Utah caught looking ahead? Utes hold off fierce Air Force rally
by JazzyUte on Oct 30, 2010 11:27 PM MDT
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PrintI had hopes the Utes could finally exorcise their Air Force demons. By the end of the third, I was feeling pretty good.
Then the fourth happened and Utah let the Falcons back into it. Ugly. It was a disappointing finish to a game that, at the time of the fourth quarter, was looking pretty impressive.
I'm hoping they were looking ahead and eased up a bit in that fourth. But I'm not so sure. And that concerns me.
Oh well - good win. We're 8-0 and now we can count down to the biggest game ever.
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Utah wasn't looking ahead.
This was just another Utah-AFA game. The Utes do a great job at stopping the run, but suffer from other deficiencies (tonight it was special teams and big plays) and the Falcons make us sweat it out. It happened in 2003; it happened in 2004; it happened in 2008; and tonight was no different.
If Utah really was overlooking a team like AFA, Whit wasn’t doing his job and the players suffer from a horrible lack of focus. But I don’t think that’s the case.
A good win. Not perfect, but good. Shorten the game by running the ball and playing defense. Before the drive that started with :28 seconds left, AFA had two possessions to go down and take the lead. Utah held them without a first down both times. So clutch.
I guess I'm not used to Utah jumping up on AFA like that...
They looked like they were cruising when they forced that pick while up 28-10.
Normally these games are battles from start to finish. This was kind of a battle early, with Utah cruising in the third, to another battle.
I am getting too old for games like that.
I am fairly certain it took a few years off my life. Hopefully they can make the right corrections in time for next Saturday.
Keep the defib charged and ready...
Next week probably will have its share of cardiac stoppers.. TCU is legitimate, but they looked beatable vs UNLV which is the same thing they said about the Utah game.
Zoo Cougar n. A "special" breed of feline, characterized by its propensity to have its attempts at swallowing a canary inevitably resulting in its choking on crow. See also: Zoobie, Cosmo Nut, Sexless Cat, Hippo-C-Rat origin: It takes a special kind of kitty to try and swallow the canary and end up choking on crow. --Ute Proverb
"If going undefeated in a non-AQ conference is so easy why aren't more teams doing it???" --Andrea Adelson, ESPN?!?
by Ravenous Ute on Oct 31, 2010 12:51 AM MDT up reply actions
a 1 point win over tcu will do.
Utah and Boise State: The two best teams in the nation. Both undefeated and with a combined 12-2 against the spread. Why do canadians stick together? The same reason why Chris Horodecki turned his body and face around in his first WEC fight. J.J. my puta and my personal dartboard. Brock Lesnar the most over-rated MMA fighter there is. Even more over-rated than Kimbo Slice.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Oct 31, 2010 10:05 AM MDT up reply actions
Nerve-racking and not what I hoped for...
But, Utah ran a basic O all night… Most of the 20+ passes were short and into the flats… The game plan was all about possession… 36 min. To 23 min. for AFA. Whitt does something to stop the option that always gets burned for a big pass play… The Jefferson long run for 6 shouldnt have happened though.
I’ll take it! It’s going to be loud next week! GO UTES!
by isnow1 on Oct 31, 2010 1:56 AM MDT via mobile reply actions
I thought we just played keep away all night
TCU looks formidable ot me just now.
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football."--John Heisman
“I’m glad their not on our schedule next year. They never quit-ever”. -Kyle Whittingham
by CRIMSONandWHITE on Oct 31, 2010 8:52 AM MDT reply actions
Who was that team? That was not our play book...
It looked to me that they were calling plays that wouldn’t give TCU anything to game plan around. I mean common, we had one pass on our first drive! Granted we looked unstoppable but it was not our usual play calling. And, that was the theme the entire game. Over all Asiata 95 yrds Wide 82 yrds Rushing (Nice!), Wynn had 148 yards passing (really?). The D was a mixed bag 4 turnovers (1 INT / 3 fumbles) but gave up two big plays for TD’s in the fourth Q and looked confused all night. What was with that game planning? Me thinks it’s some trickery… what does Whitt have in store for TCU?
