Block U

Ranked versus ranked

2008-11-21T07:29:44Z

Utah and BYU have only played as ranked opponents once, that happened in the 1994 Holy War. Utah won the game 34-31, finishing the year at 10-2 and ranked in the top-ten. It was a home victory for the Utes, who ended a two-game slide, while snapping the Cougars' two-game winning streak. For the past 14 years, it has been regarded as the best Holy War in history, namely because they both met ranked. The rarity of that feat has not been duplicated since, well at least until now, where the 11-0 Utes, ranked 8th in the nation, take on the 10-1 and 16th ranked Cougars. How does that benefit Utah? Well this season, when two ranked teams have met, the home team has performed extremely well. Meaning that even though both teams might be ranked, the added benefit of playing in front of a partisan crowd seems to bolster the home team. Hopefully that trend continues Saturday for the Utes.

In Week One, there were two contests that pitted ranked opponents against one another. Both games were played on a neutral field, as Alabama and Clemson met in Atlanta, Georgia, while Illinois and Missouri played in St. Louis. Since there was never a true advantage, I won't use either of these games.

In Week Two, no games were played where both opponents were ranked.

In Week Three, South Florida, ranked 19th, defeated 13th ranked Kansas at home. USC, ranked 1st, defeated 5th ranked Ohio State at home. Tenth ranked Wisconsin beat 21st ranked Fresno State on the road.

In Week Four, 18th ranked Wake Forest defeated 24th ranked Florida State on the road. 6th ranked LSU defeated 10th ranked Auburn on the road.

In Week Five, 2nd ranked Oklahoma defeated 24th ranked TCU at home. 8th ranked Alabama defeated 3rd ranked Georgia on the road. 12th Ranked Penn State defeated 22nd ranked Illinois at home.

In Week Six, 19th ranked Vanderbilt defeated 13th ranked Auburn at home. 9th ranked USC defeated 23rd ranked Oregon at home. 14th ranked Ohio State defeated 18th ranked Wisconsin on the road.

In Week Seven, 17th ranked Oklahoma State defeated 3rd ranked Missouri on the road. 11th ranked Florida defeated 4th ranked LSU at home.

In Week Eight, 10th ranked Georgia defeated 22nd ranked Vanderbilt at home. 12th ranked Ohio State defeated 20th ranked Michigan State on the road. 4th ranked Oklahoma defeated 16th ranked Kansas at home. Number 1 ranked Texas defeated 11th ranked Missouri at home.

In Week Nine, 8th ranked Texas Tech defeated 19th ranked Kansas on the road. Number 1 ranked Texas defeated 7th ranked Oklahoma State at home. 9th ranked Georgia defeated 11th ranked LSU on the road. 3rd ranked Penn State defeated 10th ranked Ohio State on the road.

In Week Ten, 6th ranked Texas Tech defeated 1st ranked Texas at home.

In Week Eleven, 10th ranked Utah defeated 11th ranked TCU at home. 19th ranked North Carolina defeated 22nd ranked Georgia Tech at home. Number one ranked Alabama defeated 15th ranked LSU on the road. 2nd ranked Texas Tech defeated 8th ranked Oklahoma State at home. 7th ranked USC defeated 21st ranked Cal at home.

In Week Twelve, 3rd ranked Florida defeated 24th ranked South Carolina at home.

When two ranked teams meet, the home team has a record of 16-11. That's a winning percentage of 59%. Now that might not seem like an extraordinary winning percentage, but if you look at just the games where the home team had a better ranking, the winning percentage goes up. Home teams ranked higher are 13-2 so far this season, or a winning percentage of 86%.

The lone two exceptions were when 17th ranked Oklahoma State defeated 3rd ranked Missouri and 8th ranked Alabama beat 3rd ranked Georgia. Which if you are a BYU fan gives you hope this Saturday as twice this season the lower ranked team managed to knock off their higher ranked opponent on the road. Coincidentally, both those teams were ranked 3rd when they lost. I don't know if that could be considered the Curse of the Thirds, though.

What this does show is that when two teams meet ranked, the home team wins nearly 60% of the time and when the home team is higher ranked, they win nearly 90% of the time. That doesn't include road wins by higher ranked opponents, which would be another favorable number for the Utes. Add in the history of the Holy War and it's not a surprise the Utes are a 7 point favorite Saturday.

Of course, none of this means the Utes will win. The game is not played on paper -- where the Utes hold a significant edge -- and instead, on the field. But nearly every sign, from the record and comparable opponents to statistical comparisons, points to a Utah victory. For BYU to win, they will need Utah to play a little off Saturday. I'm not saying the Utes will need a horrible game, but if Utah comes in tight or makes a few too many mistakes, then that will give the Cougars an opening. But that will require Utah to play at a level lower than what we've seen from them the past two Holy Wars -- both games the Utes lost. I think in both contests, especially in 2006, Utah over performed, while BYU did not. Which explains why both games were extremely close and there for the taking. BYU managed to win both games because they were the better team, but it didn't happen without a fight. Well that's changed. Utah is now the better team and that means BYU will have to hope to play spoiler like the Utes did the past three rivalry games. Utah played that role well, beating the Cougars in 2005 and nearly beating them in 2006 and 2007. However, we've yet to see how BYU performs as an underdog in the rivalry game under Bronco Mendenhall. That might be the most intriguing unknown entering Saturday's game.

