Conservative Utes win opener in ho-hum fashion
by JazzyUte on Sep 1, 2011 10:22 PM MDT
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PrintUtah's performance Thursday night certainly won't give USC reason to quake in their boots.
Whether it was by design or due to non-coaching issues, the newly revamped Utah offense sputtered in its debut. While not an awful performance, the short passes and conservative play calling makes you wonder if the coaches trust Jordan Wynn, or if there might be some lingering issues with his shoulder - either way, Wynn wasn't bad, but hardly did enough to inspire.
I'm not quite sure what to make of the overall performance. I was impressed with how the team looked for much of the first half. However, in the second half, they either looked disinterested at times or completely overwhelmed - I couldn't quite decide.
Overall, though, a win is a win and the Utes weren't embarrassed against a lesser opponent.
They just didn't blow the doors off like I had hoped.
At least John White looked good, though.
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Well...
Let me start off by saying I’m glad we won! I was very impressed with Blechen’s performance and knew he would do well. The running game was good, led by White’s efforts.
I am NOT impressed with Jordan Wynn, or his new hair style for that matter. That’s neither here nor there. I just didn’t get the impression he’s really ready to lead this team. I may be premature in saying this, but he reminded me of last season when he was just… well… not that great. I just feel like as a junior he should be better than he was tonight. I’m not writing him off, I think he can do very well. My expectations were simply higher and I was left wanting more.
We'll see how it goes...
Like I said, it could’ve been all by design. USC is going to tell us everything we need to know about the Utes.
Hair style!
I am NOT impressed with… his new hair style for that matter.
I was thinking the same thing, but I didn’t want to say it as a non-Ute on the blog… :-x
He's growing out his hair...
So he can donate it to Locks of Love in honor of his grandma who just passed away due to cancer
Locks of love
Best response to criticism ever… because you feel bad for even thinking it didn’t look good (I had all the same thoughts, not judging).
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 2, 2011 1:01 PM MDT up reply actions
We are at the top..
of the PAC-12 South division standings.. I hope that performance isn’t indicative of what we can expect the rest of the season from our UTES.. if so we should enjoy that number one standing while we can cause we may be in for a long season..
I know we shouldnt get ahead of ourselves here but all of the issues we were hoping would be addressed in spring and fall camp were all cause for concern tonight. Secondary, O-line, J. Wynns ability to hit targets were all problems tonight. At least White stepped up.
A win is a win.. GO UTES!
Oh yeah..
and the kicking game was surprisingly good. Petersen from 37 and 44..
by UTalkintome? on Sep 1, 2011 10:51 PM MDT up reply actions
The secondary?
How was the secondary bad? We had one blown coverage and a few iffy calls on Lacy, who was just playing good football and getting dinged for it. We had batted passes and plenty of solid tackles on the few occasions ball carriers made it past the D-line. The shovel pass play was a blow, but that was I think a rush-7 situation.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 2, 2011 8:18 AM MDT up reply actions
Disagree
I think Lacy could be a liability if he doesn’t get his head on straight. He had a couple of personal foul penalties, got burned on a 40 yard pass play, missed tackles. He seemed out of position frequently and had to awkwardly scramble around to get back into position. He seemed almost too amped up and not settled in like a vet. If he plays that way, mark my word, teams are going to throw at his side all the time cause he’ll get burned or have a penalty called on him.
by UteinBrooklyn on Sep 2, 2011 9:48 AM MDT up reply actions
It slays me
How people are writing off Wynn and this offense after one game. One game that the playbook never even got past the 5th page on.
It could have been Wynn struggling, or it could have been a very conservative game plan that cause the offense to look stagnant.
What I saw out there was a team that dominated the first quarter, got an early 24 point lead, and then shut it down.
Wynn has never been a QB that has done well with a conservative game plan. He always seems to get bored in the games when we play so conservatively.
If it continues into next week then there is reason for concern, but as of right now I think Jazzy nailed it on the head. It wasn’t an awful performance. Just wasn’t necessarily a good one.
It's hard for any QB to look good in a conservative offense...
Conservative offenses generally rely way more on the run and short passes than anything that utilizes a quarterback’s ability.
So that isn’t a surprise. I doubt Wynn was the one who decided to not air it out.
