RECEIVER-

MY GRADE- A-

Receivers play a huge role in the grand offense scheme at Utah, even though the Utes lost a lot of talent at receiver (namely Brent Casteel) this years receiving corps looks pretty good too.

Returning starters include Seniors David Reed, John Peel and Aiona Key, junior Jereme Brooks and athlete DeVonte Christopher. Reed showed a lot of speed and toughness last year (not to mention good kick return skills) , I see him becoming Utah's go-to guy at WR. Even though he showed up late in the season, Key played a big role as well. With his academic issues solved, I believe he can also become a dangerous option. Making the move from QB last year , I think Christopher can take advantage of his athleticism.

Other names that have Ute fans talking include newcomers Luke Matthews and Shaky Smithson. The Utes will also have to find a legitimate replacement at TE with the loss of Colt Sampson

OFFENSIVE LINE

MY GRADE-A

The loss of Robert Conley will hurt the Utes a lot but I think Utah has good talent coming back, (which will help tremendously in the development of a new QB). Senior Zane Beadles leads the way in a talented line, other key returning starters include Zane Taylor and Caleb Schlauderaff. Much of the success of 2009 will greatly depend on the performance of this group.

KICKER

MY GRADE- C+

It could be easily argued that the biggest question the Utes have to answer (besides who will play QB) is who will replace fan favorite Louie "King Louie" Sakoda at Kicker.

The likely candidate is returning senior Ben Vroman, who was the Utes kickoff man last year. Vroman has great leg strength but it remains to be seen if he can handle the full-time duties of kicker. Another name that could make some noise is newcomer Nick Marsh. Because several of Utah games last year were decided by field goals, the play making ability will be key in 2009 (especially in a potential transitional year like this one).

DEFENSIVE LINE/LINEBACKERS

MY GRADE- B+

The loss of Paul Kruger and Greg Newman will really hurt the Utes but Utah has a lot of potential coming into 2009. Most of the buzz at defensive line is around JC newcomer James Aiono, provided academic issues don't derail him Aiono could be a great start in filling the hole left by Kruger. Other retuning starters who could make a big impact include Koa Misi, Derrick Shelby, David Kruger (Paul's brother), and Kenape Eliapo. The Utes also have a load of potential talent in the freshman class this year (most notably Latu Heimuli)

A lot of utah's success was made in the defense and the Utes ability to pressure opposing QB's. Even though Utah had some trouble at DT (mostly due to injuries) last year, the Utes look pretty deep coming into 2009.

The Utes also have good talent at Linebacker as well. familiar faces returning include senior stud Stevenson Sylvester, Nai Fotu and Kepa Gaison. Sylvester looks to lead the pack after a great performance last year and will be one of the key leaders on defense,plus Senior Mike Wright should be solid at middle linebacker. Another name who could make some noise is J.J. Williams

DEFENSIVE BACKS

MY GRADE- B

Even with the loss of Sean Smith, the Utes defense at secondary still looks pretty strong. Leading the way are senior safeties Robert Johnson and Joe Dale. Johnson was a key player in the Utes defensive effort in the sugar bowl (getting 2 INTs) and looks to be another one of the main leaders on defense. The biggest question is how well Utah's cornerbacks will do with the loss of Sean Smith and Brice McCain. Look for speedsters R.J. Stanford and Brandon Burton to fill the starting roles. The Utes also hope that JC recruits Kamaron Yancy, Conroy Black and Maxwell Lacy will have an instant impact at CB. Another name to look out for is newcomer Chris Washington

All in all the Utes have a lot of talent for 2009, I think another undefeated season is too much to ask for with the question mark at QB but nevertheless, I believe the Utes have enough talent to contend for another MWC crown. The road games at TCU, Oregon and BYU will be the biggest games that will make or break the 2009 season.

Well folks, that concludes part 1 of my 2009 preview, next time for part 2 , I'll give my take on the schedule and how I think the season will go game by game.

-GambitUte-

GambitUte has a great preview of Utah's 2009 season. This Part I, you can read Part II here.

