So, yeah, that whole expectations thing...
by JazzyUte on Dec 9, 2009 12:45 AM MST
in Poinsettia Bowl '09
9 comments
Okay, so yeah. There is this bowl game coming up. I don't think we're quite ready to get into the entire dynamics of it (gotta save some stuff for that week), but it's never too early to get a feel of what to expect.
Unfortunately, the last two times I've asked how you were feeling prior to a game, the Utes lost. So, please, cut it the hell out, okay? Good.
Seriously, though. I don't know what to expect in this game. Vegas has Utah as a 3-point dog, which isn't surprising considering their best victory is against a ho-hum Air Force team. But on the other hand, who has Cal beaten? Minnesota? Maryland? Arizona? They seem to be in the same boat as the Utes.
Except their most embarrassing loss came to Washington.
Which means they could be really good or really bad depending on what team shows up. The same isn't the case for Utah. I think they've been fairly consistent, right? There was just one really bad loss to a really good team. Their other two defeats came by a combined score of ten. Not bad at all. Especially for a rebuilding season.
But in every tough game they've played this season, they're 0-3. Not a good statistic, especially since Cal is better than Air Force. Cal is better than all of Utah's wins combined. But are they better than BYU? I don't know.
If they are, the Utes aren't going to win. If Cal is equal to BYU or slightly worse, I think they have a good chance of winning their ninth straight bowl game. Of course, that depends on who shows up...
Do you think they'll win?
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Rebuilding Year?????
How many guys we lose next year? Misi, Wright, Johnson, Key, Peel, Eliapo, Sylvester . . . .
Ick, just Ick.
You don't think this was a rebuilding year?
We gutted nearly our entire offense from the players on the field to the coaches on the sideline.
We’re starting a true freshman.
We lost our star running back just weeks into the season.
The losses you bring up don’t worry me nearly as much as what we’ve lost over the last twelve months.
This year we had to rebuild on both sides.
Especially with the Asiata loss. We started three new WR, one new OL, a new RB, and replaced Utah’s all-time leader in QB wins. We also had to replace a DL and two corners.
The issue is that last year we replaced mostly offense, this year we’ll have to replace a lot of defense. But I think at Utah you should be expecting bigger things when the offense has some consistency (which it will next year) than when the defense has a bunch of returning starters. Defense at Utah reloads, offense takes time to rebuild. Even if Asiata doesn’t come back, we lose only Reed and Beadles on offense and have returning starters at QB, RB, 4 OL, 2 WR (christopher and brooks), and TE. On D we’ll have 3 returning DL (Misi and Kenape are leaving, but Kenape and Lei have missed a lot of time, allowing Kruger and Siliga to start), no returning LB, one returning corner (two if you count Chapman, who is our starting nickle back), and no returning safeties. That’s 4 returning defense starters.
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
Agreed.
Plus, I think I will always feel better with defensive losses due to who our head coach is. I’ve been extremely impressed with the defensive progress this season under Sitake and expect even more next year – even with the losses.
by JazzyUte on Dec 9, 2009 4:14 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
I disagree, we lost two-three startes on D only
. . .and had excellent returning depth on D. No one would call that rebuilding on that side of the game.
Our O-Line has not played a swell as projected, but I think you guys are right about coaching being an issue there. RBs, QB and WRs all washed atonce, that was too much with new coaches. If we struggle in our bowl offensively, I’ll be concerned for next year as well.
Overall we didn't lose a ton on D.
But what we did lose were three NFL players (including two second-round picks), two at the toughest position in football (corners). That’s a lot for a Utah-level team to replace. This year I think we’ll lose two NFL players on D (Misi and RoJo) and we’ll have a returning starter at every level (4 DL, 1 LB in Williams, 1 CB and 1 safety in Taplin-Ross). Williams and Tap are part-year starters, but have proven themselves effective on the field. We have a lot of new talent starting next year, but we won’t have to replace as high of a level of talent except RoJo (the replacements for Misi are incredible like Aiono and Star Lotuleilei from Snow).
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Dec 14, 2009 12:04 PM MST up reply actions
Agreed
I often gag when I see anyone movig the ball on us vecaus ei htink “what is Smith and Kruger had stayed . . .”
Overall though, increased and consistent offensive production, fewer penalties, and Utah is 11-1 heading into their bowl this year withone loss ot TCU taht was not as big of a blowout—that’s with those guys gone.
Thisyear I think coaching let us down.
I actually don't think coaching let us down.
At the start of the year we were all expecting 8-4 or 9-3. That’s what we got. We were in every game except TCU, but execution (not coaching) didn’t get it done. Wynn completes one of the 5 long TD passes (or more) and Utah beats BYU by a couple of scores. Special teams mistakes (not preparation or playcalling) lost Oregon. TCU was just a lot better than us, experience-wise.
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Dec 16, 2009 12:44 PM MST up reply actions
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