I think the bigger concern with Wynn
is that he underthrew targets, and some of his passes looked wobbly. Those don’t have much to do with the playbook.
Still, mark one win for Wynn in the books :)
No doubt Wynn looked off for most the game...
But the routes the offense ran for most of the game didn’t really indicate to me they wanted to throw deep. If that’s the case, I’m not willing to throw Wynn under the bus because he didn’t lob a few balls deep down field.
Of course, if the offensive line had given Wynn time to do anything, who knows what could’ve developed…
Worrying about one game is silly ...
… we know this in the Pac 12. How else can WSU beat Montana St. by just one point one week and thrash OSU in Corvallis weeks later? It just happens.
That said, the playcalling is the one area that would concern me if for no other reason than one of the main criticisms of Norm has been his uninspired playcalling over the past few years. Its almost as if he hasn’t kept up with current defensive trends and philosophies. This is an area that I’ll be watching with the USC game.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Thats a good point
I keep thinking that the play calling in that game was reserved, but thinking back it looked pretty much like every UCLA game last year…
Using a team that went 2-10 last year as an example isn't going to make us feel better...
I don’t care that Washington State ripped Oregon State – they it was their only win over a FBS program. If that’s our future, well don’t expect any of us to be grinning when this thing ends in November.
That was probably ment to point out that you can't take results over FCS foes to seriously.
Attractive, Intelligent, Smart A**
by Neil Vincent Roberts on Sep 2, 2011 4:27 PM MDT up reply actions
But I think it proves you should...
Washington State was not a good team last year. Their close win over MSU proved it. They didn’t bounce back and beat a ton of teams or crawled back to respectability. Sure, they defeated Oregon State and were more competitive in their games, but 2-10 is 2-10 and it would have been 1-11 had it not been for a comeback against the Bobcats.
That’s not to say struggling or losing to FCS teams automatically means you’re doomed – just ask Michigan & V-Tech, who bounced back to have respectable seasons after their losses. But it’s not ideal, either.
I also don't think
We ‘struggled’ against these guys. It was never in doubt, we just scored 7-21 points less than we would have liked to.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 2, 2011 9:27 PM MDT up reply actions
He made one throw
downfield to an open man, and under-threw him by a few feet. He had one other guy open deep on a scramble to the right, and threw a pretty darn accurate pass into triple coverage instead. He started out wobbly, but his passes were looking zippier throughout the night.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 2, 2011 8:20 AM MDT up reply actions
Honestly that's to be expected.
Remember Wynn hasn’t played since before the bowl game. In addition to that he didn’t throw in Spring Ball, and his reps were limited in fall camp.
Rust was to be expected. Being off on his timing with his WR’s was to be expected. That’s part of why having MSU as the first game was a brilliant thing for the Utes.
Let’s see how he does in a real game situation next week.
And I mean no disrespect to MSU for that comment, but the reason I don’t consider last night a real game situation, is because I seriously doubt that’s was the Utes’ real offensive gameplan.
Yes and no
The offense should struggle with a rebuilt line, new scheme, etc.The offensive line has to get better.Wynn cannot carry the offense no matter how good he is.
The issue with Wynn is this: in his last two years he has not hit wide ass open receivers deep. Last night he threw a few grounders. He missed numerous opportunities to hit receivers that were wide open for two years. He overthrows, he underthrows, etc. he is inconsistent. If our opponents study film of us the key will be shutting down the run because Wynn cannot beat you.
Now, if all he is going to throw is short passes to backs outta the outfield and the TE cool. That willk get you down the field. The one thing they did do was hit the tight end a little which we needed to do.
But 104 yards in the air? Using the so called west coast offense? Something is way wrong.
There may be a slight talent difference on the field in two saturdays and they will be pissed at having to sit out the year and wanting to rub our noses in shit.So, yes we may see a different Utah and perhaps we were overlooking MSU.
But Wynn has never been a great passing talent and has cost us more than one game by missing open receivers.
Please do not give me the “wiiningest QB” BS either—no Starting Utah QB has played with as much talent as Wynn has or had as much defensive ability backing him up, especially when you consider that our defense, thanks often to Wynn, has lived on the field for two years far more than necessary. Smith had good talent and arguabl ybetter coaching, but no Utah QB I have ever watched has missed so many open guys consistentyl-not one. He has to improve, it is his third year.
