Four years ago, a season was saved with a trip to Big East Country
by JazzyUte on Oct 13, 2011 4:28 PM MDT
in Football
Email
PrintNo one quite knew what to make of the 2007 Utah Utes. They had knocked off UCLA in dominant fashion and then collapsed, on the road, against an awful, awful UNLV Rebels team that would fail to record another victory the remainder of the season.
Everything seemed in shambles. Even a win a week later over the oft-struggling Utah St. Aggies didn't inspire.
The Utes sat at 2-3 and were facing the prospects of a tough road contest a country away against a perennial solid Big East team.
Sound familiar?
Utah faced a struggling, and inconsistent, Louisville Cardinals team that year and left 44-35 winners. They would lose only once more the remainder of the season, a seven point defeat to BYU at the tail end of '07 .
That win salvaged the season and put the Utes on the right track - one that would end with a BCS bowl victory over Alabama a year later.
Who knows if any of that happens had the Utes left Louisville 2-4. But what I do know is that the program came home with a bit of swagger that they would carry with them for an entire two years.
They need something similar this weekend. If there is one thing Utah is lacking right now, it's swagger and confidence. They just don't have it. I'm not sure this team believes they can win and that's a scary thought because once the losing mentality sets in, it's nearly impossible to shake.
If Utah comes back from Pittsburgh 2-4, do they stand a chance of saving this season?
Hopefully we don't find out and, like the Utes of four years ago, they return from a trip to Big East country 3-3 with new life and a bit of swagger.
37 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Obviously winning is better than losing,
but no, I don’t think Pitt is make or break for the season. It’ll be a lot harder to become bowl eligible with a loss to Pitt, but it isn’t out of the question. With OSU, Arizona, UCLA, WSU, and Colorado still left to play, Utah still has a good chance of going to a bowl and maybe winning.
Before the season, my prediction for the Utes was 8–4 or 7–5. The way the Utes have played has disappointed me, but those are still attainable records. If Utah finished the regular season 7–5 and with a bowl victory, I’d deem the season a moderate success, especially considering the Utes will have done it with a backup quarterback.
It may not be the event horizon
But it’s damn close to a “must win.” I’ve got to agree with Jazzy here. No, it won’t be impossible to hit a bowl and gain some respectability back if Utah loses this weekend, but it’s the next worse thing. I think it really is about the winning mentality and getting that desire back.
If anyone found my snowboarding gloves after storming the field following the 2004 TDS game, I want them back!
Jesus Jazzy
Have a little confidence. Personally I am more scared about their huge WR’s than Graham. Two of ASU’s tall guys blew Utah up.
by PhuckthePhillies on Oct 13, 2011 7:36 PM MDT reply actions
That year
Louisville was expected to make a push for the BCS Natl Champ game, but fell very short of expectations. Nevertheless, at that point in the season, it was a great victory, Mack and BJ had very efficient games. The offense showed a bit of what we would eventually see the following year. Here’s to Hays having a coming out game with a healthy dose of passing and rushing yards and John White building off his ASU performance. The Utes can win any game this year.
Gotta beat Pitt
Just because of the name alone. “PITT”. “Pittsburgh”. It makes me think of armpits or peach pits or tar pits… Are there any GOOD pits?
If Utah comes back from Pittsburgh 2-4, do they stand a chance of saving this season?
Let’s pull out the Magic Scottyball™:
@California: Golden Bears aren’t pushovers, but their offense is really struggling, mostly due to poor QB play. This should be a pretty low-scoring game, but Cal gets the edge because of defense. (20-17 Cal)
Oregon State: My Beavs are on the upswing after beating Arizona, but who hasn’t beaten Arizona in the last year, amirite? RES hasn’t been kind to us in the past, and though I wouldn’t be surprised at all to lose, I’m going to have to homer this one and say 30-22 Beavs. [runs and hides]
@Arizona: Nick Foles makes sure everything’s close, but only after falling behind a zillion points. Horrible Wildcat line play makes this a nice game for the Utes who win 35-28.
UCLA: Scottyball hazy… These guys are all over the place. Bruins do NOT travel well, though, and Rick Neuheisel is hovering at lame duck status, so 24-17 Utes.
@Washington State: They looked good in the beginning of the year, but then they started having to play real teams… Somehow they picked up an offense lately, even without Jeff Tuel, so given that and that it’s a fired up WSU team probably looking for their bowl eligibility, at home where it will be FREEZING: Cougs 31-13.
Colorado: Everyone’s beating them this year, and you guys won’t be an exception. Utah wins 42-20.
Scottyball prediction: If Utes come back 2-4, season ends 5-7. So close. So beat Pitt :P
by scotty256 on Oct 14, 2011 3:12 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs
The power of homerism!
It powers the Scottyball :-D
freezing?
