Pac-12: Kyle Whittingham
UCLA and USC are uncomfortably intertwined more than just about any other college football rivalry. They share a city, not just a state. Many of the players know each other, having played together or against each other during their high school careers in Southern California. Many of them cross paths on a regular basis around town.
More often than not, they exchange a fist bump and leave the posturing stares to overzealous fans. And they do chat. So, yes, it's likely that during the four days since USC fired Lane Kiffin, the topic has come up and there's been a degree of Bruins curiosity.
Or not.
While UCLA second-year coach Jim Mora has repeatedly expressed sympathy for Kiffin's plight, he also denies that his players give a flip about the goings-on across town.
"We don't worry about that stuff," Mora said. "We don't talk about it. We don't think about it. It's not in our orbit. That's another team. We worry about our team. Our players worry about our team. They couldn't care less what's going on over there. It doesn't matter to us. It's not going to affect us. We don't play them until late November. It doesn't matter to us. It's a non-factor."
Mora has a point, too. Any focus on USC distracts from the present purpose: His team pays a visit to Utah on Thursday as the No. 12 Bruins open their Pac-12 schedule with a South Division showdown.
It's an interesting matchup with more than a few notable connections.
Start with UCLA’s win in last year’s meeting, with the Bruins bouncing back from a blowout loss to woeful California the week before. At the time, Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley, a redshirt freshman, was beginning to establish himself as a budding star. In the opposite huddle, true freshman quarterback Travis Wilson was making his first career start. Wilson would throw for more yards than Hundley -- 220 vs. 183 -- but was far less efficient. And Hundley just killed the Utes defense with his running, accounting for 68 yards on 15 carries.
Hundley's offensive coordinator is Noel Mazzone, who was hired by Mora because of the work he did with Brock Osweiler running an up-tempo, pass-happy spread offense at Arizona State.
This offseason, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham decided he wanted to adopt an up-tempo, pass-happy spread offense. So he hired Mazzone's former boss at Arizona State, Dennis Erickson, who is one of the fathers of the up-tempo, pass-happy spread offense.
Erickson has done wonders with the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Wilson, whom Mora this week compared to the 6-foot-8, 240-pound Osweiler, who is now with the Denver Broncos.
UCLA's offense, very good last year, is putting up ridiculous numbers this season with Hundley in his second year as a starter. It ranks second in the nation in total offense (614 yards per game) and third in scoring (52.7 points per game). Balance? The Bruins are 13th in the nation in rushing (284.3 ypg) and 12th in passing (330 ypg). Efficiency? UCLA leads the nation with an eye-popping 68 percent conversion rate on third down.
Said Whittingham: "They are doing everything right on offense."
Yet perhaps no offense in the nation is as improved as Utah's. Last year, the Utes averaged 324 yards and 26.7 points per game. This year, they are averaging 505 yards and 42 points per game. Utah passed for a conference-worst 190.7 yards per game in 2012. This year it's 286 yards per game. The Utes had 16 touchdown passes all of last season. They have nine through four games this fall.
"Dennis has his handprints all over that," Mora said.
Obviously, the linchpin has been Wilson, whom Whittingham admits has thus far exceeded expectations. Wilson simply is a different player than he was as a true freshman trying to negotiate a Pac-12 schedule.
"I think there are quite a few differences," Whittingham said. "No. 1, his confidence level, his poise level, his command of the offense. He's playing very confidently right now. He's really progressed and matured a lot faster than any of us thought he would. His numbers and Hundley's numbers are almost the exact same."
That is, perhaps surprisingly, true. Wilson is third in the Pac-12 and 15th in the nation in passing efficiency, while Hundley is fourth and 16th. Hundley ranks 11th in ESPN's Total QBR while Wilson is 16th. Hundley is averaging 282.7 yards passing per game with eight TDs and three interceptions, while Wilson is averaging 279.5 yards per game with nine TDs and three picks.
Wilson has rushed for 257 yards. Hundley 157.
"That will be an intriguing matchup, to see how the quarterbacks match up against each other," said Whittingham, making an accurate statement that no one would have said in August.
When you add up all these sparkling numbers, you figure this game won't end up 21-14, with the teams combining for less than 700 yards of offense.
Of course, the defenses will have their say, too. The Bruins have a clear advantage there, yielding 18 points per game compared to 24.2 for the Utes, but it's difficult to truly measure things based on the nonconference schedule.
As always, turnovers will be a key, something that typically starts with quarterback play. But also pay attention to third down. As previously noted, the Bruins are great at converting them on offense, but they also are pretty salty thwarting them on defense (26.7 percent). The Utes convert just 35 percent of their third downs and are at 36.6 percent on third-down defense.
For UCLA, this is the first step toward winning the South Division. Utah, on the other hand, is trying to gain traction in year three in the conference. The previous two years, the Utes started Pac-12 play at a dismal 0-4. Beating the Bruins not only would prevent them from heading toward that early-opher direction again, it would make a strong statement.
As in: The Utes now have a Pac-12 QB, so now they are ready to advance in the conference pecking order.
More often than not, they exchange a fist bump and leave the posturing stares to overzealous fans. And they do chat. So, yes, it's likely that during the four days since USC fired Lane Kiffin, the topic has come up and there's been a degree of Bruins curiosity.
[+] Enlarge
Bruce Thorson/USA TODAY SportsBrett Hundley has accounted for 10 touchdowns this season for UCLA.
While UCLA second-year coach Jim Mora has repeatedly expressed sympathy for Kiffin's plight, he also denies that his players give a flip about the goings-on across town.
"We don't worry about that stuff," Mora said. "We don't talk about it. We don't think about it. It's not in our orbit. That's another team. We worry about our team. Our players worry about our team. They couldn't care less what's going on over there. It doesn't matter to us. It's not going to affect us. We don't play them until late November. It doesn't matter to us. It's a non-factor."
Mora has a point, too. Any focus on USC distracts from the present purpose: His team pays a visit to Utah on Thursday as the No. 12 Bruins open their Pac-12 schedule with a South Division showdown.
It's an interesting matchup with more than a few notable connections.
Start with UCLA’s win in last year’s meeting, with the Bruins bouncing back from a blowout loss to woeful California the week before. At the time, Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley, a redshirt freshman, was beginning to establish himself as a budding star. In the opposite huddle, true freshman quarterback Travis Wilson was making his first career start. Wilson would throw for more yards than Hundley -- 220 vs. 183 -- but was far less efficient. And Hundley just killed the Utes defense with his running, accounting for 68 yards on 15 carries.
Hundley's offensive coordinator is Noel Mazzone, who was hired by Mora because of the work he did with Brock Osweiler running an up-tempo, pass-happy spread offense at Arizona State.
This offseason, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham decided he wanted to adopt an up-tempo, pass-happy spread offense. So he hired Mazzone's former boss at Arizona State, Dennis Erickson, who is one of the fathers of the up-tempo, pass-happy spread offense.
Erickson has done wonders with the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Wilson, whom Mora this week compared to the 6-foot-8, 240-pound Osweiler, who is now with the Denver Broncos.
UCLA's offense, very good last year, is putting up ridiculous numbers this season with Hundley in his second year as a starter. It ranks second in the nation in total offense (614 yards per game) and third in scoring (52.7 points per game). Balance? The Bruins are 13th in the nation in rushing (284.3 ypg) and 12th in passing (330 ypg). Efficiency? UCLA leads the nation with an eye-popping 68 percent conversion rate on third down.
Said Whittingham: "They are doing everything right on offense."
Yet perhaps no offense in the nation is as improved as Utah's. Last year, the Utes averaged 324 yards and 26.7 points per game. This year, they are averaging 505 yards and 42 points per game. Utah passed for a conference-worst 190.7 yards per game in 2012. This year it's 286 yards per game. The Utes had 16 touchdown passes all of last season. They have nine through four games this fall.
"Dennis has his handprints all over that," Mora said.
Obviously, the linchpin has been Wilson, whom Whittingham admits has thus far exceeded expectations. Wilson simply is a different player than he was as a true freshman trying to negotiate a Pac-12 schedule.
"I think there are quite a few differences," Whittingham said. "No. 1, his confidence level, his poise level, his command of the offense. He's playing very confidently right now. He's really progressed and matured a lot faster than any of us thought he would. His numbers and Hundley's numbers are almost the exact same."
[+] Enlarge
Chris Nicoll/USA TODAY SportsUtah QB Travis Wilson has seen improvement this season working with Dennis Erickson.
Wilson has rushed for 257 yards. Hundley 157.
"That will be an intriguing matchup, to see how the quarterbacks match up against each other," said Whittingham, making an accurate statement that no one would have said in August.
When you add up all these sparkling numbers, you figure this game won't end up 21-14, with the teams combining for less than 700 yards of offense.
Of course, the defenses will have their say, too. The Bruins have a clear advantage there, yielding 18 points per game compared to 24.2 for the Utes, but it's difficult to truly measure things based on the nonconference schedule.
As always, turnovers will be a key, something that typically starts with quarterback play. But also pay attention to third down. As previously noted, the Bruins are great at converting them on offense, but they also are pretty salty thwarting them on defense (26.7 percent). The Utes convert just 35 percent of their third downs and are at 36.6 percent on third-down defense.
For UCLA, this is the first step toward winning the South Division. Utah, on the other hand, is trying to gain traction in year three in the conference. The previous two years, the Utes started Pac-12 play at a dismal 0-4. Beating the Bruins not only would prevent them from heading toward that early-opher direction again, it would make a strong statement.
As in: The Utes now have a Pac-12 QB, so now they are ready to advance in the conference pecking order.
Tuesday mailbag: Beavs back in the top 25?
October, 1, 2013
Oct 1
11:00
AM ET
By
Kevin Gemmell | ESPN.com
This week’s mailbag is just like last week’s. Only better!
Pete in Austin, Texas writes: Do you see any way the Beavers could get into the top 25 before they play Stanford?
Kevin Gemmell: The Beavers are slowly starting to rebuild their brand. But losing to an FCS team is a stigma that isn’t easily washed away. Stuff like that sticks with voters, and many will continue to punish the Beavers in the rankings long after it’s probably warranted. A slow start against Hawaii and a miracle win over San Diego State didn’t help the cause.
Let me ask you, Pete, even if Oregon State is 6-1 when the Stanford game rolls around, do you think they’d be worthy of a top 25 spot based on their six wins? Because I’m not sure that I do.
Oregon State’s first seven games were already seen as games they should win -- so dropping one of them is a dent in their perception. Dropping one to an FCS team (an FCS team that is now 2-2, by the way, following back-to-back road losses at Toledo and at Sam Houston State) is a gash in the side of the hull.
I give a ton of credit to Mike Riley for holding this thing together amid all of the defensive injuries. He’s got Sean Mannion playing like a first-round draft pick and he’s convinced his team that the Week 1 snafu was more aberration than actuality.
But top 25? They may pick up a few votes at 6-1, but I don’t see enough to get them back in the rankings. Beat Stanford, and then we’ll talk.
Richard in Fort Hood, Texas writes: Marion Grice of ASU seems to get no national attention why is that? He leads the nation in total touchdowns rushing/receiving combined. He had 4 against Stanford and 4 against USC. Is he the most underrated player in the conference? Also DJ Foster also seems to be lost in the conversation around the PAC12 but he’s just as deadly.
Gemmell: I wouldn’t say Grice is underrated in the conference. People in these parts know who he is and what he’s capable of.
Nationally? That’s a different story. It’s a bit like how folks treated De'Anthony Thomas the last couple of years. Is he a running back? Is he a receiver?
Yes.
Grice is a hybrid. A hybrid that has an outstanding nose for the end zone. But he only averages 3.9 yards per rush. And he only has 256 yards. But then again, he’s also got eight rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns.