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football."--John Heisman
"I'm not upset about the U allegations," tweeted Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez, who pitched at Miami. "I'm mad we didn't win anything while we were cheating."
I'm not much for bitching after wins
I’ll just say that I’m nervous. The defense looked good. though.
I'm nervous...
Watching ASU, Temple (!!!), Georgia Tech, Toledo and others destroy their FCS opponents makes me wonder how bad we really are.
The only other FBS team that struggled worse than Utah was Louisville – and if we’re on the level of the Cardinals, we’re in for a 5-7 season.
Louisville is special
They play in the MIGHTY BIG EAST
by scotty256 on Sep 1, 2011 11:23 PM MDT up reply actions 2 recs
Blowouts
are not always indicative of how good a team is. We blew out many teams last year including Iowa State. So what. We weren’t that good last year.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 1, 2011 11:34 PM MDT up reply actions
It's not the score that makes me nervous
I am fine with the score. It’s the way the offense played that makes me nervous. The defense gave Utah pretty good field position, so most of the scores came on short fields.
2nd drive
I call that 67 yard, 9 play series a sustained drive.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 2, 2011 12:01 AM MDT up reply actions
First game you guys.
Calm DOWN!
I’d kill for a 67 yard 9 play drive right now..
Attractive, Intelligent, Smart A**
by Neil Vincent Roberts on Sep 2, 2011 11:43 AM MDT up reply actions
Sustained drives are always harder to put together in week one
one could argue it would be a lot easier in week one against MSU than in week two against USC, but we will have to see.
I understand your concern
If this was Wynn’s first game, then I would have been more concerned.
I have seen what he can do. Wynn can play well. The Cal game comes to mind. He led us back against SDSU a game in which I had given up all hope. Also again back to the blow-out wins last year, Wynn and the offense looked REAL GOOD. I saw the Iowa State and CSU pastings, we LOOKED AWESOME.
So based on that kind of history, I can’t extrapolate this performance into how he is performing. What I did find positive though was that he didn’t force the ball and throw any picks. Last year in the blow-out wins and against Cal he threw INTs.
From his body language today, he looked fine to me. Only time will tell. His body language in the TCU and ND games on the otherhand was terrible!
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 1, 2011 11:59 PM MDT up reply actions
Ridiculous assessment
First off, bad teams rarely blow out opponents. Good teams often blow opponents out — especially clearly inferior ones.
We won 10 games last year, and the offense crushed lesser foes. MSU is definitely a lesser foe, and we addressed the issues that caused the offense to sputter against good teams. I wasn’t expecting 60, but I needed to see 40 to give me reason to believe that we would be better offensively. Maybe things change against USC, and if it does, we can chalk this up as an aberration. But those who say we shouldn’t worry about this win, what will you say if USC hands us our lunch? That we’re 1-1?
by 100ThingsUtah on Sep 2, 2011 2:29 AM MDT up reply actions
USC will tell us everything we need to know about this season...
I’ve actually thought this long before Thursday’s game.
A blowout loss and I think we’ll be no better than a 6-6 or 7-5 team. A close loss gives me hope that we’ll be competitive in every other game this season and maybe we’ll be able to win most.
I’ve never expected a win at SC and I still don’t. The thing is, I felt we could compete. Now I’m not so sure.
USC
… I wouldn’t use USC as a measuring stick in that way. A couple of reasons come to mind:
a) Playing at the Coliseum is tough (con)
b) USC has the second youngest starting unit in the Pac 12, second only to Washington. This includes being one of only four teams in FBS who don’t start a single senior on the O-Line (pro)
c) Utah’s first Pac 12 game has an emotional element that will be a one-time deal (pro or con)
There are a number of unique circumstances in this game that make it not a good measuring stick. Personally, I’m of the belief that USC, while talented, is overblown this season.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Most definitely we should use them as a measuring stick...
If Utah gets laughed off the field, I find it highly unlikely they’ll turn around and beat BYU. They might not get drilled by the Cougars, but a blowout loss to SC heading into that game is not an ideal situation.
