Block U - All PostsAn unofficial Utah Utes bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47599/blocku_fav.png2022-09-30T20:06:51-06:00http://www.blocku.com/rss/current/2022-09-30T20:06:51-06:002022-09-30T20:06:51-06:00Goodbye and Go Utes
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<img alt="NCAA Football: San Diego State at Utah" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bLL5aTm9-Qyt5dFMONZnOmLb5oc=/0x0:5472x3648/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71438606/usa_today_19071269.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="QVf56l">It’s time we at Block U said goodbye. SBNation is making some changes, and Block U isn’t in the future, which is unfortunate, but we appreciate the opportunity to cover the school that we love. </p>
<p id="S8IuRZ">I joined the site back in 2014 after years of podcasting and contributing for the likes of <a href="http://KSL.com">KSL.com</a>, and this site has helped me interview many coaches, players, administrators, and more. I was on the sidelines for many incredible moments, sat in the press box for press booth rattling plays, and traveled to games to see cool venues and experiences. Thank you all for support during our time on this site</p>
<p id="u0qJCB">Through those years, we have had some incredible people join and help the site, including the likes of Steven Ford, Alex Stark, Aaron Woods, Philip Malugade, Trent Southwick, and so many others that I’m forgetting about right now. Thanks to you all.</p>
<p id="wwbLkv">Aaron will be plowing ahead with an independent site and more, so stay tuned to what he’s building as he wants to continue to build upon the Block U community, with the name TBD (hopefully with the name Block U both on Twitter and the site). Follow him on Twitter @UteDude92. Aaron has great passion and insight with Utah football and the rest of the athletic department. </p>
<p id="WJNwbE">This version of Block U will be officially going dark after today, but I’ll still be in the stands cheering like crazy every week as Utah pursues another Pac-12 championship. </p>
<p id="0rU9Pc">My final thoughts on the football program: this team is very good. They will have a tough road to repeat, but they can do just that. USC, UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, and Wazzu will test this team. They’ll be in Vegas at the end if they stay healthy and do not shoot themselves in the foot like the Florida game. But this will be the harder championship to win, for sure.</p>
<p id="oHuDST">Anyway, thanks for joining us all these years, and I can’t wait to see you at Rice-Eccles.</p>
<p id="ytptf5">Go Utes</p>
https://www.blocku.com/2022/9/30/23381473/goodbye-and-go-utesShane.Roberts2022-09-27T07:38:31-06:002022-09-27T07:38:31-06:00Utes in the NFL: Week 3
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<img alt="NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Chargers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eCSPxEdnpFG0vPIQgHAp6tjrTxE=/0x0:8001x5334/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71420883/usa_today_19118582.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="Aue2Yd"><strong>20 Houston Texans</strong></p>
<p id="u6ryvJ"><strong>23 Chicago Bears</strong></p>
<p id="YwTShp">Jaylon Johnson was a late scratch for this game so unfortunately, he didn’t play due to injury but the Bears still won the game after a late turnover led to a field goal. </p>
<p id="c1GTcF"><strong>17 Kansas City Chiefs</strong></p>
<p id="XEkPEM"><strong>20 Indianapolis Colts</strong></p>
<p id="YnLXgd">This was a massive upset in the NFL world as the Colts managed to knock off the previously undefeated Chiefs at home. Julian Blackmon had 1 tackle (1 solo tackle) to aid in the win. </p>
<p id="oH22Xp"><strong>19 Buffalo Bills</strong></p>
<p id="wypELe"><strong>21 Miami Dolphins</strong></p>
