This is the year that we should open up the offense IMO.

[ProudUte]

We opened things up in 2019 and had great success. Why this year?

1. We have a very good, experienced QB.
2. We have a very talented tight end and a few other solid tight ends, so we can be creative with our sets.
3. We have some solid wide receivers, i.e., Singer, Pittman, Parks, et al.
4. I am not sure who will be RB1 this season. However, we know that Bernard is a talented guy and a very good receiver.

The one question I think most of us have – Is the Oline good enough to help make our offense a top-tier offense?

I would like to see our offense average 450 yards per game (250 passing and 200 running).

Go Utes!!!

[Ute in Chatt]

I would also love if our defense can keep our opponents under 20 points per game and under 250 total yards. We pretty much can always shut down the run and yet always worries me about the teams that sling the ball well with good recievers. Aka Arizona and possibly UCF if things pan out. No one else on our schedule scares me that way. I’M not won over by Oklahoma State and Colorado with the ability to shred us with passing the ball downfield. Our coverage protection with the pass is always way too loose, for my liking, but Whitt always does a good job. Go Utes!!!!

[Ute in Chatt]

I realized that after I wrote all that, it was more of an offense topic. Well, on that note, I would love them to score 45 points a game+. That seems to be around when Whitt lets off the gas.

[22Ute22]

Oklahoma state is going to be a run-first team. They are going to have the best line in the big 12 and the best RB in the country. They do have a solid WR corp, but their QB play is mediocre, kinda like Utah in the past. Fortunately, since Whitt was the coach of those teams, he should know how to limit that and force Bowman to beat us through the air. I just hope our secondary will be up to par by the time we travel to Stillwater. It’s the position group of most worry on the defense. The talent is there, but the experience isn’t.

[EMUte#2]

I feel we will open it up more. Based on watching the spring game and Cams interview at the kids camp he did a week or two ago. We have the wr’s and the TE’s. Singer,Parks, Alford who is 6′ 6″ wr who runs a 4.40, mclain,pittman,McLain, Lyons, Kuithe, King, Bentley,Zippered,Ryan. Not to mention all the fast pass catching Rb’s we have. We better open it up this year. We need to keep Rising healthy. With our defense. This should be a fun year. Let it fly.

[AlohaUte]

They will, just like in 21 and 22. Last year we simply didn’t have a qb that could do it. I’m confident our offense will be night and day better than last season.

[Anfernee]

Open up is an understatement of what will happen IMO There’s a reason we currently have the deepest and arguably most talented wr and te room we’ve ever had. They wouldn’t have signed (and stayed) here to just catch 2 balls a game and block. I also think it’s optics for recruiting. Jerome Myles said after his visit “It was a very good visit. They answered the only question I had. So it was pretty successful.” Which obviously means “How much passing?” Also the Big12 defenses ain’t scaring anyone. Take advantage of it. And pass catchers will actually want to come here.

[Charlie]

The stronger QB room will open up the offense while making every other offensive group look greatly improved. The first offensive football fundamental, man on man or as a unit, is to appear to do one thing but quickly doing something else. The second is the ability to move to another option quickly when the defense is positioned with an advantage on the first option. Last year the QBs had a limited playbook and were quite limited in ability to execute with multiple options. That was before the snap followed by below average QB play. Very difficult to overcome. Rising will change everything across the board. Next we need QB2 to develop from the potential candidates so as to keep Rising off the field when unneeded late in games and assure the train continues to run in his absence.

[PhiladelphiaUte]

Personally, I hope Glover and Mitchell will be prepared to take our running game back to Utah’s traditional level of excellence, and moved Bernard to a hybrid RB/slot receiver role to open up the passing game, while still keeping the LBs honest. And since to my knowledge, TCU will be the only Defense running the 3-3-5 stack model, so this alignment should work on every other team we’ll be facing.

For the TCU game we can always attack them with more single back/triple TE “13” formations.

[Trailgoat]

RB blocking is a questionable. If Utah is going to throw the ball 25+ times a game, a solid blocking RB is critical for pass protection. This is the biggest loss with JQJs departure. Unless I’m missing someone, the current RB group is on the smaller size. Glover is a decent blocking back. Bernard will force teams to respect his pass catching ability out of the backfield.

