Washington (3-1) @ Utah (2-1)
by JazzyUte on Sep 25, 2011 10:06 PM MDT
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PrintThis Saturday marks the first time in program history Utah will host a Pac-12 conference game. Their opponent, Washington, is a team the Utes have never defeated, owning an all-time record of 0-6 - though these two teams last met over 30 years ago.
Saturday's contest will be important for both programs, as Utah looks to claim its first conference victory of the season and the Huskies their second - Washington defeated Cal Saturday 31-23.
The Utes, of course, are coming off a bye week, but prior to their break, easily dispatched of their rival BYU 54-10 in a rare rout between the two. It was a much-needed boost of confidence after Utah dropped their conference opener on the road to SC.
It's also very likely a must-win for the Utes if they are going to win the Pac-12 South, as, last Saturday, division rival Arizona State received a leg up in the division race with a solid victory over the Trojans at home.
It won't be an easy task, though, as the Huskies enter the game with an improving offense that averages 34 points per game and finished last week's game against the Golden Bears with 409 total yards of offense - 292 through the air and 117 on the ground.
That offense is led by sophomore quarterback Keith Price, whose 246 passing yards per game ranks eighth in the conference. Price's performance Saturday was extremely effective, as he threw for three touchdowns, completed 76 percent of his passes and made it through the game without throwing an interception.
The Huskies also rely on the solid running game of Chris Polk, who averages just a shade over 100 yards on the season. Against Cal, however, he only ran for 57 yards, though he did manage a touchdown.
Where Washington has struggled this season is on the defensive side of the ball. They give up, on average, 33 points per game - only Arizona performs worse in the conference. Their opponents also average 453 yards per game, again only Arizona has a worse number.
That might suggest this game could turn into a high scoring affair. Of course, that's if the Utes continue their improvement on offense, as, prior to their outburst against the Cougars, Utah had struggled at producing points and yards. In fact, even accounting for their 481 yards in that game, the Utes still rank dead last in the conference in yards per game.
If Utah is going to contend for the Pac-12 title, or even division, it's going to require a dramatic uptick in that statistic.
Against a team like Washington, who's allowing over 450 yards per game, there really is no excuse for not having an improvement. In fact, anything less than 400 yards Saturday should be cause for concern.
Of course, this team isn't an offensive juggernaut and it's clear they rely on their defense a bit more than most Pac-12 teams. In fact, they might have, overall, the best defense in the conference.
Still, the offense needs to pull out of the cellar if they're going to do anything positive in Pac-12 play.
That should continue this weekend against Washington and their suspect defense.
Utah wins if...The offense continues its improvement and does to Washington as most teams already have - namely move the ball at will. The Utes' defense will also need to step it up and defend in the secondary better than they have this season, as Price can be a baller.
Washington wins if...Utah's defense struggles in the passing game and the offense reverts to its old predictable ways.
What should happen...The Huskies are a flawed team and I look for Utah to take advantage of those flaws. Unfortunately, I'm still not convinced the Utes can run away in this one. It will be tight throughout and I expect Washington to move the ball quite a bit on Utah. At the same time, I expect the same out of the Utes - as this is by far the most questionable defense they've played this season. It will be close, but Utah wins narrowly 24-21.
What are your predictions?
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I'm still concerned about the Secondary...
…after seeing Black get burned by Apo, I think there’s still some holes in the backfield that could be exploited by a QB who can rifle it down the field.
The running game still isn’t where I’d like it to be…Blanco may be the top rusher in the conference, but a lot of that is from a few plays during what might be considered garbage time vs. BYU. We were stifled during the first half, very similar to the USC game.
…but I’m very encouraged by the consistent improvement we’ve been seeing from Jordan Wynn and the OL. Wynn has been great at managing the game, and I anticipate he’ll have a little more strength and zip on the ball this week, after having some time off.
Even though BYU didn’t blitz a lot, Wynn’s “rocking chair” comment makes me feel good, if not just because Wynn will feel more comfortable in the pocket during the upcoming week.
-
While it seems like every week is the week we figure out what kind of team this year’s Utah football team is…to me, this becomes the defining game of the season (although I’m sure I’ll say that again next week if we beat Washington).
I’m not sure if Washington is tougher than USC at this point, I think they’re going to give us a similar challenge. Sarkisian is a Chow disciple, so I’m assuming he’ll know some of the gameplan, and is a better coach than Kiffin…which should make up for lesser talent in comparison to USC.
…but we know that Whit never loses after a bye week…so I’m going with Utah beating the spread (which is 8 pts from what I understand). My prediction is…
Utah 34 – Wash 24
To be fair
It took a perfect pass by Heaps (a rare event) to beat Black on that play. I still have high hopes for him and I definitely see improvement over last year already.
I forget that Heaps is a Heisman candidate when BYU fans aren't reminding me of it every few minutes :-p
…but yes, the secondary has looked better than expected…but I just don’t feel like they’ve been truly tested yet either.
Black wasn’t burned. Heaps just happened to throw a perfect pass
by PhuckthePhillies on Sep 26, 2011 4:48 PM MDT up reply actions
It was a very good pass...
I rewatched that pass and it was perfectly delivered. Not much you can do on that one.
Black gives up BYU's ONLY offensive touchdown...
and you think that’s still cause for concern?
After the defensive wall Utah built in front of BYU, the Utah Defense (secondary included) should probably be the factor we worry about the LEAST going into this next game.
Secondary is certainly not as solid as the D-line right now. But they are improving every week.
And as such, I’m no longer worried about their supposed inferiority.
He gave up the TD
On a beauty of a pass. It looks like I wasn’t the only one who said “Damn. That kid can really sling it.”
Also, it was to Apo. He’s got a ton of talent.
If our secondary gets beat by a 4 star receiver on a perfect pass once per game, that’s good enough for me.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 28, 2011 8:32 AM MDT up reply actions
Unfortunately for Black
I think a lot of people’s view of him this year is tainted by his performance last year, especially against TCU.
Considering the entire team sucked...
Maybe we should lay off just a bit and wait things out.
by JazzyUte on Sep 28, 2011 1:32 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
His performance seems to suggest we do just that.
Anyone who wants to blame him for Apo’s TD, is just someone who wants to rip the guy for any reason.
i think we win this game if we contain keith price there QB.
the guy can scramble.
Public Enemy #1 and enjoying every minute of it. Tapology.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Sep 26, 2011 1:47 AM MDT reply actions
he doesn't really scramble with two sprained knees...