<p id="uG1KDj">This was the battle of undefeated teams but it was Miami that held off a late Buffalo drive to win the game. The Bills were on the edge of field goal range but ran out of time trying to spike the football to give their kicker a chance at a win. Zach Moss had 4 carries for 46 yards rushing (the longest run was 43 yards). Moss also had 1 catch for 6 yards. On the other side, Eric Rowe recorded 4 tackles (4 solo tackles) to help lead the Dolphins to the win. </p>
<p id="RMNHzc"><strong>37 Baltimore Ravens</strong></p>
<p id="qEWsOR"><strong>26 New England Patriots</strong></p>
<p id="xh9uUw">As long as Lamar Jackson stays healthy Tyler Huntley will not see the field. Nonetheless, the Ravens have benefitted from the play of Marcus Williams as he had 5 total tackles (4 solo tackles) and 1 tackle for loss in a solid road victory against the Patriots. </p>
<p id="yNybyh"><strong>24 Philadelphia Eagles</strong></p>
<p id="Be59Lw"><strong>8 Washington Commanders</strong></p>
<p id="hdpN2w">The Eagles continue to fly to a 3-0 start to the season. Britain Covey had 5 punt returns totaling 34 yards and averaged 6.8 yards per return. His longest return was for 12 yards. Covey did fumble once but the Eagles were able to recover the fumble. </p>
<p id="FHvRqV"><strong>14 New Orleans Saints</strong></p>
<p id="s6oQPU"><strong>22 Carolina Panthers</strong></p>
<p id="eCOwcE">Chase Hansen didn’t have any stats of note in the road loss against the Panthers.</p>
<p id="NBolXD"><strong>38 Jacksonville Jaguars </strong></p>
<p id="uTmhjF"><strong>10 Los Angeles Chargers</strong></p>
<p id="B6sbkb">Devin Lloyd continues to justify his first-round draft status as he had 7 total tackles (5 solo tackles) and 3 pressures in the win. Lloyd also had an interception in which he returned for 10 yards and nearly scored on the return. The Jaguars fanbase is definitely thrilled with his production so far. </p>
<p id="PTK7RV"><strong>20 Los Angeles Rams</strong></p>
<p id="vvs5IS"><strong>12 Arizona Cardinals</strong></p>
<p id="mkleq6">After the impressive come-from-behind victory for Arizona last week you may have thought their offense would be more efficient. However, the Ram's defense made life difficult for Murray and the Rams picked up an impressive road win. Terrell Burgess had 2 total tackles (1 solo tackle) in the win and Leki Fotu had 1 tackle for the Cardinals in a losing effort. Matt Gay continued to be reliable for the Rams as he was 2-2 with his longest a 40-yard field and 2-2 on extra point attempts. </p>
<p id="3TEhcm"><strong>27 Atlanta Falcons</strong></p>
<p id="iuI0em"><strong>23 Seattle Seahawks</strong></p>
<p id="UUvRlw">Seattle had the lead at halftime but was outscored in the 3rd quarter and Atlanta escaped with the victory. Cody Barton had 5 tackles (3 solo tackles) in the loss.</p>
<p id="Vg6XNg"><strong>10 San Francisco 49ers</strong></p>
<p id="GmdqJI"><strong>11 Denver Broncos</strong></p>
<p id="b0lGHv">This was an ugly defensive game through and through and the Broncos scored their only touchdown late in the fourth quarter and then forced a fumble to seal the victory. It was a tough night for Garett Bolles and the Denver offense as the 49ers defense played tough against the new-look Russel Wilson offense. On the other side, it was a busy night for Mitch Wishnowsky as he had 7 punts for 362 yards averaging 51.7 yards per punt with 2 touchbacks, and 3 downed inside the 20-yard line. His longest punt was an incredible 74 yards in the mile-high elevation. </p>
https://www.blocku.com/2022/9/27/23374085/utes-in-the-nfl-week-3Philip.Malugade2022-09-26T07:45:01-06:002022-09-26T07:45:01-06:00State of the PAC 12: Week 4
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Southern California at Oregon State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RPqh8hUmdGPm8RUWuJgQVTHijic=/0x1:3777x2519/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71416361/usa_today_19113399.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Scores and Recaps</p> <p id="xZe4Kv"><strong>45 UCLA Bruins</strong></p>
<p id="US9apM"><strong>17 Colorado Buffaloes</strong></p>