If the Utes drop both games, they’ll be starting the season 1-2 and then when Washington comes to town, essentially will need to win to save the season. Two consecutive losses, three bad performances, won’t help in the confidence game.
You might dismiss the idea, but a 1-2 Utah team with zero confidence is begging to start the season 1-3 and from there? Well who knows…
Easy, bro. You are in the PAC 12 now...
… You can go 3-6 to start and still end up beating a ranked national power in the Holiday Bowl. Don’t believe me? UW did it last year.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Glad to see D-backfield show up and play so hard
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football."--John Heisman
"I'm not upset about the U allegations," tweeted Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez, who pitched at Miami. "I'm mad we didn't win anything while we were cheating."
On a jetplane,..
Saw the first half while awaiting, reloaded Yahoo box score to follow the play by play.
Objectives:
1) Ran for 200 yards – big check – but sorry Vakapuna is not a feature back and has not enough speed to turn the corner.
2) Kicking game – 37 and 44 yard – big check
3) Passing game – TBD
4) Interceptions – 2 – big check
5) Special Team – Henderson and block – big check
6) Pass defense – unknown- big play before half
7) Penalties- no check mark – the call Lacy was bad
8) OL – 2 sacks and one hurry that I saw – C minus (not a D because they ran well with White)
8) Coaching – ?? – what’s with the conservative play calling. and play Langi. If the coaching staff is saving Langi to redshirt him, they are dumb. Don’t save $10 when you can lose $100.
I didn’t see all of Wynn’s throws but I liked the fact that he didn’t turn the ball over.
Officially tempted to hit the panic button after this game...
You know what? Im not so sure I have any more confidence in Jordan Wynn anymore. Conservative play or not, this is MONTANA STATE. * sigh* USC, here we come……..
by Oregon Ute on Sep 1, 2011 11:51 PM MDT via mobile reply actions
To be fair
Montana State is ranked around #5 in FCS polls. It’s not entirely reasonable to expect to toss them around 100%.
Also
That’s #5 out of 126 teams. Lumping all FCS teams together is like lumping Ohio State, Florida, and Oregon in with New Mexico State and San Jose State.
Montana State
could probably beat UNLV.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 2, 2011 12:03 AM MDT up reply actions
I have no doubt they could beat more than a few Div. 1 teams on the lower end. Coach Whittingham’s assertion that they’re well-coached and all that was more than just lip-service, IMO.
Montana State is good team.
IMO they are better than UNLV, UC Davis and some other of the teams that got clobbered tonight.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 2, 2011 12:08 AM MDT up reply actions
I said it in the game thread
and I’ll say it here: The 2000 Beaver Fiesta Bowl team barely squeaked by Eastern Washington (another FCS powerhouse) 19-17.
A closer-than-desired win over a good FCS opponent isn’t a reason for panic. The poor O-line play and wobbly Wynn throws are more concerning. Just have to wait and see.
If people questioning the D
Tevoed the game… go back and really look at the QB and receivers. Those guys could suit up with any good non-AQ team, and if you added a couple of inches to each one, with any AQ team as well. That offense was excellent.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 2, 2011 1:08 PM MDT up reply actions
they "could", but most of the time they "wouldn't"...
… let’s not be silly. All of FBS has a win % of over 81% over FCS. The odds of any FCS beating any FBS are always really low.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Better than 1/4 of 2010 Utah and 2011 BYU Schedule
They are better than UNLV, San Jose State, New Mexico, Colorado State from our schedule last year.
by UnHoly Ram on Sep 2, 2011 7:52 AM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
Don't throw in the towel already
Without making any excuses, here are a few reasons to keep the hope alive:
1) The biggest improvement is always between week 1 and week 2
2) Utah has a long week to prepare for USC
3) The defense will keep Utah in enough games to be bowl eligible
AGREED
I don’t think the play calling was that conservative: fake punt, reverse and naked bootleg… what makes me real nervous is that Chow didn’t call passing plays cause he doesn’t trust Wynn, I don’t even know if Wynn trusts Wynn.
How come I feel like I always like the other teams’ quarterback more??
That's natural fan behavior
Every team wants either the other QB or the backup QB.