… but he is very elusive in the pocket and does a great job of getting the ball downfield after the pocket breaks down. That attribute is where a bunch of his stats are coming from.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
agreed
He lost some speed cuz of the knees. But what impresses me is his accuracy on the run. He does a great job run to the side and still hitting his targets.
you just described scrambling out of the pocket and being accurate.
Public Enemy #1 and enjoying every minute of it. Tapology.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Sep 27, 2011 1:42 AM MDT up reply actions
i watched the game with cal. he was doing fine vs them.
Public Enemy #1 and enjoying every minute of it. Tapology.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Sep 27, 2011 1:41 AM MDT up reply actions
I have Utah winning it at 38-24
I just think that Whitt will have something special for the Huskies, and while he won’t be able to stop them cold, I think he does just enough. I look for Jordan Wynn to have his highest yardage total of the season. And I look for John White to get 80-100 yards.
Want to see someone really get their brain twisted up? Try explaining the Monty Hall problem to them....
by BigBenSportsGuy on Sep 26, 2011 8:18 AM MDT reply actions
Utah wins 27 to 14
I think our defense stuns and shocks the Huskies and that Wynn continues to get more comfortable in the pocket.
The dawgs
Listened to the radio program here in Seattle when they interviewed Keith Price last week. The guy is bright and engaging. He said his knee was banged up, but you wouldn’t know it when I watched him run against Cal right before he fumbled. * Utah needs to contain him. Unlike past QBs they faced the last two weeks, Price can run.*
Also after watching the Cal game, my take is Sark (from… the tds) is a good play caller. On third and short situation, instead of running the same predictable dive play, Sark called a fake dive and used a misdirection quick toss to pick up the 1st down and a healthy chunk more. * Sitake will have his hands full trying to outwit Sark. My recommendation is for Utah not to bite on fakes and instead play assignment football on defense*.
I am encouraged by our team as we hung tough with SC and as we have improved since week 1. Talent wise we can match up with UDub.
Stating the obvious, if John White can have start quick and bust some big runs too, I like our chances.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 26, 2011 9:57 AM MDT reply actions 3 recs
underdogs
Washington is quite confident that they can beat us.
Good bulletin board material for the locker room.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 26, 2011 10:03 AM MDT reply actions
the huskies are 7 point underdogs.
Public Enemy #1 and enjoying every minute of it. Tapology.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Sep 27, 2011 1:46 AM MDT up reply actions
This is the fun part about being part of a conference like this compared to your past
In the past you only had a few good close games a year you could really get pumped up for. But once PAC play starts you get week in and week out close games that even if you think you should win you are predicting 3 point wins, not 20 points. Enjoy it, its what makes this thing fun.
Yes, absolutely
It will also drive you crazy sometimes when you get beat by a team you think inferior. And yes, I speak from experience. We are catching each other at an interesting time; you guys are riding the wave of an historic upswing, and we are trying to recover from an historic downswing.
You guys as fans have a unique opoportunity to define yourselves right now; will you choose to be (in general, no program should be defined by it’s worst elements) good guys like JDHusker, or any one of the many SEC fans that troll and badmouth any and every opponent.
Best Regards,
by HuskyInExile on Sep 29, 2011 3:51 AM MDT up reply actions
Husky Fan here...
I am SO excited for this game! I was thrilled when I heard that the PAC was adding Utah to the conference, the Utes were the real coup in the expansion, forget Colorado!
I look forward to many years of battles on the gridiron and the hardwood.
As for this weeks game, it should be a good one! The Huskies clear weakness is pass defense. So, if Wynn can get his game into shape, he could have a field day.
by jacobcda on Sep 26, 2011 10:32 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs
Also a Husky Fan
I like UTAH and COLORADO. I’ve only followed Utah when they’ve played BYU or other strong opponents otherwise I never gave the Utes a second thought. However, I am thrilled to have you in the PAC!
Your program has been good of late and getting better. Your coach has a brass pair and your fan base is engaged.
To be fair, I loathe EVERYTHING about BYU. There is absolutely nothing I like about that school or ANY of it’s alum, well, except for Sark and when he speaks of his experience there it’s all warm and fuzzy but you know he’s happy to be rid of that Canker. I would have ripped my still beating heart out of my own chest and ate it, if BYU had somehow been invited. I hope they wander in the forest for 40 years before any legit conference takes them. And yes the new possible Big 12 in the state of texas is a biblical forest. Thank you for destroying them this year.
by Jon Snow of House Stark on Sep 26, 2011 10:48 AM MDT up reply actions
That makes two of us
Two fan bases, that is. Sounds like both sides are very excited about this game, the atmosphere at RES is going to be electric. Crowd welcoming home the team after their conquering of Provo and the historic PAC home opener combines for some crazy excited fans. As others have said, I’m loving the upgraded competition week in week out and how each game is setup to be a nail biter with major conference title implications. Thanks for the welcome, now let’s get it on!
Now my thoughts on the game
Tough call. We know nothing about each other. As some Husky fans know, our defense is better than the numbers. I’m far from a Homer. It took 2 years and 3 games for me to finally warm up to Cort Dennison. Our corner Richardson, litteraly goes to sleep on plays.
I think your defense is more sound at this point. Too many freshman on our squad pressed into playing time. It’s ok, just takes longer to be more consistant like you all. I like your D-line and two of your backers.
Our QB is better than your QB. Nobody likes to hear that. But it’s football and it’s cool. Our TE’s are better than yours and the receiver corps are equal(at this point). Your RB is elusive and your offensive line has done better than projected which must feel great for ya’ll. I don’t need to tell you anything about Chris Polk.
The line is at 7 now, and nobody, not even Vegas will get this right on Monday. Vegas is begging for bets with that line. The fans predicting Utah as a 3 point winner are closer to the truth of it.
If Utah uses play action a TON, then I think you all win. If not, your homecoming is gonna suck. Dawgs win by 10, 38-28. We have a B+ kicker. I don’t know anything about yours.
Welcome to the PAC Utah!
Go DAWGS!
by Jon Snow of House Stark on Sep 26, 2011 11:08 AM MDT reply actions
The Vegas line opened at 6.5 and the money's been on Utah (moving the line up to 7).
But don’t worry about Vegas, they’re worried about betters and betters bet home teams against statistically bad defenses. Our defense is much better on the line and all of our starting LBs and most of the 2-deep at LB are better than yours. The secondary is inexperienced for both teams, as most of the starters for this year were backups last year (actually, all of Utahs were, I know Richardson and Trufant started last year, right?). I think Utah’s secondary is more talented, but they’re inexperienced and I don’t know if I’d take our secondary over yours.
