MUGA (Make Utah Great Again)

[HATUman]

Some of you might hate the title and that’s understandable, but hear me out… Earlier this season, I talked about one of the major issues facing Utah football: the growing disconnect between the program and its fanbase. Whittingham and his staff have tightened access to the point where fans and media feel completely shut out. Practices are closed, interviews are vague, and updates are almost nonexistent. This approach might stem from a desire to maintain a competitive edge, but instead, it has created frustration and even apathy among the fans who have been the lifeblood of this program for years.

Fast forward to now, and this frustration is compounded by the terrible season we’re having. On the field, the issues are glaring: a stagnant offense, inconsistent quarterback play, and a refusal to adapt to the changes happening across college football. Off the field, the lack of transparency has left fans feeling more disconnected than ever. These problems are not separate—they’re intertwined. A program that refuses to evolve on the field and shuts out its supporters off the field is heading in the wrong direction.

It’s time for a fresh start. Morgan Scalley, as the coach-in-waiting, represents an opportunity to breathe new life into the program. He understands the foundation of Utah football but also has the potential to bring the innovation and transparency we desperately need. The sooner we make this transition, the better. Every day we wait is a missed opportunity to reconnect with fans, rebuild trust, and start building for the future.

This program has the potential to be great again. To do that, we need leadership that embraces the passion of the fanbase, adapts to the demands of modern college football, and puts the success of the program first. It’s time to Make Utah great Again.

What do you think? How do we fix the disconnect and get this program back on track?

[USS Utah]

Maybe its time for the entitled minority of fans to get over themselves. At least since joining the Pac-12, Utah’s practices have always been closed, interviews have always been vague and updates few, all for the sake for finding competitive advantage. Just two years ago Utah was winning its second Pac-12 title and going to its second Rose Bowl. Whatever mistakes and bad decisions have been made the last two years they have been accompanied by a crap-ton of injuries and adversity.

[Central Coast Ute]

This is false. I specifically remember the media being able to watch practice when Travis Wilson was QB.

[Anfernee]

This was in the Salt Lake Tribune 2017: “After various news outlets — including The Tribune — reported Hansen’s absence, Kyle Whittingham closed all Utes practices going forward. At one juncture, reporters had been told that they not only were not permitted to report on injuries they saw happen during observation periods of practice, but that they were not to ask Whittingham about injuries to players, that they only could take such information if Whittingham brought it up first.”

[EagleMountainUte]

I think they used to come in for the tail end of practice. Usually scripted plays and stuff like that. Do they not even allow that anymore??

[HATUman]

Not at all anymore. That’s why you never hear them talked about on local radio. All they have to update is on is the same thing we see on Saturdays… so what’s the point. People complain about the radio folks being the problem, but it all starts at the top.

[HATUman]

I was there, and saw them, so this is verified.

[HATUman]

Winning cures everything… but we aren’t winning.

[USS Utah]

Tell the press, tell the opponent.

[Anfernee]

Don’t actually gain an advantage. Alienate the fanbase even further while continuing to raise ticket prices and ask for more donations. P**s off the players because they can’t talk about their injury and the fans blame them or call them weak because they can’t discuss what it actually is. I’ve heard from multiple players that this last part is maddening and creates a toxic relationship.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

I agree Anfernee. College football needs to adapt the NFL model for injuries. One question: how has the gamesmanship worked out for Utah the last two years? Whitt is setting players up for failure. Cam said he was ready to go the first game after he got hurt against Baylor. He wasn’t ready 4 weeks later against ASU and shouldn’t have played.

Fans are always going to hope for the best scenario. We didn’t know the severity of Cams injury until halfway through the season last year and still don’t know how bad the finger injury was. Gamesmanship has never won a game. How about winning the game with the players available.

[Tony (admin)]

If the gamesmanship has been working that means we’ve been losing by less!

[Tony (admin)]

[UteBacker]

I love that hat…..hahaha

[HATUman]

MUFGA!!! Even better, although basketball could use some improvement too!

[Utah#1]

LOVE IT!!! EVEN BETTER!!! Go UTES!!!

[Charlie]

That may be the case or we need to come to grips with the brutal facts that we have gone thru so many QB in two seasons that have not allowed us to get in rhythm with a starting QB, surrounded with an unusual bunch of injuries of key players. The focus on responding has hurt the development in other areas like the secondary, the limit on offense play book has made the OL look incapable, and the lack of winning and progress has put stress on team chemistry given the expectations players had coming to a successful program like Utah. No matter the path taken, all possible remedies will benefit from simply keeping players and especially the QB healthy in a typical way for a college program. We have had ungodly bad luck and as our luck changes, I think it is a given we will do better. I believe we have tried what is possible to keep the team healthy so I am not sure our troubles are due to not taking a better approach.

I do agree that Whitt could be better at allowing more access and better status related to the team. Myself, I favor good execution and effort over the element of surprise or uncertainty to win games. Not sure there is a big difference in outcome but there is a big difference in relationship to the fan base. The key here is to be careful in deviating too much from the other teams around you but lean into sensing what your fan base wants.

Whitt if he stays will benefit from improved luck and is certainty capable of winning this conference. Scalley as well. There is enough foundation that the odds are others can do well as well. (those words are strange) The fan base needs to be entertained and the injury bug has made that difficult. Any coach that goes thru 3 QBs and so many other key injuries will also struggle. I am hoping for return to better luck when even our AD will have less stress.

[HATUman]

I remember when I was working with the team hearing the players complain about the under armour shoes… I wonder if there is any correlation to injuries? How are the other UA teams doing with injuries? Something worth looking into.

[2008 National Champ]

I don’t have an opinion one way or the other on the shoes but Lisfranc isn’t a common injury. To have two in two years could be an anomaly or an indication. But it is also the one injury that could point directly to footwear.

[USS Utah]

I have had a lot of unkind thoughts this season about fans blaming or criticizing injured players because of their own ignorance, but I probably should not repeat them here. As far as I am concerned, those fans are at fault, not the coaches, regardless of how tight-lipped the coaches are.

[HATUman]

The fans aren’t the problem. Without us, Utah Football is nothing. We fund this machine, and we live in a place where we have the right to question and criticize. Like it or not.

[USS Utah]

Asking questions, voicing criticism is fine. Spouting ridiculous conspiracy crap about an injured player is not. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

[EagleMountainUte]

No fans are just sick of being gas lit and told believe one thing and that isn’t actually what happened. 2023 injury debacle with Rising got reworked into the Coaches absolutely planned to not start the year with Rising.

As far as how they evaluated the most important position this year again? It isn’t conspiracy it is literally before our eyes. Yet you get gas lit called fair weather and not a true fan because you are allegedly harming the program by calling Whitt old and over the hill.

Closing off practices is silly and old fashioned. The players want to sell their likeness and create contacts locally to make money. Media helps you attract players that are high level but also want to promote themselves. It is something that is obvious that Whitt can’t even recognize anymore. That is one example.

But yeah continue to say criticism of Whitts failures means you are a bad fan. We are stupid yada yada whatever makes your bubble stay on. You just seem as myopic as Poo Poo fans.

[USS Utah]

So, I understand anger and frustration at the coaches. I fail to understand anger and frustration directed at injured players (in a different group, first Cam’s toughness was questioned, then he was accused of faking an injury so he could collect NIL money while getting a free pass to watch games on the sideline). Seems like a key difference that should be easy to grasp.

[Utah#1]

Dude, who cares if MUGA hurts peoples’ feelings!!! MAKE UTAH GREAT AGAIN!!! Go UTES!!!

[MotherJabubu]

BYU is for (they/them). Utah is for (you)

[Author]

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