SB Nation User Blog: JazzyUte

Games of the decade - #10: 2003 Liberty Bowl

JazzyUte — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:48:41 -0000

Alex Smith and Utah would roll through So. Miss. 17-0 in the 2003 Liberty Bowl

As we say goodbye to the 00s (or whatever we call this decade), I thought it'd be interesting to look back at the biggest and best games of the last ten years. It's without question this last decade has proven to be the greatest in Utah football history. We've seen unprecedented heights and a foundation set for what very well could become a true national program.

But it wasn't always that way. In fact, the Utes welcomed a new century by tanking the 2000 season - finishing an abysmal 4-7. It was a season that would eventually lead to the firing of long-time head coach Ron McBride. It also ushered in a new era that fortunately still has its grip on the Utah football program.

Though not entirely a great game with many memorable plays or lasting national memories, the 2003 Liberty Bowl was definitive for one reason - it allowed Utah to finish ranked for the first time in nearly ten years. That was important because had they not finished ranked that season, it's questionable whether they start 2004 ranked and if that never happens, then the Utes could have joined Marshall, Miami of Ohio and BYU as teams slighted by the Bowl Championship Series.

We know that didn't happen and a good amount of credit for that goes to the '03 Liberty Bowl.

To get a sense of what that bowl game meant, you've got to get a sense of what 2003 meant as a whole. We'll have a few of those '03 games later on in the countdown, but since a bowl game is the climatic end to an entire season, I think it's important to look back at what made that entire season, and subsequently the bowl game, so special.

For starters, Utah wasn't expected to do anything in 2003. That was a transition year under new head coach Urban Meyer from the struggles seen in 2002. Not many people thought Utah would finish with a winning record, let alone contend - or win - the Mountain West.

Yet that's exactly what they did. They surprised the nation by surging to a 6-1 start and cracking the top-25 for the first time since the 1996 season. It was one of the fastest and most surprising starts in Utah history. And though there was a hiccup against New Mexico, the Utes - after the Lobos dropped a game to UNLV - controlled their own destiny when it came to winning that elusive outright title.

Obviously they did. And because of that ultimate prized victory, Utah was allowed to play the winner of the Conference USA in the Liberty Bowl. It was their first - and only - trip to Memphis and established the foundation for what would turn out to be the second best season in Utah football history.

Now as I mentioned, the Liberty Bowl wasn't an amazing game. There wasn't much offensive production or trickery that led to an awesome hook and lateral for either an important first down or touchdown. Instead, it was just a start-to-finish, blue collar beating. In many ways, it defined the 2003 season for the Utes - a team driven primarily by their defensive intensity.

That explains the halftime score - a 7-0 Utah lead. The margin failed to expand until the fourth quarter, when Utah eventually fully put away the Southern Miss. Golden Eagles. Of course, like their regular season finale in 2003, the defense played so well that, at times, the one-score lead felt much larger.

In the end, Utah won 17-0 and finished the 2003 season ranked 21st in both polls. Brandon Warfield, Utah's running back, had 91-yards and accounted for Utah's lone offensive touchdown. He was named the Liberty Bowl MVP for his effort.

Though their ranking wasn't as high as the 1994 squad, the 2003 Ute team had accomplished more than any to that point. And to quote Urban Meyer, "With all due respect to the '94 football team and Utah, and there have been some great teams at Utah, I think this will go down as the greatest senior class and one of the top football teams ever in the history of this program."

He was right. For a year, anyway.

Cal running back Best out for Poinsettia Bowl

JazzyUte — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:16:57 -0000

More photos » by Tony Avelar - AP

3 months ago: California running back Jahvid Best breaks a tackle by Maryland defensive lineman Justin Anderson in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/ Tony Avelar)

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Not that I'm surprised by this news. But does it change your predictions for the game? Best was, without a doubt, one of the best running backs of the season and his loss will not be easy to get over for a Cal team that struggled greatly at times on the offensive end this season.

While I think Utah stands a better chance of winning with Best not playing, it's still going to be an extremely tough game that comes down to whether or not the Utes can move the ball on the offensive end.

Even more expansion talk - this time Pac Ten gets in on the action

JazzyUte — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:48:38 -0000

I think it's pretty much a guarantee if the Big Ten expands to twelve, the Pac Ten will follow suit. ESPN seems to back up this claim, as the conference commissioner Larry Scott once again brought up the prospects.