Your QB is better than our QB. I don’t like to hear it only because I don’t like being in that situation, not because it’s not true. Our TEs are very good, you’ll be surprised, and I like our WR corps better than yours. OL are actually about equal, I’d take Polk over White.
Our kicker is poor. I’d take B+ all day long over what we have right now.
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Sep 26, 2011 11:41 AM MDT up reply actions
One of the Joys to playing in the PAC and also one of the reasons anyone can win on anyday
It has to do with QB’s. We all know a good QB can win a game on any given day. They are that important. In the past you dealt with a few good QB’s a year. But now look at the list of quality you have to deal with all year: Luck, Barkley, Price, Thomas, Oswieller(sp), foles, toehl(injured)… but that gives you an idea week in and out you deal with a QB capable of beating anyone. Its another reason why the season just gets tougher.
No question the PAC has some great QBs
and we still have to face many of them. But our DL and secondary have looked good, and they’re getting better every week. My worry is that we’re going to have to win some shootouts eventually, because even a very good Utah defense (like ours) with an only above-average secondary is going to get burned by a team on a hot streak. The problem is that I don’t see any ability in Wynn to put up numbers in a shootout. If we get into one, right now I’d expect us to get blown out.
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Sep 26, 2011 11:54 AM MDT up reply actions
nothing like the UW secondary to set things right for a struggling offense.
We’d make Bobby Boucher look like a Heisman QB.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
I'm guessing you outrank us in a lot of positions...
…but WR? Probably not. UW and Arizona probably have the two deepest WR corps in the Pac 12. UW boasts the current Parade National HS Player of the Year and Jermaine Kearse – 2nd Team All Conference who has amassed 2300+ yds to go along with 26 career TDs (including 1000 yds and 14 TDs last year). Consider also that Price has delivered his 14 different TD passes to seven different players and you can see the depth. All due respect to DeVonte Christopher, but he alone does not a WR corps make. UW is pretty stacked and deep at WR.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
I may not have been clear.
Your WR crew is more proven, I like the talent in ours better. DVC is a beast, but the players behind him (like Anderson, Dunn, Denham) are extremely talented and just need some seasoning.
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Sep 26, 2011 4:14 PM MDT up reply actions
good thing Denham is playing this year? :)
Displaced, our WR core consists of Devonte and Dres, no one else. They don’t throw the ball too Dunn, Matthews has been hurt and Ransom and Scott never play.
Washington has edge for WR’s
by PhuckthePhillies on Sep 26, 2011 4:52 PM MDT up reply actions
UW upside at receiver is huge, and as yet, mostly untapped.
Austin Sefarian Jenkins, James Johnson, Kasen Williams, Kevin Smith, these guys have barely gotten their feet wet. And they’re very good. Jenkins and Williams in particular are both NFL bound, just a matter of when. Receiver is definitely the strength of the offense, and when you’ve got a guy like Chris Polk running the rock, that’s really saying something.
Chow's gameplan is heavy play-action...
It seems that he spends the majority of the 1st half pounding the ball until the LB’s suck up. In both the USC and BYU games, the offense didn’t really hit it’s stride until late in the 2nd quarter.
I wish we had a better idea of what this Utah team’s strengths & weaknesses are…but BYU has been unimpressive in all 4 games, and USC losing to ASU puts the quality of this Utah team back in question. I want to say the D is tough, that the running game is explosive, that Wynn has made progress…but we just don’t know for sure yet.
It’s hard for me to imagine Utah losing after a bye week, since it’s never happened under Whittingham, but I’m not sure that the caliber of opponent has ever been this good either.
I will say that it’s fun to actually play in a conference where every game is actually interesting, rather than just 2-4 games in the year. Even UCLA and Oregon St. are better than 80% of the MWC…so every game is intriguing, and not just a question of, will we win by 2 TD’s or 5 TD’s.
Good luck this Saturday…but not too much ;-)
I've heard many Utah fans mention Whittingham's post bye record.
Out of and it made me curious about the calibur of the teams they beat, so I looked up the teams and their records.
2005 Wyoming 4-7
2006 Colorado State 4-8
2007 Wyoming 5-7
2008 New Mexico 4-8
2009 Colorado State 3-9
2010 Iowa State 5-7
6 straight wins is still 6 straight wins, but I feel safe saying that this will be Whittingham’s biggest post bye test yet.
by Mind of no mind on Sep 26, 2011 1:47 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
yeah i agree you can't really use that stat thanx to the caliber teams faced
That would be like saying Alabama is perfect in the first game of the year since Sabens been the head coach… when in reality they play teams like middle tennessee who gives a crap university every year for their first game.
Agreed, however...
Whittingham is also very strong when he has 2+ weeks to prepare…
…if you use that as your litmus, Utah is 15-3 & the quality of the opponents go up…
Notable wins include; Arizona, GT, Alabama, Cal, Pitt…the 3 losses were to Oregon State & UCLA to start the year, and Boise St. last year in the Vegas Bowl.
Michigan too...
Albeit a bad Michigan team, but still, it takes a lot to win in the Big House on the first week of the season.
I left them off because that one always gets crapped on as no better than an MWC game...
Burn in Hell Rich Rod :-p
Husky fan here
and my thoughts are that if your D can weather the storm in the first quarter ( we are outscoring opponents 49-27 in the first quarter), you should be in good shape to pound the ball and set up some big plays against a secondary that appears to be easily fooled. However, if we come out and hang 21 on you right out of the gate, I just don’t know if you have the offensive firepower to come storming back. Time will tell. Best of luck, it should be a great game regardless!
Hey, thanks for good attitude
and it will be mostly returned in this conference.
You guys are obviously brighty enough to figure out the details.
Best Regards,
by HuskyInExile on Sep 29, 2011 3:57 AM MDT up reply actions
Looks like Washington lost their top pass rusher for the season
torn ACL. Bum deal. You hate to see injuries to anyone, especially the season-ending type. It will have an impact on hte game, and you just hate to see that.
Want to see someone really get their brain twisted up? Try explaining the Monty Hall problem to them....
by BigBenSportsGuy on Sep 26, 2011 11:22 AM MDT reply actions
yeah. it bites. he's a true soph. Looks like he'll get to redshirt this year.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Unrelated but..
Any of you guys have a best guess for what time next week’s ASU game will start? I bought tickets but if it is afternoon game, I wouldn’t be able to go :(
I would totally buy your tickets from you if you can't go.
