What’s Wrong with Utah and Bowl Games?

This topic has 13 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 11 months ago by Charlie.

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- 12/23/2023 at 9:57 PM #208583
  
  The Miami Ute
  Participant
  
  Can someone explain to me how, after a month of rest and prep, the offense came out the way it did? If Utah was playing a team with a competent offense tonight this would have been a 40-50 point loss considering the turnovers. Honestly, one of the least entertaining games I’ve watched in my life.
- 12/23/2023 at 9:59 PM #208586
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  EagleMountainUte
  Participant
  
  The repeated decisions to keep Barnes in made a lot of sense. Based on the 700 pre game interview Whitt even seemed hopeful that Barnes would return.
  
  I am not convinced Barnes is gone. Because Whitt will certainly welcome him back.
  - 12/23/2023 at 10:11 PM #208596
    11
    
    The Miami Ute
    Participant
    
    If Barnes does come back it’ll be solely because no other team wants him. And, honestly, who could blame those teams?
    - 12/23/2023 at 10:44 PM #208606
      
      EagleMountainUte
      Participant
      
      Being the one team who wants Barnes is depressing man.
- 12/23/2023 at 10:12 PM #208597
  
  uteinzoobcounty
  Participant
  
  Preparing, Utah preps like it’s another game. Other teams prep likes it’s the last game.
- 12/23/2023 at 10:55 PM #208607
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  SteelUte
  Participant
  
  Honestly I think the teams mentality mirrors the general mentality in college football. When you have players sitting out for the rose bowl you realize these games just don’t matter to everyone. It mattered more to Northwestern, and that is just sad. Bowl games are just not what they used to be.
- 12/23/2023 at 11:15 PM #208608
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  SkinyUte
  Participant
  
  Northwestern had one starter in the transfer portal. One. And they had no one opt out. Everyone else played. That was basically the starting squad from a 7 win B10 team.
  
  Utah was playing our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th string guys. Most of our major contributors on both sides of the ball opted out or moved on.
  
  We can’t take that much talent off the field and still expect to compete. Were not Bama or Michigan who simply plug and play with yet another 4-star backup.
  - 12/23/2023 at 11:17 PM #208609
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    EagleMountainUte
    Participant
    
    Competed just fine on one side of the ball.
    
    Offense is trash.
  - 12/24/2023 at 7:14 AM #208624
    
    Utah
    Participant
    
    I was at the game and was shocked at how many more players NW had than we did. It was crazy.
- 12/24/2023 at 3:02 AM #208617
  3
  
  Utah
  Participant
  
  Here’s the dirty truth we don’t want to admit:
  
  When you have a team who won back to back P12 titles and then had such an injury riddled year and then had a lot of players declare for the draft/transfer…their motivation might not be as high as a s**tty B1G team’s.
  
  Sometimes the better team has a disappointing year and isn’t as ready to play.
  - 12/24/2023 at 5:08 AM #208619
    4
    
    The Miami Ute
    Participant
    
    I’d think that the motivation of the guys who were getting the opportunity to start in a bowl game would be quite high. My biggest concern is the addiction to Barnes when he’s proven in copious game tape that he’s not a P5 QB.
    - 12/24/2023 at 7:13 AM #208623
      
      Utah
      Participant
      
      Yeah, Barnes is…not great.
  - 12/24/2023 at 9:45 AM #208637
    
    Charlie
    Participant
    
    There is a lot to how poor a team plays that is not in the bowl they expected. Utah has feasted on this themselves in the past.
- 12/24/2023 at 7:09 AM #208622
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  DataUte
  Participant
  
  Whitt’s bowl game prep is legendary! He’s 11-1 in bowl games. Utah just doesn’t lose! Oh, wait, that was 2017 calling. 5 losses since then. Looks like it was more the mediocre opponents than some magic sauce.
  
  Apparently, the players were given a long leash in Vegas, reminiscent of Huntley’s Alamo bowl team. Business and pleasure trip.
  
  Defense played super. A simple goal could have been to hold NW under their season avg (~21). They did that. If the offense goal was to score what NW gave up on average (23), we failed. The defense giving up 14 was no problem. They should expect the offense to score 21. It’s like an Ace pitcher getting no run support, losing 2-1.
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