QUARTERBACK

MY GRADE- B-

RUNNING BACK-

MY GRADE- B

Other names that could make a big impact as well include junior Eddie Wide and newcomer Sausan Shakerin. I see Whittingham using both with their good speed to compliment Asiata in the backfield.

WIDE RECEIVER-

MY GRADE- A-

Receivers play a huge role in the grand offense scheme at Utah, even though the Utes lost a lot of talent at receiver (namely Brent Casteel) this years receiving corps looks pretty good too.

Other names that have Ute fans talking include newcomers Luke Matthews and Shaky Smithson. The Utes will also have to find a legitimate replacement at TE with the loss of Colt Sampson

OFFENSIVE LINE

MY GRADE-A

KICKER

MY GRADE- C+

It could be easily argued that the biggest question the Utes have to answer (besides who will play QB) is who will replace fan favorite Louie "King Louie" Sakoda at Kicker.

DEFENSIVE LINE/LINEBACKERS

MY GRADE- B+

DEFENSIVE BACKS

MY GRADE- B

Well folks, that concludes part 1 of my 2009 preview, next time for part 2 , I'll give my take on the schedule and how I think the season will go game by game.

-GambitUte-

2009 Season Preveiw Part 2

GambitUte — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:20:19 -0000

Greetings again fellow Ute fans. In this part of my season preview, I'm gonna focus more on The 2009 season schedule and my take on the year game by game.

As far as the Strength of schedule goes (SOS) , I believe this year could either be a great success or a huge letdown from last year. As I stated before in part 1, much of Utah success will depend how well the new quarterback develops in his role.

BEST CASE SCENARIO:

(plug your ears Coach Whit)

Utah will take advantage of the first two games to break in Louks and get him comfy with the offense, then go and defeat Oregon in a surprise blowout. they will come back and beat a Louisville team still trying to find their groove. After defeating Louisville the Utes will use the energy from the win on the road against Colorado St. and U.N.L.V., come back home for a crucial game against Air Force at home (winning in a thriller) and then keeping their home streak alive against Wyoming and New Mexico. The Utes then will travel to Ft. Worth for the biggest test of the season against TCU and will win another thriller (possibly in OT) after which the Utes will return home to take care of business against San Diego St. and then prepare for the Holy War showdown in Provo (which they win a heart breaker in the last quarter). using the combination of their pre-season ranking and the bad luck of higher ranked opponents, the Utes will barley squeeze their way into the NT game.

WORST CASE SCENARIO-

Even with one of the better O-lines in the conference, Louks will struggle in his new role and the Utes have problems will injuries and find their way to a smaller tier bowl. (I could say 0-12 would be the worst case, but I think the Utes have enough talent to avoid it). Oh, and losing to BYU in the final seconds again.

WEEK 1: Utah St.

The return of former DC. Gary Anderson will make this annual contest more interesting, It would be very easy to write a W on this game now but Utah should not underestimate a new team. I see Utah opening the playbook so to speak and using this game as a launching pad for Corbin Louks to get him familiar with his new starting role.

The Utes win if- They maintain their focus and not get too cocky from last years success. The Utes lose if- Gary Anderson has a few tricks up his sleeve and throws Louks out of his rhythm

My Pick- Utah wins by a comfortable margin 31-14

WEEK 2: At San Jose St.

This game is a question mark but as not as much as some of the later games in the schedule. The Spartans are one of the stronger teams in the WAC but haven't been able to really establish themselves as legitimate threats in the WAC lately. Like Utah St., this game is another great opportunity for the Utes to establish their groove offensively and hopefully build up some momentum for the crucial game in Oregon the next week.

Utah wins if... Again, if they take the one game at a time approach and remember who they are and play their offensive game well

Utah loses if.... barring any catastrophic injuries or if The Spartans show some surprises, I have a hard time seeing the Utes drop this game.

My Pick: Utah wins a comfortable game again

WEEK 3 At Oregon

This game is one of the biggest games of the season, The Utes are very likely to be 2-0 at this point and this game could make or break the season. Even though the Ducks have a new coach, they could still be a force to be reckoned with (which could depend how their opener against Boise St. fares). Oregon runs with a lot of speed on a ground but also (like Utah) can come out of nowhere to win the big games on their schedule. If Utah can put pressure on the Ducks running game like they did with Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, It could be a long day for the Ducks.