If “hybrid” was a defined role, I think we’d hear a lot more about Grice nationally. But when you look at the top running backs, does he fit? Maybe, but he doesn’t have the same measurables as some of the other backs in the league. Same for receiving numbers. His lack of national hype is a product of the system Arizona State runs and the role he plays within that system.
Some national recognition would be nice. But the folks in the Pac-12 know what they are up against when going against Grice. And league-wide respect goes a lot further than glancing national recognition.
Clemson fans everywhere write: Idiot, dummy, grumble, gumble, fool, nitwit, nincompoop – how could you rank Georgia ahead of Clemson -- grumble, grumble. Ted Miller is a genius. Grumble, grumble, pinhead, ninny, imbecile, dork.
Gemmell: I threw in nincompoop on my own, but that’s the gist of multiple notes.
Everyone has their own system of ranking. Personally, I don’t give as much weight to Week 1 games as some others might (the exception being losses to FCS teams, see above). Teams have had extra time to prepare for that game and it’s not always the strongest measuring stick. Just to localize it a little bit from a Pac-12 perspective, Washington’s Week 1 win over Boise State isn’t quite as signature today as it was three weeks ago now that Broncos are 3-2. (Oh yeah, for everyone who ripped me for not having Boise in my Week 1 top 25, all I'm hearing are crickets …).
I remember last year when I took heat for being one of the first to put Clemson back in the top 10 and not punishing them as much for the Florida State loss as some others did. Where were you guys then? Huh!? Huh!?
To me, Clemson’s three-point win at home in the season opener doesn’t carry as much weight as what Georgia has done since then. It lost to Clemson, a top 10 team, on the road and I rightfully dropped the Bulldogs (I think 10 spots). But since then Georgia has beaten two top 10 teams in South Carolina and LSU. It's 3-1 with three of four games against top 10 teams. That’s bought them enough credibility, for now, to overtake Clemson, which has done nothing but paste South Carolina State and Wake Forest and dispose of a so-so NC State team.
Right now, in my mind, Georgia has the more impressive resume. But that doesn't mean things will stay the same a month from now. If Clemson is still undefeated after its two week stretch against Florida State and Maryland, it will have an argument for moving up. Especially because Georgia’s schedule ramps down with Tennessee, Missouri and Vanderbilt -- all games Georgia should win. If all things are equal on Halloween -- an undefeated Clemson team and a one-loss Georgia team -- that would mean Clemson has added two top 25 wins and is still undefeated. And then you’ll see them -- at least on my ballot -- ahead of Georgia.
Brett in Price, Utah writes: I came across this article from 2010 written by Pat Forde. As a Utah fan, it is a shame to see USC fall this far. Although, I am not sure what exactly they were thinking with when they hired Kiffin. Another interesting fact, Kyle Whittingham is the only coach to have survived the PAC 12 South since its inception. No real questions, just observations. Thanks for the blog! I love reading it. Go Utes!!
Gemmell: Thanks Brett. I recall reading that piece too with great interest. I was still at the San Diego paper at the time, but had made a few trips up to UCLA and USC for some offseason features, etc. And I remember thinking Pat was either going to eat a lot of crow in a few years or look pretty darn smart. Right now, he’s looking pretty darn smart.
Good observation on Whittingham. Crazy to think that we’re only in the third season of “Pac-12” and there are no holdover coaches from that division from the Pac-10 days. Coaching continuity is huge. And I think Utah has already made significant strides this season. In another couple of years, they’ll be ready to make a push into the tier of South contenders.
Oscar in Irwindale, Calif. writes: Hey Kevin! I know it’s just rumors and the details are sketchy but what’s the deal with the whole leaving Lane Kiffin at the airport deal! I just hope it’s not true and USC has more class then that! Just saying.
Gemmell: Not true. His car was at the airport, per Chris Huston at Heismanpundit.com I know Chris. I consider him a friend and I trust his reporting.
Right now it's open-season schadenfreude for anyone and everyone that Kiffin directly or indirectly offended, tweaked and irked. And they aren’t shy about coming out of the woodwork to make an already uncomfortable situation look even worse.
As for the timing? Meh. Makes no difference in my mind if it was at 3 a.m. or 7 a.m. Gone is gone.
Brady in Seattle writes: Admit it Kevin. You've been hoping for a long time for Kiffin to get fired just so you could refer to it as "Operation changing Lanes". Well played, my friend. Kudos.
Gemmell: Thanks Brady. It’s funny you brought that up. My wife -- a high school English teacher and the hardest editor I’ve ever had -- sent me an email Monday morning indicating that since I used “Lanes,” plural, that would indicate that another person named Lane would have to be the new coach.
It’s a fair criticism from my significantly better half. The only Lane I could come up with was Lane Meyer? (I want my $2).
Pete in Austin, Texas writes: Do you see any way the Beavers could get into the top 25 before they play Stanford?
[+] Enlarge
Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesMike Riley and Oregon State still have some work to do before they can think about entering the top 25.
Let me ask you, Pete, even if Oregon State is 6-1 when the Stanford game rolls around, do you think they’d be worthy of a top 25 spot based on their six wins? Because I’m not sure that I do.
Oregon State’s first seven games were already seen as games they should win -- so dropping one of them is a dent in their perception. Dropping one to an FCS team (an FCS team that is now 2-2, by the way, following back-to-back road losses at Toledo and at Sam Houston State) is a gash in the side of the hull.
I give a ton of credit to Mike Riley for holding this thing together amid all of the defensive injuries. He’s got Sean Mannion playing like a first-round draft pick and he’s convinced his team that the Week 1 snafu was more aberration than actuality.
But top 25? They may pick up a few votes at 6-1, but I don’t see enough to get them back in the rankings. Beat Stanford, and then we’ll talk.
Richard in Fort Hood, Texas writes: Marion Grice of ASU seems to get no national attention why is that? He leads the nation in total touchdowns rushing/receiving combined. He had 4 against Stanford and 4 against USC. Is he the most underrated player in the conference? Also DJ Foster also seems to be lost in the conversation around the PAC12 but he’s just as deadly.
Gemmell: I wouldn’t say Grice is underrated in the conference. People in these parts know who he is and what he’s capable of.
Nationally? That’s a different story. It’s a bit like how folks treated De'Anthony Thomas the last couple of years. Is he a running back? Is he a receiver?
Yes.
Grice is a hybrid. A hybrid that has an outstanding nose for the end zone. But he only averages 3.9 yards per rush. And he only has 256 yards. But then again, he’s also got eight rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns.
If “hybrid” was a defined role, I think we’d hear a lot more about Grice nationally. But when you look at the top running backs, does he fit? Maybe, but he doesn’t have the same measurables as some of the other backs in the league. Same for receiving numbers. His lack of national hype is a product of the system Arizona State runs and the role he plays within that system.
Some national recognition would be nice. But the folks in the Pac-12 know what they are up against when going against Grice. And league-wide respect goes a lot further than glancing national recognition.
Clemson fans everywhere write: Idiot, dummy, grumble, gumble, fool, nitwit, nincompoop – how could you rank Georgia ahead of Clemson -- grumble, grumble. Ted Miller is a genius. Grumble, grumble, pinhead, ninny, imbecile, dork.
Gemmell: I threw in nincompoop on my own, but that’s the gist of multiple notes.
Everyone has their own system of ranking. Personally, I don’t give as much weight to Week 1 games as some others might (the exception being losses to FCS teams, see above). Teams have had extra time to prepare for that game and it’s not always the strongest measuring stick. Just to localize it a little bit from a Pac-12 perspective, Washington’s Week 1 win over Boise State isn’t quite as signature today as it was three weeks ago now that Broncos are 3-2. (Oh yeah, for everyone who ripped me for not having Boise in my Week 1 top 25, all I'm hearing are crickets …).
I remember last year when I took heat for being one of the first to put Clemson back in the top 10 and not punishing them as much for the Florida State loss as some others did. Where were you guys then? Huh!? Huh!?
To me, Clemson’s three-point win at home in the season opener doesn’t carry as much weight as what Georgia has done since then. It lost to Clemson, a top 10 team, on the road and I rightfully dropped the Bulldogs (I think 10 spots). But since then Georgia has beaten two top 10 teams in South Carolina and LSU. It's 3-1 with three of four games against top 10 teams. That’s bought them enough credibility, for now, to overtake Clemson, which has done nothing but paste South Carolina State and Wake Forest and dispose of a so-so NC State team.
Right now, in my mind, Georgia has the more impressive resume. But that doesn't mean things will stay the same a month from now. If Clemson is still undefeated after its two week stretch against Florida State and Maryland, it will have an argument for moving up. Especially because Georgia’s schedule ramps down with Tennessee, Missouri and Vanderbilt -- all games Georgia should win. If all things are equal on Halloween -- an undefeated Clemson team and a one-loss Georgia team -- that would mean Clemson has added two top 25 wins and is still undefeated. And then you’ll see them -- at least on my ballot -- ahead of Georgia.
Brett in Price, Utah writes: I came across this article from 2010 written by Pat Forde. As a Utah fan, it is a shame to see USC fall this far. Although, I am not sure what exactly they were thinking with when they hired Kiffin. Another interesting fact, Kyle Whittingham is the only coach to have survived the PAC 12 South since its inception. No real questions, just observations. Thanks for the blog! I love reading it. Go Utes!!
Gemmell: Thanks Brett. I recall reading that piece too with great interest. I was still at the San Diego paper at the time, but had made a few trips up to UCLA and USC for some offseason features, etc. And I remember thinking Pat was either going to eat a lot of crow in a few years or look pretty darn smart. Right now, he’s looking pretty darn smart.
Good observation on Whittingham. Crazy to think that we’re only in the third season of “Pac-12” and there are no holdover coaches from that division from the Pac-10 days. Coaching continuity is huge. And I think Utah has already made significant strides this season. In another couple of years, they’ll be ready to make a push into the tier of South contenders.
Oscar in Irwindale, Calif. writes: Hey Kevin! I know it’s just rumors and the details are sketchy but what’s the deal with the whole leaving Lane Kiffin at the airport deal! I just hope it’s not true and USC has more class then that! Just saying.
Gemmell: Not true. His car was at the airport, per Chris Huston at Heismanpundit.com I know Chris. I consider him a friend and I trust his reporting.
Right now it's open-season schadenfreude for anyone and everyone that Kiffin directly or indirectly offended, tweaked and irked. And they aren’t shy about coming out of the woodwork to make an already uncomfortable situation look even worse.
As for the timing? Meh. Makes no difference in my mind if it was at 3 a.m. or 7 a.m. Gone is gone.
Brady in Seattle writes: Admit it Kevin. You've been hoping for a long time for Kiffin to get fired just so you could refer to it as "Operation changing Lanes". Well played, my friend. Kudos.
Gemmell: Thanks Brady. It’s funny you brought that up. My wife -- a high school English teacher and the hardest editor I’ve ever had -- sent me an email Monday morning indicating that since I used “Lanes,” plural, that would indicate that another person named Lane would have to be the new coach.
It’s a fair criticism from my significantly better half. The only Lane I could come up with was Lane Meyer? (I want my $2).
There was a time, when I was so broken hearted. Love wasn't much of a friend of mine;
The tables have turned, yeah. Cause me and them ways have parted;
That kind of love was the killin' kind.
The tables have turned, yeah. Cause me and them ways have parted;
That kind of love was the killin' kind.
- Two of the Pac-12's best running backs, Ka'Deem Carey and Bishop Sankey, will square off in Seattle.
- ASU is waiting for Will Sutton to break out.
- A first look at Cal-Oregon.
- Colorado is still looking for a makeup game.
- Oregon's secondary is a tight group.
- Oregon State is making a move at middle linebacker.
- The Colts-49ers game was silly with Stanford alumni.
- One of UCLA's freshman offensive linemen has decided to transfer.
- USC getting ready for a hostile environment in Tempe.