And then the backup QB comes in and it’s Terrance Cain.
by UnHoly Ram on Sep 2, 2011 7:53 AM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
I was going to say that Stanford fans are the exception
since Andrew Luck is the second coming and all that… but then I remembered Stanford doesn’t have any fans.
by scotty256 on Sep 2, 2011 7:17 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
My prediction was 30-10
Close to my prediction though I came away a bit disappointed considering our strong we started the game. I sure expected Wynn to have a bigger game. But it did seem like we coasted to victory, and didn’t take many chances. I can’t be too mad about that.
oh and White will be a star this year
as long as the turf doesn’t continue to trip him up in the open field he’ll put up some big numbers. If there was any doubt who would be our best back this year that question has been answered.
I agree.
I hate to say it, but White kinda reminds me of a poor man’s Reggie Bush. He is one of the better running backs that we have had in a while. I don’t seem to understand the fears of some. I really think that we got the 24-0 lead and we simply turned off the dogs. This game was NEVER in doubt. I think that our conservative game plan may have also been a product of not having cohesiveness in our offensive line, as we never really had a full complement of players in Fall Camp. Kinda hard for Wynn to produce at a high level when he is constantly under pressure. I actually think that our offense has some pretty good potential if we can bring it all together (consistent offensive line play). Wynn actually seems to be more mobile this year. There is no way that he would have run for that fourth down conversion last season. Blechen also might end up being a first-team All-Pac-12 type player this year. He simply has ability that others don’t possess.
by pappyman on Sep 2, 2011 12:21 AM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
It's all about the O-line
Beavers had horrible issues with it last year. Bad O-lines make for bad QBs. Wynn is going to need some help down the road.
I "half agree"
I love White, he can do it all and he runs with some nastiness (or so it seems from the stands) that gives me goosebumps at times, he is already the leader of the offense (with Cullen). Blechen is SPECIAL, he can do it all on the defensive side of the ball, I can’t wait to see him come off the edge more in 3rd and long situations, he’s gonna be 1st team All Pac 12 selection before his career is over.
I gotta disagree with Wynn though, we opened up the play book tonight (fake punt, reverse, naked boot, going for it on multiple fourth downs) and he looked incredibly “rusty” OR abysmal. I am with Whit on this one… Wynn/Passing game = ABYSMAL
Agreed
The only thing I didn’t like was the O-line… they should do a better job dominating a small D-line.
Wynn started out shaky, got more confident, completed passes, and displayed arm strength and decent accuracy downfield. Not to mention that this is obviously a team designed to be a running team, not a passing team. White IV is going to be the star of the show, not Wynn. Wynn is there to make linebackers hesitate.
West Coast = pass to set up the run. That’s what Norm Chow does.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 2, 2011 1:11 PM MDT up reply actions
It's only one game but we learned
-That John White lV is a nifty runner and is a D-1 player.
-We know our kicker for next week, his name is Coleman.
- Blechen can play LB
- the new offense can work
Still unknowns for me:
- our secondary. I didn’t see McGill or Rowe play.
- can our OL be a unit of strength.
- who backs up White? IMO it is not Vakapuna. Sorry Tauni.
There's one thing I'm still wondering
and we won’t find out until USC:
Is Norm Chow still a great OC, or has the game passed him by? Unlike at UCLA, he essentially has free reign at Utah. Tonight wasn’t very encouraging on that front, but we know the gloves will be off in the Coliseum.
It seems like the young
blood is what set people apart in coaching now a days… I have had similar thoughts, can we really expect him to be hungry after 30 years, especially when he’s already been to the mountain top as a coordinator? I am glad that we are moving from the spread but I wonder if his time here will essentially be deemed as “mediocre”?
We were NOT conservative...
First the positive: White is a STUD, he can do it all out of the backfield and I think he’ll be able to handle the Pac 12 grind without any serious wear and tear. Second, Blechen is a star, he is a ball hawk AND will create major collisions as LB. I think his playing safety last year and being comfortable defending in space will pay HUGE dividends, we need more guys like him to compete in the Pac 12.
Wynn still looks horribly timid, and the offense was NOT conservative and that terrifies me. Why would Chow call a fake punt, naked bootleg and reverse in pretty crucial situations if he was “playing it close to the vest”? I am nervous about our offense, I don’t trust Wynn or the line and I pray that it is not a recipe for disaster…
Chow didn't call those plays...