Utah wins if... They can stuff the run (Oregon's bread and butter) and throw them off their grove, The Utes will also have to maintain focus on the road (Oregon isn't one of the friendliest places to play).They also need to get into the backfield early to throw off Oregon's passing game and make them one dimensional

Utah losses if....They can't stop the run or if Oregon find's an offensive grove in the air. Utah could also be in big trouble if the Ducks feed of the home crowd and control the momentum.

My Pick- I see a close game playing out here and the Utes winning a thriller in their first test of the season.

WEEK 4 vs Louisville

This game is another question mark because we don't really know which Louisville team will show up, I believe Louisville is one of the dark horse teams in their conference.and could either have a great year or have another disappointing season (and if so would most likely be the end of Steve Kragthorpe's tenure). If the Cardinals can tone down their turnovers and get consistent play at QB, this team has the potential to make some noise. From Utah's perspective this could also be a key game depending how well the Utes fare against Oregon, if the Utes come home with a loss they will need to get back on track against Louisville to prepare them for the road trip ahead.

Utah wins if.....They can force turnovers against the cardinals and not let them find their offensive rhythm, Louisville also has a history of being very pass friendly, thus the Utes secondary will have to stay focused and not let Louisville beat them in the air.

Utah losses if..... Louisville finds their game in the air and frustrates Utah ability to control the football. Loisville is also getting better defensively and depending on the games momentum could use that to their advantage

My pick: If the Utes can score quickly and put this game away early, I could picture a blowout, Louisville just has too many questions this year. Utah wins this one

WEEK 5: At Colorado St.

After an early BYE week (early in my standards at least ) the Utes will travel to Ft Collins to take on the Rams. Colorado St. is on the rise in the MWC (in my opinion) and could present some problems to the Utes (let us not forget their goal line stand win a few years ago). The Rams also have a dangerous WR duo and a talented O-line returning. The key will be The Rams QB situation.

Utah wins if.....They keep tabs on the Rams receivers and put lot's of pressure on the QB, Colorado St. also suffered in punt returns and Kick returns last year, If this is the case again David Reed and Luke Matthews could have a really great day.

Utah losses if......The Utes have trouble covering the Ram's WR's and if Colorado continues the great play at RB they had last year. The only way though that Colorado St. has a chance is if they can get consistent play from their new quarterback.

My Pick: due to the questions at QB and the fact Colorado St. has problems at defense I see a Utah victory here

WEEK 6 at U.N.L.V

This is a crucial year for former Utah OC Mike Sanford, If he has any prayer of saving his job THIS is the year to do it. although they lose their prized RB, the rebels still have a strong leader in their starting QB. let us not forget what happened the last time Utah visited Las Vegas.

Utah wins if.....they can pressure Jr. QB Omar Clayton and take advantage of the Rebels weak secondary,and score points quickly Frank Summers is gone, but U.N.L.V could still give the Utes plenty of headaches.

Utah losses if....The Rebels find a new play maker similar to Summers that will step up and shock the Utes, utah could also be in for a long day if Clayton finds his grove and utah fails to pressure him

My pick: U.N.L.V has a good QB but their defense still has too many holes in my opinion. Utah wins by two touchdowns

WEEK 7 vs Air Force

Air force has long been a thorn in the Utes side, just look at the playing history in the past 10 meetings and you'll find most of them have come down to the wire. The Falcons bread and butter is their ground game, and the Utes will have the task of slowing it down once again (which they admittedly did a good job in doing last year). Utah though will have the extra benefit of playing this one at home

Utah wins if.....they duplicate last years defensive effort and force the Air Force to go to the air (no pun intended). They also need to score quickly and not let Air force find success in the air as they did in last years meeting. The Utes also need to take advantage of the three game home stretch and build as much momentum as they can.

Utah loses if.....They cannot keep on top of the rushing attack this year and/or if Air force gets quality play from their QB, The Utes could also be in trouble if the game does come down to the wire (no Louie Sakoda to bail them out)

My pick - This is one of three games I believe the Utes could lose as much as I think they could win it.This one's a toss up for me.