- Here's the transcript from Kyle Whittingham's Monday news conference.
- Washington has the dubious honor of being college football's most penalized team.
- A video roundup of Mike Leach and players at Monday's news conference.
- Per Athlon, some Pac-12 stats to consider after last week.
Rivalry will force Utes to bounce back
September, 19, 2013
Sep 19
7:00
PM ET
By
Kevin Gemmell | ESPN.com
Losses hurt. Overtime losses hurt more. But there’s a special, sinister place in the psyche reserved for overtime losses at home when you score 48 points. Losses like that can suck the life out of a team.
That is, of course, unless you’re playing your biggest rival one week later.
“You certainly have no problem getting your players up for this game,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, whose Utes take on BYU Saturday. “It’s an in-state rivalry and the emotion and the passion and all of that take care of itself in this one. It’s good timing to get refocused and ready to play again.”
The Utes are coming off of a 51-48 overtime loss to Oregon State, a game in which they trailed by as many as 17 points in the third quarter before clawing back to take the lead with 4:25 to play and then tying it up with :21 seconds left before falling in extra frames. BYU is coming off a bye.
The added intrigue to this season’s edition of the rivalry is that the game will go on a two-year break. That means two extra years for the winners to puff up their chests. Two extra years for the losers to marinate. Two extra years for fans to trump any debate with: “Who won the last one?”
Certainly, that has to make this game more significant than any of the previous ones, right?
“Not at all,” Whittingham said. “In my opinion, it doesn’t put any more emphasis on the game. There happens to be a two-year break in between, but I don’t think it’s any more important to them than last year or the year before or the year before.”
The last one ended in chaos. The one before that was a Utah blowout and the one before that came down to a blocked field goal. The Utes have won three straight in the series and four of the past five.
Given how two of the past three matchups have gone, Whittingham said be prepared for anything.
“It seems like last year might have been more bizarre than it's been in a few years, but it seems like almost every year it comes down to the last play or the last series of plays, and I guess that's one of the reasons that it's made it a good rivalry,” Whittingham said. “I don't have an explanation for it other than it's very competitive, and both teams seem to play well in the game and it comes right down to the bitter end.”
So while the Utes have little time to lick their wounds from the Oregon State loss, BYU took some time off to fully soak in their 40-21 win over then-No. 15 Texas. But just as Utah isn't lingering much on its overtime loss, BYU isn't resting on the laurels of its Texas victory.
“We’ve shifted, and it’s done,” said BYU quarterback Taysom Hill. “Texas was a great win, and we have a lot of good things to build off but we have a lot of things that we need to fix. Everyone on the team has shifted their focus to Utah; there’s nothing to hang our hat on. We had a good game and we’re going to build off that, but our focus is now Utah.”
With last week’s loss, the Utes are now 7-12 in Pac-12 play since joining the conference. Far below the standards Whittingham expects. But he believes the team is making progress. And given the nine-game conference schedule Utah plays, winning non-league games takes on greater importance for a team hoping to return to the postseason.
“We feel like we’re a much better football team right now than we have been the last couple of years,” he said. “The league itself is a lot better than it was a couple of years ago so I guess it’s a relevant statement.”
Part of Utah’s adjustment to the league has been trying to increase its depth. Winning against BYU not only carries universal pride, it also helps with the in-state recruiting -- though Whittingham admits there isn’t as much crossover recruiting as there used to be when both schools were in the Mountain West.
One of the biggest weapons to emerge for Utah are the legs of quarterback Travis Wilson. His 142 rushing yards last week were the second most by a quarterback in Utah history, and he accounted for 78 percent of Utah's total offensive output. A big game for him could mean a big game for the Utes.
"They certainly have to account for Travis running the ball," Whittingham said. "We actually missed a couple of reads -- if he reads a couple of other ones correctly, he's over 200 yards rushing. Even though we had a big night, it could have been even more prolific as far as his carrying the football. But that definitely poses problems for opposing defenses and coordinators. Travis, through three games, has proven that he's a very viable runner. So that's one more thing that they have to account for when they are scheming us. That is a big positive."
That is, of course, unless you’re playing your biggest rival one week later.
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Russ Isabella/USA TODAY SportsTravis Wilson and the Utes will visit rival BYU on Saturday night.
The Utes are coming off of a 51-48 overtime loss to Oregon State, a game in which they trailed by as many as 17 points in the third quarter before clawing back to take the lead with 4:25 to play and then tying it up with :21 seconds left before falling in extra frames. BYU is coming off a bye.
The added intrigue to this season’s edition of the rivalry is that the game will go on a two-year break. That means two extra years for the winners to puff up their chests. Two extra years for the losers to marinate. Two extra years for fans to trump any debate with: “Who won the last one?”
Certainly, that has to make this game more significant than any of the previous ones, right?
“Not at all,” Whittingham said. “In my opinion, it doesn’t put any more emphasis on the game. There happens to be a two-year break in between, but I don’t think it’s any more important to them than last year or the year before or the year before.”
The last one ended in chaos. The one before that was a Utah blowout and the one before that came down to a blocked field goal. The Utes have won three straight in the series and four of the past five.
Given how two of the past three matchups have gone, Whittingham said be prepared for anything.
“It seems like last year might have been more bizarre than it's been in a few years, but it seems like almost every year it comes down to the last play or the last series of plays, and I guess that's one of the reasons that it's made it a good rivalry,” Whittingham said. “I don't have an explanation for it other than it's very competitive, and both teams seem to play well in the game and it comes right down to the bitter end.”
So while the Utes have little time to lick their wounds from the Oregon State loss, BYU took some time off to fully soak in their 40-21 win over then-No. 15 Texas. But just as Utah isn't lingering much on its overtime loss, BYU isn't resting on the laurels of its Texas victory.
“We’ve shifted, and it’s done,” said BYU quarterback Taysom Hill. “Texas was a great win, and we have a lot of good things to build off but we have a lot of things that we need to fix. Everyone on the team has shifted their focus to Utah; there’s nothing to hang our hat on. We had a good game and we’re going to build off that, but our focus is now Utah.”
With last week’s loss, the Utes are now 7-12 in Pac-12 play since joining the conference. Far below the standards Whittingham expects. But he believes the team is making progress. And given the nine-game conference schedule Utah plays, winning non-league games takes on greater importance for a team hoping to return to the postseason.
“We feel like we’re a much better football team right now than we have been the last couple of years,” he said. “The league itself is a lot better than it was a couple of years ago so I guess it’s a relevant statement.”
Part of Utah’s adjustment to the league has been trying to increase its depth. Winning against BYU not only carries universal pride, it also helps with the in-state recruiting -- though Whittingham admits there isn’t as much crossover recruiting as there used to be when both schools were in the Mountain West.
One of the biggest weapons to emerge for Utah are the legs of quarterback Travis Wilson. His 142 rushing yards last week were the second most by a quarterback in Utah history, and he accounted for 78 percent of Utah's total offensive output. A big game for him could mean a big game for the Utes.
"They certainly have to account for Travis running the ball," Whittingham said. "We actually missed a couple of reads -- if he reads a couple of other ones correctly, he's over 200 yards rushing. Even though we had a big night, it could have been even more prolific as far as his carrying the football. But that definitely poses problems for opposing defenses and coordinators. Travis, through three games, has proven that he's a very viable runner. So that's one more thing that they have to account for when they are scheming us. That is a big positive."
What to watch in the Pac-12: Week 4
September, 19, 2013
Sep 19
10:15
AM ET
By
Kevin Gemmell | ESPN.com
A few storylines to keep an eye on in the Pac-12 this week.
- Keep it rolling: The Pac-12 is 23-4 in its nonconference games this year and 16-3 against FBS competition. It’s also 8-0 against Mountain West teams. USC and Oregon State can extend that streak with matchups against Utah State and San Diego State. Washington State also renews its border war with Idaho for the first time since 2007 -- a series the Cougs have owned 70-17-3.
- Air it out: Eight Pac-12 quarterbacks rank among the top 16 in total offense, headlined by Cal’s Jared Goff (429.7 ypg). Through three weeks, three Pac-12 quarterbacks (Goff, Marcus Mariota and Sean Mannion) have combined to throw for 440-plus yards four times. Only two other seasons in Pac-12 history have seen league quarterbacks throw for 440 or more yards more than four times -- 1998 (six times) and 2002 (five times).
- Speed it up: Pac-12 offenses are scoring, and scoring fast. There have been 195 scoring drives, and so far 83 have taken less than two minutes. As you’d expect, Oregon tops the list with 23 of its 28 scoring drives taking less than two minutes. Utah is next on the list with nine.
- Heisman moments? Mariota, who sits atop the ESPN.com Heisman poll, is off this week. But Brett Hundley has a chance to bolster his numbers against a New Mexico State team that is allowing nearly 50 points per game. Look for Mannion to continue rolling against a San Diego State team that is yielding 41 points per game. Same for Washington running back Bishop Sankey against an FCS Idaho State squad.
- The headliner: For the first time this year, we have two ranked Pac-12 teams squaring off with No. 23 ASU’s trip to No. 5 Stanford. The focus is, and should be, on the lines. Stanford wants to do what Stanford does -- pound at ASU’s interior defense. The Sun Devils were pretty good defending at Wisconsin's inside rushing attack but were caught off guard by sweeps. Will be interesting to see if Stanford goes after the edges the way Wisconsin did.
- Sankey rolling: Sankey now has rushed for at least 100 yards in six of his past seven games -- including a career-high 208 yards in the win last week over Illinois. Through three weeks and two games, he’s the national leader in average yards per game with 184.5. Dating back to last year, he has rushed for 1,142 yards in his last seven games.
- Take a breather: Four byes this week, with Arizona, Cal, Colorado and Oregon all getting the week off. Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre, whose team had an unscheduled bye last week, said his team is back to practicing after several players were displaced by flooding.
- Running like a Mad(den) man: Only six players have started the season with three consecutive 100-yard rushing games. We don't want to assume, but Sankey probably will have his third straight this week. For now, USC’s Tre Madden is the only Pac-12 player among those six (Paul James, Rutgers; Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin; Mark Weisman (FB), Iowa; Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, Arkansas). Per our friends at ESPN Stats & Information, USC is running the ball on 62 percent of its plays this year, up 18 percent from last year. Of those six mentioned, Madden is the only one who has faced three FBS opponents. He leads the Pac-12 with 149 yards after contact.
- Mobile Hogan, mobile Kelly: Also from Stats & Info: Kevin Hogan and Taylor Kelly are the only Pac-12 quarterbacks who have attempted at least 20 percent of their passes outside the pocket over the last two seasons. Kelly leads all AQ quarterbacks with 115 passes attempted from outside of the pocket. When out of the pocket, Hogan has completed 76 percent of his passes, including 20-of-24 passes on designed rollouts. In comparison, Kelly has completed a lower percentage of his passes thrown outside the pocket, but his average throw travels 10 yards, 4.5 yards longer than Hogan.
- Goodbye for now, Holy War: The Utah-BYU rivalry will go on break for a couple of years after Saturday. Kyle Whittingham insists that doesn’t mean anything. I’m guessing having two extra years of bragging rights, however, means plenty to the fans. Utah has won four of the past five and holds a 56-34-4 edge in the series, which dates back to 1896. Though BYU doesn’t recognize six games, split 3-3, from when it was Brigham Young Academy. But since this is the Pac-12 blog, we’ll recognize it, cause we’re cool like that. And Utah SID Liz Abel is awesome at her job for bringing that nugget to our attention. Utah quarterback Travis Wilson is coming off of a 142-yard rushing performance -- the second most ever by a Utah quarterback and the most since 1979. Should this one be a nail-biter, it's worth noting that both kickers -- Utah's Andy Phillips and BYU's Justin Sorensen -- are 5-for-5 on field goals this season. Neither has missed a PAT.