For whatever price you paid for them. (Unless you got box seats or something – too steep for my pockets)
Utah@Home > UW@Utah
I think on a Neutral field, these teams are pretty much equal. But I think the home field advantage does it for Utah. They are tough to beat at home, and have been consistently awesome (Sans TCU last year) for several years now.
Also, now that the jitters are gone, and Utah is in stride after BYU was dispatched – Utah has a week of rest and should be eager to come out strong.
UW - UU Game
Husky Fan here. Welcome to the PAC-12. Love your beautiful campus setting in the Wasatch foothills. Almost as beautiful as Seattle on a sunny day – generally, a rare occasion.
Here’s to a hard fought, well played game next Saturday. Despite the UU home field factor and a generally better D, I look for the Huskies to prevail by 11, UW 35 – UU 24. A well balanced UW offense will be the difference maker.
GO HUSKIES!
Seattle on a Sunny Day???
Isn’t that an oxymoron?
Listened to Sarkisian's Monday presser on Seattle AM 950
Caught half of the press conference at lunch time.
- Was asked about playing against Utah as a former byu QB. One bad game with 4 INTS and one game as a non-factor since the tds rushed for >400 yards.
- John White will be the key to Utah’s success (hasn’t he been in every game).
- Played for Coach Chow while at byu. Since he doesn’t coach the defense and since Coach Chow doesn’t call the D at Utah, he side-stepped any questions about a rivalry between the two individuals. Coach Sark felt Coach Chow was out of his comfort zone running the pistol at UCLA.
- Coach Sark is happy with the WA offense, but they need to better take care of the football.
- He commented on Utah being one of the smaller venue schools, but the atmosphere is good. (We need to expand RES)
Basically Coach Sark was straightforward on his comments.
Looking forward to the game!
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 26, 2011 2:04 PM MDT up reply actions
I'm know I'm in the Minority but...
… I’m not necessarily in the camp saying we must. A packed 45k capacity is way more preferable to 50-60k with a bunch of empty seats. Right now I’m sure we’d sell those extra tickets, but Utah (The state not the school) fans are notoriously fickle. Let’s make sure the demand will still be there in a few years.
And if/when we do expand, I don’t think it should be more than 5k.
Are we fickle?
I don’t think Utah state fans are that fickle. The Jazz continually sellout. Ute football has been at over 90% capacity for 8 years straight and 2005 & 2006 were weak seasons with weak schedules. BYU averaged 60,000 fans a game last year and they had a bad team with a bad schedule.
The Bees have one of the better AAA-baseball attendance figures. Utah State – a distant 3rd in popularity in the state – has comparable attendance figures to Wyoming or Coloado State and the Aggies haven’t been good since the 70s.
Fans in the state of Utah...definately fickle...
Jazz are the perfect example.
BYU fans claim that they aren’t…but look at the Marriott Center during the early 2000, ghost town…and they were giving away football tickets during the Crowton era.
…and we’ve had our share of that as well. There were ticket giveaways as late as 2008, if I recall correctly…and I never used to have a hard time getting a ticket the day of the game prior to the 2008 season.
The fans in the state of Utah are fickle…but I think most fans are when your program is down.
You're stating your conclusion without facts
The fact is, the Jazz have better attendance than teams with comparable records. And Utah is literally the smallest market in the NBA.
Lots of college teams have fan giveaways, but they still can’t get to 90% capacity. BYU’s attendance has never been that bad. BYU has never once been below 50,000 attendance in the last 25 years.
Utah was not giving away tickets in 2008. I’m sorry, but you’re just wrong about that. 2003 was the last time we did that.
2003 Right before Utah started getting good.
After 4 years of 10 plus win seasons, BYU only had a single sellout. They were selling tickets for 10 dollars for Friday games, and so worried about not selling tickets they were forcing people to buy tickets to two other games to get Utah Tickets.
Even in the middle of Jimmermania last Year BYU was about 4-5k below capacity for the Marriott center last year.
We all know that lack of people in the Huntsman Center the past few years.
How is that worse than most teams?
Not selling out != fickle.
Correct me if I’m misrepresenting what you arguing. It seems to me you are saying that any fanbase that has a dip in attendance when the team is bad is “notoriously fickle.” But almost every team, in every sport, has dips in attendance during down periods. Even blue chip teams like the New York Yankees show drops in attendance when they aren’t good. There are only a few teams in any sport, professional or college, that are exceptions.
I think Utah fans are less fickle than most. We may not be on the level of the Nebraska Cornhuskers or the Boston Red Sox, but we’re way ahead of any team at any level in Los Angeles.
BYU finished 2010 at #27 in average attendance for 2010. Every team in the Big East would like to have BYU’s numbers. BYU is better than 3/4 of the Pac-12 and ACC teams. That doesn’t seem to me like a fickle fanbase.
I must be getting old...
…since the seasons are blending together.
Regardless, you can’t tell me that if Utah turned into a perennial 7-5 team that the stadium would be at 90% capacity.
Just like the Jazz last year. Sure the lower bowl still sold out…but once you’re not really a contender, many casual fans lose interest.
Huntsman Center
I agree Utah fans are fair weather fans to some degree. The Huntsman center doesn’t sell out anymore since the Majerus glory days. But in fairness to Utah fans, they are no different than any other west coast program. Unlike college football fans in the south and midwest, there are more things to life than watching football.
Nevertheless, we need to expand RES. If we don’t expand now, we will never expand since Utah football popularity is at high point.
Also building costs will only go up.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 26, 2011 3:24 PM MDT up reply actions
If Utah popularity is really at it's High Point
Than no, we don’t need to expand RES.
However if Utah popularity is only trending up, then we expand. But that’s why it’s important we wait 2 to 3 years to make sure.
Due to budget constraints it will be 2 to 3 years anyway.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 26, 2011 3:32 PM MDT up reply actions
Now that you're playing Pac-12 schedules every season.
Tickets should be much harder to come by. No matter how you slice it, the quality of the product has gone way up.
Tickets have been difficult to get a hold of for the past couple years
Including Season Tickets not even going on sale to general public this season.
Then you definitely could use more seats.
I would be very surprised if it doesn’t happen in 5 years, once the TV dough starts rolling in.
I scored 4 tickets for the UCLA game
but they were way in the corner and not exactly cheap.
We definitely need to expand RES capacity to hold 60,000. I believe marketing studies can show this to be a sound move.
If byu can sell out games in a smaller market, than we should try as well – given a sound financial basis.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 26, 2011 4:40 PM MDT up reply actions
Utah uniquely fickle in that
normal Utah fans become BYU fans for the holy war. Utah alum at the legislature and other power positions support BYU, unless Utah is having a great year. All teams fall down in attendance during off years to some degree, but I think only the fans in the state of Utah swing back and forth between the two major college rivals like we do.