[DataUte]

Bernard is better at picking up blocks when needed. He was the more all around RB – run, catch, block. JQJ might have been bigger, but he missed more blocking assignments as he was still getting back into improving at RB.

[22Ute22]

Keep in mind one very important thing though. The majority of the big we teams run a lot of 5 DB sets, whether it be the 3-3-5 or the less common 4-2-5. This is to limit the passing game and I’m pretty sure was a response to Lincoln Riley’s OU teams. Utah’s coaches already know this and are preparing, I’m sure. I don’t expect to see a lot of 4 or 5 WR sets tbh. However, the 3-3-5 allows for an easier time running the ball, which actually works against us without a proven RB1. I’m not a football coach by any means so maybe what I’m saying will be completely wrong, but I feel like we will see a lot of RPO and TE play. I think Carsen Ryan and Kuithe will be much more important than King and Bentley.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Great posts everyone. With our speed at WR teams will have to respect the deep pass. That opens up more room for the tight ends and RBs. I would still spread the field with offensive sets. A back like Woods could be dangerous with his speed and quickness in a spread out defense

If Rising can throw the ball downfield with accuracy and get some big plays we will be tough to stop on offense. His ability to lead the team, run the offense and check out of bad matchups will be fun to watch. I’m all in. Go Utes

[Utes 69]

should have opened up the offense years ago! why wait?

[DataUte]

I agree, but still wonder about Whitt wanting TOP to be a big part of the game plan. I wonder about the pace of play as well as pass/run ratio. I think Whitt likes 50/50, but I agree that we can go more towards 60/40 or 65/35, using the run game to keep things honest and run the clock while taking a few more shots downfield. TEs will be a big part of the plan and hopefully that turns into a lot of yards-after-catch (of 5 to 8 yard passes). I would love a little ‘hurry-up’ or no huddle without the sideline check with Rising being able to read the defense and audible the play as needed – his experience has to count for something on the field.

I just wonder if Whitt will want to grind things out and as Ludwig to play a little more conservative than this talent group are able. He hates turnovers, and opening it up usually means a few more int’s, which is fine if we are also increasing the td’s.

[Rick Walker]

I was thinking about this too, but with the new rules being more like the NFL’s with the clock running on first down we could still control time of possession with 10-12 passes across the middle of the field

[DataUte]

good call – that rule change will be a new wrinkle to not worry about an incomplete pass getting behind the chains and a whole 3 and out possession (which I hope are very few!) last only 0:19 on the clock.

[CityCreekUte]

I’m not sure if 250/200 is really opening it up any differently. Personally I think the Whittingham 250/250 goal is more achievable this year than prior given that as noted by some there are more defenses oriented around stopping spread offense passing games.

What I want to see is great diversity in play calling and simply being effective each aspect is the best way to do that. When there isn’t a deep threat/15+ yard pass game threat it means our short pass game goes to crap which means all the defenses have to do is stop the run and we end up with run, run, screen pass, punt. Which is the hallmark of when the Whitt/Ludwig offense bogs down.

A substantial time of possession advantage is underrated. It’s especially underrated when you can get 5+ yards a play several different ways.

[Utes 69]

I am sure Utah lost several games due to a weak offense. also the last one again the zoobies.

[Rick]

I really don’t understand all of the lamenting on this board about JQJ. At best, he was a very moderate success at RB for us. He was an average blocker at best. He ran high and fumbled a lot. He only had 5 games in 2 seasons with 100+ yards rushing. His average yards per carry declined from 2022 to 2023 by 2 whole yards. He was hurt almost every other possession all of last season.

I just don’t get the constant longing here for this kid. I wish him well but Utah has had far better running backs in my lifetime as a fan. I respect the fact that he stayed here and converted to RB for us and it was certainly needed but I am excited to move on and see what these new guys can do for us and will not be looking back in the mirror.

[DataUte]

This. And also a longing for a RB1. Times have changed and yes, a durable, great RB1 is a thing of beauty, but having 2-3 getting 8-12 carries a game is fine. Yes, there is some rythym, but RB by committee is common and keeps fresh legs and different styles going against the defense. The OL is more critical if you have only ‘pretty good’ RBs.

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