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Bruce Thorson/USA TODAY SportsUCLA QB Brett Hundley was impressive against Nebraska and should be even more so this week.
The Utah Utes are 2-0 and playing confident football behind their quarterback, Travis Wilson. Through two games, he's completed 31 of 47 passes for 566 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He took some time to chat with the Pac-12 blog before his team kicks off league plays Saturday against Oregon State.
How much fun are you having right now? It looked like you had a huge smile on your face all day Saturday.
Travis Wilson: I’m having a lot of fun. I think this season has started great and it’s shaping up to be a really good season. I’m having a blast right now.
Utah is a team that’s struggled with quarterback consistency over the last couple of years. A lot of that had to do with injuries. Is it weird that you’re being referred to as a savior for this offense?
TW: It’s not too weird. I just want to make sure that I stay healthy. We’ve had some struggles there in the past. I just want to make sure I keep up my end of the bargain and that I'm playing my best every day and in every game.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned from last year to this year?
TW: I think just not playing nervous. I think that was something I struggled with last year. I was pretty nervous coming into games. This year I’m playing a lot more confident and I'm playing with a lot more motivation.
Is there anything you are doing different to calm those nerves? Or is it just the fact that you have more experience?
TW: I think it’s that I have more experience and I’m going into every game knowing I need to have fun while playing this game and making sure I’m not taking things too seriously.
What was Kyle Whittingham's message to you guys during the offseason?
TW: Just to make sure we keep our heads up and make sure we play as a team. Make sure we’re accountable to each other and make sure that we get our work done.
What has the addition of Dennis Erickson meant for you guys on offense?
TW: It’s been really great. He’s been a great coach and helped us out a lot. I'm looking forward to him being here for a long time.
As a quarterback, what’s better: Running for a touchdown or passing for a touchdown?
TW: They both definitely have their plus side. Both are fun. But I think passing. I’d rather see one of my wide receivers catch a touchdown pass than me running it in, so I’d prefer that.
Speaking of wide receivers, you lose Kenneth Scott for the season in the first game. How have you seen some of the other receivers respond?
TW: They’ve really stepped up a lot. Sean Fitzgerald and Anthony Denham have really stepped it up and filled that role. I’m really excited to have them out there. I know Kenneth would be proud of them too.
Fill in the blank: The biggest difference between Travis Wilson last year and this year is …?
TW: I would definitely say confidence. I have a lot more confidence this year. I have more motivation and I have a great team that I’m playing for.
How much fun are you having right now? It looked like you had a huge smile on your face all day Saturday.
Travis Wilson: I’m having a lot of fun. I think this season has started great and it’s shaping up to be a really good season. I’m having a blast right now.
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AP Photo/David ZalubowskiUtah QB Travis Wilson, who has thrown five TDs and run for two more this season, says throwing them beats running them in.
TW: It’s not too weird. I just want to make sure that I stay healthy. We’ve had some struggles there in the past. I just want to make sure I keep up my end of the bargain and that I'm playing my best every day and in every game.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned from last year to this year?
TW: I think just not playing nervous. I think that was something I struggled with last year. I was pretty nervous coming into games. This year I’m playing a lot more confident and I'm playing with a lot more motivation.
Is there anything you are doing different to calm those nerves? Or is it just the fact that you have more experience?
TW: I think it’s that I have more experience and I’m going into every game knowing I need to have fun while playing this game and making sure I’m not taking things too seriously.
What was Kyle Whittingham's message to you guys during the offseason?
TW: Just to make sure we keep our heads up and make sure we play as a team. Make sure we’re accountable to each other and make sure that we get our work done.
What has the addition of Dennis Erickson meant for you guys on offense?
TW: It’s been really great. He’s been a great coach and helped us out a lot. I'm looking forward to him being here for a long time.
As a quarterback, what’s better: Running for a touchdown or passing for a touchdown?
TW: They both definitely have their plus side. Both are fun. But I think passing. I’d rather see one of my wide receivers catch a touchdown pass than me running it in, so I’d prefer that.
Speaking of wide receivers, you lose Kenneth Scott for the season in the first game. How have you seen some of the other receivers respond?
TW: They’ve really stepped up a lot. Sean Fitzgerald and Anthony Denham have really stepped it up and filled that role. I’m really excited to have them out there. I know Kenneth would be proud of them too.
Fill in the blank: The biggest difference between Travis Wilson last year and this year is …?
TW: I would definitely say confidence. I have a lot more confidence this year. I have more motivation and I have a great team that I’m playing for.
When Oregon State and Utah open conference play Saturday, both teams will be looking for momentum.
For the Utes, who are 7-11 in Pac-12 games since joining the league two years ago, it could be a quality win against a North Division foe that started the season ranked.
For Oregon State, which saw its popularity in the rankings slip away in the wake of its Week 1 loss to Eastern Washington, this game could be the next step in restoring its image.
And while no coach ever wants to over- or under-play the importance of a single game -- both head coaches recognize that the outcome Saturday could influence the trajectory of the season for both squads.
“There’s no doubt that early momentum is a good thing,” said Oregon State coach Mike Riley. “As you reach a new threshold, depending where your team is, these games always loom bigger and bigger. We’ve been through some stuff already that has set us back; a loss to a team that we were supposedly supposed to beat and then with some injuries. We’ve already been through a bunch and to be able to overcome that and maybe win the opening conference game, there’s a lot to that.”
Three weeks ago, this one looked like just another step in Oregon State’s projected 7-0 start: “projected” being the operative word. Few saw the Week 1 loss coming for the Beavers while the Utes offense has been as explosive as its defense has been gritty.
Utah, which is 2-0 after a hard-fought win in Week 1 against Utah State and an easy-day victory over Weber State last week, knows it has to maximize a schedule that’s heavy on the home games early. Five of the Utes’ first six games are at Rice-Eccles -- and they don’t even need to leave the state for their one road trip, a trek about 45 minutes South to Provo and BYU. That sets the stage for four of their final six on the road.
“We know that the front half of the schedule is loaded with home games and we’re going to try to take advantage of that,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “When we got the schedule several months ago, that was very apparent. We have a lot of home games early and a lot of road games on the back end so we have to try to make the most of the home schedule we have early.”
Two of the league’s top passers will be on display with Utah’s Travis Wilson and OSU’s Sean Mannion. Through the first two weeks they rank second and third, respectively, among Pac-12 starters. Wilson has completed 31 of 47 balls for 566 yards with five touchdowns and no picks. Mannion has completed 68 of 86 passes for 794 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception.
While the Beavers might be a little down after their unexpected start -- the loss to Eastern Washington and the struggles against Hawaii -- Wilson says he has to be prepared for Oregon State’s best.
“You never know how they are going to play and react each game,” Wilson said. “We just have to make sure we’re prepared as well as we can be on our end.”
Riley has leaned heavily on his seniors and veteran players to guide the Beavers through what has been a trying first couple of weeks.
“I’ve been impressed by the fact that nobody blinks,” Riley said. “We have some good leadership on this team and some tremendous older guys and a stable group of coaches that are working to try to get a win. We’ve already been through quite a bit two games into the year. But I’ve been impressed with their reaction."
For the Utes, who are 7-11 in Pac-12 games since joining the league two years ago, it could be a quality win against a North Division foe that started the season ranked.
For Oregon State, which saw its popularity in the rankings slip away in the wake of its Week 1 loss to Eastern Washington, this game could be the next step in restoring its image.
And while no coach ever wants to over- or under-play the importance of a single game -- both head coaches recognize that the outcome Saturday could influence the trajectory of the season for both squads.
“There’s no doubt that early momentum is a good thing,” said Oregon State coach Mike Riley. “As you reach a new threshold, depending where your team is, these games always loom bigger and bigger. We’ve been through some stuff already that has set us back; a loss to a team that we were supposedly supposed to beat and then with some injuries. We’ve already been through a bunch and to be able to overcome that and maybe win the opening conference game, there’s a lot to that.”
Three weeks ago, this one looked like just another step in Oregon State’s projected 7-0 start: “projected” being the operative word. Few saw the Week 1 loss coming for the Beavers while the Utes offense has been as explosive as its defense has been gritty.
Utah, which is 2-0 after a hard-fought win in Week 1 against Utah State and an easy-day victory over Weber State last week, knows it has to maximize a schedule that’s heavy on the home games early. Five of the Utes’ first six games are at Rice-Eccles -- and they don’t even need to leave the state for their one road trip, a trek about 45 minutes South to Provo and BYU. That sets the stage for four of their final six on the road.
“We know that the front half of the schedule is loaded with home games and we’re going to try to take advantage of that,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “When we got the schedule several months ago, that was very apparent. We have a lot of home games early and a lot of road games on the back end so we have to try to make the most of the home schedule we have early.”
Two of the league’s top passers will be on display with Utah’s Travis Wilson and OSU’s Sean Mannion. Through the first two weeks they rank second and third, respectively, among Pac-12 starters. Wilson has completed 31 of 47 balls for 566 yards with five touchdowns and no picks. Mannion has completed 68 of 86 passes for 794 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception.
While the Beavers might be a little down after their unexpected start -- the loss to Eastern Washington and the struggles against Hawaii -- Wilson says he has to be prepared for Oregon State’s best.
“You never know how they are going to play and react each game,” Wilson said. “We just have to make sure we’re prepared as well as we can be on our end.”
Riley has leaned heavily on his seniors and veteran players to guide the Beavers through what has been a trying first couple of weeks.
“I’ve been impressed by the fact that nobody blinks,” Riley said. “We have some good leadership on this team and some tremendous older guys and a stable group of coaches that are working to try to get a win. We’ve already been through quite a bit two games into the year. But I’ve been impressed with their reaction."
This is a week for the Pac-12 to assert its swag, flex its considerable muscles and wake up Sunday morning feeling pretty darn good about itself.
After all, consider the Week 2 lineup: a quartet of FCS teams in Sacramento State, Portland State, Central Arkansas and Weber State. A Vegas team that’s been anything but lucky. A turnover-proned Hawaii team and a Mac-less San Jose State team. Oregon at Virginia? Puhleaseeee.
It’s like the CEOs of Hostess, Little Debbie and Sprinkles (uhhmmm, Sprinkles) had a meeting of the minds and planned out the Pac-12’s Week 2 schedule. The league has some very good nonconference games on the 2013 slate. Just not this week.
Yep, the Pac-12 should run the nonconference table, with USC and Washington State the only two teams playing a conference tilt. Every Pac-12 team is favored by at least 10 points in its nonconference game and six of the eight are favored by 20 points or more.
Just a walk in the park, Kazansky.
Then again …
Remember the bowl season of 2012? The Pac-12 was favored in seven of those eight games. The final record was an underwhelming 4-4. The league went 7-3 in Week 1. But most were expecting at least eight wins.
For all of the talk about the Pac-12 being one of the top two conferences in college football, and I believe it is, it's not immune to unexpected disappointments.
“Anybody can beat you, I can guarantee you that,” said ASU head coach Todd Graham, whose team opens the season Thursday night with FCS Sacramento State. “If you don’t play well and you have penalties and turn the football over, you can very easily get beat. And that’s what I think we saw happen on Saturday.”
Lest we forget, Sacramento State has a two-year winning streak against the Pac-12.
So who is on upset alert this week? Everyone. Yes, even you, Oregon, facing a Virginia team that knocked off BYU last week. Safety Anthony Harris was named the National Defensive Player of the Week. Win the day, indeed.
San Jose State has plenty of talent -- despite the departure of its coach -- who now heads up the undefeated Colorado Buffaloes (did anyone else just feel a chill down their spine?). But the new one, Ron Caragher, followed Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw at the University of San Diego and he brought in former Washington assistant Jimmie Dougherty to run his offense. Caragher was Pac-12 trained and SEC seasoned. He knows his stuff. And with David Fales, the FBS’s most accurate passer last season returning, the Spartans could be another top 25 team this year.