<p id="9iCupQ">I think the biggest surprise in this game is that Colorado managed to score more than one touchdown in a game for the first time this season. Charbonnet had 3 rushing touchdowns for the Bruins in the win. The Bruins led 21-10 at the half but then scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to run away with the win in Boulder. </p>
<p id="Tq4c2A"><strong>31 Arizona Wildcats</strong></p>
<p id="NtF4qI"><strong>49 California Golden Bears</strong></p>
<p id="SnB67Q">The ups and downs continue for both of these teams as Jayden de Laura had an impressive day going 27-45 for 401 yards passing and 2 touchdown passes. The problem was that Cal’s running back Ott had 19 carries for 274 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. Arizona actually led 24-21 at halftime but Cal scored the Wildcats 28-7 in the second half to pick up a big win. </p>
<p id="dxZFsI"><strong>44 (#15) Oregon Ducks</strong></p>
<p id="DklhPx"><strong>41 Washington State Cougars</strong></p>
<p id="29WVLW">Washington State was in control of this game and leading 27-15 entering the 4th quarter, unfortunately for the Cougars, Oregon had a dominant 4th quarter and outscored Washington State 29-14 in a wild quarter to allow Oregon to escape with the victory (granted Washington State scored their final touchdown with only seconds remaining in the game). Bo Nix followed up his impressive game against BYU with another great performance going 33-44 for 428 yards passing and 3 touchdown passes. Oregon took the lead late in the fourth quarter and then sealed the win with a pick 6 with under two minutes remaining to escape Pullman with a big win. </p>
<p id="BO5Zxb"><strong>22 Stanford Cardinal</strong></p>
<p id="OWpBXN"><strong>40 (#18) Washington Huskies</strong></p>
<p id="S3PiKo">Michael Penix Jr. has been an impressive transfer pickup for the Huskies and led the Huskies to victory in Seattle. He went 22-37 for 309 yards passing and 2 touchdown passes. Washington led 30-7 entering the 4th quarter and was in control of this game throughout.</p>
<p id="I5Z0C0"><strong>17 (#7) USC Trojans</strong></p>
<p id="I3kVGq"><strong>14 Oregon State Beavers</strong></p>
<p id="eT6BXA">This was certainly no easy victory for USC on the road in Corvallis. The Beavers actually led 7-3 at halftime and were leading late into the 4th quarter. The Trojans were able to save one of their best drives of the game for the end as Caleb Williams hit Jordan Addison for a 21-yard touchdown pass with only 1 minute and 13 seconds on the clock. The Beavers tried to march down the field to get in field goal range but the Trojans intercepted an intended pass to seal the victory. </p>
<p id="23w2HG"><strong>34 (#13) Utah Utes</strong></p>
<p id="hQ3ieC"><strong>13 Arizona State Sun Devils</strong></p>
<p id="m74Dfx">The Utah offense was a little inconsistent and had a few drives end with a turnover on downs as they attempted to score some more points to pad their resume’. Tavion Thomas did not play the entire first half as he was held out for an undisclosed reason. The Utes jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter and led 24-6 at the half. The worst news of the night came on the last play of the first quarter as Brant Kuithe went down with what appears to be a serious injury. He was seen walking off with the aid of his teammates and his leg wrapped in ice. </p>
https://www.blocku.com/2022/9/26/23372636/state-of-the-pac-12-week-3Philip.Malugade2022-09-24T20:01:00-06:002022-09-24T20:01:00-06:00Utah at ASU Open Game Thread & Reactions
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<img alt="NCAA Football: San Diego State at Utah" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-wXNwykLU79Gmu_KlOVYILnZEGM=/0x0:4370x2913/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71411371/usa_today_19071240.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="n1Ou5a">The Utes are in the desert to take on a very wounded ASU team who fired Herm Edwards this past week. If you’re at all like me, I have too much USC PTSD from when they fired their coaches and played Utah right after. Utah is the better team, no doubt, but like the coaches and players said all week, a wounded animal is scary. </p>