Well at least the fake punt. That’s all Whittingham. He would have the final say on that call.
But this offense was conservative. We ran, ran, ran a lot – and when they did pass, how many receivers actually broke down field?
Maybe it was the lack of o-line support, or Wynn’s timidness, but I didn’t see much from this offense that would suggest it was aggress. Yeah, the bootleg was a nice call, but we’re only pointing out a couple in a game of a hundred or so.
It was extremely vanilla, IMO.
That doesn’t mean this will be the future of Utah, though. We’ll get a better idea of what to expect Saturday.
If Wynn can’t complete some simple dumps and slants then I don’t want us to open up the playbook next week. I would rather run the ball time and again with White and let Whit and the defense keep us in the game and mix in some bootlegs, playactions, screens, and occasional wild cat sets.
I think it was a combination of the shaky O line and Wynn, but how much can realistically change in nine days?
The telling thing will be next week...
I don’t doubt Wynn is shaky. He’s probably overthinking a lot. Hopefully with this game behind him, he’ll feel more at ease. He wasn’t awful, didn’t throw any interceptions and certainly didn’t make any major mistakes – he just needs to do a lot better or we’re going to be a very, very sketchy offensive team.
I have been wondering...
Do you think the fact that Wynn has had zero competition for the starting job has hurt/slowed his development? I have been wondering if this could possibly have led to some complacency issues, or maybe him losing a little focus/edge?
Coach Whit does not agree with your assessment...
… he didn’t call out the gameplan as the problem. He alluded to execution and his quote was crystal clear:
"We won’t win a game in the Pac-12 if we play like this the rest of the way," Utes coach Kyle Whittingham told reporters.
I’m guessing he won’t be a very cheery man at practice on Sat.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Also
End Arounds (Which is what the call to Dres was, not a Reverse), and Naked Bootlegs aren’t Aggressive calls. They are essentially running plays. Yes running plays that can go for big yardage, but ones that more often than not only get modest gains.
Yes the fake punt was a conservative play call.
That was the epitome of a we have nothing to lose, let’s see what we can do with it call.
The call wasn’t made to be aggressive, the call was made because we were up 24-0, and if we failed, even as deep in our field possession, it wasn’t going to hurt us.
Whit just wanted to see what we had with that play.
I think
The bootleg, the reverse, and the fake punt were all for USC. After seeing those plays, they won’t be able to: a) stack the line on critical 3rd/4th and short obvious run situations or b) send crazy runners at the punter to get a block. We put just enough of them in to say to their DC ‘we don’t have to be vanilla’. The one thing that was missing was a deep TD pass to keep the safeties back; we almost had that on the one time we tried for it.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 2, 2011 1:13 PM MDT up reply actions
If Wynn can’t complete some simple dumps and slants then I don’t want us to open up the playbook next week. I would rather run the ball time and again with White and let Whit and the defense keep us in the game and mix in some bootlegs, playactions, screens, and occasional wild cat sets.
I think it was a combination of the shaky O line and Wynn, but how much can realistically change in nine days?
A lot can change
Football’s weird like that. Last year, OSU ends Washington State’s horrid losing streak, then gives USC their worst loss of the season the following week…. Then gets shutout by Stanford the next week.
Anything can happen!
Not all that weird in the Pac.
Nobody is bad enough so you can play a bad game against them and still win. You stink it up, you lose. If you really stink it up, you lose ugly.
Can't forget the past
I just can’t get the last handful of games out of my mind and just how bad Wynn has looked… I was fully expecting tonight to be a BIG momentum and confidence builder for Wynn and the new offense, needless to say I am pretty disappointed after what I saw tonight.
That's a Norm Chow offense for sure
If you feel bad now don’t watch USC V Minne on saturday—they’re sure to put up about 500yds on them gophers.
Here’s the good news—bet USC today at -9 and then on mon or tuesday bet the Utes +15.
That’s a big middle!
the defense will keep us in games but the lack of mobility by wynn is a major concern.
i expect usc to blitz wynn alot and i don’t think he will react well unless norm chow calls for a alot of quick slants. i think usc might beat us by 14 to 17 points. i was more optimistic before this game.