WEEK 8 vs Wyoming

Wyoming faces the daunting task of starting over after firing Joe Glenn last year, the quarterback situation is a mess and the schedule is grim at best (TCU,BYU, Utah and Texas). The fact that this is a road game for the Cowboys will also hurt them. I'm not gonna lie folks, this one could be ugly.

Utah Wins if.....They step on the Cowboys throat early and dash any slim chances of a upset, However the Utes cannot afford to overlook anybody,feeding off the home crowd will also help tremendously.

Utah loses if......All the stars align for Wyoming and if Utah has the worst luck possible.

My pick- teams with new coaches can sometimes surprise you but new coach Dave Christensen has his work cut out for him. I can easily see this game being a bloodbath. Utah wins

WEEK 9 vs New Mexico

The Lobo's have also been a long thorn in the Utes side, but they are one of three teams in the MWC that have a first year coaches (along with SDSU and Wyoming) . Out of the three teams, I see New Mexico having the most success. Former coach Rocky Long's 3-3-5 formation is gone but New Mexico should still make some noise. This game in my opinion is a potential trap game due to the hard schedule coming afterward.

Utah wins if..... New Mexico's personnel have trouble adjusting to the new 4-3 defense. the Utes also need to feed off the crowd and get some momentum for next week. Utah must also stuff New Mexico's rushing game and frustrate the Lobo's new spread attack offense

Utah loses if..... the Utes find themselves looking ahead to the TCU game and overlook the Lobo's, they could also be in trouble if New Mexico find a groove in the spread and takes advantage of their senior QB.

My Pick- This game is a must -win situation cause the Utes will need all the momentum they can get when they travel to Fort Worth to face TCU. Utah wins a close one

WEEK 10 at TCU

It could easily be argued that this game could be the biggest game of the season. For the second year in a row, both teams could potentially be undefeated but the fact that this game is gonna be on TCU's turf will be the difference between night and day. Utah got a LOT of lucky breaks in last years meeting (they trailed most the game and TCU missed two field goals) do not expect that to happen again. TCU loses some faces on defense but with a coach like Gary Patterson , I don't think the Horned frogs will miss a beat. The development of Corbin Louks (provided he is the starter) will be key as well cause TCU's defense is a huge test for any QB.

Utah wins if.....Corbin Louks finds some holes in the defense and finds a way to strike early in the game. Because Utah and TCU are both great defensively, every possession will count. The Utes will also need great play from their own defense to keep QB Andy Dalton in check and find some success in special teams should the game be a close one.

Utah loses if.....TCU's defense is too much for Utah young QB and can't keep TCU's quick play makers on defense out of the backfield. Utah must also keep in mind Fort Worth is a very intimidating place to play , thus they can't let the crowd throw off their groove.

My pick- This game will not be shootout, it will be a battle of wills and whoever wants it more will win it. This ones another toss up.

WEEK 11- vs San Diego State

After a huge game on the road, the Utes will return home and have a chance to possibly get more momentum before their season closer. San Diego St. comes into this season with a new coach and a new defensive scheme (former New Mexico coach Rocky Long brings his unique 3-3-5 defense to San Diego St.).but has a lot of trouble scoring points and stopping anyone on defense.

Utah wins if....They don't look forward to the BYU match-up and look past the Aztecs, Utah needs to just play their game and take advantage of a rebuilding Aztec team that has lots of holes. this is also the last home game for Utah, thus the Utes need to put on a show

Utah loses if... They do lose focus, or if new coach Brady Hoke continues to have success after his departure from Ball St.

My pick- just like last year, I love the fact we're playing the Aztecs before the crucial game against BYU. I see the Utes pounding San Diego in a blow out.

WEEK 12 at BYU

Weather the Utes are 11-0 or 0-11, this game is always a crucial game for the Utes, it is not out of the question to assume that this contest could not only determine who gets bragging rights but also who will win the conference. BYU QB Max Hall has a lot of questions to answer after poor performances last year but depending on how well the Cougars season goes, hall could have revenge on his mind after being humiliated in Salt Lake. Because the match-up is a long ways out there it is impossible to predict how well the two teams will face leading up to November 28. BYU will not have Austin Collie this time around and that could make a big difference depending how well the Coug's adapt their offense to his departure.