<p id="bHxhMA">For the Utes, the hope is to get off to a strong start, which has eluded them the past two weeks. I have a hunch that Cam Rising and the crew on offense will have to bury ASU. I think ASU and those athletes will get some yards and points against Utah, especially being at home and wanting to rally after that terrible loss they had a week ago. This feels like a game where the offense will need to break out and put up points and yards in chunks. </p>
<p id="b6LErE">It’s the opening of conference play, and the real race for the Roses begins now.</p>
<p id="wAwCGy"><strong>First Quarter: Utah Utes 14 Arizona State 0</strong></p>
<p id="ywUoBw">Utah’s defense has looked impressive as the first quarter comes to a close. The defense has racked up 3 total sacks and Dalton Kincaid has 3 receptions for 49 yards and 2 touchdown receptions. The Utes have started slow this season in the first quarter but fortunately after their first drive stalled the Utes have been steady as they have marched down the field en route to two impressive scores. The first was a flea flicker touchdown and the second was an impressive touchdown grab on 4th and 1. The only worrying sign was Brant Kuithe going down with an injury on the last play of the first quarter. Hopefully, he’s okay but it has the look of a serious injury since he was helped off the field and putting no weight on his right leg. </p>
<p id="TJOu6W"><strong>Second Quarter: Utah Utes 24 Arizona State 6</strong></p>
<p id="GTaD4K">Utah has continued to look really good on defense and the offense has been efficient. Jaylon Glover is getting the start because of apparently some team discipline issues from Tavion Thomas and has 11 carries for 37 yards rushing. Cam Rising has looked really good in the first half and is 16-20 for 179 yards for 2 touchdown passes. Arizona State’s offense hasn’t been great but has managed a few big plays to get them in position for a 36 and 47-yard field goal to get on the board. Kuithe was the biggest loss in the first half as he went down with a potentially serious injury at the end of the first quarter. The Utes are completely in control but can hopefully put the game away quickly in the second half. </p>
<p id="tOxgBB"><strong>Third Quarter: Utah Utes 31 Arizona State 6</strong></p>
<p id="ecNCsp">Utah adds a touchdown in the quarter thanks to an 11-yard touchdown run from Jaylen Dixon. Arizona State’s offense has been able to move the ball better in the third quarter but had a drive stall due to a turnover on downs and then fumbled the football on the last play of the third quarter. The Utes had a promising drive end when Cam Rising threw an incompletion on fourth down and another drive ended in the quarter after a Rising interception. The Utah defense has continued to be excellent and has been looking to strip the ball every time a Sun Devil is held up with the football. Hopefully, the Utes can continue to pull away and give Bryson Barnes a chance to see some action. Important to note that Tavion Thomas finally got some touches in the quarter after being held out in the first half. </p>
<p id="081RFd"><strong>Fourth Quarter: Utah Utes 34 Arizona State 13</strong></p>
<p id="WFC37V">The Utah defense stole the show tonight as they tallied 5 sacks in a dominant performance to allowe the Utes to cruise to a win in Tempe in a PAC 12 after dark special. Cam Rising was 19-29 for 260 yards passing and 1 interception. Tavion Thomas had 11 carries for 60 yards rushing after sitting out the first half for an undisclosed team issue. The worst news of the night was Brant Kuithe who went down with an injury on the last play of the first quarter and it appears to be a serious injury and could be an ACL injury. Overall it was a solid win in Tempe and the Utes largely put the game in cruise control in the fourth quarter. The other downside to the game was the inability of the offense to convert on lengthy drives multiple times after entering the red zone which would have greatly padded the lead. The Utes will have to be better if they are going to win at home against a Beavers team that gave USC all they could handle. </p>