Politicians aren't very representive
It’s good politics to be seen in public when everyone is having a good time. Politicians in most states like to straddle the fence and just be for the home team(s).There’s no need to intentionally alienate fans of the other side.
For example, when I was in law school, an acquaintance was interning for Carl Levin (Democratic Senator from Michigan.) I wanted to talk a little college football so I asked this fellow student who he rooted for. He told me he went to Michigan State, so he preferred them, but now that he worked for Levin, he was supposed to be neutral and just in favor of Michigan teams. Most politicians are that way.
Look at Governor Herbert...
He graduated from BYU and has shown up sporting red ties in the past (was there for the Pac-12 announcement) and I know, deep down, he cheers for BYU.
Of course, that changes for local politicians. Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker isn’t afraid to show he’s a big Utah fan and my councilman, Soren Simonsen, left this status on his Facebook after Utah beat BYU:
I’m sorry…BYU must not have received the memo that the Utah rivalry game had moved from November to September. Word has it that they didn’t even show up to play tonight.
Right.
I’m not sure if you were disagreeing with me or agreeing but with a caveat. (It’s a good caveat to be sure.)
If a politician’s constituency clearly aligns with one team then it won’t hurt to show their support for that team. However, if a politician has a split constituency, then they will usually try to straddle the fence.
OK, leaving out politicians who are uniquely fickle in their own right
what about famous U grads who in a normal state would be big boosters and contributors, but in Utah only claim BYU. Steven Covey comes to mind. He got his Ph.D. at BYU, but graduated from the U. There is no mention of it on his marketing materials. There are others who I can’t recall at the moment, but some Utah fans have deep internal conflicts, at best, and others are are publicly conflicted.
I bet you anything the Utes would sell out if they expanded to around 60,000. Our fans are insane and the Muss would be even bigger
by PhuckthePhillies on Sep 26, 2011 4:56 PM MDT up reply actions
I really hope you do expand.
My biggest concern is that Utah could very well be a strong player in the Southern division over the next decade, which would be great, but I’m afraid that if you guys start hosting Pac 12 championship games in your 45k seat stadium, that the California schools might successfully lobby to get the game moved to a permanent location in California, like maybe the new 75k seat AEG stadium that they’re building in L.A.
I’m not certain, but I’m guessing that all profits from the Pac 12 championship game is split evenly between all schools. So the Pac would not only be losing money on the 30k less seats available, but also on the lost parking and concessions, suite sales ect. Now I realize that the difference would be that you’re guaranteed a sellout, while a game at AEG stadium could be at half capacity if it gets a bad matchup. But I think too many games at some of the smaller Pac 12 stadiums could sway the Pac 12 teams to agree to give up the top team being able to host the Championship game. And I know that there are other schools with small stadiums, but Utah is the only one that seems to have a chance at hosting a fair number of championship games anytime soon.
All that being said, I’m sure that the California schools will be pushing to have the game moved to California regardless of what happens, but I’d rather not give them any extra ammo, because I love the current setup.
by Mind of no mind on Sep 26, 2011 5:41 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
Flawed team and flawed prediction.
… I do think Utah could win this game, but they are going to have to score over 30 points to do so. I like Utah’s physicality, their rushing attack and their overall nastiness. That said, UW is going to get theirs. Keith Price leads the nation in TD passes and is 9th nationally in passing efficiency. He has done this because he has a plethora of weapons to distribute to – including Chris Polk (who only rushed for 57 yards, but had another 85 yds receiving including the game-winning TD).
I’m kind of in pick ‘em mode because I’m not sure what to think about Washington’s D. On one hand, they did give up 467 yds last week. However, if you take out that fluky 90 yd play, they gave up under 400 yds over the other 75 plays that Cal ran and they held Cal to just 3 points in the second half. On the other hand again, Utah hasn’t hit the “fatigue” section of their schedule yet. They are fresh, physical and nasty. Washington’s D is full of playmakers, but full of mistake-prone youth.
I dunno. I’m not gonna bet, but I’d definitely take the OVER in this game. The Utes need to score more than 24 to win.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
nah. UW will clear 30. they'll have at least 21 by halftime.
Utah probably will, too.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
I'm skeptical...
You guys have a good offense, definitely. But we’ve got a really good defense and I think it’s unlikely Utah gives up 21 first half points. I still stand by my prediction. Maybe I’m wrong, of course that’s entirely possible, but I don’t see Utah’s defense allowing 30-plus points at home.
We’re not Eastern Washington, Hawaii or Cal.
exactly
Want to see someone really get their brain twisted up? Try explaining the Monty Hall problem to them....
by BigBenSportsGuy on Sep 26, 2011 2:07 PM MDT up reply actions
I'm with neither school so im just a bystander
But i think your not giving them enough credit on offense. I mean they did manage to put 38 points on a very good Nebraska team. and they have scored over 30 every game this season. I would have to lean in the direction this will be a higher scoring game.
However, I do give Utah a huge edge based on home field simply because its the first home PAC game, so the atmosphere should be electric. Personally I think If this game was on a neutral field I would say WA wins.. being at Utah with how this game will be I will give this one to Utah.
I gave a lot of credit to the offense...
Just because I’m not ready to concede this game will be a 35-42 shootout does not mean I’m disrespecting their offense. It has nothing to do with Washington’s offense and everything to do with Utah’s defense. The Utes give up, on average, 14 points per game and that’s inflated by an extra score as time expired at their game against SC.
I am that confident in Utah’s defense.
Conversely, you could suggest that Gekko and you are not giving enough credit to the Utes’ defense by suggesting they’ll give up massive amounts of points at home.
Regardless, I’m going to stick with my pick.
you may be right im not giving them enough credit.
I just feel right now price is playing better than barkley. I only say that because I feel he has better weapons then Barkley did. He has a better run game and more recievers. And i saw how Barkley and Johnson torched the Utah D in that game. If Barkley had more weapons around him that game would have been far worse.
hey! I called you guys physical, fresh and nasty!
… I really like your D.
But you haven’t really played a good offense yet and it looks like that the offenses are way ahead of the defenses in the Pac this year.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
I disagree
USC has more NFL ready talent than anybody.
Robert Woods (1st rounder)
Matt Barkley (Heisman candidate)
Marc Tyler ( in the NFL)
George Farmer WR (doesn’t even play)
Matt Kalil (NFL)
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 26, 2011 3:02 PM MDT up reply actions
USC also has Lane Kiffin as coach.