History is on Utah's side

2008-11-20T04:50:22Z

If anything, history acts as a guide for the unknown, especially in sports. Even though there is never really a guarantee, looking at past events tends to shed some light on the possible outcome for Saturday's game. If history is any type of indication, the Utes will be 12-0 Saturday night. Of course, that doesn't mean it's a given, however, the odds do seem to be stacked against the Cougars.

Since 1999, the home team entering the Holy War with the better record has won 3 out of 4 times.

1999: The lone exception, the 7-3 Utes defeat the 8-2 Cougars to claim a share of the inaugural Mountain West championship.
2001: BYU enters their rivalry game against the Utes at 10-0, Utah is 7-2. The Cougars rally in the final minute, defeating Utah 24-21.
2004: An undefeated 10-0 Utah team crushes the 5-5 Cougars 52-21.
2007: BYU, at 8-2, defeat the 8-3 Utes 17-10.

Since 1999, the team with the better record has won in all but two years, 1999 and 2002. In 2002, the Utes entered their game against the Cougars with a 4-6 record, while BYU came into the game at 5-6.

Since 1990, only once has the winner of the Holy War not led in most statistical categories. This season, Utah leads in 20, BYU in 10.

Since the Mountain West was formed, BYU has only managed to defeat one ranked opponent -- TCU in 2006. Utah hasn't lost as a ranked team in five years, that loss coming to New Mexico in 2003.

Now these stats do not mean the Utes are going to win this weekend, but it does show that the better team generally wins in this series. Of course, if you want to play devil's advocate, you could say the difference between Utah and BYU right now is negligible. But the same could have been said last year, a game the Cougars won. It might not assure victory, but it seems to benefit Utah more than BYU.

Rocky Long, Utah DC?

2008-11-19T22:30:55Z

Rocky Long might have resigned from New Mexico, however, he probably isn't done coaching yet. If Gary Andersen bolts for Utah State or Wyoming, which seems possible, what would you think of Kyle Whittingham bringing on Rocky Long as Utah's DC? It would mean a dramatic shift in the Utah defense philosophy, but I don't think anyone can deny how good his Lobo defenses have been over the years.

Also, rumor has it Long was offered the DC position at BYU, but turned them down. I don't know the validity of this rumor, but we all known the ties Long has to the Brigham Young program, as his father played for the Cougars, he was born in Provo and Bronco was the Lobos' defensive coordinator prior to taking over under Crowton in 2003.

Only time will tell and maybe Andersen sticks with f ah, but if he were to bolt, would you want Long as Utah's DC?

Poll

Long as Utah's DC, what do you think?

Utes roll Wisconsin-Green Bay

2008-11-19T04:13:59Z

The basketball team won their first game of the season, defeating Wisconsin-Green Bay 79-60 tonight at the Huntsman Center. This comes only a few days after their embarrassing defeat to D-II Southwest Baptist (which was mentioned by Dick Vitale tonight as one of the first upsets of the college basketball season).

I'll probably have more on the game later, even though it's tough getting into the basketball mood. It is, however, nice to see Utah get a victory, though I'll be honest, I don't know how good the Phoenix are.

This was their first game of the season.

Urban Meyer talks BCS, politics and Utes

2008-11-18T18:53:17Z

Urban Meyer talks BCS, politics and Utes

I discussed this yesterday and thought I would provide the link. Meyer also states he has Utah real high in his poll and that they are 'a hell of a team'.

Though it seems the reasoning from the Orlando paper for the comment is that Meyer doesn't want to fan any flames if there is a chance the two meet (say in the Sugar Bowl). Sounds reasonable enough for me.

Do Utah fans invest more into the rivalry than BYU fans?

2008-11-18T07:05:24Z

Jay Drew, bless his heart, seems to be totally oblivious to the state of the Holy War and the impact it has on the local communities. Tonight on Powerhouse (KJZZ show, hosted by Alema Harrington) he actually said BYU fans would rather beat UCLA than Utah. Now I understand he's covering BYU for the Tribune and maybe doing so has corrupted his poor soul, but in what world in any galaxy would BYU fans want a win over UCLA instead of beating Utah? Hell, venture over to CougarBoard and read just how invested they are in this rivalry. They might not say they take it as serious as Utah fans, but it's evident and all you have to do is just read a few of their posts. They hate Utah. They hate Utah like we hate BYU.