<p id="gfQibZ"><strong>Next Up: Utah Utes vs Oregon State Beavers at Rice Eccles Stadium at 12 pm MT on the PAC 12 Network for the Homecoming game. </strong> </p>
<p id="n3YTov"> </p>
https://www.blocku.com/2022/9/24/23370433/utah-at-asu-open-game-thread-reactionsShane.RobertsPhilip.Malugade2022-09-24T12:58:48-06:002022-09-24T12:58:48-06:00Opponent Preview: Arizona State Sun Devils
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Arizona State at Utah" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vEh-gbTkpzi0mhqwDsvM8RUKtBE=/0x0:1513x1009/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71410399/usa_today_16973917.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="I9tmY4">The circus that has been the Arizona State football program reached peak levels of absurdity last week after head coach Herm Edwards was fired (seemingly on his home field, just seconds after Eastern Michigan upset the Sun Devils), becoming the second coaching casualty early in the season after Nebraska parted ways with Scott Frost one week prior. Despite the turmoil, drama, and controversy that will undoubtedly define the Herm Edwards era, the Sun Devils have been consistently good for most of the PAC-12 era, making a bowl game every season since 2016 (excluding the COVID year), a stretch that predates Edwards’ reign. Without his dark cloud hanging over the program, is now the time for the Sun Devils to take a step forward? (SPOILER ALERT: probably not)</p>
<p id="HBaYFN">As Kyle Whittingham stated earlier this week, there shouldn’t be much of a schematic change for Utah to account for under interim head coach, Shaun Aguano. The former running backs coach and Chandler High School legend promises to be less conservative in his approach, however even under Edwards, the offensive and defensive coordinators were seemingly steering the ship as Edwards worked as more of a figurehead. Aguano, despite great success at the high school level, would be wise to keep that same approach intact as he learns to navigate a P5 head coaching role.</p>
<p id="P0N2iL">Ranking 101st in rush defense, allowing 175 rushing yards per game, Utah’s stable of running backs (which may or may not now include freshman QB Ja’Quinden Jackson) will likely see a heavy dose of the workload, exploiting a weak defensive line that is surrendering an average of 4.38 yards per rush. Their secondary, on the other hand, has been nothing short of impressive, ranking 24th nationally, surrendering 172 yards per game, thanks in large part to sophomore corner Ro Torrence (6’3”, 210 lbs). The former Auburn Tiger caught the attention of scouts as a JUCO phenom, earning NJCAA defensive player of the year honors in 2021 while leading Hutchison Community College to a national championship. Torrence didn’t see much action during his lone season at Auburn with most of his minutes coming during the Birmingham Bowl against Houston where he delivered three solo tackles and a forced fumble. Now with the Sun Devils, Torrence has already recorded eight total tackles and a team-leading three pass deflections in his starting role. As Utah’s offense takes strides to incorporate the wide receivers more, Torrence may be the x-factor the Sun Devils need in this PAC-12 After Dark matchup.</p>
<p id="IbLn58">Offensively, Utah’s stout rush defense will be tested against Doak Walker watchlist stud, Xazavian Valladay (6’0”, 200 lbs). The senior running back transferred from Wyoming for his final season and has already amassed an impressive 361 yards on just 52 attempts, establishing himself as one of the PAC-12’s top running backs.</p>