Of course, as we've known for a while, Utah is atop their list. Again, made evident by this quote from an unnamed athletic director of a Pac Ten school:

Bringing in Utah and Colorado might be a winner (Salt Lake City and Denver markets), and at least one Pac-10 athletic director said that's the most likely scenario. Of course, prying Colorado away from the Big 12 might not be easy.

I'm not sure they could get Colorado. However, if there is an expansion, I would be shocked if the Utes aren't at least one of the two teams asked.

With it looking more inevitable that the Pac Ten will expand sooner rather than later, what happens first - Mountain West to the BCS or this?

If there are rumblings, but nothing conclusive in terms of Mountain West inclusion, do you think Utah jumps to the Pac Ten if offered at the end of the 2011 season?

Does Big Ten expansion mean BCS for Utah?

JazzyUte — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:35:43 -0000

I'm sure you've heard by now the Big Ten is seriously looking at expansion down the road. It's not something that'll happen the second this season wraps up - hell, it probably won't happen by 2011, either. However, it's something we'll most likely see in the next decade (so, that's a ten-year window).

Now how does this impact Utah? Well directly, it doesn't. The Big Ten ain't expanding this far west. There is a slightly better chance Tiger Woods is declared a saint by the Catholic Church than the Utes ever playing a game in a conference a thousand miles from their campus.

But it does indirectly impact them. In fact, they face a greater impact than any non-BCS team because if either the Big 12 or Pac Ten were to ever expand, the Utes would be atop both lists. Now I'm not saying they would get an invite to either conference, but they would receive a longer look than say Colorado State or even Boise State.

So, let's assume at the end of the 2011 season, the Big Ten expands. Right now, it's unclear who they want. Obviously Notre Dame continues to see the brunt of their push, however, it's not just the Irish who are expansion candidates. Syracuse, West Virginia, Missouri, Iowa State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and even Nebraska - if you believe the link I posted above - appear to be logical choices.

Out of that, Notre Dame still seems the least likely because the Irish are very content with their situation. And they should be because they've got it made. They have their own TV deal. Their own path to the BCS. A national recruiting base and the most prestigious program name in all of sports (that includes the Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees and Boston Celtics.

Let's say the Irish turn down any offer the Big Ten throws at them. This leaves Big 12 teams and Big East teams as potential newcomers to the conference.

This is where things begin to indirectly impact Utah.

Missouri and Iowa State are reasonable choices because they're Midwest schools. Iowa State is a natural rival with Iowa and Missouri is a natural rival with Illinois (they play yearly). Now it's a no-brainer that the Tigers offer a better all around program than the Cyclones. They're also the dominant program in the state - unlike ISU.

If it came down to these two Big 12 teams, the Big Ten is probably going with Missouri. If they accept, that opens the door to Big 12 expansion.

Now it gets a bit more interesting.

Firstly, there is Arkansas of the SEC. The Razorbacks' greatest history is tied back to the old Southwest Conference. If you're not familiar, a good bulk of the SWC makes up the current Big 12 South. That includes Texas, who at one point had one of the nation's largest rivalries with Arkansas. That's fizzled since the Razorbacks left the SWC in 1991 for the SEC.

But would they accept? Is Arkansas content in the SEC? I honestly don't know because I'm not an Arkansas fan. They could be. I mean, perception wise, the SEC is the nation's best conference. If you win in the SEC, you're almost guaranteed the most exposure. The Big 12, on the other hand, took a hit this season with the pathetically bad North and the collapse of Oklahoma.

Of course, football ebbs and flows. Five years ago, the SEC was so weak that its champion - an undefeated Auburn team - couldn't sniff the national championship game. Does anyone believe today an undefeated SEC team would be denied a shot at the championship? Probably not. However, it's possible had a Big Ten or Pac Ten team gone undefeated this year - an undefeated Big 12 team is left on the outside looking in.

Ultimately, from an outsiders perspective, the Big 12 is a better fit than the SEC for a program like Arkansas. I make this claim mostly because of their history with the old SWC and the fact they just haven't really been able to take it to the next level in the SEC. Granted, they've been close and maybe Bobby Petrino gets things turned around there and makes them not only an SEC power, but a nation power. Right now, though, it hasn't happened. Until it does, Arkansas will always seem more like the step-sister to that league than anything else.

That leaves the option for them to bolt to the Big 12. Let's say they do. How does this impact Utah? I mean, the conference still is stuck at twelve teams. No name change. No need for expansion, right?

Well...