Now I don't know why he believes BYU fans would rather beat UCLA than Utah. I mean, what victory last season really soaked up more emotion among the Cougar faithful? You can't tell me it was their win over the 6-6 Bruins in the Las Vegas Bowl. No, they wanted to kick the ever loving $#!% out of Utah. Which always gets me, because BYU fans play this rivalry down like it's just another game. Now I could understand that mentality 20 years ago, when the Ute football program was terrible and the games were rarely competitive, since for the Cougars, it was nothing more than just another game on their schedule before their inevitable bowl showdown with a middle of the pack Big Ten team. But that isn't the way it is anymore. Utah has become a legitimate threat and proven it's not only capable of hanging with the Cougars, but beating them. Yet to listen to many Cougar fans, we look them as our bowl game and they look at us as nothing more than just another game on the schedule. Forget for a second that this will mark the second time in four years -- five Holy Wars -- where a BCS bowl bid is on the line for Utah and not BYU.

But what gets me the most is the fact Cougar fans fail to embrace the rivalry. As if they're better than it, when we all know they aren't. Their program hasn't been that much better than Utah over the last four seasons and the Utes have clearly had the better year. So why the Holier Than Thou attitude? I mean, I get they think they're a better program, a more successful program and have larger future prospects, but it isn't like having a rival at this level is bad. Rivalries are unique, but what is more unique is a rivalry between two great teams. It just does not happen much in college football. Sure, you've got Michigan and Ohio State, but do you think that game this weekend is going to get half the attention as it would if both teams entered ranked and with a major bowl on the line? What about Alabama and Auburn? The Iron Bowl is one of the most known and tradition rich rivalries in college football, yet many look at their upcoming game as nothing more than just a slight detour for Alabama on their way to the SEC Championship game against the Gators. The same thing could be said for USC-UCLA, Arizona-Arizona State, Washington-Washington State, Texas-Texas A&M and Florida-Florida State. None of these games will have as much national impact as Saturday's Holy War.

You see, what makes college football great are these rivalries. One game a year that can totally define a season. For BYU, they're fighting for a conference championship and bragging rights. For Utah, they're fighting for the BCS. It's all on the line and I can guarantee you that if you ask any BYU fan if they would forgo their victory over UCLA to end Utah's undefeated, BCS dreamin' season, they would take it in a heartbeat. What fool wouldn't? That's what makes rivalries so great. You can completely crush the dreams of your most despised enemy. I mean, Utah fans have been in the position BYU is in currently. Back in 2001, the Cougars were 10-0 and still fighting for a BCS berth. Utah came only a minute away from ending that dream down in Provo, but eventually lost 24-21. It was a horrible loss and up until the last two, probably the most painful for any Ute fan in recent history. Utah went on to finish the season 8-4, defeating USC in the Las Vegas Bowl. But I think I can speak for most fans when I say we'd rather have taken a loss to the Trojans in that bowl game if it meant the Utes ended the Cougars' BCS dreams. So don't try and tell me BYU fans would rather take their 59-0 victory against UCLA over beating Utah Saturday. They are just as invested in this rivalry as we are, they just haven't admitted it to themselves yet.

UPDATE: It appears Dick Harmon is pushing the 'Ute fans care more about the rivalry than BYU fans' meme. Pathetic.

Urban Meyer hinting at support for Utah in NC game?

2008-11-18T01:24:36Z

Urban Meyer is a diplomat and we saw first hand here at Utah how he deflected any hypotheticals with ease. So it wasn't a surprise he gave a non-answer when asked whether or not Utah should be able to play for the national championship if they were to go undefeated over a one-loss SEC or Big 12 team. What might come as a surprise is when you actually read between the lines of his comments, because it does possibly shed some light on what Meyer actually believes and might be hinting at with his remarks.

Sure, I'm not the type of person who typically overanalyzes every comment made, but it was what Meyer did not say that, at least to me, spoke louder than what he did say.

Meyer was asked the above question and responded with a laugh, knowing full well answering it would open a whole new can of worms. But even though Meyer didn't answer the question, he did throw out a hint when he said that he would plead the fifth because his answer would not be a popular one. Not popular for whom? Well, unless he knew he was playing to the Utah audience -- which is unlikely -- we can only assume he meant it would be an unpopular answer for the SEC faithful. Which, and this is where I might be overanalyzing things just a bit, shows that he probably believes an undefeated Utah team should play in the national championship over a one-loss SEC team.

Meyer plays politics well, but he might have just let his true feelings slip here. Do you agree with him?

Rocky Long resigns from New Mexico

2008-11-17T23:59:06Z

Shocking news out of New Mexico, as head coach Rocky Long will step aside later today and resign from the program he helped build. Long, who just finished his 11th season with the Lobos, struggled this year, guiding New Mexico to a 4-8 finish. He is 65-69 since taking over the program in 1998.

I'll have more on this when they hold their press conference.

BYU @ Utah: One victory away from the BCS

2008-11-17T06:00:02Z

Never has there been a bigger or more imposing Holy War than what is about to take place Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium. It marks only the second time in Holy War history where both Utah and BYU are ranked in the top-25. The last time that happened was in 1994, where the Utes won 34-31. Much like that season, both the Cougars and Utes have put up impressive numbers and win streaks. Until their loss to TCU in October, BYU held the nation's longest win streak. Utah is now in possession of that, last losing at the end of the 2007 season to, of course, BYU. That has been Utah's lone loss in twenty games and come Saturday, Ute fans hope it remains that way.