You don’t think Utah knows what its like playing in freezing weather? Washington State is mild compared to Salt Lake… Let alone say… Laramie, Fort Collins or Air Force Academy, where Utah has had to play every other year in the past. Any cold weather gives Utah the edge against any PAC team, other than CU. If Utah gets their shit together, I think they win out. If Utah loses I see 7-5.
The teams that have given Utah all their losses are combined 14-3 (one of those losses was USC at ASU so it kind of negates one). On top of that Utah was in a position to win each of those games. Had utah not lost the ball at the UW’s 5 yard line on two consecutive drives that game would’ve been a hell of a lot different. Had Hays not thrown an interception in the endzone just before halftime against ASU, Utah could’ve been up 21-10 in the third quarter of that one.
Despite everything this team has been through I think they are pretty damn good. A lot better than even some of their own fans give them credit for. Whittingham coached teams do not traditionally turn the ball over 5 times per game and I think they may have gotten complacent against UW and ASU but I don’t see them being as clumsy after the ASU game. Jon Hays will throw fewer interceptions with experience but its hard to be less productive than Wynn was so I still don’t think Utah has lost anything on offense.
by uteswim1988 on Oct 14, 2011 11:07 AM MDT up reply actions
Pullman, WA
is actually colder than SLC.
Want to see someone really get their brain twisted up? Try explaining the Monty Hall problem to them....
by BigBenSportsGuy on Oct 14, 2011 1:03 PM MDT up reply actions
Pullman is only a few degrees colder than SLC on average...
At least in the winter months. In December, the average high for Pullman is 35, for SLC, it’s 38.
But you’re right…it is colder. If only minimally.
Humidity plays a factor in it feeling colder...
…but it’s not going to matter once they’re on the field. These guys have so many advantages when it comes to apparel.
The temperature has to drop into the teens, with no sun, before you really see it play any kind of factor in the outcome of the game.
Agreed...
It only becomes an issue when it’s a dramatic difference than what the players are used to. I’m thinking ’08 TCU game, which was at night and pretty cold. I believe Patterson even commented on it, implying it was an advantage for Utah.
no doubt about it.
that 08 tcu game had a big advantage for us.
I was hoping for a night game/at least seasonal temperatures against TCU last year, and i didnt get either. but if you have to resort to climate advantages to win football games, you aren’t the best football team around.
Want to see someone really get their brain twisted up? Try explaining the Monty Hall problem to them....
by BigBenSportsGuy on Oct 14, 2011 2:40 PM MDT up reply actions
I was hoping for a night game too...
Not because I thought it gave Utah an edge (though I think it would have if the teams were closer than they eventually proved to be), but because it’s a much more lively atmosphere than day games.
definately.
that and the fact that the blackout in broad daylight loses some of its effectiveness. and when I say “some” I really mean “all”.
Want to see someone really get their brain twisted up? Try explaining the Monty Hall problem to them....
by BigBenSportsGuy on Oct 14, 2011 3:12 PM MDT up reply actions
yeah
I’m a meteorologist… Pullman is about the same temperature but downsloping winds keep them dry and in some cases a little warmer. So you may be a little cooler in Pullman, but at Utah you are much more likely to be watching the game in cold wet snow.
Laramie, Ft. Collins and C Springs
I think we can all agree that regardless of who we play in the PAC12, none of our opponents play in areas with weather as hostile as Laramie, Ft. Collins and Colorado Springs, besides maybe CU on occasion.
Not any colder than Eugene.
Dolphins and sharks are natural enemies. Dolphins are like, "Quit eating us," and sharks are like, "Stop smiling all the time, you morons."
Sort-of-daily sort-of-funny sort-of-thoughts at danoftheday.com
I'm with you on the turnovers
I just don’t see any way that you guys continue to cough up the ball the way you have. Whittingham is too good of a coach to allow that to happen. Why you guys got “complacent” against UW and ASU is beyond me. Most of those turnovers were the result of good strips by the defense or bad throws, but they are all (mostly) correctable.
Yep
The defense earned them, but I’m seeing White and Dunn fight for extra yardage when they should probably just go down. Both of the fumbles I saw in the ASU game I believe we had the first down but while fighting for more yardage they get stripped. Interceptions are going to happen when you are starting a QB who got here in August, so I’m not surprised when those happen. Fumbles shouldn’t happen though. I don’t know if the Oline can get in there and help push forward or if whoever has the ball should just go down when they are stood up… Especially when they know they’ve lost the battle for extra yards. It would be nice if the refs would blow the whistle when forward progress has clearly stopped too…
Ball security should be the primary focus...
I don’t think the problem is fighting for the yardage, but more that they get sloppy when they’re doing it.
Other than the JBIV fumble, none of our guys have been stood up and had the ball stripped. They’re usually moving in space with the ball away from their body. They’re thinking about how to break the big play.