The thing here is that if Arkansas goes to the Big 12, they're not going to be delegated to the North. It just isn't going to happen because they don't fit the geography of a North team. They are a South team and will play in the South. The problem here is that there is just one too many teams in the South now. It makes for uneven divisions and that can't happen.

This leaves the option open for expansion.

The Big 12 now needs a North team to replace Missouri, or Iowa State. Who gets the nod?

BYU: They were originally at the top of the list when the Big Eight turned to twelve teams back in the 90s. This, however, ended when Baylor took the last vacancy. The Cougars are still a very viable option and certainly would get a strong look by the conference.
TCU: They seem like the most natural and logical choice because they're in Texas. Except we're looking for a Big 12 North team and would TCU fit in the North even though they play in a state dominated by the South? Possibly. I'm sure they'd accept it. The problem here is that the Texas schools might not like the idea of opening the state even further to a local school. And if TCU gets the BCS nod, they automatically receive the cred it takes to grab big-time talent. Would Oklahoma, Nebraska and the Texas schools sign off on that? I'm not so sure. TCU also suffers from the fact it doesn't have a significant base of support within the Metroplex. They struggled this year to sellout their stadium, even though they had the greatest season in school history.
Utah: In the 90s, they weren't on the radar because the program hadn't evolved to the point it is today. They fit geographically and can spark up their rival with Colorado again. Up until the 60s, both these programs dominated the Rocky Mountain region in football and played nearly every season. Does it mean a rivalry can be cultivated from that? No. But it does suggest there is some history.

As you can see, there are some dominoes that need to fall to get Utah even on their radar. I'm not sure it happens that way and obviously there are other scenarios that could play out (Arkansas turning them down, meaning they can take Utah/BYU/TCU and keep the current league number at twelve or the Big Ten picking a current Big East program). But it's still a viable option.

The most likely scenario, though, is the Pac Ten option. Right now, the conference is content at ten teams. However, if the Big Ten jumps to 12 (remember, they're at 11 right now), does this force their hands? The expansion of the Big Ten would bring about a conference championship game and I think we can all agree they've played an important role for the SEC and Big 12.

If that happens, the Pac Ten and Big East will be the lone BCS conferences without a title game. Now I think the lack of a conference championship game has hindered the conference, but ultimately they've been able to get away with it because the Big Ten hasn't fallen into the trend, either. If they go, though, it might force the conference into conceding tradition and entering into the dreaded twelve-team league.

Which means they need two teams to fill the void. There is a very good chance Utah is either #1 or #2 on that list. If the Pac Ten does expand, I think we can call agree the Utes are the most likely of any team at any level in the nation to receive that first phone call.

But that's basing all of this on the current setup today. Utah is still riding its 2009 Sugar Bowl win over Alabama and much can change over the course of the next few years. Maybe BYU and Boise State eclipse the Utes fully by 20XX and if that happens, it's possible - though I think unlikely - they become the Pac Ten's #1 and #2.

In the end, this is all speculation and relies on a ton of what ifs. But right now, it appears we're closer than ever to the possibility.

We'll see.

Maximum Bowl Overdrive

JazzyUte — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:09:04 -0000

I'm not sure if the Trucker College Green Demons qualified...

It's the holiday season again and that can only mean one thing - we're about to bombarded by the numerous bowl games that will dominate the next couple of weeks. It's as much apart of the Christmas season as eggnog, gaudy sweaters and ridiculous and tacky Christmas decorations. Which is fitting, because, much like the overblown displays we see throughout countless American suburban neighborhoods, the bowl system is just as overdone.

It's like the Griswold house...overdone, overblown...yet oddly you can't turn away.

Like crack, though, we just can't get enough of it. We'll bitch about the prospects of some program from the Sun Belt taking on the fifth best MAC team and yet, when it's all said and done, how many of you will pass up the opportunity to watch it if there is nothing else planned for that night?

I mean, even at my aunt's annual Christmas Eve party last year, we watched Notre Dame take on Hawaii in their bowl game. It wasn't an epic showdown and neither team really deserved the post season - but it didn't stop any of our family from watching that game.

In fact, I overdosed on bowl games in '08. Maybe it was in anticipation for the Sugar Bowl or maybe I truly am addicted. But when I came across a game between two 7-win teams that didn't mean anything other than bragging rights, I stopped and watched.

That's what happens, right? We can't pass up the chance to watch football. Especially when we know in less than a month, it'll be over until August. That's a long time and the bowl season offers up that one last party. You know, the bowl season really is our Fat Tuesday. We'll use it to gorge ourselves on the game knowing the fast is but only a few days away.