<p id="cokghb">Manning the offense is sophomore quarterback, Emory Jones (6’3”, 210 lbs), who joins the Sun Devils by way of Florida, where he split time with Anthony Richardson last season. Thankfully, Jones isn’t nearly as athletic as Richardson which should come as a sigh of relief after seeing how badly the latter was able to dominate Utah’s defensive front. Statistically, Jones is having his worst season to date, completing 59.5% of passes on 42 attempts, with just one TD. Jones is mobile under pressure, but far from a true rushing threat, averaging less than two yards per attempt on 21 carries, but three touchdowns on the ground.</p>
<p id="VXekHi">Utah currently sits as a -16.5 point favorite and an 83.4% chance to win according to ESPN’s FPI. A win would be the first three-game win streak Utah has secured over ASU, who currently holds a 22-10 overall record over the Utes dating back to 1961.</p>
https://www.blocku.com/2022/9/24/23370018/opponent-preview-arizona-state-sun-devilsAJWoods2022-09-20T09:16:20-06:002022-09-20T09:16:20-06:00Utes in the NFL: Week 2
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<img alt="Syndication: Florida Times-Union" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AQ6cqJOhTCn_nJF4bLHEI8I8wlA=/1x0:6000x3999/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71391837/usa_today_19074446.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption>
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<p id="5XGY9v"><strong>20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers</strong></p>
<p id="RUtPLK"><strong>10 New Orleans Saints</strong></p>
<p id="ZnQu6L">Chase Hansen didn’t see any noteworthy stats in the home loss to Tampa Bay. The game was tight as it was a heavily defensive battle throughout. The game was tied 3-3 entering the 4th quarter but then the Buccaneers pulled away with 17 points in the 4th quarter to seal the victory. </p>
<p id="hi668n"><strong>0 Indianapolis Colts</strong></p>
<p id="xJdMew"><strong>24 Jacksonville Jaguars</strong></p>
<p id="3cs7b5">Devin Lloyd had a solid game racking up 6 total tackles (3 solo tackles) and an interception in his home debut. Julian Blackmon for the Colts had one total tackle in the loss. The Jaguars had only 3 wins last season so this was a great way to start their season. Hopefully, Devin Lloyd will continue to have some critical plays moving forward. </p>
<p id="yWPZ6N"><strong>42 Miami Dolphins</strong></p>
<p id="eYK9CF"><strong>38 Baltimore Ravens</strong></p>
<p id="upOOt6"> In one of the craziest games of the day on Sunday both Marcus Williams and Eric Rowe had excellent games for their respective sides. Marcus Williams led the Ravens with 10 total tackles (7 solo tackles) and 2 passes defended. Eric Rowe had 6 total tackles (6 solo tackles) in the big Dolphins comeback win. The Dolphins were down by 21 points late in the 3rd quarter and came back with a late touchdown to secure the win. </p>
<p id="0Uj46i"><strong>27 Atlanta Falcons</strong></p>
<p id="Ssl8Or"><strong>31 Los Angeles Rams</strong></p>
<p id="0sMxfC">Terrell Burgess didn’t have any noteworthy stats in the win but Matt Gay was 1-1 with a 20-yard field goal and was 4/4 on extra point attempts. LA had an important rebound win after getting blown out by Buffalo in Week 1. </p>
<p id="u9kUpK"><strong>7 Seattle Seahawks</strong></p>
<p id="E4lAgp"><strong>27 San Francisco 49ers</strong></p>
<p id="ugReMh">The Seahawks were knocked back to reality after a shocking upset of Denver in Week 1. Despite the loss, Cody Barton co-led the Seahawks in tackles with 11 total tackles (4 solo tackles). Mitch Wishnowsky had 3 punts for a total of 132 yards with an average of 44 yards per punt. He also had 2 punts inside the 20-yard line with his longest punt of 47 yards. </p>
<p id="X5GXAn"><strong>9 Houston Texans</strong></p>
<p id="IafaVw"><strong>16 Denver Broncos</strong></p>
<p id="4ldknB">Garret Bolles once again led the Broncos offensive line in an unimpressive home debut for Russell Wilson. The Broncos narrowly defeated the lowly Houston Texans in their home opener. The Broncos will hope to have worked out the kinks in time for more serious competition. </p>