Woods and Kalil are fantastic. Barkley and Tyler are turnovers waiting to happen.
They had bad games against ASU
Barkley has it all. He made a throw against his body and still rifled the ball 25 yards.
Marc Tyler also will follow his Dad and play on Sundays.
no comment on Kiffin.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 26, 2011 3:28 PM MDT up reply actions
21 of those 38 points
Came after Nebraska already had a 24 point lead in the 4th quarter.
and that is relevant how?
…its not like that game was over and its not like Nebraska ever did anything to shut down the UW offense through any of the game.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Actually It was over
Sorry Nebraska wasn’t blowing a 24 point lead to Washington with only 10 minutes to go.
Also I would consider keeping preventing UW from scoring for the equivalent of 2 quarters (9:24 in the 2nd to 10:15 in the 4th) shutting down the offense for a part of the game.
UW was within 13 pts with 7:21 to play..
… is that your definition of over?
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
I watched that game.
And yes it was over, even Nebraska knew it as they were in full blown kill the clock mode and still managed to rack up another 109 yards of offense after that point.
man, you give up easy
and, if you watched the game, you would have noted the following things:
. UW held Nebraska to a ridiculously low 3rd down conversion rate (2 of 12, I think)
. UW had a vastly superior 3rd down conversion rate – at least 50%
. UW nearly matched Nebraska yard for yard in total offense
. UW and Nebraska had the same number of total first downs
. Nebraska scored a free 13 points through no effort of their own (other than kicking a FG from field position handed to them by refs)
If you argue that Nebraska packed it in in the 4th, then I could argue that UW packed it in in the 3rd. Regardless, that game wasn’t nearly the blowout you seem to think it was.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
yes, I know. those are good offenses...
… oh, wait, that’s not what you mean. :)
Cal is actually one of the better staffed Defenses you will find in the entire conference. Their athletes on the D-Line definitely pass they eyeball test and they basically have the same unit that held Oregon to 15 points last year. I’m not sure what your beef is with them.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
No beef at all...
Cal is a good team. Their defense is decent enough. I think Utah has a better defense. That said, Cal has given up 21, 33 and 31 points in three games this season – those 30 PPG on the road.
Utah hasn’t yet allowed 30 points this season – with two road games.
The Utes also are playing at home. But even your point kind of supports my claim. Cal barely surrendered 31 points to Washington…on the road. It’s not entirely hard to see why I would think we could hold you to one less score, AT HOME.
If this game were in Seattle, I’d be more inclined to go with your point. But since it’s here, I’m going to give Utah’s defense a bigger advantage.
And we did agree on one thing
I did say i think utah wins this since its an emotional first home game in the PAC.
Scoring Defenses
Utah Ranks 22nd in the nation
Meanwhile Cal ranks 50th followed by
Nebraska ranks 67th Followed By
Hawaii at 97
i'll be honest I have a hard time caring about any of those rankings especially at thsi time of year
Everyone plays all sorts of teams at the beginning of the year. nobody’s schedule is even so they are all skewed to me. I prefer the eyeball test.
Utah’s front four is very stout, and I’m sure the secondary has been a pleasant surprise given that it’s all new. But the Huskies have more wherewithall to take advantage of the biggest weakness of the Ute’s defense – the lack of speed and athleticism at linebacker. A very good and athletic tight end, and backs that can catch well out of the backfield. The Dawgs should be able to make a living in the mid-range passing game.
Utah has kept the score down by taking the ball away. Against USC at least, the two deep in Utah territory were as much about USC making a bad play as Utah making a good one. I didn’t see the game against BYU, so I can’t really say. But it’s rare that a team puts the ball on the ground as many times as the Cougars did.
If the Dawgs hold onto the ball, 30 points is a very realistic number for them to score. If they turn it over a few times (without getting a couple of takeaways of their own), there’s no chance.
USC and BYU first half
I can’t disagree with your assessment too much. Yes, both USC and byu moved the ball on our defense with the mid-range pass for better parts of the game. And like you said, what kept us in the game were turnovers. Two against SC deep in Utah territory and ditto against the kewgs.
But it is also my opinion that both Barkley and Heaps are better pure passers than Keith Price. I have only seen Price play one game so my sample size is small. Price is definitely more versatile since he can run while the other two don’t run unless they are forced.
I am just looking forward to the game and seeing how things play out.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 26, 2011 4:06 PM MDT up reply actions
But it is also my opinion that both Barkley and Heaps are better pure passers than Keith Price.
I agree, but I don’t think the difference is as big as you might. Price can definitely run better than either of those two, but he isn’t really a “dual threat” QB. In high school, he was in the same league as Barkley, and the two were co-MVP’s. They had about the same number of TD’s, but Barkley had three times the number of interceptions.
I could be wrong, but I believe that Price only has one designed run this season (against Cal, on an option keeper). The rest have all been scrambles, and he’ll definitely look to get out of bounds or get to the turf as opposed to looking to pick up big chunks of yards. Part of that is health related, of course. Point being, he’s elusive in the pocket, but he’s not really a true runner. He’ll look for every opportunity to get the ball out of his hands.
I’m definitely looking forward to this one as well.
I do not agree...
…Barkley is a big armed guy whose accuracy isn’t really all that good and who makes a lot of bonehead plays. Heaps is younger, less experienced and much less polished than Price – he’s just more familiar.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
If you say so.
Barkley’s career completion percentage is over 62%. This season, it’s 68%. That’s pretty good. His problem is far more the boneheaded plays you mention than accuracy.
Heaps has started about 3 times as many games as price. I’ve no idea how that equates to less experienced. Less polished is completely subjective. And they’re very different players.
30 points is realistic I guess...
In the sense anything can happen. But don’t expect 30 points. That’s all I’m saying. It could happen, definitely, but I don’t foresee Utah giving up 30-plus points at home. Not with this defense.
Not including their games against the Utes...
USC is averaging 26.33 points, and had 23 against Utah.
BYU is averaging 18 points, and was held to 10.
Montana St. scores a ton of points at the FCS level. Hardly much of a barometer.
Utah’s D hasn’t really shut down teams as much as it’s played teams that don’t generate a ton of offense. Is the D good? Sure. Is it some kind of proven juggernaut? No. Not yet.
Ah, our linebackers are unathletic.
I’ve heard this a lot, and I keep wondering where it’s coming from.
Blechen is a converted safety, he was certainly fast enough to get 4 picks and 5 deflected passes last year (as a true freshman). Both Walker and Martinez are pretty quick as well, and both are multi-year senior starters. I’m not worried about linebacker at all. They’ll take care of business.