What's on the line in this Holy War for both teams varies. BYU has an extremely slim chance of making the BCS, however, they can still claim a share of the conference championship. That would give them their third in a row and with a victory over Utah, most obviously bragging rights for an entire year. For the Utes, it's not only an outright conference championship -- their first since 2004, but also a chance to do something no other non-BCS team has done, make a BCS bowl game twice in school history. Clearly, the Utes have more to lose entering Saturday. That can either be a blessing or distraction, since never before have they faced this good of a BYU team with so much on the line. In 2004, the Cougars limped into the Holy War with a 5-5 record and no one really gave them a chance. The final score echoed the disparity between the two teams, as Utah rolled to a 52-21 victory. I don't expect that type of dominance, which means this will not be just another game before the inevitable, as it seemed four years ago.

Of course, this is the Holy War and having a backstory might benefit Utah. It's risky facing a snake bitten rival with so much on the line. Just ask West Virginia last season. All that stood between them and a national championship berth were the lowly Pittsburgh Panthers. A rival to the Mountaineers, they entered the game in Morgantown big underdogs, coming in with a less than impressive 4-7 record. They left town with an improbable 13-9 victory, shattering any championship hopes for the West Virginia faithful. Having a legitimate threat standing between Utah and the BCS should present enough focus to not stray. That isn't to say there aren't risks, because the Cougars are very capable of defeating Utah, but this team seems to do better when presented with a large challenge and Saturday night, well they'll be facing the largest of them all.

So what makes BYU such a formable foe? Well for starters, their offense will be the toughest Utah faces this season. The Cougars average 36.4 points per game, second in the Mountain West, slightly behind Utah. They rank first in yards per game at 447 and their passing offense is first, too, with BYU averaging 318 yards per game through the air. On the ground, though, they aren't nearly as potent, as the Cougars manage only 129 rushing yards per game, which ranks 7th in the conference.

For Utah's defense, they will need to play a flawless game. Luckily, that defense has been pretty exceptional throughout the season, ranking 2nd in the conference in points allowed and 2nd in yards allowed. Their weakness, though, has been the secondary. The Utes give up, on average, 190 yards per game through the air. It's not a terrible stat, but it does put them at only 4th in the conference. The problem here, of course, is that BYU's offense is very efficient through the air and capable of doing fatal damage to teams with questionable secondaries. The Falcons, who rank 2nd in the conference in pass defense, allowed Max Hall to throw for 354 yards. If Utah is going to win, they need to not only pressure Hall, hopefully setting a tone early, but also defend like mad in the secondary. If they don't, then they better hope the offense is prepared for a shootout.

The good news, BYU's defense is pretty porous. Even though they looked pretty impressive early against weaker competition, since their 21-3 victory over New Mexico at the start of October, the Cougars have given up nearly 30 points per game. And that includes the 12 allowed against the anemic San Diego State Aztec offense.

Why has the Cougar defense struggled in the second half of the season? Well their secondary isn't stepping up. Including all 12 games, BYU ranks only sixth in the conference in pass defense. Their run defense isn't much better, as they rank sixth there, as well. That means Utah's offense should be capable of not only moving the ball through the air, but also on the ground. Which means if the defense can pressure Hall and do what TCU did so well, Utah should win. If Hall can pick apart Utah's secondary all day long, then the Ute offense will need to step it up and play a very impressive game. Good thing they had a tune-up game Saturday against the Aztecs, because the offense will really need to be clicking at a high level this weekend to finish the season 12-0. If they stumble, much like the offense did last year down in Provo, they will need to rely on the defense and it's very likely the game comes down to one or two plays like the last three Holy Wars. For pure football fans, that is the perfect ending to a near-perfect rivalry. For Utah fans, who are probably suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after the last two contests, that won't be a welcomed sight. Hopefully it does not come down to the final seconds and if Utah's defense can play at the level they did against TCU, while the offense continues to play near-mistake free, it probably won't. But right now, that still might be a big if.

I don't expect a Utah blowout, but I also have a feeling this game won't be decided in the final minute. I don't know why, since the Utes have had a ton of games this season decided in the final minute, but I do believe they win comfortably. However, if they don't and only manage to pull out a win similar to what we saw against Air Force, Oregon State and TCU, I will undoubtedly take it.

I expect to debate with myself back and forth on this and the ultimate margin, meaning I could have a completely different prediction come Saturday. But for now, with all I've read and how I feel, I say the Utes win 31-21. Let's hear your predictions.

Utah Just Took Our Quarterback Commit Jordan Wynn

2008-11-17T00:13:27Z

Jordan Wynn is going to be a good player. He will probably win the San Diego City Championship two years in a row. Has to put some weight on but he is committed to doing that. Here is an interview we did with him. Has a good arm and the kid is a winner. Stop winning Utah, it will kill our recruiting! Congrats on the good year so far and give the Cougs hell.