Utah wins if..... They can continue to take advantage of their speed on defense and get some good play from their QB and their rushing game. The Utes must also not get too caught up in the emotions of the game (especially since their playing in Provo). The defense must also harass Max Hall and prove to everyone that last year wasn't a fluke. But above all, the Utes must show up to play in the fourth quarter if this game does get decided in the last seconds.

Utah loses if.....Max Hall turns into Steve Young and punishes the Utes for last year, the Utes could also be in huge trouble if RB Harvey Unga runs all over them like he usually does and they must NOT play a prevent defense should the game be decided by one play.

My pick- A lot could happen in five months time, several of the names mentioned could be out for the year, and emotions could run even higher depending where each team's win-loss record is. on paper I see the Utes winning a thriller in Provo.

Well that's all folks, Here's hoping Utah has a great year. GO UTES!

Greetings again fellow Ute fans. In this part of my season preview, I'm gonna focus more on The 2009 season schedule and my take on the year game by game.

BEST CASE SCENARIO:

(plug your ears Coach Whit)

WORST CASE SCENARIO-

WEEK 1: Utah St.

The Utes win if- They maintain their focus and not get too cocky from last years success. The Utes lose if- Gary Anderson has a few tricks up his sleeve and throws Louks out of his rhythm

My Pick- Utah wins by a comfortable margin 31-14

WEEK 2: At San Jose St.

Utah wins if... Again, if they take the one game at a time approach and remember who they are and play their offensive game well

Utah loses if.... barring any catastrophic injuries or if The Spartans show some surprises, I have a hard time seeing the Utes drop this game.

My Pick: Utah wins a comfortable game again

WEEK 3 At Oregon

Utah losses if....They can't stop the run or if Oregon find's an offensive grove in the air. Utah could also be in big trouble if the Ducks feed of the home crowd and control the momentum.

My Pick- I see a close game playing out here and the Utes winning a thriller in their first test of the season.

WEEK 4 vs Louisville

My pick: If the Utes can score quickly and put this game away early, I could picture a blowout, Louisville just has too many questions this year. Utah wins this one

WEEK 5: At Colorado St.

My Pick: due to the questions at QB and the fact Colorado St. has problems at defense I see a Utah victory here

WEEK 6 at U.N.L.V

My pick: U.N.L.V has a good QB but their defense still has too many holes in my opinion. Utah wins by two touchdowns

WEEK 7 vs Air Force

My pick - This is one of three games I believe the Utes could lose as much as I think they could win it.This one's a toss up for me.

WEEK 8 vs Wyoming

Utah Wins if.....They step on the Cowboys throat early and dash any slim chances of a upset, However the Utes cannot afford to overlook anybody,feeding off the home crowd will also help tremendously.

Utah loses if......All the stars align for Wyoming and if Utah has the worst luck possible.

My pick- teams with new coaches can sometimes surprise you but new coach Dave Christensen has his work cut out for him. I can easily see this game being a bloodbath. Utah wins

WEEK 9 vs New Mexico

My Pick- This game is a must -win situation cause the Utes will need all the momentum they can get when they travel to Fort Worth to face TCU. Utah wins a close one

WEEK 10 at TCU

My pick- This game will not be shootout, it will be a battle of wills and whoever wants it more will win it. This ones another toss up.

WEEK 11- vs San Diego State

Utah loses if... They do lose focus, or if new coach Brady Hoke continues to have success after his departure from Ball St.

My pick- just like last year, I love the fact we're playing the Aztecs before the crucial game against BYU. I see the Utes pounding San Diego in a blow out.

WEEK 12 at BYU

Well that's all folks, Here's hoping Utah has a great year. GO UTES!

Poll

Which game on Utah's schedule is the biggest question mark?.

TCU

23 votes

BYU

6 votes

Louisville

1 votes

Oregon

53 votes

Air Force

0 votes

83 votes | Poll has closed