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Sep 26, 2011 4:25 PM MDT up reply actions
Maybe they will.
I like the matchups that the UW backs, tight ends, and receivers will have with them, though.
Agree
“But the Huskies have more wherewithall to take advantage of the biggest weakness of the Ute’s defense – the lack of speed and athleticism at linebacker. A very good and athletic tight end, and backs that can catch well out of the backfield. " – this is the aspect of the game that worries me most. I think it’s a big game for UW’s young TE. Utes need to score 30+ to win. 35-31 Utah.
Good offenses? Some of them maybe. Eastern Washington is 0-4.
I’m sorry, but I am not conceding that EWU has a good offense. They had their season best offensive output against the Huskies. The other 3 teams they played are FCS teams.
Hawaii is okay. They lost at UNLV, though so they aren’t exactly a juggernaut.
Nebraska – yeah I think they have a good offense. 51 point good? No, but a good offense nonetheless. Even if you exclude the 7 points they got from UW fumbling on the 1 yard line, UW still gave up too many points.
California is another good, but not great offense. Washington did hold them to their fewest points of the season (thus far) so that counts for something.
When you look at the 4 teams UW has played, they all have racked up 400+ yards against Washington. UW’s defense is pretty suspect.
LOL. I was cracking a joke given the hole he left me.
but thank you for calling out UW’s suspect defense. We’ll use that to temper our perception of how good Jordan Wynn is after he puts up 400 yds this weekend.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
you first PAC home game--should be a big deal
Do you have anything special planned?? UW will be tough for you guys—they’ve won 7 of their last 8 games. They are explosive on offense—and if they score 30 or more—I doubt if the utes can keep up. Just a word to the wise—defense simply does not win the day in this conference. Yeah Price is better than expected—don’t forget about Chris Polk, he’s a first team All Pac RB—a stud.
Anyways—I think this is the most intriguing PAC matchup of the week. I wanna see if Rice-Eccles is gonna be a tough place to play for a seasoned PAC team.
I’m hoping UW softens you up and deflates you in front of the showdown V my sun devils.
Why does 7 of 8 matter?
And Defense does win the day in the PAC 12, or at least it did in the PAC 10. USC had great defenses for years, and Oregon’s defense last year was significantly better than most years (including this year). The offenses get all the hype, the defenses get the results.
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Sep 26, 2011 4:27 PM MDT up reply actions
Defense don't win the day?
Ask Stanford and Oregon that (9th and 12th nationally in scoring defense in 2010)
Balance wins the day.
You need winning plays all over the field. You need to be able to win this way, that way and every freakin’ way. If you’re overly stacked on one side or the other, there’s a better balanced team a-comin’ down the pike.
you thought keeping it close V USC was an achievment
and ASU exposed USC for what they are—which is garbage.
You seem to be forgetting that both the ducks and furd also had great offenses—balance wins the day!
Utesgood D suspect O UWgood O suspect D
That’s why this game will be fun!
garbage?
being familiar with the UCLA – SC rivalry I can understand why you feel this way. But subjectivity aside, USC is a good team. As in any game, turnovers, penalties and lack of execution will be the downfall of even talented teams.
by Utah-UCLA alum on Sep 26, 2011 4:43 PM MDT up reply actions
USC is a talented team.
Doesn’t always translate to good. Thank goodness. Otherwise they would win every year.
That's different than being garbage...
When they’re playing well, SC can beat any team in the country (I’m not shitting you, either, I really believe that).
But they’re very poorly coached and that will cause poorly performed games.
Still, SC will win a few games this year and might even pull off an upset or two.
When they’re playing well, SC can beat any team in the country (I’m not shitting you, either, I really believe that).
I agree. This year. Talent (or at the very least, depth) is going to take a precipitous downturn starting next season.
Garbage?
no, that’s just a very happy ASU fan.
But, let’s not pretend that they are all that good. They were not last year and they aren’t this year. They are part of that muddled middle in the PAC.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
not saying they're not talented
poorly coached—the Kiffins are retards!
USC will probably lead the PAC again in players in the NFL draft.
USC is not a good team!
I disagree. They are a good team.
They’re not a very well coached team, however. That’s the difference. Talent alone will keep SC in most their games. Coaching might take them out of it, of course, but they’re capable of winning most games on their schedule.
Good teams don’t do that.
Utah's Defense vs Nebraska
Honestly, most Utah fans seem pretty darn confident.
Question: Is the Utes defense better, or even equal to, Nebraska’s?
Because UW moved the ball – AT WILL – on Nebraska. In fact, UW should have had 24+ at halftime, with a 10-point lead after a blown punt interference call that the conference now says was wrong. That was a 10-14 point swing with under 2:00 until halftime.
UW ABSOLUTELY SHREDDED Nebraska’s defense. Nebraska relied on 2 or 3 turnovers, one at the 1 yard line on the opening kickoff of the second half, to get 17 gimme points.
Did they earn them? Sure.
But it looks like Nebraska’s offense did a lot more to UWs defense than it really did. And the score doesn’t reflect the mid-40s, or higher, points UW legitimately should have put up against Nebraska.
Sure, Utah’s good. But UW has the best skill positions on offense, in total, in the conference. You have 4-5 NFL-bound guys at the skill positions alone in Kearse, Polk, Jenkins, Williams, etc. Along with a few NFL-caliber OL.
Yeah, the defense sucks. But the fact is, it can’t get worse. And Wynn, for all the hype, I just don’t get it. Maybe he’s still hurt? But against USC, he looked like a bottom-third QB in the PAC 12, as I’d take Luck, Barkley, Foles, Thomas, Tuel, Price and ASU QB over Wynn.
Now, Witthingham’s a heck of a coach. And he’s coming off a bye. But UWs offense will likely be the most balanced Utah will see all year.
PS – Don’t know how Utah pulled off the schedule it did for its first season in the PAC 12. But this is the easiest 2 year run it will ever have missing 2, top 10 teams in Stanford and Oregon.
I have a feeling, at the end of the year, Utah will have a higher-than-warranted opinion of its program in the PAC 12. Just wait until WSU and OSU are its misses.
A few points:
1) Yes, I do think Utah has a better defense than Nebraska. Before the season, I would never have said that. Nebraska hasn’t done anything this year to earn that blackshirt title, and Utah is playing better. The proof is in the pudding, so to speak.