Rivals Announcement

BCS rankings out, Utah stays at 7th

2008-11-16T21:35:22Z

Not a surprise, since no team lost ahead of the Utes. They're stuck at 7th, but with Oklahoma and Texas Tech playing Saturday and a big game against a top-20 BYU team, the Utes should jump up at least a spot if they win.

Here are the rankings:

1. Alabama

2. Texas Tech

3. Texas

4. Florida

5. Oklahoma

6. USC

7. Utah

8. Penn State

9. BSU

It does seem extremely unlikely Boise State will pass Utah if the Utes win out.

So win out & beat BYU!

It's clear: Utah is a football school

2008-11-16T20:19:47Z

Before I get to the whole Holy War, I thought I'd run down the abortion that was yesterday's basketball game.

Let's travel back ten years to 1998. The Utah men's basketball team was just barely getting their season started, while the Utah football team was putting together an average, but far from great, 7-4 season. It was the week prior to the Holy War -- a game Utah would lose on a missed field goal -- and the last season they would ever play in the WAC. It was also the first year the Utes were playing in the brand new Rice-Eccles Stadium. At that time, Utah football was much like the season they were playing. At times they looked extremely good, but as a whole, they were nothing great. And people around the Salt Lake Community knew this, as Utah wasn't known for its football program.

Sure, they saw success in 1994 and had a solid run again in 1996, but they weren't lighting the college football landscape on fire. After that amazing run in 94, there were no top-25 finishes, no outright conference championships and definitely no 11-win seasons. But the fans seemed content with just being competitive and getting a victory over BYU. That is why Ron McBride survived a wave of 6, 7 and 8 win seasons after Utah hit its highest point. Of course, it didn't hurt McBride that Utah basketball was consistently the linchpin for Utah athletics. Regardless of how badly the football program floundered, fans could at least look to Rick Majerus and his Runnin' Utes. In 1998, they, like the Utah team in 1994, were at the highest of the highs. The team had just come off an amazing run to the championship game and looked just as good as ever, especially once WAC play rolled around and the Utes went the entire conference season -- tournament included -- without a loss.

That was ten years ago, this is now. If someone would have come up to you in November of 1998 and told you in ten short years the football program would be 11-0 and on the cusp of the BCS (which had just formed, or began to form in 1998), while the basketball team just lost to a D-II program, I'm guessing you would have had a hard time believing them. Yeah, we all wanted Utah football to be better than they were, but I think many of us conceded at that time maybe what Ron McBride had done was the best that could ever be done at Utah. It wasn't until a few years later that we realized the talent wasn't synching up with the wins and losses. But this isn't about the football team, at least directly, it's about how dramatically things have changed at the U.

Ten years ago, no one thought of football first and basketball second, yet that's exactly what we are doing right now. Ten years ago, BYU became the focal point for just one week and when that game was over, everyone returned their focus to basketball. This year, with a win over BYU, we'll be looking far beyond the month of December, to the New Year and a BCS bowl. Ten years ago, any fan would have taken an 11-1 regular season finish in a heartbeat, no grumbles, no complaints and no pains. Now anything short of 12-0 will have a tinge of disappointment and a lot of heartache this time around.

The fact Utah lost to Southwest Baptist -- a program none of us had ever heard of prior to the game Saturday -- and the response has been less worrisome than when they barely beat the Lobos a couple of weeks ago in football shows you just how different the programs are from where they were in 1998.

This is where we stand and probably will stand for a good while. I'm not saying the basketball team is going to be stuck in purgatory for a decade, but it's clear the two major sports at the U are going in two completely opposite directions. And it's not like basketball has been terrible for all that long. Four years ago, the Ute football program was on the verge of busting the BCS, while the basketball program was just kicking off its best season in nearly a decade, rolling through the Mountain West and then the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Since that season, Utah football has gone 35-14 (.700), while Utah basketball has gone 43-50 (.462). The basketball team could turn it around and surprise us, but right now, at the start of Holy War Week, it's clear: Utah is a football school. Ten years ago, I don't think anyone would have ever thought that possible.

Utes remain 7th and 8th in polls.

2008-11-16T19:26:31Z

Utes remain 7th and 8th in polls.

No movement.

Utes crush Aztecs, bring on BYU!

2008-11-16T04:57:27Z

The Utes did what they needed to do against San Diego State, easily winning 63-14 and now we officially enter RIVALRY WEEK!

All I can say is screw BYU and let's kick some Cougar ass to a 12-0, BCS busting season! The past two years have seen the Utes lose in heartbreaking fashion and I think I speak for every Utah fan when I say: Not. This. Time.

With their victory over the Aztecs Saturday, the Utes claimed at least a share of the conference championship (the first to do so) and can win it outright Saturday against BYU.

