tarheelute

Four things for me

1. Ute Linemen -vs- the UW Linemen – Who’s pushes who, better, in the trenches
2. Throw and Catch – Speed on the ball, accuracy, anticipation, positioning, soft hands
3. Field position – Utah’s special teams
4. Xs and Os – Which coaching staff has the better game-plan, and half-time adjustment

After a week of prep, I give the…[Read more]

I drink therefore I am. (a ute fan)

Is Huntley connecting over the middle, particularly with TEs the key? Maybe one of them. Otherwise Huntley forces a throw and gets intercepted on the edge, for a game losing pick-six.

Washington 24, Utah 21.

Thanks – missed watching the game.  

Other projections are more optimistic on Utah

CBS: Alamo Bowl Dec. 28 San Antonio, Tex. Big 12 vs. Pac-12 Texas vs. Utah (Winning the south, losing to WA)
https://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/bowls/predictions

ESPN Sherman: Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Utah San Francisco Bowl: Bonagura: Utah vs. Michigan…[Read more]

I believe we will see a far better Utah team, even if the score is a little closer. Defense will shine again, but with a take-way, perhaps a pick-six or two on the edges. The offense and special teams, no more than one turnover between them. Utah 45, NIU 17.

Pros and Cons
Pro: Hit every open receiver targeted.
Pro: Good cadence, communication – no penalties at the line.
Con: Needed a lot of help from the receivers when they were covered, on the out routs.
Con: Not great outing, passing on the run. Creative, with Weber pressure, but helped greatly by Mariner and Covey, coming back to the QB.
Con:…[Read more]

Speed, good body control, positioning of hands, and timing. All good signs for Enis and Utah.

Not overly impressed. Notably early, the two series before Moss’s 86 yard run, in the second; a 3-and-out, followed by a four-and-out was tough to watch (four Moss runs, 9 yards). However, I am pretty confident Utes will use the next ten days, and be far more ready for NIU.

Most talked about, if not memorable moment – at least in my family. We had invited some neighbors, a BYU family, four kids, to come over for the 2006 Holy War. By half-time I had had enough, both wives, upstairs, yapping, my kids, his kids, running around, and a game that was getting increasingly pitchy. During half-time I talked to my…[Read more]

I was at that game as well – see below.

I was a freshman in 1978, and member of the Army ROTC cannon crew, when Utah beat the BYU team with both Jim McMahon and Kyle Whittingham. With BYU leading 16-0 at halftime, many of the fans, both Utah and BYU had left. But Utah scored a couple of touchdowns, and we fired the cannon four times, one each for the touchdown and extra point. The…[Read more]

Agreed with BGU

I don’t believe a successful Utah strategy works with Huntley running the ball ten or even eight times a game, particularly if Moss is as good as advertised, and the offense is even average. Five or six times to take advantage of a gap, and to keep the defense honest. But consistently more than ten QB runs, will indicate a QB…[Read more]

Agreed – Similar teams in many respects, both relying on defense, theirs smallish and fast, the Utes big and getting faster. It looked like the Utes had turned the corner, until the debacle at home last year.

2011 L 35-14
2012 L 37-7
2013 L 20-19
2014 L 19-16 OT
2015 W 34-18
2016 W 49-26 (Great game in their stadium)
2017 L 30-10 (Worst…[Read more]

If BYU wins only five or six games, I expect BYU will let Sitake go, and he will be taking a year off, before landing as an assistant, somewhere else. Utah’s defense maybe just that good, and a defensive coach or two may take promotions elsewhere. Who knows, maybe Kalani comes back to Utah. Does anybody else think that Anderson and Sitake my be…[Read more]