What about those pesky FBS schools, who take the money and run? Week 1 saw seven FCS teams pull off wins, including one in the Pac-12’s backyard. Oregon State’s loss, while disappointing in Corvallis, serves as a cautionary tale to the rest of the league.
“Oregon State and the [six] other games,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who faces an FCS team this week in Weber State. “We had a team meeting yesterday and put those scores and the game results up there and it caught their attention. We understand you can’t just show up. You have to play well and do what you do to win games. This week is no different. Hopefully we got that message through.”
The chances of an epic collapse, or even a tiny collapse, are minimal -- given the talent the Pac-12 will have on the field versus its opponents. But talent isn’t always enough.
“We’re honest with them about our evaluation of each opponent,” Graham said. “And we expect to go out and play the best game we can. You only get 12 opportunities to play two more. You better maximize and get better with every rep.
“We talk about how you should respect this game … you should respect your opponent. If you don’t you are going to get humbled.”
After all, consider the Week 2 lineup: a quartet of FCS teams in Sacramento State, Portland State, Central Arkansas and Weber State. A Vegas team that’s been anything but lucky. A turnover-proned Hawaii team and a Mac-less San Jose State team. Oregon at Virginia? Puhleaseeee.
It’s like the CEOs of Hostess, Little Debbie and Sprinkles (uhhmmm, Sprinkles) had a meeting of the minds and planned out the Pac-12’s Week 2 schedule. The league has some very good nonconference games on the 2013 slate. Just not this week.
Yep, the Pac-12 should run the nonconference table, with USC and Washington State the only two teams playing a conference tilt. Every Pac-12 team is favored by at least 10 points in its nonconference game and six of the eight are favored by 20 points or more.
Just a walk in the park, Kazansky.
Then again …
Remember the bowl season of 2012? The Pac-12 was favored in seven of those eight games. The final record was an underwhelming 4-4. The league went 7-3 in Week 1. But most were expecting at least eight wins.
For all of the talk about the Pac-12 being one of the top two conferences in college football, and I believe it is, it's not immune to unexpected disappointments.
“Anybody can beat you, I can guarantee you that,” said ASU head coach Todd Graham, whose team opens the season Thursday night with FCS Sacramento State. “If you don’t play well and you have penalties and turn the football over, you can very easily get beat. And that’s what I think we saw happen on Saturday.”
Lest we forget, Sacramento State has a two-year winning streak against the Pac-12.
So who is on upset alert this week? Everyone. Yes, even you, Oregon, facing a Virginia team that knocked off BYU last week. Safety Anthony Harris was named the National Defensive Player of the Week. Win the day, indeed.
San Jose State has plenty of talent -- despite the departure of its coach -- who now heads up the undefeated Colorado Buffaloes (did anyone else just feel a chill down their spine?). But the new one, Ron Caragher, followed Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw at the University of San Diego and he brought in former Washington assistant Jimmie Dougherty to run his offense. Caragher was Pac-12 trained and SEC seasoned. He knows his stuff. And with David Fales, the FBS’s most accurate passer last season returning, the Spartans could be another top 25 team this year.
What about those pesky FBS schools, who take the money and run? Week 1 saw seven FCS teams pull off wins, including one in the Pac-12’s backyard. Oregon State’s loss, while disappointing in Corvallis, serves as a cautionary tale to the rest of the league.
“Oregon State and the [six] other games,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who faces an FCS team this week in Weber State. “We had a team meeting yesterday and put those scores and the game results up there and it caught their attention. We understand you can’t just show up. You have to play well and do what you do to win games. This week is no different. Hopefully we got that message through.”
The chances of an epic collapse, or even a tiny collapse, are minimal -- given the talent the Pac-12 will have on the field versus its opponents. But talent isn’t always enough.
“We’re honest with them about our evaluation of each opponent,” Graham said. “And we expect to go out and play the best game we can. You only get 12 opportunities to play two more. You better maximize and get better with every rep.
“We talk about how you should respect this game … you should respect your opponent. If you don’t you are going to get humbled.”
There were some pretty big names on the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday night for Utah’s season opener against Utah State; Travis Wilson, Kelvin York, Chuckie Keeton, Jake Murphy and Trevor Reilly, to name a few.
But it was a redshirt freshman kicker who changed the entire complexion of the football game with a few swipes of his leg, helping Utah to a 30-26 win over Utah State and avenging last year’s overtime loss in Logan, Utah.
Andy Phillips nailed his first career field goal -- a 45-yarder late in the third quarter -- that ended seven consecutive scoreless drives for the Utes. Utah had jumped out to a 14-3 first-quarter lead, but was trailing 23-14 by the time Phillips stepped on the field. His kick made it 23-17 and gave the Utes a little bit of momentum.
That little momentum turned into a lot when on the ensuing kickoff, Phillips executed a perfect, straight-ahead onside kick which the Utes recovered. The gutsy call caught the Aggies off guard and five plays later, Karl Williams was plowing ahead from 2 yards out to give Utah a 24-23 advantage.
Phillips added a 19-yard field goal with 6:38 left that put Utah ahead 27-26, and he hit again with 19 seconds left from 38 yards out for the final margin.
“The play of the game was the surprise onside that we were able to recover,” Whittingham told FOX Sports 1 after game. “That gave us huge momentum. We have a lot of work to do. We are an average football team right now.”
While Phillips’ leg may have saved the Utes, it was the legs of Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton that gave Utah’s defense fits all game despite a strong effort from Reilly and fellow defensive end Nate Orchard. Keeton threw for 315 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for 84 yards and a score.
The Utah offense, operating for the first time under the watch of co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson, looked very much like an offense playing in Week 1. There were pros, like the production from Wilson and the running backs, and cons, like the two fumbles and the inability to score on three-straight runs in the fourth quarter from the Utah State 3-yard line.
Still, Wilson threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns on 17 of 28 passing, well above Utah’s average passing production last season of 190.7 yards per game -- which was the worst in the Pac-12. Williams, a change-of-pace back to York and James Poole, rushed for 45 yards and the Utes' lone rushing score.
The Utes marched 80 yards on eight plays in their opening drive, capping it with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Dres Anderson. Wilson also hooked up with tight end Jake Murphy on a 30-yard touchdown.
Utah did lose wide receiver Kenneth Scott to an undisclosed injury in the first quarter. But Sean Fitzgerald stepped in and caught five balls for 79 yards. Anthony Denham led all receivers with six catches for 113 yards.
Update: The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that Scott's injury is season-ending and Utah hopes he'll get a medical redshirt.
But it was a redshirt freshman kicker who changed the entire complexion of the football game with a few swipes of his leg, helping Utah to a 30-26 win over Utah State and avenging last year’s overtime loss in Logan, Utah.
Andy Phillips nailed his first career field goal -- a 45-yarder late in the third quarter -- that ended seven consecutive scoreless drives for the Utes. Utah had jumped out to a 14-3 first-quarter lead, but was trailing 23-14 by the time Phillips stepped on the field. His kick made it 23-17 and gave the Utes a little bit of momentum.
That little momentum turned into a lot when on the ensuing kickoff, Phillips executed a perfect, straight-ahead onside kick which the Utes recovered. The gutsy call caught the Aggies off guard and five plays later, Karl Williams was plowing ahead from 2 yards out to give Utah a 24-23 advantage.
Phillips added a 19-yard field goal with 6:38 left that put Utah ahead 27-26, and he hit again with 19 seconds left from 38 yards out for the final margin.
“The play of the game was the surprise onside that we were able to recover,” Whittingham told FOX Sports 1 after game. “That gave us huge momentum. We have a lot of work to do. We are an average football team right now.”
While Phillips’ leg may have saved the Utes, it was the legs of Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton that gave Utah’s defense fits all game despite a strong effort from Reilly and fellow defensive end Nate Orchard. Keeton threw for 315 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for 84 yards and a score.
The Utah offense, operating for the first time under the watch of co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson, looked very much like an offense playing in Week 1. There were pros, like the production from Wilson and the running backs, and cons, like the two fumbles and the inability to score on three-straight runs in the fourth quarter from the Utah State 3-yard line.
Still, Wilson threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns on 17 of 28 passing, well above Utah’s average passing production last season of 190.7 yards per game -- which was the worst in the Pac-12. Williams, a change-of-pace back to York and James Poole, rushed for 45 yards and the Utes' lone rushing score.
The Utes marched 80 yards on eight plays in their opening drive, capping it with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Dres Anderson. Wilson also hooked up with tight end Jake Murphy on a 30-yard touchdown.
Utah did lose wide receiver Kenneth Scott to an undisclosed injury in the first quarter. But Sean Fitzgerald stepped in and caught five balls for 79 yards. Anthony Denham led all receivers with six catches for 113 yards.
Update: The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that Scott's injury is season-ending and Utah hopes he'll get a medical redshirt.
Utah, CU seek revenge vs. 'little brothers'
August, 28, 2013
Aug 28
1:00
PM ET
By
Ted Miller | ESPN.com
Just about anything that could go wrong went wrong for Utah during its visit to Utah State last year. Nonetheless, there were plenty of moments when the Utes could have pulled themselves up by their Pac-12 bootstraps and cast aside a team that they had beaten 12 consecutive times.
Could've, should've, would've.
Same goes for Colorado against Colorado State in their 2012 opener. The Buffaloes had a fourth-quarter lead and plenty of opportunities to take the short drive home from Denver with a win.
Nope.
Utah and Colorado are about to begin their third year of Pac-12 play. Neither is happy with what has transpired over the past two seasons. Colorado has been awful, and Utah has gone from top-25 program to a team with a losing conference record.
It's not unreasonable to wonder if early-season losses to a "little brother" state rival last September -- as in non-AQ teams with a history of losing in the series -- might have taken the starch out of their seasons before they really had started, that a residual hangover lingered throughout the year.
"I think without a doubt," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "Me personally, I didn't take it well. I wasn't able to put it behind me and move forward quick enough. In this profession, that's what you've got to be able to do. You've got to be resilient and, win or lose, move forward and focus on the next opponent. I think there was a little bit of a hangover, and that's squarely on my shoulders and my fault. I'm responsible for the mindset of the program and the team."
Let's set the table with "what if" for both. What if Utes QB Jordan Wynn doesn't in the second quarter again hurt his shoulder against the Aggies, an injury that would end his once-promising career? What if Coleman Peterson wins the game in regulation with a 52-yard field goal instead of missing? What if a TD catch in overtime from tight end Jake Murphy doesn't get nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty?
(We'll pause to allow Utes fans to express themselves about that call).
Essentially, what if Utah wins? At the very least, the Utes don't suffer their first losing season in a decade. In a bigger picture of "what if," the entire season might have played out differently.
As for Colorado, it's pretty simple. If the Buffaloes had made plays in the fourth quarter of a game they seemed poised to take control of, it's possible that Jon Embree would still be the head coach, not Mike MacIntyre.
These little brother rivals also had different trajectories. Utah State rolled to an 11-2 finish, and coach Gary Andersen parlayed that into a contract coaching Wisconsin. Offensive coordinator Matt Wells takes over a team with a lot of starters back, including dynamic QB Chucky Keeton, that figures to make some noise in the Mountain West Conference this fall.
Conversely, the Rams, also in the Mountain West, lost six in a row after beating Colorado, including an embarrassing 22-7 defeat to North Dakota State, an FCS team. Still, the Rams have a lot of starters back.
Both "little brothers" probably feel good about their chances, the Aggies on Thursday and Colorado State on Sunday.
For MacIntyre, he knows that a season-opening win could provide his tenure some immediate good will from a beleaguered fan base. Of course, he's been tossed into a measuring stick game with more ramification than most first-year coaches are facing this week.
"There's a lot of emotion involved in it," MacIntyre said. "I think it's different than a lot of opening games. You're playing your in-state rival at a neutral site. That puts a little bit of added emotional context to it."