I'll have more on this game later and a lot more on BYU, but for now, enjoy the win and let's ready ourselves for a huge Holy War!

via d.yimg.com

Utes lose to D-II Southwest Baptist

2008-11-15T23:12:23Z

I don't know if it's the first time in school history Utah has lost to a D-II program, but regardless, this is not the way you want to kick off the 2008-2009 season. Obviously I was wrong when I said in my preview we would not get an idea of how good Utah was from this game. We now know how good the Utes are and it's not a pretty picture.

I'll have more on the game later, but it was pretty ugly and Utah really didn't deserve to win. They were outplayed by a far less talented program and most likely were dealt with the worst loss in program history. At least I can't think of another that rivals this.

Poll

What does this loss say about the future of Utah basketball?

Utah-SDSU Gameday Open Thread

2008-11-15T09:06:50Z

Don't f this up!

Gameday
Utah	San Diego State

Quick Look

Saturday, November 15th, 2008

6:00 MST

Qualcomm Stadium Stadium, San Diego, California

TV: mtn.

Radio: KALL 700

Game Preview

What to expect when Utah has the ball: I'm expecting cruise control on offense. San Diego State is not a good team and won't offer much of a challenge on defense, so look for the Utes to run the ball with ease and pass if necessary.

What to expect when SDSU has the ball: Not much. The Aztecs have one of the worst offenses in the nation, though they do like to throw the ball more than they run. The Aztecs rank 3rd in the conference in passing yards per game, while ranking dead last rushing yards per game.

How Utah wins: Show up. It's that simple. If the Utes even sleep walk through this game they should win. SDSU might just be the worst team on their schedule.

Lucky on a lucky streak!

Here we go to 11 and 0!

Let's hear what you think. Register for a free account here and leave your comments, predictions and other gameday chatter below in the comments section. GO UTES, BEAT THE AZTECS!

Also, if you want to comment on today's basketball game, you can do so here. Tip is at 2:00 at the Huntsman Center.

Oh yeah, there is a basketball game Saturday

2008-11-15T04:16:09Z

Who'd of thought? The Utes kick off their 2008-09 season this afternoon when they host Southwest Baptist University. I've never heard of it and I would have thought the university was somewhere in the southwest, not Missouri, which is where the school is actually located.

So what is SBU? Well it's a small Baptist college of about 3,000 students located in Bolivar, Missouri. Their athletic program is called the Bearcats and they're a member of the MIAA, which sounds like some covert government agency, but it's actually the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. They're a Division-II program.

The Bearcats are coming off a fairly successful season in 2008, as they finished the year 22-8, losing to Tarleton State in the second round of the D-II tournament. There were no D-1 opponents on last year's schedule for SBU, though this year they did take on Southern Illinois University in an exhibition game, losing 79-87.

SBU enters this season ranked 12th in the NABC Division II Pre-Season coaches poll and return most of their talent from last season. That includes Junior Matt Rogers, who last season was named as the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year.

Utah kicks off their second season under Jim Boylen, who took over the struggling program last year and guided them to the CBI Tournament. In an exhibition game last week, the Utes defeated Grand Valley State 59-44. Like the Laker program they defeated in exhibition, the Bearcats probably won't put much of a scare into the Utes, so we really won't get an idea of how good Utah is until Tuesday, when they host UW-Green Bay.

Anyway, sorry to interrupt the football talk, but if you have time, head on down to the Huntsman Center around 2:00 and catch the Runnin' Utes as they kick off their season.

I should also note five players have signed their National Letter of Intent to play for the Utes. Here's a quick rundown thanks to the official site.

Shawn Glover - Wing, 6-7, 185
Cedar Hill, Texas
Cedar Hill High School
Put up 18.1 points and grabbed three rebounds per game as a junior ... named Cedar Hill's Offensive Player of the Year and overall team MVP ... two-year captain and three-year varsity starter ... first-team All-District selection as a junior ... named to the All-Tournament team at the Fort Worth tournament ... strong academic career with a GPA of 3.5.

Coach Boylen:
"Shawn is a big, ball-handling point guard/wing who is a product of a great basketball program. His seven-foot wingspan and shooting ability fit our philosophy of finding players with length and ball-skills, and will offer versatility at both ends of the floor. Shawn is one of several of this year's signees who is very strong academically, which is important to our program."

Marshall Henderson - Guard, 6-2, 175
Hurst, Texas
LD Bell High School
Averaged 24.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.1 steals per game as a junior ... went 110-of-296 (.372) from three-point range ... owns the LD Bell record for three-point field goals made with more than 300 ... on pace to finish as one of the top three scorers in school history ... two-time All-State and three-time All-Region selection ... two-time District MVP (freshman and junior years) and District Offensive MVP as a sophomore ... honor roll student throughout high school.

Coach Boylen:
"Marshall embodies the competitive spirit and toughness that we strive for in this program. He will bring shooting prowess and the ability to score from the guard position to our team. A basketball coach's son and a great student, Marshall plays with a high level of intelligence."