Which makes a playoff that much more obvious. You not only get the beauty of more games, but they actually mean something. Who cares if Bowling Green beats Idaho? Neither team has any chance of finishing ranked. So, like most every other bowl, it's just filler. It's just empty calories.

Now I'm sure to their fans, that bowl means a lot. But I'm not an Idaho fan and I don't expect them to put anything into the Poinsettia Bowl. So, basically, there are only a handful of bowl games that seriously interest a great deal of college football fans. That's obviously the national championship game and the BCS bowl your conference's best team might be playing in that year. For us, it's the Fiesta. Outside of that, I don't care what happens in the Orange. Or even the Sugar.

The national championship only matters because, even if we don't like the process, it still decides the champion.

That means every other bowl game is just there for the sake of being there. If the Little Caesars Bowl were to fold tomorrow, would anyone care? Well maybe the C-USA and MAC - but that's about it.

Yet I don't doubt that, if I stumble across the Little Caesars Bowl, I'll find myself watching. Do I care if Marshall or Ohio wins? No. But it won't stop me from enjoying the game.

Utes say they'll stick with wildcat scheme and I die a little inside

JazzyUte — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:51:58 -0000

Yeah, I'm not sold on the wildcat (or is it wild-indian, meh too un-PC), but I guess the coaches are.

It's not that I don't think it can be successful, it's just the Utes seem to get too comfortable running it and it loses its effectiveness. I mean, it failed against the Cougars and really hasn't been consistent or good enough this season to warrant a continuation.

So, I've got to wonder what the hell the coaches are thinking with this one. Especially when Dave Schramm, Utah's OC, said...

"We just had some things that weren't good."

Ignoring the Palin-esque language - is he blind? The things that weren't good happen to be the entire formation! It's abysmal and the thought of this being part of the offensive game plan for the Poinsettia Bowl really makes me shudder.

But what do I know? I'm just a fan. I'll happily eat my words if it proves effective against Cal.

Will it, though?

It's the fundamentals, stupid! Utes shoot themselves out of win over Sooners

JazzyUte — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:32:32 -0000

Basketball more than any sport relies on fundamentals. If you lack it, you're not going to win many games. That was on full display Saturday as the Utes wilted in overtime and lost to the Oklahoma Sooners 78-73.

Certainly they had the talent to win this game. They did, after all, lead 42-36 at the break and managed a comeback to tie and send it to overtime. Yet, when they needed points the most - whether it was to take control at the end of regulation or in overtime - they came up empty. Without question, much of this has to do with basketball intelligence, poor shot selection and even worse free throw shooting.

I won't even begin to discuss the missed free throws at the end of regulation. Okay, I'll touch on it because I believe that's where the game was lost. Granted, Utah overcame them and forced it beyond regulation, however, that was where they really could have taken control of the game and because of three missed free throws by Carlon Brown, they didn't.

What did cost them the most, though, was the shot selection in overtime. Utah failed to play like a team with the lead, even though they had it. Instead of slowing the tempo down after forcing a few Oklahoma turnovers, they pushed and pushed and then settled for terrible shots that ultimately did not fall. Luka Drca should not be taking a three when Utah is either up or tied with minutes left. They literally shot themselves out of the win tonight.

That is fundamentals and something the Utes have lacked a good portion of the season. To be good and to contend with the elite of the conference, they can't afford ill-advised shots, stupid turnovers or missed free throws. In short, they must shore up their fundamentals or this team is going to get killed more often than not.

Of course, I don't want to sound like I'm completely disappointed with this team. Utah battled a decent Oklahoma program and played well in stretches. Like I said, they have the talent to be really good. And maybe it's the inexperience that's creating a big bulk of the problems. But I can't help but look at the last ten games and see missed opportunities. There is no excuse for this team to be 5-5. At worst, they should probably be 7-3.

Hopefully these mistakes are corrected and by January this team is playing smarter. But right now, it is very difficult watching them struggle like they do.

Utes look to establish some consistency against Sooners

JazzyUte — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:59:54 -0000

If Utah is going to produce a half-decent rebuilding year under Jim Boylen, this is a game I think they need to win. I won't go as far as to say it's a must-win like last week's Michigan contest, but it's close. It's close because it's another home game and it provides Utah a chance to pad its record against the Power Conference elite (they're 2-1 right now).