The rebuilding Buffaloes are a 3-point underdog, but their matchup with the Rams represents their best chance for a win over an FBS team in 2013. A loss would make it a hard-sell for MacIntyre to convince his guys they have any chance in Pac-12 play. A win? It might inspire enough momentum for the season to exceed expectations, thereby igniting longterm optimism.
Utah has bigger goals, but a loss to Utah State would make earning bowl eligibility suddenly seem like an uphill battle. Fans impatient with the Utes progress in the Pac-12 might then point the finger of blame at Whittingham.
In other words, these are big games for both programs.
While coaches like to pooh-pooh the idea of "must win," it's not unreasonable to believe the trajectory of both teams' seasons could be set this week against an ambitious “little brother.”
Could've, should've, would've.
Same goes for Colorado against Colorado State in their 2012 opener. The Buffaloes had a fourth-quarter lead and plenty of opportunities to take the short drive home from Denver with a win.
Nope.
Utah and Colorado are about to begin their third year of Pac-12 play. Neither is happy with what has transpired over the past two seasons. Colorado has been awful, and Utah has gone from top-25 program to a team with a losing conference record.
[+] Enlarge
Kelley L Cox/US PresswireUtah coach Kyle Whittingham admits he didn't handle the loss to Utah State last season very well.
"I think without a doubt," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "Me personally, I didn't take it well. I wasn't able to put it behind me and move forward quick enough. In this profession, that's what you've got to be able to do. You've got to be resilient and, win or lose, move forward and focus on the next opponent. I think there was a little bit of a hangover, and that's squarely on my shoulders and my fault. I'm responsible for the mindset of the program and the team."
Let's set the table with "what if" for both. What if Utes QB Jordan Wynn doesn't in the second quarter again hurt his shoulder against the Aggies, an injury that would end his once-promising career? What if Coleman Peterson wins the game in regulation with a 52-yard field goal instead of missing? What if a TD catch in overtime from tight end Jake Murphy doesn't get nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty?
(We'll pause to allow Utes fans to express themselves about that call).
Essentially, what if Utah wins? At the very least, the Utes don't suffer their first losing season in a decade. In a bigger picture of "what if," the entire season might have played out differently.
As for Colorado, it's pretty simple. If the Buffaloes had made plays in the fourth quarter of a game they seemed poised to take control of, it's possible that Jon Embree would still be the head coach, not Mike MacIntyre.
These little brother rivals also had different trajectories. Utah State rolled to an 11-2 finish, and coach Gary Andersen parlayed that into a contract coaching Wisconsin. Offensive coordinator Matt Wells takes over a team with a lot of starters back, including dynamic QB Chucky Keeton, that figures to make some noise in the Mountain West Conference this fall.
Conversely, the Rams, also in the Mountain West, lost six in a row after beating Colorado, including an embarrassing 22-7 defeat to North Dakota State, an FCS team. Still, the Rams have a lot of starters back.
Both "little brothers" probably feel good about their chances, the Aggies on Thursday and Colorado State on Sunday.
For MacIntyre, he knows that a season-opening win could provide his tenure some immediate good will from a beleaguered fan base. Of course, he's been tossed into a measuring stick game with more ramification than most first-year coaches are facing this week.
"There's a lot of emotion involved in it," MacIntyre said. "I think it's different than a lot of opening games. You're playing your in-state rival at a neutral site. That puts a little bit of added emotional context to it."
The rebuilding Buffaloes are a 3-point underdog, but their matchup with the Rams represents their best chance for a win over an FBS team in 2013. A loss would make it a hard-sell for MacIntyre to convince his guys they have any chance in Pac-12 play. A win? It might inspire enough momentum for the season to exceed expectations, thereby igniting longterm optimism.
Utah has bigger goals, but a loss to Utah State would make earning bowl eligibility suddenly seem like an uphill battle. Fans impatient with the Utes progress in the Pac-12 might then point the finger of blame at Whittingham.
In other words, these are big games for both programs.
While coaches like to pooh-pooh the idea of "must win," it's not unreasonable to believe the trajectory of both teams' seasons could be set this week against an ambitious “little brother.”
Whittingham feels the pressure from within
August, 19, 2013
Aug 19
4:30
PM ET
By
Kevin Gemmell | ESPN.com
Whatever is written in the newspaper; whatever is posted on the Internet; whatever is said over sports talk airwaves, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham isn’t reading, browsing or listening. And if he is, he doesn’t care what's out there.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a coach in America who took what happened to his ball club in 2012 more personally than Whittingham. In his mind, it was so unacceptable that the word “unacceptable” isn’t even acceptable to describe it. To hear him talk about it, you’d think his Utes went 0-12 and lost each game by an average of 35 points.
The reality is the Utes lost seven games last year -- their most since 2000 -- by an average of fewer than 14 points. It was just their third seven-loss season since 1990.
One loss came in overtime after losing their starting quarterback in the first half. Another was a blown lead against USC that led to a 10-point loss. The end result overshadows some high points, such as the win over No. 25 BYU and blowout victories over Cal and Washington State. But the end result is all that Whittingham cares about – and it’s how he judges his program and himself as a coach.
“No amount of external pressure will ever be more intense than the pressure I place on myself and my coaching staff places on themselves,” Whittingham said. “I don’t even think about the external pressures. It’s not in the scope of my thought process.”
It would be easy for Whittingham to make excuses for two seasons of sub-.500 conference ball (7-11 in conference, 13-12 overall) since the Utes first joined the Pac-12 in 2011. After all, they’ve been tossing loaded dice since leaving the Mountain West after enjoying an average of nearly nine wins a season during their 12-year run. Among the challenges was coping with significant injuries and inconsistency at certain positions -- issues that can be devastating to a team lacking the depth to compete in an elite conference. Plus, Utah was only getting a 50 percent of conference revenue last season (that bumps up to 75 percent this year and they’ll be a full member in 2014-2015). The building process has been challenging.
Not an issue, says Whittingham.
“We knew it was going to be very competitive and a situation where several aspects of our program,” Whittingham said. “I don’t want to sound like an excuse because it’s not. But we knew there would be challenges financially, depth-wise, facilities and things of that nature. We all understood that. But I don’t think anything has taken us by surprise. There’s nothing that has caught us off guard.
“We’re in this business because we’re competitive and because we want to win."
The Utes took a big step forward last week when they unveiled their new $32 million facility, complete with all the bells and whistles that puts them one step closer to being on a level playing field with the rest of the conference.
But even the Taj Mahal of recruiting wouldn’t erase the sour taste of a proud program having to stay home in December for the first time in nine seasons. And it’s not just the fact that they were not going to the postseason, Utah had an 8-1 bowl record since 2003 -- including a pair of BCS bowl victories. While Whittingham understands there was a learning curve coming into a major conference, it doesn’t mean he’ll just accept it.
“You want to be on a level playing field resource wise and we’re getting to that point,” he said. “But we started out behind the eight-ball with the three-year ramp-up period. We’re playing catchup in that area as far as the funds and the resources. But we feel like we’re making up ground.”
You’d be hard-pressed to find a coach in America who took what happened to his ball club in 2012 more personally than Whittingham. In his mind, it was so unacceptable that the word “unacceptable” isn’t even acceptable to describe it. To hear him talk about it, you’d think his Utes went 0-12 and lost each game by an average of 35 points.
[+] Enlarge
Kirby Lee/US PresswireKyle Whittingham and Utah are looking to rebound from a disappointing 5-7 record last season.
One loss came in overtime after losing their starting quarterback in the first half. Another was a blown lead against USC that led to a 10-point loss. The end result overshadows some high points, such as the win over No. 25 BYU and blowout victories over Cal and Washington State. But the end result is all that Whittingham cares about – and it’s how he judges his program and himself as a coach.
“No amount of external pressure will ever be more intense than the pressure I place on myself and my coaching staff places on themselves,” Whittingham said. “I don’t even think about the external pressures. It’s not in the scope of my thought process.”
It would be easy for Whittingham to make excuses for two seasons of sub-.500 conference ball (7-11 in conference, 13-12 overall) since the Utes first joined the Pac-12 in 2011. After all, they’ve been tossing loaded dice since leaving the Mountain West after enjoying an average of nearly nine wins a season during their 12-year run. Among the challenges was coping with significant injuries and inconsistency at certain positions -- issues that can be devastating to a team lacking the depth to compete in an elite conference. Plus, Utah was only getting a 50 percent of conference revenue last season (that bumps up to 75 percent this year and they’ll be a full member in 2014-2015). The building process has been challenging.
Not an issue, says Whittingham.
“We knew it was going to be very competitive and a situation where several aspects of our program,” Whittingham said. “I don’t want to sound like an excuse because it’s not. But we knew there would be challenges financially, depth-wise, facilities and things of that nature. We all understood that. But I don’t think anything has taken us by surprise. There’s nothing that has caught us off guard.
“We’re in this business because we’re competitive and because we want to win."
The Utes took a big step forward last week when they unveiled their new $32 million facility, complete with all the bells and whistles that puts them one step closer to being on a level playing field with the rest of the conference.
But even the Taj Mahal of recruiting wouldn’t erase the sour taste of a proud program having to stay home in December for the first time in nine seasons. And it’s not just the fact that they were not going to the postseason, Utah had an 8-1 bowl record since 2003 -- including a pair of BCS bowl victories. While Whittingham understands there was a learning curve coming into a major conference, it doesn’t mean he’ll just accept it.
“You want to be on a level playing field resource wise and we’re getting to that point,” he said. “But we started out behind the eight-ball with the three-year ramp-up period. We’re playing catchup in that area as far as the funds and the resources. But we feel like we’re making up ground.”
We continue our day-by-day snapshots of each Pac-12 team heading into the 2013 season in reverse alphabetical order with the Utah Utes.
Utah
Coach: Kyle Whittingham (71-32 overall, 7-11 Pac-12)
2012 record: 5-7 (3-6, Pac-12 South)
Key losses: RB John White, LT Sam Brenner, DT Star Lotulelei, DE Joe Kruger, DT Dave Kruger, KR Reggie Dunn, P Sean Sellwood, K Coleman Petersen.
Key returnees: WR Dres Anderson, TE Jake Murphy, QB Travis Wilson, RB Kelvin York, LB Brian Blechen, LB Trevor Reilly.
Newcomer to watch: The team is still waiting to see whether defensive back Tevin Carter will be eligible. He was once a highly rated wide receiver who originally committed to Cal before transferring to L.A. Southwest College. Juco transfer Sese Ianu from Golden West College is a big-bodied defensive tackle who is expected to compete immediately.
Biggest games in 2013: The Utes will be looking for vengeance against Utah State in the opener on Aug. 29. At BYU on Sept. 21 takes on even greater significance with the Holy War going on break. They also host Stanford (Oct. 12) and travel to Oregon (Nov. 16) for the first time since joining the conference.
Biggest question mark heading into 2013: Whittingham said that he wasn't expecting Joe Kruger to leave early for the NFL -- and that left an additional void on the defensive front that already had to replace Lotulelei and another Kruger. Tenny Palepoi has good experience and played in every game last year. Ianu should help, and the tentative plan is to toggle Reilly -- last year’s leading tackler -- back and forth between defensive end and linebacker. Nate Orchard and Jason Whittingham will also rotate through, and when those two are on the line, Reilly might play back at linebacker and vice versa.
Forecast: While the line might be the biggest question mark on defense, many are wondering what the passing attack -- which ranked last in the league last season with just 190.7 yards per game (and eighth in efficiency) -- is going to look like with Dennis Erickson now commanding the offense. He joins the staff as co-offensive coordinator alongside Brian Johnson and will serve as the primary playcaller.