Jeremy Olsen - Forward, 6-11, 220
Lawrenceville, Ga.
Collins Hill High School
Averaged 15.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a junior ... scored 15 points per game as a sophomore ... is already Collins Hill's career leader in rebounding and blocked shots ... is on pace to break the school's scoring record ... a preseason Super Six selection for Gwinnett County ... two-year All-Region 7 selection in class 5A during sophomore and junior years ... a Street and Smith All-American honorable mention choice ... team MVP as a junior and a three-year captain ... outstanding academically with a 4.0 career GPA ... National Honor Society member ... named CHHS World History Student of the Year as a sophomore ... on pace to graduate in the top 10% of a class with more than 1,000 students.

Coach Boylen:
"Jeremy is a versatile big man who impacts both ends of the floor. He can score on the box or shoot from the perimeter. Jeremy has a great combination of size and skill along with the defensive mindset we look for in this program. Jeremy is also an outstanding student with a remarkable academic background."

Matt Read - Forward, 6-9, 220
Weatherford, Texas
Weatherford High School
(Collin County Community College) Currently enrolled at Collin County Community College ... through four games is averaging 11.5 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game ... shooting 57% from the floor and 66% from the free-throw line ... attended the Jerry Mullens JuCo camp this summer for the top 120 junior college players in the country ... was rated No. 2 coming out of the camp ... prior to Collins County CC, played as a freshman at Texas-Arlington ... saw action in 28 games, making seven starts ... averaged 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

Coach Boylen:
"Matt will give us size and versatility at the `4' and, like Olsen, has the ability to play inside and out. Matt was rated as the second-best Junior College player at the Jerry Mullens JuCo camp over the summer, and I feel he will be a great fit for our style of play. Having played a year of Div- I basketball as a freshman at Texas-Arlington as well, he will add experience to our front line. Matt is another of the players we signed with a great academic record."

Jay Watkins - Wing, 6-6, 200
Memphis, Tenn.
Hamilton High School
(College of Southern Idaho)
Currently enrolled at the College of Southern Idaho ... leads the 3-0 Golden Eagles in scoring (22 ppg) and minutes (35.3 mpg) and is third in rebounding (7.0 rpg)... prior to CSI, was a starter at the University of San Francisco as a freshman ... named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshmen Team ... prior to USF, started all four years at Hamilton High School (Memphis, Tenn.) ... led Hamilton to a state championship his senior year ... team went undefeated that year ... earned state MVP honors and was a McDonald's All-American nominee.

Coach Boylen:
"Jay will add athleticism and competitiveness to our team. He brings physical toughness and size to the wing position. Jay is a proven Div.-I player who started as a freshman at USF and was named to the All-Freshman team in the West Coast Conference."

Go Utes, hopefully they start preseason 1-0!

Is Utah better than USC?

2008-11-15T00:20:40Z

Hey, I didn't pose this question, the Los Angeles Times did.

Well it looks like a guy by the name of Marc Corman asked the question, but the answer by the Times might surprise you.

Question: As to the latest top 25 rankings, which I know in some respects is meant to be humorous, in ranking Utah ahead of USC I ask this: do you really think Utah is a better team than USC and could beat them?

Really?

I would be surprised if Utah could reach midfield once in a game between the two. USC would probably be favored by 25 or more, and might even cover!! Keep up the great writing, but Rankman seems confused, very confused.

Marc H. Corman

Answer: I thought long and hard about this . . . probably, oh, 43 seconds.

I'll turn that around on you: Why shouldn't Utah be ranked ahead of USC?

Utah never once trailed Oregon State, 21-0, as USC did before losing.

In fact, Utah defeated Oregon State.

Utah is 10-0 to USC's 8-1.

The Mountain West Conference this year has dominated the Pacific 10, the league USC calls home.

Texas Christian, which lost to Utah, 13-10, last week, defeated Stanford this year, 31-14.

Stanford, last year, beat USC.

So, tell me, why can't Utah be ranked ahead of USC?

New Mexico, which is 4-7, upset Arizona, 36-28, earlier this season.

USC scuffed out a 17-10 win against those same Arizona Wildcats.

The problem is we get so caught up in labels like BCS team and non-BCS team.

Utah is a good team, so I don't care if it plays in the COB (Conference of Bishops).

Last year, remember, the Utes hammered No. 11 UCLA, 44-6, in Salt Lake City.

I'm starting to have doubts about the Trojans.

I see a great, great defense masking the problems of an increasingly sputtering offense.

I see a team that ranks 114th nationally in penalties, averaging 8.56 a game.

USC ranks No. 1 in total defense, yes.

And TCU (Mountain West) is No. 2, and Utah (Mountain West) is No. 11.

Rankman gets confused when he has to choose between a cookie and a brownie, but not when he has to choose between USC and Utah.

I don't know if USC could beat Utah, but does anyone really believe the Utes would stand zero chance against the Trojans? Sure, it would be a difficult battle for the Utes, but as Oregon State has proven this season and Stanford proved the year before, the Trojans are beatable. SC might have had an amazing run from 2003 to 2005, yet since their loss to Texas in the Rose Bowl, they have looked far more mortal than some people seem to believe.