Public Enemy #1 and enjoying every minute of it. College Football for the next 4 and 1/2 months!
by wolfmanshowlforever on Sep 2, 2011 4:05 AM MDT up reply actions
Wynn showed more mobility last night than in 2 previous years combined
I’m almost sure he doubled his yardage total on that naked bootleg as well.
i think your being sarcastic. wynn was -22 yards rushing. he had that one play that gained 8 yards.
Public Enemy #1 and enjoying every minute of it. College Football for the next 4 and 1/2 months!
by wolfmanshowlforever on Sep 2, 2011 6:09 PM MDT up reply actions
No honestly I'm not being sarcastic
Wynn has never been mobile. IN past years when he’s ran he did it tentatively. On the Naked Bootleg he ran with authority
Also remember in College Sacks count as negative rushing yards on the QB.
My two cents
1. John White is a beast. I initially thought it was because of inferior competition that he looked good, but then we saw what Vakapuna couldn’t do. I think White will be the next 1000 yard rusher with a chance for 1300-1400.
2. OL looked good on runs but not good on pass protection. Don’t forget that Cullen was out and we started a couple of first-timers. I look for the OL play to get much better with Cullen back the the first game jitters out of the way.
3. Wynn did go deep, at least once, and he underthrew the WR (don’t remember who it was) and it got knocked down. If he puts a little bit more on that ball, it’s a TD. His throws were wobbly at times. I don’t think Chow is comfortable with him making a lot of deep throws. Remember, Chow hasn’t seen him throw the ball very much so there is going to be some time for him to get comfortable.
4. The DL looked great. It will be interesting to see how they look against USC, but they did a good job against MSU.
5. I’m not too worried about the linebackers and DBs. We had good passing coverage as a whole and had some nice big hits. Obviously the 2 Blechen picks were huge and that should continue.
So, for a week 1 game, there were a lot of positives and a lot of things for Whit to keep after them. I like that they aren’t going to be complacent at all this week. You know that Whit will be all over them.
USC
I couldn’t agree more. For me, this is the game I’ve been anticipating most since the schedule was announced. USC is good and we’ll need to be on our A game with very little to no mistakes to beat them. That and Wynn will need to play the way I think he can.
Watched from West Virginia
I streamed the the video in on my computer then to my flat screen and I give KJZZ credit for making the game look great and I was very impressed with no commercials.
I think there were good things but bad things as well and as a good coach Whittingham knew it the whole game. Both at the half time and at the end of the game he was not happy with:
Jordan Wynn’s offense “they looked lethargic” he said
“We got have a lot of urgency”
good:
“Kicking game was great”
“Blechen did a very good job along with the defense”
I think the new offense was just not there besides White IV. I really like this guy and his playing style. He is a fast little guy with tons of talent. Only thing I wish he would do more is not run right into the back of the O-Line sometimes. Overall great performance from him.
Our defense I think did a very good job 2 picks, pretty impressive.
I think it works out great the we have a long week to prepare for USC because Jordan Wynn needs to step up and be a leader. Feel the the defense coming, step up and throw or run the ball. Lead your receivers and work on that accurance.
I think if we establish the running game with White Wynn can work himself into the game. I also think for USC we need to slow down the game with the run if it works because Matt Barkley will throw on us all night.
Overall we are 1-0! LETS GO UTES! #UTENATION
by westvirginiautefan on Sep 2, 2011 7:59 AM MDT reply actions
Observations...Langi, White, Mason, Wynn.
Did I hear that Langi played on special teams ruining his chance for a redshirt year?
Second we forget that we started Mason at LT…he’s been in the program for 2 weeks. Cullen will get back and we’ll have an open playbook. I see lots of room for optimism. When we were up 17-0 you could see the play calling become conservative. I feel good. We need to improve but I saw what was expected. Also John White is a stud.
@BeardedMangus
spot on
couldn’t agree more and yes Langi played on special teams.