He’s been a head coach at six universities and for two NFL teams, and he’s the only person to be the league’s coach of the year at three different schools (Washington State, Oregon State and Arizona State). His offenses know how to move the ball and put up points.
That should bode well as Wilson grows into his role as the starting quarterback. He came in midseason last year and steadily improved each week. With an entire offseason working with Erickson and Johnson, his learning curve shouldn't be as steep.
Kelvin York steps in as the primary ball carrier, replacing White, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher. He’ll have the benefit of what should be an improved offensive line. The coaching staff is high on 6-foot-5, 345-pound left tackle Jeremiah Poutasi and guard Junior Salt.
Last season, Utah’s second since joining the league from the Mountain West Conference, wasn't a pleasant one for Kyle Whittingham, who was never shy about expressing his disappointment. Keep in mind, this isn't a team used to missing the postseason. Before last year’s 5-7 record, the Utes had been to nine straight bowl games with an 8-1 postseason mark. Injuries, which led to inconsistent quarterback and offensive line play, were major contributing factors. At least for now, it appears like those have been sorted out, so marked improvement is expected.
Utah
Coach: Kyle Whittingham (71-32 overall, 7-11 Pac-12)
2012 record: 5-7 (3-6, Pac-12 South)
Key losses: RB John White, LT Sam Brenner, DT Star Lotulelei, DE Joe Kruger, DT Dave Kruger, KR Reggie Dunn, P Sean Sellwood, K Coleman Petersen.
[+] Enlarge
Scott Olmos/USA TODAY SportsKelvin York steps in as the starting tailback, replacing John White.
Newcomer to watch: The team is still waiting to see whether defensive back Tevin Carter will be eligible. He was once a highly rated wide receiver who originally committed to Cal before transferring to L.A. Southwest College. Juco transfer Sese Ianu from Golden West College is a big-bodied defensive tackle who is expected to compete immediately.
Biggest games in 2013: The Utes will be looking for vengeance against Utah State in the opener on Aug. 29. At BYU on Sept. 21 takes on even greater significance with the Holy War going on break. They also host Stanford (Oct. 12) and travel to Oregon (Nov. 16) for the first time since joining the conference.
Biggest question mark heading into 2013: Whittingham said that he wasn't expecting Joe Kruger to leave early for the NFL -- and that left an additional void on the defensive front that already had to replace Lotulelei and another Kruger. Tenny Palepoi has good experience and played in every game last year. Ianu should help, and the tentative plan is to toggle Reilly -- last year’s leading tackler -- back and forth between defensive end and linebacker. Nate Orchard and Jason Whittingham will also rotate through, and when those two are on the line, Reilly might play back at linebacker and vice versa.
Forecast: While the line might be the biggest question mark on defense, many are wondering what the passing attack -- which ranked last in the league last season with just 190.7 yards per game (and eighth in efficiency) -- is going to look like with Dennis Erickson now commanding the offense. He joins the staff as co-offensive coordinator alongside Brian Johnson and will serve as the primary playcaller.
He’s been a head coach at six universities and for two NFL teams, and he’s the only person to be the league’s coach of the year at three different schools (Washington State, Oregon State and Arizona State). His offenses know how to move the ball and put up points.
That should bode well as Wilson grows into his role as the starting quarterback. He came in midseason last year and steadily improved each week. With an entire offseason working with Erickson and Johnson, his learning curve shouldn't be as steep.
Kelvin York steps in as the primary ball carrier, replacing White, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher. He’ll have the benefit of what should be an improved offensive line. The coaching staff is high on 6-foot-5, 345-pound left tackle Jeremiah Poutasi and guard Junior Salt.
Last season, Utah’s second since joining the league from the Mountain West Conference, wasn't a pleasant one for Kyle Whittingham, who was never shy about expressing his disappointment. Keep in mind, this isn't a team used to missing the postseason. Before last year’s 5-7 record, the Utes had been to nine straight bowl games with an 8-1 postseason mark. Injuries, which led to inconsistent quarterback and offensive line play, were major contributing factors. At least for now, it appears like those have been sorted out, so marked improvement is expected.
Lunch links: Solid day for Connor Halliday
August, 7, 2013
Aug 7
2:30
PM ET
By
Kevin Gemmell | ESPN.com
Businessman they drink my wine, plowman dig my earth;
None will level on the line, nobody offered his word.
None will level on the line, nobody offered his word.
- The countdown of the top 50 Wildcats of all time continues.
- Todd Graham lays out his goals for the 2013 season.
- Some instant analysis from Day 2 of Cal’s camp.
- Christian Powell is looking to build on last season.
- Expect another hype-filled season in Eugene.
- Oregon State’s young receivers are hoping to learn a thing or two from Brandin Cooks.
- Stanford is among some top teams with holes to fill.
- Previewing UCLA’s quarterback situation.
- Some more on Marqise Lee being cleared on the autograph controversy.
- Kyle Whittingham comes out swinging at camp.
- Austin Seferian-Jenkins talks about being back with his teammates in this video.
- Solid practice for Connor Halliday as the Cougars go in full pads.
- A pair of Athlon links today: First, why USC and Arizona State are dark-horse national-title contenders. Second, what Pac-12 coaches are saying anonymously about the competition.
This is the fourth in a series looking at potential dream and nightmare scenarios for all Pac-12 teams.
Understand: These are not predictions. They are extreme scenarios and pieces of fiction. You can read last year's versions here.
We're going in reverse order of my post-spring power rankings (which might not be identical to my preseason power rankings).
Up next: Utah
Best case
Bodies lay strewn across the floor of MUSS's -- "Mighty Utah Student Section" -- headquarters in a penthouse overlooking the Utah campus. The central meeting room is filled with many leather-bound books and smells of rich mahogany, but there's also a staleness rising from the hardwood floors. There's a flicker of movement. And a groan.
"Aagghhh," says the MUSS president. "A losing season!"
He hugs a commemorative ball from the 2004 Fiesta Bowl to his chest.
Across the room, the MUSS vice president crawls toward the bathroom. A moment later, she screams, "Aagghhh… there's a Duck and Tree in the bathroom!"
Another scream, this one from the other side of the room. "Aagghhh…" exclaims the MUSS secretary. "Our Ute mojo is gone!"
"Aaagghhh," says the MUSS president. "All is lost. We are nothing more than a... than a... a... Mountain West team!"
He throws the ball across the room, where it knocks over an Urban Meyer bust.
"That's not how you do it," a mellifluous yet authoritative voice says. "You should throw it straight. Step into it."
"Pac-12 blog?"
"What seems to be the problem?"
Pause.
"I'm afraid! All right? If you want to hear me say. You want to break me down? All right, I'm afraid," the MUSS president says. "For the first time in my life, I'm afraid. The Pac-12 is just too hard! Those wins while we were a Mountain West team? They weren't real!"
Pac-12 blog: You wanna tell me that those games weren't real, that you were carried? Well I don't believe it! But it doesn't matter what I believe because you're the one that's got to carry that fear around inside you, afraid that your going to be a Pac-12 patsy and afraid that you're going to be remembered as a mid-major only elevated because Texas wanted too much from Larry Scott, that you're not an elite team anymore. Well, none of it's true! But it doesn't matter if I tell you. It doesn't matter, because you're the one that's gotta settle it.
MUSS president: How did you get so tough?
Pac-12 blog: I married a woman from Alabama.
MUSS president: We beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl!
Utah whips Utah State and Weber State, then falls to No. 20 Oregon State. Travis Wilson throws four touchdown passes in a 35-20 win over BYU, the Utes' fourth consecutive win in the Holy War.
UCLA, however, pounds the Utes 33-17. Headline in Salt Lake Tribune: "Utah still not ready to compete in the Pac-12 South Division."
Up next: No. 3 Stanford.
MUSS VP: It's suicide! You've seen Stanford. You know how strong they are… you can't win!
Utah DE Trevor Reilly: Oh, MUSS VP. MUSS VP always tells the truth. No, maybe I can't win. Maybe the only thing I can do is just take everything Stanford's got. But to beat me, the Cardinal is going to have to run the ball consistently. And to run the ball consistently, Stanford is gonna have to have the heart to stand in front of me. And to do that, Stanford has got to be willing to die. I don't know if Stanford is ready to do that.
MUSS VP: That last part was a little over the top.
Wilson, playing the best game of his career, throws four long touchdown passes against the rugged Stanford defense, while his counterpart Kevin Hogan turns in his worst career effort with three picks. Still, with 20 seconds left and Utah up 34-30, Stanford faces a fourth and 1 on the Utes' 10-yard line.
Stanford OG David Yankey: I must break you.
Utah DT Tenny Palepoi: Dolph? Is that you? Yanks, did you know Dolph Lundgren went to Washington State, and is therefore a Coug? Dated Grace Jones. Think about her during this play.
Announcer: Palepoi just blew by what appeared to be a distracted Yankey and stopped Anthony Wilkerson for no gain! Utah upsets the Cardinal!
The Utes nip Arizona but fall to USC. They come back home and, after a bye, upset No. 12 Arizona State, with a raucous MUSS causing the Sun Devils' offensive line to jump offsides five times.
Utah then makes the trip to No. 2 Oregon.
The Utes lead 24-22 when Oregon kicker Alejandro Maldonado lines up for a 59-yard field goal with two seconds left.
MUSS secretary: This guy never makes a big kick.
MUSS vice president: Aagghhh! You haven't read your "A Fans' Guide to Sporting Karma!"
Right down the middle. Ducks win.
"It never feels good to lose," Utes coach Kyle Whittingham says. "But I think there's no residual doubt that we can compete in the Pac-12."
The Utes roll past Washington State and Colorado to finish the regular season 8-4. They whip Texas 35-20 in the Holiday Bowl.
Bryan Mone and Isaiah Nacua switched their commitments from Michigan and BYU, respectively, and sign with the Utes, as does tight end Dalton Schultz.
Pac-12 Blog readers meet at their annual convention at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. After 36 holes at Shadow Creek, the MUSS president takes the podium.
"During this season, I've seen a lot of changing, in the way you feel about Utah, and in the way we feel about you," he says. "I guess what I'm trying to say, is that if the Utes can change, and the Pac-12 can change, everybody can change!"
He's greeted by loud applause. Even from Oregon fans.
Worst case
A late field goal gives Utah a win over Utah State, and the Utes blow out Weber State.
Ted Miller: A 2-0 start is good for the Utes, but we don't really know them yet.
Kevin Gemmell: Correct. Over the next eight games, they play seven top-25 sort of teams, including Stanford and Oregon, which Utah didn't play its first two years of Pac-12 membership.
Miller: While they are playing those games, we can sing, "Getting to know you... getting to know alllll about you." You know, from "The King and I."
Gemmell: No.
The Utes fall 24-17 to Oregon State and then commit four turnovers in a 30-20 loss at BYU.
"A few years ago, our former quarterback Max Hall called the Utes 'classless'," Cougars QB Taysom Hill says after the game. "Not a great moment in this great rivalry, one that Utah is running away from for a couple of years. But the good news is the Utes will run away from playing BYU with class.
"Mostly because we just took them to school!"
(Block U will later pay tribute to Hill's quote as "The funniest thing anyone from BYU has ever said.")
After a bye week, Utah leads UCLA in the fourth quarter but Bruins QB Brett Hundley throws a pair of late TD passes for the win.
"I think we're close," Whittingham says.
No. 3 Stanford holds the Utes to 87 total yards in a 24-3 victory, then Utah goes down at Arizona and USC.
"Well, not that close," Whittingham says.
After another off week, Utah is slammed by No. 12 Arizona State and No. 2 Oregon, which rolls up 546 yards in front of a dispirited MUSS.
MUSS president: I am dispirited.
MUSS VP: Me too.
MUSS president: Being in the Pac-12 was supposed to be more fun.