Even though a few people refuse to give Utah respect, it's good to know some actually do.

Mountain West Conference power rankings

2008-11-13T23:00:24Z

I slacked off last week with the election and the fact there was a game on Thursday, so I didn't get the power rankings out. However, I think this week was one of the most important, at least at the top, so I don't think I missed too much.

Team of the Week: Wyoming. Whenever you go into Knoxville and win, it's a big deal. Sure, Tennessee isn't anything special this year, but a win there is pretty amazing. The victory doesn't make the Cowboys season a success, but it might have saved Joe Glenn's job.

Team of the Weak: New Mexico. You're fighting for a bowl berth, coming off a close loss to Utah the week before and lay an egg against a worse than mediocre UNLV team? Sure, the Rebels are improved, but c'mon this was a must-win game and now the Lobos are stuck with their first real losing season in eight years (technically, they finished 6-7 in 2006, however, that was after a bowl loss).

Week Eleven Rankings
Rank	Team	Comments
1		Utah's win over TCU puts them one victory away from at least a share of the Mountain West title. It also means the only thing standing between them and the BCS are the BYU Cougars. San Diego State this week should be a breeze and then comes that huge showdown for not only an outright conference championship, but another BCS bowl berth.
2		Losing hurts. Losing when you obviously controlled most of the game hurts even more. For most of the night, the Frogs owned the Utes, but they could never put them away and when you let a good team linger, they almost always bite you.
3		Air Force has quietly put together a really impressive season. After easily defeating the Rams Saturday, they now turn their focus to BYU in a game that most certainly will eliminate one of these teams from the conference championship hunt.
4		BYU finally dominated a game from start to finish, cruising past the struggling Aztecs. It was a good victory, especially with a very important game this weekend against Air Force. A loss there and the Cougars can kiss goodbye any chance of a conference title. A victory, though, could get things back on track heading into their huge game against the Utes.
5		It was a tough loss for the Rams against the Falcons, but they still have had a pretty solid season. No one expected Colorado State to make a bowl game, yet the possibility -- if they win out -- is still there.
6		UNLV, like CSU, is fighting for a bowl bid. Their victory over the Lobos last weekend was a huge step in the right direction and a victory over Wyoming tonight will move them one step closer to that goal. With only San Diego State left on the schedule after that, it's very probable the Rebels reach .500 to end the season.
7		Wyoming's victory over Tennessee was surprising, but what is even more surprising is that the Cowboys just might be able to finish at .500 this year. Who would have thought that two weeks ago? The Cowboys travel to Las Vegas tonight and then end the season by hosting CSU. Win out and a bowl is possible.
8		New Mexico is struggling. Even though they played Utah tough, they couldn't get it done against UNLV. That loss cost them a bowl berth and gives them a losing record in the regular season for the first time since 2000. Rocky Long is a good coach, but it's clear the Lobos regressed this year. Injuries aside, this team should have performed better.
9

Boise State to the Mountain West?

2008-11-12T22:13:02Z

The rumors are flying and they suggest the Broncos have been invited to join the conference this spring. Of course, they can't admit they received the letter until after the season is finished, but this is the first time we've heard rumors heat up this much.

What do you think? Would Boise State make a good fit in the Mountain West?

Honestly, I don't want them. Nothing against Boise State, but I like the conference just the way it is. I don't think adding the Broncos will get the conference that much closer to locking down a BCS berth, but then again, having four extremely good programs (Utah, TCU, BYU and BSU) might help with perception.

With that said, I don't believe that would be enough to sway me into thinking it was a good idea. If I could, I would nix the idea, but I've realized long ago if the conference were to ever expand, the Broncos would be the first option and it would most likely happen, so it won't be a surprise if it does actually occur.

Poll

Block U

Ranked versus ranked

History is on Utah's side

Rocky Long, Utah DC?

Long as Utah's DC, what do you think?

Utes roll Wisconsin-Green Bay

Urban Meyer talks BCS, politics and Utes

Urban Meyer talks BCS, politics and Utes

Do Utah fans invest more into the rivalry than BYU fans?

Urban Meyer hinting at support for Utah in NC game?

Rocky Long resigns from New Mexico

BYU @ Utah: One victory away from the BCS

Utah Just Took Our Quarterback Commit Jordan Wynn

BCS rankings out, Utah stays at 7th

It's clear: Utah is a football school

Utes remain 7th and 8th in polls.

Utes remain 7th and 8th in polls.

Utes crush Aztecs, bring on BYU!

Utes lose to D-II Southwest Baptist

What does this loss say about the future of Utah basketball?

Utah-SDSU Gameday Open Thread

Oh yeah, there is a basketball game Saturday

Is Utah better than USC?

Mountain West Conference power rankings

Boise State to the Mountain West?

Would you be happy if the Mountain West added Boise State?