I'm rubb-n my boots on your couch bitch! - Dave Chappelle (AKA Rick James)
the total spread option playbook. there better be alot of slants thrown is this game.
its the best play in our playbook when the other team has a speedy defense.
Utah and Boise State: The two best teams in the nation. Both undefeated and with a combined 12-2 against the spread. Why do canadians stick together? The same reason why Chris Horodecki turned his body and face around in his first WEC fight. J.J. my puta and my personal dartboard. Brock Lesnar the most over-rated MMA fighter there is. Even more over-rated than Kimbo Slice.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Oct 31, 2010 10:07 AM MDT up reply actions
I don't think
the players were overlooking AFA. I do think the coaches were. They have mentioned that they will throw out the film from this game, and I bet they didn’t expend as many reps against the triple option as they usually do. I also think that Coach Whit (bless his heart) really struggles scheming against the triple option, for whatever reason.
I agree that the plays that were being called were probably a smoke-screen for TCU, and the defensive scheming was probably simplified for the same reason.
Long story short, I felt like this game was pursued with a ‘if we just play straight-up football, we can eke out a win’ mentality. That’s fine if it helps us take down TCU on Saturday, and I think it will.
Anyone else PUMPED?
When the Utes went up 28-10, it became painfully obvious they were ready to just sit on the lead...
First time I’ve seen that all season. They didn’t want to turn the ball over. They didn’t want to put AFA in the position for a comeback. A few bad breaks, the dropped pass on 4th down, the missed FG, gave the Falcons new life.
I won’t read too much into this game because I think we played Air Force better than I’ve seen over the past few years. Had we just converted that 4th and 2 after the pick, or even kicked a FG, this game probably ends with Utah winning something like 31/35-17 and it’s a far more impressive score.
Seriously need to not make a big deal about last week...
As nice as it would have been to beat Air Force by a lot, the fact that it turned into a dog fight doesn’t say anything.
There isn’t anything that can be taken away from the last game, except for maybe some concerns about injures (Blechen/Manis).
Air Force and Utah always play each other tight. Utah also goes with a very vanilla offense, and last I checked another team on the Utah schedule doesn’t run the triple option.
Air Force is just a bit of Kryptonite to the Whittingham defense. Always has been. There’s a reason that Kyle told Dr. Chris Hill if he ever scheduled them again he was a dead man.
In fact, Utah needed a game like that, they needed to get punched in the mouth. Plus if anything, Utah will be a severe underdog now and completely discounted, putting the chip squarely where it needs to be, on Utah’s shoulders.
Funny 2008 Parallel
In 2008 King Louie missed 2 field goals all season. Both of them on the road versus Air Force.
Personally I knew the moment Phillips came out he was missing that figgie.
Yes, Utah vs. Air Force games are always tight and we shouldn't make a big deal from the game, but...
it was still unsettling to see such quick scores after building a good lead. And the defense wasn’t really what bothered me, it was our playing calling! I hate when utah decides to play not to lose instead of playing to win. It always leads to short offensive possessions and puts unneeded pressure on the defense
by ute33 on Oct 31, 2010 9:14 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs
From the SL Tribune:
Coach Whittingham jokingly threatened AD Chris Hill, “If you ever schedule Air Force again I’ll kill you.”
Zoo Cougar n. A "special" breed of feline, characterized by its propensity to have its attempts at swallowing a canary inevitably resulting in its choking on crow. See also: Zoobie, Cosmo Nut, Sexless Cat, Hippo-C-Rat origin: It takes a special kind of kitty to try and swallow the canary and end up choking on crow. --Ute Proverb
"If going undefeated in a non-AQ conference is so easy why aren't more teams doing it???" --Andrea Adelson, ESPN?!?
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