Utah/tds – Keys to success

[cbmute]

Curious what people think are the biggest keys to success this week.

For me the biggest key this week and for the year is Utah being able to run the football. I have a lot of confidence in the defense. If Utah can run the ball effectively against Utah I would guess they win fairly easily (10-20 points). If they can’t run the ball effectively I think we are in for a dog fight.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by cbmute.

[Utah]

DON’T TURN THE BALL OVER. The team that turns the ball over the least wins.

Get turnovers. That is key #2.

#3? Score points. Finish drives.

Here is what I think happens:

Utah will go man with BYU’s three receivers, especially if Domo is playing. They will stack the box and bring the heat. They will dare Hill to beat them with his arm, which he won’t be able to do. Hill will throw multiple picks to Williams and/or fumble the ball.

BYU will try to run, run, run Williams. The problem is, we will have stacked the box and BYU’s OL sucks. Worse than ours. Big time. They will then try to do their bootleg/TE play. That is where we need Williams to step up and take away a pick or two. If they can get that bootleg play going, it will open up their offense and help out Jamaal. If they can’t get that going, they are screwed.

On the other side of the ball, BYU will attack Dielman. And attack him. And attack him. The good news is, this actually could help out Utah. Utah’s offense is much different than last year’s offense. While last year, we were a between the tackles team, this year we are more of a speed, spread the field sideline to sideline team. We will attack BYU with quick passes to the slot receiver and to McCormick and try to get the ball into space in our speedsters hands. Expect Fulks, McCormick and Butler-Byrd to have big opportunities. And once the LB’ers and Safeties spread out, hit them up the middle with Moss.

This game will go like every other rivalry game: We will get up by multiple scores, shut it down, BYU will score some points late, lose and tell everyone how much better they are than we are.

[Ute Gnome]

Win the TO battle, best special teams, containment on Hill and O-line play. I know everybody is saying Hill lost a step, not sure I buy that just yet. We can’t over commit and lose containment. He is too good.

O-line play: Open some holes and do a better job pass protecting. There was more pressure than there should have been last week.

Do all of that and it is a long night for TDS.

[Anonymous]

It will be turnovers Utah is like +14 in the past 6-7 games or something I heard last night on the Coach’s show.  Obviously that is the key in most games that increases your odds in winning.

But I will agree with you a running game will really open the passing attack for TW2.  I think stretch plays around the edges is the recipe for success.  Is it true Langi is a DE? He really doesn’t have the size to seal the edge against Utah’s tackles so I see that has weakness to get 7-8 yard plays every down.  I bet Utah uses the screen game a lot as well just my opinion.  Of course TW2 is going to take his shots and I think he should no one matches up with Utah’s size at wideout for BYU.

[Utah]

Wrubell said on Bill Riley’s show today that the past six games, Utah has had less turnovers in 5…all Utah wins. BYU’s only win? When both Utah and BYU had zero turnovers.

At the end of the day, it’s the turnover battle.

[Anonymous]

Utah’s ability to create turnovers is probably better than ever.  Anyone have some info Lotulellei? He will be huge in stopping Jamaal Williams.

[Anonymous]

I heard Lotulelei is nicked up.

What disturbs me is the report that Phillips has a couple broken bones in his foot. That doesn’t happen kicking footballs inflated at 13 psi (thank you Tom Brady).

[Anonymous]

Backup kicker a go?

[leftyjace]

Personally, I think we should focus on getting more points than BYU. If we do that, I feel fairly confident we will win the game.

😀

[CincyUte]

We should just agree before the game that Utah will take a 35-0 lead before letting BYU score the final 28 points. That way, everyone can go home feeling like a winner.

[cbmute]

I was hoping for a little more discussion than turnovers and scoring more points than the other team.  Obviously we have to score more and we have heard a thousand times turnovers are the second most important state.

But assuming turnovers are the same for the game.  What areas will Utah have to be successful in, in order to win the game? What are the key match ups?

Here I’ll give you an example:) I think it is Utah’s offensive line.  If they win their position battle than I think Utah wins comfortably.

[Anonymous]

Ok well I think Utah wins the trenches and that starts at the Oline who needs to bounce back strong. Also I said extending plays outside the tackles could be advantageous with BYUs lack of speed and size at the DE position.

