Pittsburgh report card
by JazzyUte on Sep 7, 2010 11:06 PM MDT
in Football
Email
PrintOkay, so I know you're thinking it's already mid-week and the Pitt game happened Thursday, so why the hell are we still talking about it? Well good point. Of course, this is something I do for most every game and since the Utes beat the Panthers on Thursday, there was a bit more time between the game and when I generally do the report card.
So deal with it.
Anyway, this game wasn't pretty. I don't want to say ugly because I think, for a fan, it was very exciting - but it was certainly sloppy.
Utah didn't dominate like maybe we had hoped (but really didn't expect them to do anyway), but they did get the job done. That's all that matters in the end, right?
The grades after the jump...
Offense: B - The offense played pretty well. Jordan Wynn wasn't perfect, but his numbers were really good for a quarterback making only his sixth start. I also liked the play calling and though the Utes weren't as fluid in the second half as they were the first (Wynn's injury most certainly played a role here), they made the big plays on the offensive end to get the job done.
Along with Wynn, I was impressed with both Matt Asiata and Eddie Wide III. Neither had eye-popping numbers, but their totals together were huge in the game and if they can continue that type of output, which you can only believe will improve against lesser teams, they'll be far better than just serviceable.
Beyond those three, I like what I saw from DeVonte Christopher. Though he's only a sophomore, he very well could be Utah's best receiver this season and that's saying a lot, because Jereme Brooks is still pretty damn good.
Christopher recorded his first touchdown in the fourth quarter and it couldn't have been a bigger one. Though the Utes eventually coughed up the lead, that play was arguably the most important of regulation.
Defense: A-minus - The defense was probably the most surprising aspect of Utah's win over the Panthers. Everything about the defense exceeded expectations. The fact they kept Dion Lewis to a record low 75-yards really only touches on how good of a performance they produced.
While I was extremely impressed with the defensive line and their ability to stuff the run, I think I was more impressed with the secondary. Specifically how the Utes straight up took Jon Baldwin out of the game. He was, along with Lewis, a potential All-American this season and with how inexperienced Utah's secondary looked heading into this game, the fact he only had a couple big plays and did minimal damage was huge for the Utes.
Sure, the defense struggled at the end of the game and allowed Pittsburgh to score a big touchdown to pull within three late. However, I think they did a good job redeeming themselves both on the final drive of the game and especially in overtime.
It was that overtime play, namely from Brian Blechen, that won the game for Utah and left us celebrating a huge win to start the season. His pick, especially as a freshman, will be regarded as one of the best plays of the season (hell, maybe the best).
Special Teams: C - Again special teams nearly cost the Utes. Each year we keep telling ourselves they need to improve and that they will improve and they rarely do. Utah is lucky their special teams play didn't cost them this game. It surely put what should have been a blowout in jeopardy. They're just lucky the defense and offense bailed out the special teams. Hopefully this does improve because if the Utes want to run the table, blocked punts, fumbled punt returns and woefully short punts are going to end up costing them a game or two against good opponents.
Coaches:
- Aaron Roderick: B - As I mentioned, I liked the play calling. The no-huddle was effective (until Shaky Smithson fumbled) and prior to Wynn's injury (and even after, to an extent), the offense really moved the ball well. I do wonder if maybe he should have gone a bit more conservative in the fourth when the Utes had the lead. Of course, Ludwig did that a lot and it often burned the team in the end. So, maybe it was the right move.
- Kalani Sitake: A - No complains about the defense. They were impressive. Sitake seems to have transitioned well into his role as Utah's defensive coordinator and I would not be surprised if in a year or two, his name is being batted around for the head gig at a smaller non-BCS school.
- Kyle Whittingham: B-plus - The team was penalized more than they should have been, but he had 'em ready - which isn't always the case in season openers. As for the two timeouts at the end of the game? Well, let's not go there.
14 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
the defense played extremely well and really only gave up 14 points. the blocked put was a gimme for pitt offense.
plus the fumble by shaky was way down there so the defense i would give an A. the offense a c+. wynn was accurate and had zip on the ball. wide and asiata were good. brooks and christopher were very good. i told y’all our best play is that slant we run. shakys 2 fumbles are unacceptable. joe phillips was money. i wish we could find a good third wr and i would like to see t. cain take some snaps on some option roll outs. we will crush unlv. i saw that game vs wisky. 12 yards first half. the defense scored the td’s. i predict utah 42 unlv 14.
I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Glory favors the bold. Chance favors the prepared mind. Luck, well i have that too. University of Utah goes to the Pac-12 conference in 2011. I expect them to compete immediately for the conference CG. Brock Lesnar will defeat Cain Velasquez. Womens MMA, the next big thing in sports. Utah and Boise take care of business in week one. Don't be surprised if they both go undefeated.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Sep 7, 2010 11:24 PM MDT reply actions
Offense: B- I thought, for the most part, Wynn was good. He was generally accurate, although he did miss some wide open receivers (Luke Matthews TWICE on what would have been TDs). But that’s forgivable. The thing that worried me most though, was that when he got pressured, he panicked and threw it up for grabs. Thankfully it only burned us badly once (pick in the end zone). Hopefully he’ll be able to settle in and not repeat that pattern. Wide and Asiata were exactly what I expected them to be — excellent. I think the offensive line deserves major props here as well. They all but neutralized two of the best DE’s in the country, protected Wynn, and opened up holes for the RB’s.