<p id="FLyek0"><strong>29 Arizona Cardinals</strong></p>
<p id="BMrEx1"><strong>23 Las Vegas Raiders</strong></p>
<p id="8Susnf">Javelin Guidry and Jackson Barton didn’t see any action for the Raiders in their heartbreaking loss but Leki Fotu recorded 1 tackle in an incredible come-from-behind victory for Arizona. The Cardinals scored with no time left on the clock and converted on the two-point conversion to send the game to overtime. Hunter Renfrow fumbled trying to get extra yards and the Cardinals returned the fumble for a walk-off touchdown. </p>
<p id="06OoIh"><strong>10 Chicago Bears</strong></p>
<p id="4hX1Iy"><strong>27 Green Bay Packers</strong></p>
<p id="XV9nHc">Jaylon Johnson didn’t have any noteworthy stats as the Bears continued their dismal run against the Packers. The Bears had a chance to close the gap in this game but had a questionable shotgun quarterback sneak on 4th and goal and came up just short. The Packer's running game was the dominant factor for Green Bay in the win. </p>
<p id="I3hy3k"><strong>7 Tennessee Titans</strong></p>
<p id="Z7lqPF"><strong>41 Buffalo Bills</strong></p>
<p id="a8V9H4">This game was part of a Monday night doubleheader and was close for most of the first half before the Bills scored late and shut out the Titans in the second half. Zach Moss had 3 carries for 17 yards (although his longest carry was 17 yards) and was targeted once. The Bills once again put in a performance worthy of a Super Bowl contender. </p>
<p id="gOsJDL"><strong>7 Minnesota Vikings</strong></p>
<p id="RmjbCA"><strong>24 Philadelphia Eagles</strong></p>
<p id="8LscUl">Please just take a bow Britain Covey who has the most perseverance of anyone I have ever seen. The 25-year-old NFL rookie was a long shot to even make the practice squad but now in just his second week, he was elevated Monday from the practice squad to the active roster. Unfortunately for Covey, the Eagles forgot to tell their parking lot attendants that he’s now an active NFL player. Britain Covey attempted to park in the player’s parking lot ahead of Monday night’s game but was denied access because they didn’t believe he was an Eagles player. Covey then went on to have 3 punt returns for 14 yards (averaging 4.7 yards per return) with his longest return for 8 yards. </p>
https://www.blocku.com/2022/9/20/23362859/utes-in-the-nfl-week-2Philip.Malugade2022-09-18T14:49:52-06:002022-09-18T14:49:52-06:00State of the PAC 12: Week 3
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Brigham Young at Oregon" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PptjyhqQBJgvVgs3eLus_GCL8RI=/5x0:5117x3408/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71384681/usa_today_19066381.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Scores and Recaps</p> <p id="m5VBeE">It was another solid week for the PAC 12 conference with a few big wins over ranked opponents. Next week conference play gets underway. </p>
<p id="eSifg1"><strong>7 San Diego State Aztecs</strong></p>
<p id="KYqOvS"><strong>35 (#14) Utah Utes </strong></p>
<p id="1iSoqn">Utah got off to a slow start in the first quarter. Thankfully, the Utes defense was incredibly strong and held Burmeister to only 5 yards passing for the entire first half. The running game did not produce either for the Aztecs and once the Utah offensive line gave Cam Rising protection he took full advantage in the second quarter. Rising threw for 3 touchdown passes in the second quarter and 4 total touchdowns in the game. The Utah defense shut out the Aztecs until there were about 3 minutes left in the game. Utah will open conference play on the road against Arizona State next week. </p>
<p id="khm3UM"><strong>31 South Alabama </strong></p>
<p id="f7OqfG"><strong>32 UCLA Bruins</strong></p>
<p id="IZkpda">UCLA might be 3-0 to start the season but they have looked shaky, to say the least. UCLA was trailing by 8 going into the fourth quarter and had to come from behind to win the game. UCLA kicked a game-winning 24-yard field goal with no time remaining to hold off the upset bid from South Alabama. UCLA has looked pretty good offensively but must play better on defense if they are going to make some noise in conference play. </p>