Pancakes a plenty and Bolles will want to come back strong against BYU.

[KiYi-Ute]

I think it comes down to play in the trenches and depth. Utah is bigger, stronger and deeper on both the offense and defensive lines. This game is always physical, always bruising.

That brings my to my second point of depth: I wouldn’t be surprised if this game is relatively close through 2 or 2.5 quarters. I think starters on both O and D-lines start to get tired, but our 2s are better than their 2s in every line position (and some skill positions) and BYU can’t keep up, we pull away comfortably in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

Lastly, I think field position also plays into this. Wichnowsky is gonna kick that bacon and pin BYU deep regularly, forcing them to sustain long drives to score points. Conversely, I liked what I saw out of Boobie Hobbes last week, I hope he sets us up with a short field for the offense on a few possessions.

[Tony (admin)]

@KiYi-Ute I like the fact that you think we will pin them deep in their end of the field with the punting game. But you are making a big assumption that we will actually need to punt.

[ironman1315]

Wishniwsky needs to pad his stats to get the RG award. So expect one punt just for the hell of it

[89ute]

I’m going to parrot what Coach Whitt said during the coaches show. Bill Riley ask what stat, other than turnovers is the next most important. His answer was keeping the opponent under 100 yards rushing.

So there it is, win the turnover battle and hold them to less than 100 rushing yards. I think it can be done based on what everyone has posted above.

[Utah]

I’m going to parrot what Coach Whitt said during the coaches show. Bill Riley ask what stat, other than turnovers is the next most important. His answer was keeping the opponent under 100 yards rushing.

So there it is, win the turnover battle and hold them to less than 100 rushing yards. I think it can be done based on what everyone has posted above.

——

I remember when we beat SDSU a few years back and Wynn could barely throw. I think we were down early and came back to win. I do believe that SDSU had well over 400 yards passing.

After the game, they asked Whitt about the passing yards and he said he wasn’t concerned about that. He said all that matters is turnovers and holding their run game under 100 yards. Whitt said that if you hold your opponent under 100 yards, you win over 80% of the time.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by Utah.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by Utah.

[Puget Ute]

BYU got really tired in that game, and iirc Arizona only ran about 55 plays. UA had almost 150 yds rushing in the 4q. I think we should pull away late.

I am looking forward a clean game with no cheap shots and I want Taysom Hill to be healthy to the end. I don’t want to hear, “…but if Taysom wasn’t injured…” excuses.

And I also don’t want zoobs to claim that we injured him on purpose, just like the byu QB who got his ACL blown in the Utah game 20+ years ago. We still hear about that one.

[GreatNorthernUte]

1. Prevent the big running play. This is mostly on our linebackers to get off the blocks and make tackles on Jamaal Williams. I have confidence in our DL to stuff many runs at minimal gains. But Williams will get a few breaks. If he turns too many 6-8 yard rushes into 25+ yard rushes, this will keep BYU close. They don’t have the talent at receiver to win the game on passing alone.

2. Keep the game close in the first half. I can hear you all laughing already. But seriously. Don’t let emotions get away, make a couple key mistakes, and find yourself down 21-0. If you don’t think it can happen, I’m sure BYU didn’t expect to be down 35-0 last year even with the talent gap. And we didn’t expect to be up 35-0 either.

3. The reason we have to keep it close — depth is key. The ability for us to rotate in fresh 2s that can still keep the heat on the BYU 1s is probably the biggest factor in this game. In particular, I am confident Sitake is worried about a fresh Kylie Fitts/Pita T rotating in. If we are ahead or tied, these guys are what keeps BYU from any kind of comeback on our 1s later. If we are coming from behind, the coaches won’t feel comfortable sending in the 2s and both teams start to tire. The Holy War is a physical game — the team that starts to feel it before the other is in big trouble.

I am in the camp that wouldn’t be surprised if the game is close at the half, with us pulling away to a comfortable two touchdown win as it grinds on.

[Anonymous]

If Utah is down 21-0 at any point during this game we need to hire away Sitake next season.

 

YES IT IS THAT RIDICULOUS SOUNDING!!!

[Anonymous]

Shut down their run game and force the game onto Taysom Hill’s arm. No way does Hill beat us with his arm. Our DL will punish him. If they bring in “jump ball” Mangum, our secondary will have career days.

[Author]

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