This is a coaching issue…and it can be coached away. After catching the ball, the first thought should be about securing it. When running into the defense, the first thought should be “high & tight”. Don’t go switching the ball while running, don’t ever let it get away from your body.
Fundamentals baby!
Maybe SLC is colder than I thought
but Pullman is a barren wasteland of frosty Cougars and shattered dreams :(
my crystal ball
Doesn’t need magic to show your an idiot
by aUTmanAMi on Oct 14, 2011 10:48 AM MDT via mobile reply actions
Don't blame me
Blame the Magic Scottyball™ ;D
But hey, other than the OSU game, I’d be happy to see you guys win out.
You know my thoughts... @ Cal is the crest of the wave, not this game.
It could be the difference between going 7-5, or 3-9.
Although the competition on the back-end isn’t as tough, asking the team to go 4-1 (to get bowl eligible if we lose to Cal) down the stretch is a tall order.
I think the only win that might be a guarantee is Colorado. Next would be Arizona, as they should be in disarray…but sometimes these shake-ups energize a team, so who knows what direction they’ll be headed in the coming weeks. Foles is a great QB, and our secondary is suspect.
Plus, if we don’t win one of these next two games…I’m not sure we’re good enough to post an .800 record over the last 5. After watching last night’s Cal/USC game, and contrasting it to our game vs. USC, it seems like a game we should win. Granted, Cal was plagued by the same turnover issues that have made us look terrible, but I was not impressed with the idea that this is a “second tier” Pac-12 team. If we lose to Cal, I’m not sure we’re even a “third tier” Pac-12 team.
The team I’ve seen in the first half looks every bit as good as Washington & ASU. Keep the TO margin close, or actually win it, and we can go 5-2 down the stretch…but we need to get a win before the emotional baggage drags us down into a “culture of losing”.
-
Tier 1 – Stanford, Oregon
Tier 2 – ASU, USC, Washington
Tier 3 – Utah, UCLA, Cal, Washington St.
Tier 4 – Oregon St., Arizona, Colorado
-
Having said all of that, I am not real confident in winning @ Pitt. I’ve watched 2 of their games (ND, South Florida) and I saw a team who, like us, might be better than their record.
They were -3 TO margin vs. Rutgers…that’s a win if the margin is neutral.
-2 TO vs. Iowa…a game they lost by 4 points after Iowa charged back from 17 points in the 4th quarter.
Even in the Notre Dame game they played a strong defensive game, and their running game was a strength…and Notre Dame is a good team, I bet they win next week vs. USC.
Sunseri & the passing game is still a weakness, which is why they’re 3-3, not 6-0…and believe me, they’re not that far from being that team.
I think Pitt comes out with a chip on their shoulder…collected from the loss to us last year, and their near misses…and may put a beating on us. We absolutely have to win the turnover margin, that’s the only way we beat Pitt. I hope I’m wrong, but that’s what I see right now.
I maintain that I do not believe Utah beats Cal if they lose tomorrow...
I just have a bad feeling if they drop three in a row, they’re probably going to drop four in a row before coming home and righting the ship. That’s how it typically works, anyway. Cal is not a great team, but they’re good enough to beat a dispirited, no confident Utah team.
That’s why I think Pitt is so important because it is the type of game to get Utah back on the right path. Cal would be too, but I fear after losing for an entire month, they just might not have it in them to do it.
whole heartedly agree.
Want to see someone really get their brain twisted up? Try explaining the Monty Hall problem to them....
by BigBenSportsGuy on Oct 14, 2011 2:41 PM MDT up reply actions
don't sleep on Cal
They might even be good enough to beat a confident, upbeat Utah. Their 3 losses are to UW, USC, and Oregon. Same as yours, but swap out Oregon for ASU. They have always been a very up and down team so don’t put TOO much emphasis on their poor performance against USC.
I'm stocked up on no-doze...
Jazzy thinks that a loss vs. Pitt might equal a demoralized Utah, & therefore a loss.
I think a loss vs. Pitt might equal an angry Utah, be our last chance at salvaging the season, and therefore a win.
…but even with that, I’m not saying that it’s a win…I’m saying that if it’s not a win, things go sideways (as if they haven’t already).
Jazzy thinks things go sideways this week if we don’t win. Neither of us are overlooking Cal though…
If the Equipment Manager can find the stick 'em....
to give us a better chance of holding onto the ball we’ll be OK. That and Hays learning from his mistakes the last two games – don’t panic and force throws, or loft them.
"It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word" - Andrew Jackson
Cats seem to be our specialty
Bobcats, cougars, I think we can handle some panthers. ;)
If anyone found my snowboarding gloves after storming the field following the 2004 TDS game, I want them back!
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
Related FanPosts on Block U
Related FanShots on Block U
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