The Sooners roll into Salt Lake with a 6-3 record. Not entirely bad, but far from where most expected them to be prior to the start of the season. Especially when you realize their losses came to VCU, San Diego (not San Diego State - the younger, far less intelligent but cooler brother of the Toreros), and Houston. To be fair, they do appear to be playing a bit better as of late, rolling Arizona last week.

But Arizona is bad, too. So, like Utah, they aren't very consistent.

With that said, they're better than Michigan. This is not going to be an easy game for the Utes to win. They need an effort like against Michigan, but better. I say better because there were some problems against the Wolverines that would have cost them the game against a better team.

But I feel good about their chances and I think a win here could establish the consistency needed to push ahead prior to the conference slate. I won't really talk about NCAA Tournament hopes, but if Utah can start beating the teams they should beat *cough, Idaho* and get these toss-up games at home, they'll put together not only a nice season, but a respectable resume.

Which, right now, is pretty bad. Utah's Pomeroy rating is 118 (their RPI is actually worse) and that's with wins over Utah State (18) and Illinois (59). Ouch.

Utes further prove they own Michigan athletics with romp over Wolverines

JazzyUte — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:47:19 -0000

More photos » by Steve Griffin - AP

8 days ago: Utah guard Jace Tavita (2) passes around Michigan guard Darius Morris (4) during first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Salt Lake City, Wednesday Dec 9, 2009. (AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Steve Griffin)

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Final - 12.9.2009	1	2	Total
Michigan Wolverines	27	25	52
Utah Utes	35	33	68

Complete Coverage >

Well I'll be damned. The Utes won and actually played a pretty decent game against a Big Ten power (okay, well former Big Ten power...if you go back twenty years). Now they just need to bottle this and bring it to the arena every single game to stop those damning losses to the likes of Idaho State Idaho, Seattle and Weber. If they do that, we'll have a pretty decent team on our hands. If they don't, well no one will care or remember wins like this.

But for tonight, it works. It works because this was an important game in an important two-week stretch for Utah basketball. Their next challenge will be the Oklahoma Sooners, who, like Michigan, have faded a bit since the start of the season.

Even though, this was a good effort all around. The Utes jumped to a comfortable halftime lead, let the Wolverines creep back into it and instead of wilting, put the game away late. Good teams do that. Teams that grow and progress do that. Utah has certainly progressed in that regard and hopefully it means good things down the road.

Of course, as I suspected, Michigan was not good. They shot only 33% from the field and generally, shooting like that won't nab you a win on the road. Utah, on the other hand, was far more consistent - shooting 50%.

Another good sign was the defense and the fact the Utes out rebounded the Wolverines 41-25. You're not going to lose many games if you're dominating the boards like that.

But, as I mentioned above, it's important for Utah to play this well the remainder of the season. Become a consistent team and maybe, just maybe, we'll be talking about tournament potential in February. Especially when wins over teams like Michigan and Illinois and Utah State and possibly Oklahoma (here's hoping) will be on their resume - certainly helping in the RPI department. But it will be all for not if they turn around and lose to Illinois State or Pepperdine.

Anyway, great win and something to build on for Boylen's Boys. Now let's hope they do it.

Yes, Virginia, there is a basketball game tonight

JazzyUte — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:38:49 -0000

More photos » by Tony Ding - AP

Michigan is slumpin', hopefully Utah doesn't turn out to be their slump buster!

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Next Game

Michigan Wolverines
@ Utah Utes

Wednesday, Dec 9, 2009, 7:00 PM MST
Jon M. Huntsman Center

Complete Coverage >

Okay, so I know the men's basketball team has not been very consistent or good this season. I know we're all still in football mode and the farthest thing from our minds right now is a basketball game. Yeah, it's like a million below outside and it's the mid-week. But there is a semi-decent opponent coming to town tonight and it would be nice to have at least a half-packed arena.

Tonight's opponent is Michigan. The Wolverines. You know, they made the dance last year and were supposed to do some good things in 2010. That doesn't seem likely (they're 4-3 with losses to Marquette, Alabama and Boston College - all unranked) - but it's still a good test for Boylen's team. To put it bluntly, they can't afford to lose this game if there is any hope of salvaging what has turned out to be a pretty horrific rebuilding year.

The good news is that the Wolverines enter the game on a shooting slump and with them traveling to Utah, they will face an uphill battle in this one. Of course, that's if the Utes don't shoot themselves in the foot, which is never a guarantee.

Regardless, this isn't the typical cupcake you see on Utah's home schedule in the month of December. So, brave the cold and get your asses to the Huntsman Center. Or not. I don't really care. But hey, maybe they'll win.