Want to see someone really get their brain twisted up? Try explaining the Monty Hall problem to them....
by BigBenSportsGuy on Sep 2, 2011 9:10 AM MDT up reply actions
Langi
We should forget red-shirting Langi. He needs to play. Vakapuna doesn’t have enough speed to turn the edge. Our team needs to play for the here and now. In two years (after White is gone) there will be new players and 2011 will be long gone, so trying to save Harvey to buy one year isn’t prudent. If Harvey is ready to play and step up, play him. The back-up situation at running back necessitates this action.
I am glad Coach Whit recognizes this.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 2, 2011 10:32 AM MDT up reply actions
the redshirt issue
is a moot point now. he played last night; the redshirt option is gone. But I agree, he needs to be back number two. I was so excited on one of Vakapunas runs last night. He clearly had a lane to the outside and wasn’t nearly fast enough, ended up being dropped at about the line of scrimmage.
Want to see someone really get their brain twisted up? Try explaining the Monty Hall problem to them....
by BigBenSportsGuy on Sep 2, 2011 10:53 AM MDT up reply actions
3 &1
We need these >90% of the time. Tauni is batting 0 for 1. The OL has to help and get a big push too, but the RB needs lower his head and gut it out to make these crucial drive sustaining plays. Last year, sometimes it took Asiata a few tries, but he always came through when we needed that small, but big play.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 2, 2011 11:18 AM MDT up reply actions
my two cents
-Love John White IV. He runs very well and is going to be a good player for us. He still needs work on picking up the blitz, but that should come with time.
-Harvey Langi was in on special teams, so any hope of him redshirting is gone.
-Langi will probably beat out Vakapuna for the number two spot by the end of the year.
-Brian Blechen is a stud. The defense looked good, minus a few plays.
-Has anyone noticed that we never look really good in openers? ’06 31-10 L to a ho hum UCLA team. ’07 a 24-7 loss to a ho-hum Oregon State team. ’08 (BCS year) narrow victory against a pitiful michigan team. ’09 Allowed too many points against USU. ’10 needed overtime to beat a ho hum Pitt team.
-Jordan Wynn always seems to play well in So. Cal. Hopefully, he continues that trend next saturday.
I think as Ute fans, we need to ignore the hyperbole of the media and “fans” of other teams and wait and see what happens next saturday. We are 1-0. Its over. Lets keep rolling.
Want to see someone really get their brain twisted up? Try explaining the Monty Hall problem to them....
MSU Was never a game we were going to learn anything positive
In fact the only thing we would have learned would be the absolute worst case scenario which would have been had we come out and got waxed.
Anything other than that was never going to teach us anything about this team.
This was a preseason game
In all respects – A chance to get Wynn some meaningful reps and get everyone a few hits. Montana St. was pretty good. They are #5 in the FBS and while I was hoping we’d beat them by 4 touchdowns, I was not too disappointed because this was pretty much just a practice game.
Wynn looked rusty, so it’s probably a good thing that he did it against Montana St. instead of against USC. He was more mobile though, and I think we were conservative in the second half to prevent injuries and to run the time out.
We looked really good in the 1st half though. And John White looked great. And our defense looked pretty good, except some blown plays by the secondary.
But really, as a preseason game, not that revealing, and really nothing more than a practice game for next week.
FCS
FBS = Football Bowl Subdivision (D-1A, i.e. Utah)
FCS = Football Championship Subdivision (D-1AA, i.e. Montana State)
People get these mixed up all the time ^^
It made a lot more sense when it was 1A and 1AA
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
3 receptions by WRs
Utah’s receivers totaled 3 receptions for 19 yards and one TD. Everything else was a short dink to a TE or backfield.
I thought they got locked up against good teams last year. Wynn can’t hang onto the ball forever. He got absolutely drilled a couple of times last night. Yes, he needs to throw it away, but it seems as if the receivers can’t get any separation to give him an opening too.
We did learn one thing
John White can fly:
(from Deseret News)
So can Tevita Stevens:
(from Salt Lake Tribune)
So can Dres Anderson:
(Also Des News)
Even our cheerleaders can float in mid-air:
(Des News)
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
Definitely a first
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a punt blocked in bicycle kick fashion. That ball went from foot to foot. Side note, I love the white pants with new jerseys. Only complaint is the numbers and names are really small.
That play was great
Talk about going all-out for the block!
Michigan State
Didn’t exactly wax Youngstown State tonight.
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