2) I didn’t know Jordan Wynn had much hype. Where are you hearing that? He’s serviceable and still working to improve from his surgery. He performed pretty well against BYU largely because the offensive line gave him so much time. If he has that much time again, Utah should score pretty easily.
3) I don’t agree that Washington’s defense can’t get any worse. It most definitely can. The Huskies are coming off their best defensive performance against the Bears. Backsliding is not out of the question – especially when you’ve lost your best pass rusher, Hau’oli Jamora. Once again, if Wynn plenty of time to throw, he will be able to move the ball against the Huskies suspect defense.
4) I agree that Utah got fortunate with their schedule, and that’s not news to any Utah fan that has been paying attention. Utah will never miss OSU and WSU in the same season (as long as the 9 conference game schedule is in place.) Every year, Utah must miss either Stanford or California, and will only miss 1 of the 4 northwest schools. That’s a byproduct of the decision to have all the California schools play each other every year.
Ute in DC
Thanks for the reply.
1. Re: Wynn. We heard out here in Seattle, before the season started, that he was a potential Heisman candidate. Frankly, I don’t know jack about him. But, having seen him play twice with the idea that he must be very good considering the supposed Heisman talk, I’ve been very underwhelmed. If he didn’t have those expectations coming into the season, I stand corrected.
2. Re: UWs defense. Seriously, how will it get worse, especially considering Wynn? Both the EWU QB and the Hawaii QB are better than him; and both of those schools threw constantly.
3: Re: Jamora. Sure, he was the best pass rusher, so far. However, it’s not like he was dominant. They moved a few guys inside to let him play outside. They’ll now just reverse that. And the one area that was the expected strength of the UW defense coming into the season was the DL. In fact, I think Ted Miller of the ESPN PAC 12 blog, among others, ranked it the best DL, or one of the top 3, in the conference. So, if anything, the defense has WOEFULLY underachieved to this point. To most middle-of-the-road thinkers, it’s far more likely that the unit will improve, hence the overall defense. Because as you know, no pass rush means average DBs are exploited.
Ute in DC
PS – Thanks for the explanation of Utah’s schedule. I didn’t know the ins-and-outs. I just know that, if there were ever a year for them to play in, and win, the conference title, this is a good one.
PPS – So I’m clear, I’m VERY, VERY glad both Utah and Colorado joined the conference. I respect the heck of your program; more importantly, your university. It’s top notch.
And frankly, I’m in the minority of those who didn’t want either Texas or Oklahoma. Glad we said no to both.
Wynn as a Hesiman Candidate
That is rich. Even the most ardent of us Wynn supporters I don’t think would have though about making that claim. Whoever in Seattle said that is someone who know jack about Utah and the offense, or they would have known that Wynn, even when healthy was a question mark, and even more so coming into the season thanks to shoulder surgery.
At the same time. Wynn has played smarter this year than any year past, and while he may not wing it 60 yards down field, the Utes have show the ability to get the WR’s open and they have shown an ability to make teams pay.
with all this dick swinging,
I would like to say that I am going to guess a Utah win, but something along the lines of 41-38.
You guys are going to go nuts on the boards, announce with fervor that the Norm Chow offense has arrived and conveniently forget both of the following:
- your arguments about how good your defense is
- your arguments about how bad the UW defense is
Enjoy!
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
jim2
I got an extra asu ticket. Its in the muss but lemme know
by aUTmanAMi on Sep 26, 2011 9:16 PM MDT via mobile reply actions
Utah can't start PAC play 0-2 with ASU the following week.
Looking at the numbers… Utah hasn’t allowed an offense to hang 20 on them. Washington, on the other hand, has allowed every team they have played to score over 20. Utah needs to continue to get opportunistic turnovers and give the O a short field.
Also, Washington needed an interception to preserve a victory against a winless FBS school and a last second goal line stand to beat Cal at home. They could easily be 1-3. Teams are sustaining long drives and scoring against the Huskies. They took a major hit last week when they lost their best pass rusher. I look for Utah to continue their progression in executing the new pro style offense that Norm Chow installed.
Utes at home, coming off a bye week should come out on top. Should be an interesting match up, pitting strength versus weakness for both teams. This begins the grind of a AQ conference schedule. We need to build some momentum for, what could decide the division title, against ASU the following week.
Yeah, but you forgot to mention that nobody has stopped UW's offense all year. That counts for something?
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Nobody
Includes Hawaii, Eastern Washington, and Cal.
The only good team was Nebraska… and it’s hard to hold a team down on offense when you give them the ball back by scoring a million points. I don’t think there is a Pac-12 D. that plays like Utah does.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 28, 2011 8:35 AM MDT up reply actions
"By far"?
Granted, the UW D came out flat and unready and got torched by Eastern Washington; if you want to say they have the worst D in the Pac, well, Arizona says hello, but otherwise I think you’d have an argument. Still, I think the Husky defense is at least better than Montana State. :)
by The Ancient Mariner on Sep 27, 2011 6:54 AM MDT reply actions
I think we underestimate
Our defense. Look at what we expected them to give up against USC and BYU, and they gave up a lot less than that. Then again, I think we overestimate the offense. 24-16 Utes.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 27, 2011 9:05 AM MDT reply actions
If you hold UW to 3 FGs and a sinle TD, I'll eat a styrofoam cup
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Two TD's and two two-point conversions?
8 safeties?
4 field goals and 2 safeties?
2 field goals and 5 safeties?
One TD, one two-point conversion, two field goals and a safety?
One TD, one two-point conversion, and 4 safeties?
One TD (with a missed PAT), two field goals and two safeties?
One TD (with a missed PAT) and 5 safeties?
Two TD’s (with one missed PAT) and a field goal?
Two TD’s (both PAT’s missed) and two safeties?
Sixteen PAT’s?
If you get Sixteen PAT's only
Than I’ll eat 50 styrofoam cups.
Neither USC nor BYU score many points on the season.
26 and 18 respectively, not including their games against the Utes. Utah’s D held them below their season’s average in both cases, but not by that much.
Utah’s D made hey last season against their weaker opponents. Against BCS-quality teams (Pitt, BYU, Notre Dame, TCU, Boise State), they gave up almost 29 points per game. That’s not terrible by any means, but it isn’t exactly dominating, either.
The Dawgs are the best, most diverse offense the Utes will have faced to date. Utah may very well hold them below their season’s scoring average, but by probably a similar margin to what they did USC and BYU. Around 28 or 30 points.
34-31 Prediction
Probably a high scoring first half as we can’t stop each other, then 2nd half adjustments make the difference and the Utes squeak out their first PAC-12 win with an oldie but goodie score.
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