Gemmell: Utah has lost seven games in a row. The defense, without Star Lotulelei in the middle, is getting pushed around, and the addition of co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson hasn't yielded much in the way of improvement. The question is can the Utes win a Pac-12 game this year. Probably not against Mike Leach's rejuvenated Washington State Cougars. The good news is the season finale with Colorado might provide a small bump for the offseason.
Miller: [Cackling] No... I see things going differently!
Utah, as the only Pac-12 team not bothered by Pullman weather, nips Washington State 10-9 in blizzard-like conditions.
Up next: Arch-rival Colorado.
"Aagghhh," says Whittingham. "This means I'll get asked about the Red Bike Incident again."
Reporter: Coach Whittingham, in the storied history of this rivalry, the greatest controversy seems to be the Red Bike Incident. Could you talk about your perspective on what happened?
Whittingham: No. [Whittingham then affixes a menacing stare at an extremely good looking and well-dressed reporter].
Miller: Oh... OK. No more red bike incident after this "Best case-worst case" post.
A 53-yard field goal in overtime gives the Buffaloes their only Pac-12 win of the season. The Utes finish 3-9, their worst record since 1986 under Jim Fassel.
Whittingham is hired by the Dallas Cowboys.
"Because the program so much feels like it did when he left in 1989, we're bringing back Jim Fassel!" athletic director Chris Hill says.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, after an emergency meeting with his presidents and athletic directors, announces that Utah will now be written in all official Pac-12 materials in a smaller type face -- two points smaller, officially -- until it posts a winning record in conference play.
"Aaagghhh," says the MUSS president.
BYU joins the Big 12. The Great Salt Lake loses its salinity.
Previous "Best case-worst case" posts
California
Washington State
Colorado
Understand: These are not predictions. They are extreme scenarios and pieces of fiction. You can read last year's versions here.
We're going in reverse order of my post-spring power rankings (which might not be identical to my preseason power rankings).
Up next: Utah
Best case
Bodies lay strewn across the floor of MUSS's -- "Mighty Utah Student Section" -- headquarters in a penthouse overlooking the Utah campus. The central meeting room is filled with many leather-bound books and smells of rich mahogany, but there's also a staleness rising from the hardwood floors. There's a flicker of movement. And a groan.
"Aagghhh," says the MUSS president. "A losing season!"
He hugs a commemorative ball from the 2004 Fiesta Bowl to his chest.
Across the room, the MUSS vice president crawls toward the bathroom. A moment later, she screams, "Aagghhh… there's a Duck and Tree in the bathroom!"
Another scream, this one from the other side of the room. "Aagghhh…" exclaims the MUSS secretary. "Our Ute mojo is gone!"
"Aaagghhh," says the MUSS president. "All is lost. We are nothing more than a... than a... a... Mountain West team!"
He throws the ball across the room, where it knocks over an Urban Meyer bust.
"That's not how you do it," a mellifluous yet authoritative voice says. "You should throw it straight. Step into it."
"Pac-12 blog?"
"What seems to be the problem?"
Pause.
"I'm afraid! All right? If you want to hear me say. You want to break me down? All right, I'm afraid," the MUSS president says. "For the first time in my life, I'm afraid. The Pac-12 is just too hard! Those wins while we were a Mountain West team? They weren't real!"
Pac-12 blog: You wanna tell me that those games weren't real, that you were carried? Well I don't believe it! But it doesn't matter what I believe because you're the one that's got to carry that fear around inside you, afraid that your going to be a Pac-12 patsy and afraid that you're going to be remembered as a mid-major only elevated because Texas wanted too much from Larry Scott, that you're not an elite team anymore. Well, none of it's true! But it doesn't matter if I tell you. It doesn't matter, because you're the one that's gotta settle it.
MUSS president: How did you get so tough?
Pac-12 blog: I married a woman from Alabama.
MUSS president: We beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl!
Utah whips Utah State and Weber State, then falls to No. 20 Oregon State. Travis Wilson throws four touchdown passes in a 35-20 win over BYU, the Utes' fourth consecutive win in the Holy War.
UCLA, however, pounds the Utes 33-17. Headline in Salt Lake Tribune: "Utah still not ready to compete in the Pac-12 South Division."
Up next: No. 3 Stanford.
MUSS VP: It's suicide! You've seen Stanford. You know how strong they are… you can't win!
Utah DE Trevor Reilly: Oh, MUSS VP. MUSS VP always tells the truth. No, maybe I can't win. Maybe the only thing I can do is just take everything Stanford's got. But to beat me, the Cardinal is going to have to run the ball consistently. And to run the ball consistently, Stanford is gonna have to have the heart to stand in front of me. And to do that, Stanford has got to be willing to die. I don't know if Stanford is ready to do that.
MUSS VP: That last part was a little over the top.
Wilson, playing the best game of his career, throws four long touchdown passes against the rugged Stanford defense, while his counterpart Kevin Hogan turns in his worst career effort with three picks. Still, with 20 seconds left and Utah up 34-30, Stanford faces a fourth and 1 on the Utes' 10-yard line.
Stanford OG David Yankey: I must break you.
Utah DT Tenny Palepoi: Dolph? Is that you? Yanks, did you know Dolph Lundgren went to Washington State, and is therefore a Coug? Dated Grace Jones. Think about her during this play.
Announcer: Palepoi just blew by what appeared to be a distracted Yankey and stopped Anthony Wilkerson for no gain! Utah upsets the Cardinal!
The Utes nip Arizona but fall to USC. They come back home and, after a bye, upset No. 12 Arizona State, with a raucous MUSS causing the Sun Devils' offensive line to jump offsides five times.
Utah then makes the trip to No. 2 Oregon.
The Utes lead 24-22 when Oregon kicker Alejandro Maldonado lines up for a 59-yard field goal with two seconds left.
MUSS secretary: This guy never makes a big kick.
MUSS vice president: Aagghhh! You haven't read your "A Fans' Guide to Sporting Karma!"
Right down the middle. Ducks win.
"It never feels good to lose," Utes coach Kyle Whittingham says. "But I think there's no residual doubt that we can compete in the Pac-12."
The Utes roll past Washington State and Colorado to finish the regular season 8-4. They whip Texas 35-20 in the Holiday Bowl.
Bryan Mone and Isaiah Nacua switched their commitments from Michigan and BYU, respectively, and sign with the Utes, as does tight end Dalton Schultz.
Pac-12 Blog readers meet at their annual convention at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. After 36 holes at Shadow Creek, the MUSS president takes the podium.
"During this season, I've seen a lot of changing, in the way you feel about Utah, and in the way we feel about you," he says. "I guess what I'm trying to say, is that if the Utes can change, and the Pac-12 can change, everybody can change!"
He's greeted by loud applause. Even from Oregon fans.
Worst case
A late field goal gives Utah a win over Utah State, and the Utes blow out Weber State.
Ted Miller: A 2-0 start is good for the Utes, but we don't really know them yet.
Kevin Gemmell: Correct. Over the next eight games, they play seven top-25 sort of teams, including Stanford and Oregon, which Utah didn't play its first two years of Pac-12 membership.
Miller: While they are playing those games, we can sing, "Getting to know you... getting to know alllll about you." You know, from "The King and I."
Gemmell: No.
The Utes fall 24-17 to Oregon State and then commit four turnovers in a 30-20 loss at BYU.
"A few years ago, our former quarterback Max Hall called the Utes 'classless'," Cougars QB Taysom Hill says after the game. "Not a great moment in this great rivalry, one that Utah is running away from for a couple of years. But the good news is the Utes will run away from playing BYU with class.
"Mostly because we just took them to school!"
(Block U will later pay tribute to Hill's quote as "The funniest thing anyone from BYU has ever said.")
After a bye week, Utah leads UCLA in the fourth quarter but Bruins QB Brett Hundley throws a pair of late TD passes for the win.
"I think we're close," Whittingham says.
No. 3 Stanford holds the Utes to 87 total yards in a 24-3 victory, then Utah goes down at Arizona and USC.
"Well, not that close," Whittingham says.
After another off week, Utah is slammed by No. 12 Arizona State and No. 2 Oregon, which rolls up 546 yards in front of a dispirited MUSS.
MUSS president: I am dispirited.
MUSS VP: Me too.
MUSS president: Being in the Pac-12 was supposed to be more fun.
Gemmell: Utah has lost seven games in a row. The defense, without Star Lotulelei in the middle, is getting pushed around, and the addition of co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson hasn't yielded much in the way of improvement. The question is can the Utes win a Pac-12 game this year. Probably not against Mike Leach's rejuvenated Washington State Cougars. The good news is the season finale with Colorado might provide a small bump for the offseason.
Miller: [Cackling] No... I see things going differently!
Utah, as the only Pac-12 team not bothered by Pullman weather, nips Washington State 10-9 in blizzard-like conditions.
Up next: Arch-rival Colorado.
"Aagghhh," says Whittingham. "This means I'll get asked about the Red Bike Incident again."
Reporter: Coach Whittingham, in the storied history of this rivalry, the greatest controversy seems to be the Red Bike Incident. Could you talk about your perspective on what happened?
Whittingham: No. [Whittingham then affixes a menacing stare at an extremely good looking and well-dressed reporter].
Miller: Oh... OK. No more red bike incident after this "Best case-worst case" post.
A 53-yard field goal in overtime gives the Buffaloes their only Pac-12 win of the season. The Utes finish 3-9, their worst record since 1986 under Jim Fassel.
Whittingham is hired by the Dallas Cowboys.
"Because the program so much feels like it did when he left in 1989, we're bringing back Jim Fassel!" athletic director Chris Hill says.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, after an emergency meeting with his presidents and athletic directors, announces that Utah will now be written in all official Pac-12 materials in a smaller type face -- two points smaller, officially -- until it posts a winning record in conference play.
"Aaagghhh," says the MUSS president.
BYU joins the Big 12. The Great Salt Lake loses its salinity.
Previous "Best case-worst case" posts
California
Washington State
Colorado
Coaches poll: Oregon No. 3, Stanford No. 4
August, 1, 2013
Aug 1
12:17
PM ET
By
Ted Miller | ESPN.com
Oregon and Stanford lead the Pac-12 North Division heading into the preseason, and that's good enough to be ranked Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, in the USA Today coaches' poll released Thursday.
Two-time defending champion Alabama is No. 1. Ohio State, which went unbeaten last season but was ineligible due to NCAA sanctions, is No. 2.
As for the rest of the Pac-12, UCLA is 21st, USC 24th and Oregon State 25th.
No, North Carolina wasn't ranked.
Arizona State was the equivalent of 32nd. Arizona and Washington also received votes.
The SEC led all conferences with six ranked teams, five of which were in the top 10. The Pac-12 and Big Ten had five each.
The six Pac-12 coaches among the 62 voting in the poll this year are Arizona State's Todd Graham, Oregon's Mark Helfrich, Washington State's Mike Leach, Oregon State's Mike Riley, Arizona's Rich Rodriguez and Utah's Kyle Whittingham.
PAC-12 SCOREBOARD
Thursday, 10/3
10:00 PM ET 12 UCLA Utah - FOX Sports 1
- Tickets
- Conversation
Saturday, 10/5
4:00 PM ET Washington State California - FOX Sports 1
- Tickets
- Conversation
6:00 PM ET 2 Oregon Colorado 7:30 PM ET 22 Arizona State Notre Dame 10:30 PM ET 15 Washington 5 Stanford
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Ted Miller
Miller has been covering college football since 1997, starting with Auburn and then heading West to Washington and the Pac-12. His columns for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer won first place in the 2007 APSE Best Writing contest. The Atlanta native and University of Richmond graduate presently lives with his wife in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Kevin Gemmell
Gemmell covered San Diego State and the Mountain West Conference for three years before joining ESPN.com. As a Santa Clara graduate, his hope is that the Broncos will one day re-institute football. Until then, he lives vicariously through his readers. Gemmell lives in California with his wife and son.
