If I was the coach

I believe that if UCLA was to win this week, wouldn’t USC also control their own destiny?

ESPN FPI has utah as a 90% favorite. UCLA’s defense is just bad giving up almost 300 yards per game through the air and 130 on the ground. Colorado is a terrible team. I really am not worried.

Seriously, their defensive efficiency is 7th in the pac. We have played four teams higher than them (Wash, USC, ASU, and Cal) we beat all but USC and dump trucked Cal. BYU is higher than them and our offense crushed them.

Their offensive efficiency is 73. We have played Wazzu (5th nationally 1st conf), OSU (10th nationally; 3rd in conf), USC (23rd nationally, 5th in conference), Washington (27th and 6th), ASU (68th and 9). We crushed the top two, lost to USC (hate them), did okay against wash and crushed ASU.

Give Whitt a week to prepare he’s good. You give them two weeks, he’s nigh unbeatable. He is Hannibal from the A-team. Fotu is Mr. T. Huntley is the pilot guy (because throw game) and Moss is Face. Can’t stop them.

And I will repeat this every time I see these statements.

when Andy Phillips and Tom Hackett had a podcast (that unfortunately only lasted a handful of episodes), I recall both of them mentioning that by this time of year the team was typically spent. They pinpointed Utah’s past struggles during the month of November as related to mental and physical fatigue. I don’t know if anyone else recalls that, I wasn’t aware it was an issue until they mentioned it.

I know these two were only special teams players, and they had it easier but they witnessed and heard complaints from other players. They also mentioned that players they knew at other state schools and PAC-12 schools that had less of physical demands late in the year. They were pretty adamant that if Whitt took it easier on the team late in the year, Utah would have more success. Maybe Whitt has responded, the last year or two?

This second bye seems ideal. I agree with you that they need to prep and be focused for UCLA, but I hope they get some days off to recharge. I think the game against UW took a small toll. Maybe, just lifting weights, and some conditioning this week for the starters (I know typically during a bye there is a focus on the underclassmen while coaches are out recruiting). Just my $.02

I agree. The bye week, I trust, will permit some guys who are banged up to get closer to 100%. 

This team is special, for sure. What I like about them is the way they support each other as a team. Guys seem to be fine with sharing reps, as long as the primary goal is met: just win. You can tell that there is a rare tightness to this squad.

The team arguably still has work to do that to be frank may never be completed (for anyone really). Over the last handful of games, I’ve been surprised by the number of Utah WR or RB fumbles and who is fumbling. I know its really hard to hang on to this odd shaped ball, particularly when its wet or cold and a lot of banging and swiping is going on. Washington and Arizona State seem to be quite adept at stripping the ball. You have got to know that ball security is a matter of high attention by this coaching staff. In all three mentioned games, this turnovers killed momentum.

The receiving corp did a great job in the last game. Huntley was 19 of 24. Of those five incompletions, most were Huntley getting rid of the ball. Most were uncatchable, maybe one was catchable but missed due to awkward positioning. The TEs and WRs have been getting much better at completing well thrown passes, a massive difference maker in Utah’s offense compared to recent years. Most of this is receivers getting open, beating guys. But sometimes its because they battle for the ball. I was impressed, for example, by Washington’s QB Eason at threading the needle on some into-traffic throws. The Utah coaches have been doing their job and players have stepped up to improve this aspect of the game.

We have derided Gordon Monson for years as a TDS shill. But his article on Huntley and Tyler’s development that he published several days ago was terrific. I felt like he was giving extremely high praise to Tyler and to the coaching staff for his phenomenal development. And its true. I agree with Whittingham that Tyler is an elite QB this season and one of the best in the country. I expect Tyler will continue to astonish us fans.

I read the other day that the coaching staff understood and even acknowledged that Washington exploited a weakness in Utah’s schemes that the staff had overlooked. I’d like to know more about that if anyone has a take. What I love about that admission, assuming it is true, is how the coaches are detailed oriented and impart that to the players. Utah may not have a bench full of 5-star players, but the preparation they do moves them to that level, in my opinion. And I think Utah does a great job of preparing guys for each opponent.

We can debate whether Utah gets out-coached sometimes on the field. I’ve read that complaint about KW against Petersen for years. That did not happen on Saturday in Seattle. Washington came out loaded for bear. That team wanted the win and for better part of half of the game, I wondered if they would not prevail. Clearly, Utah’s line play on both sides of the ball early in the game was better than matched by Washington. Petersen had prepared his guys to play Utah. Utah regained their composure, made some player adjustments, tweaked the game plan to close some areas of weakness, and began to match up better against a determined Husky team. As Utah began to gain momentum, those two fumbles in the third quarter reminded me of similar stuttering in the SC and ASU games, where even when Utah was the team on the move, stuff happened to knock them back. Without question, players stepped up to demonstrate that they would to lose this game. That was a joy to see, even if it points to areas needing a touch-up.

So yeah, I love this team and look forward to the rest of the season. Last Saturday’s performance was go great that in a snap decision, my wife and I decided to come to SLC to see Utah wipe-out the Bruins.

Jesus, I am glad you aren’t the coach because Whitt is going to at least give the players a couple of days off.  You on the otherhand will continue your relentless “the sky is falling” #notthesameucla dribble until the Utes blow them out of the stadium in two weeks and then it will be Arizona’s turn to be the most dangerous team in America.  SMH

I can guarantee you coaches will put in 60+ hrs this week and next. Now that we’ve beaten UW, every game from here on out is the biggest game of the year given the spot we are in. They know that