Defense: A- What a pleasant surprise! These guys were awesome. The D-line consistently pressured Sunseri, the LB’s (minus two starters) contained a Heisman-Hyped runningback, and the secondary absolutely held their own. I’m looking forward to watching true freshman Brian Blechen develop. That kid can play. If it weren’t for the one big pass play, this grade would be a solid A.
Special Teams: C Obviously there’s a lot of work to do here. Shaky’s punt-return fumble was completely bone-headed. But there were definitely positives. Recovering a muffed kickoff return. The punt that landed inside the 5. The kicking game was solid. Phillips’ field goals. And I think Sellwood is an excellent punter. It’s not his fault he got one blocked — he got no protection on that one at all. The shanked punt could have cost us dearly, but again I have a hard time blaming him. He was already rattled from the blocked punt, and Pitt sent the house after him again. He was lucky to get it off. We know what he can do — he just needs better protection.
As far as coaching, Sitake gets an A, Whit gets a B, and Roderick/Schramm… I give them a B-. The one thing I’ll say is that it was completely boneheaded to call a shovel pass on 3rd and 18. But it was even MORE boneheaded to call the exact same play on 3rd and 27 after seeing how badly it failed on 3rd and 18. Sometimes I just can’t figure OC’s out.
Overall, a messy, sloppy, but encouraging win for the Utes. They’ve got a few weeks to fine-tune things before their next real test.
"We'll fight for dear 'ol crimson, for a Utah man am I!"
Follow me on twitter: @vizzle07
We have to remember that there are multiple parts to special teams.
Kicking, punting and returning.
Kicking: B+ (kickoffs looked pretty good, but not great, field goals were great).
Punting: C+ (first punts looked good, then the block got in Sellwood’s head and he shanked the last one)
Returning: F— (Yes, F MINUS MINUS. SHAKY FUMBLED A FAIR CATCH! I seriously don’t want to see us ever catch a punt again.)
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Sep 9, 2010 10:03 AM MDT up reply actions
Need more choices
It was closer to a B+. Playing Pittsburgh is a higher level class than playing East Tennessee College of Agriculture or whatever some of those SEC teams were playing. Pitt is a good BCS school with a really good coaching staff. I think Utah did very well considering that.
And looking at some of the other teams out there who were sloppy in their first games (USU vs. Oklahoma means that the USU game is going to be really difficult or Oklahoma is not as good as everyone thinks), I think Utah had some first game jitters.
I want evil Otto the Orange as SU's mascot.
Special Teams and Penalties
Going to sound off a little about the Special Teams play as it has been a source of angst let alone an adventure and added stress. I remember back in Urban’s days the same situation with Special Teams play. What was the solution? I recall that Urban personnally took it upon himself to "fix it". Can’t remember whether it was ’03 or ’04 but the difference the game before and the next game was remarkable and the rest of the season there really wasn’t an issue. So my question "When is KW going to take the same stance and attitude and "fit it" meaning taking the reins and place the type of emphasis on it that Meyers put on it? Whit – time to call Meyer and pump him on things he did to get this important part of the game under control!
As for penalties – well I remember that my coaches keep track of who and there were "rewards" for mental lapses. After a couple of games with after practice "rewards" there were very few lapses. Enough said.
TAO
I was thinking the same thing
Meyer just took over Special Teams as the designate Special Teams coach, if I’m not mistaken. Do you remember all the blocked punts, blocked kicks, and even a few trick returns in 2004? Meyer definitely put his mark on that aspect of the game.
I keep accidentally eating my pets. Maybe I should get something less appetizing, like a cat instead of a Twinkie.
Sort-of-daily sort-of-funny sort-of-thoughts at danoftheday.com
When you look at that game,
. . .we played too much of the game on our side of the field. Given that fact, the defense was great. Thier field position was better all night, they had the ball a lot longer than we did. That makes the D that much better for me, and our special teams, as Jazzy noted, in serious need of improvement.
improvement
There are definitely areas of special teams that needs improvement. But then there are areas where they did well. As mentioned earlier, the kicker was great in nailing all the FG’s. However, they need to give better blocking for the kicker and obviously work on the fumbles.
By working on fumbles . . .
I assume you mean assigning someone who doesn’t have pumpkins for hands to be our kick returner????
Cannot have a mental case returning kicks, that job is for a kid who has ice in his veins. Even if the guys is slower, get someone with balls, like that walk on Mcnabb kid, to do it.
I give em a B
would have been a A if we didn’t almost blow the game.
It wouldn't be a Utah win without almost blowing it. :D
by JazzyUte on Sep 8, 2010 5:48 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
It is what makes it edgy
Isn’t it? What makes UNLV, New Mexico, and SDSU and Wyoming and Utah State games to watch?
It’s also what makes a great, unbeaten season so amazing to have.
Well that's what I said about 2008 compared to 2004.
In 2004, we blew everyone out and the games were far less memorable.
In 2008, we blew no one out (well almost) and the games were far more memorable.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
- Urban Meyer
"Wow. Wow. Wow."
- Daryl Johnston after Utah took a 21-0 lead on Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