<p id="kAPt7c"><strong>17 California Golden Bears </strong></p>
<p id="BfRotj"><strong>24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish</strong></p>
<p id="EybYoM">This was a heartbreaker for Cal. Cal led most of the game but Notre Dame scored the go-ahead touchdown with about 7 minutes left in the game and Cal just couldn’t find a response. After starting his career 0-3 for Notre Dame it was a much-needed victory for head coach Marcus Freeman. Not much is expected of Cal this season but they showed a lot of fight in what was supposed to be an easy victory for the Irish. </p>
<p id="LLi0ps"><strong>7 Colorado Buffaloes</strong></p>
<p id="5upUdK"><strong>49 Minnesota Golden Gophers</strong></p>
<p id="ymPIQR">You can’t help but feel bad for Colorado, this game was basically over before it started. Minnesota led 35-0 at the half and put the game in cruise control to get an easy victory. Last season Colorado was shut out 30-0 at home and they had no fight in this game either. Colorado’s offense has not scored two touchdowns in a game this season. Yikes. </p>
<p id="iDeekP"><strong>7 Colorado State Rams</strong></p>
<p id="LrCNHF"><strong>38 Washington State Cougars</strong></p>
<p id="QXlxZD">Who guessed that Washington State would be 3-0 to start the season? The Cougars were impressive after their big upset in Madison against the Badgers last week. They led 28-0 at the half and their quarterback Ward threw for 299 yards passing and 4 touchdown passes. </p>
<p id="KCONtD"><strong>28 Montana State</strong></p>
<p id="FvOgr7"><strong>68 Oregon State Beavers</strong></p>
<p id="oq9pbu">Nolan was 19-25 for 276 yards passing and 4 touchdown passes and Oregon State had no problem with Montana State. The game was tied at 7 in the first quarter but Oregon State outscored them 27-7 in the second quarter to pull away. </p>
<p id="iTBTP9"><strong>20 (#12) BYU Cougars</strong></p>
<p id="AUGDNo"><strong>41 (#25) Oregon Ducks</strong></p>
<p id="YTCvuv">The BYU hype train came to a crashing halt in Eugene as Bo Nix was incredibly impressive in the rout of BYU. Bo Nix was 13-18 for 222 yards and 2 touchdown passes. Oregon built a 38-7 lead before BYU scored a few times to close the gap but this game was never close. </p>
<p id="TeF6x0"><strong>28 (#11) Michigan State Spartans</strong></p>
<p id="I9waE7"><strong>39 Washington Huskies</strong></p>
<p id="sCDEUI">Washington’s offense was incredible as transfer Michael Penix Jr. lit up the Spartan's defense all night long. Penix went 24-40 for 397 yards and 4 touchdown passes. Michigan State scored late in the first half to only trail 22-8. Unfortunately for them, they left Penix Jr. with too much time on the clock and he scored with only 4 seconds remaining to give the Huskies a 29-8 lead at the half. Michigan State scored a few touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make the score more respectable. If this performance was any indication, Washington will be a very dangerous team this season in conference play. </p>
<p id="Rkpkr6"><strong>17 Fresno State Bulldogs</strong></p>
<p id="0ZkiqJ"><strong>45 (#7) USC Trojans</strong></p>
<p id="l16WyB">Caleb Williams was once again impressive and is quickly becoming a hot name as a contender for the Heisman trophy. Williams went 25-37 for 284 yards passing and 2 touchdown passes. After leading only 21-10 at the half USC quickly put the game away in the second half and went on to an easy win. </p>
<p id="s3dntg"><strong>28 North Dakota State Bison</strong></p>
<p id="Z3a8Ma"><strong>31 Arizona Wildcats</strong></p>
<p id="4RPkcQ">Jayden de Laura played well for the Wildcats and they capitalized thanks to a late turnover from the Bison to score with just under 5 minutes left in the game. The Wildcat’s defense stepped up to preserve the victory. Jayden de Laura went 20-28 for 229 yards passing and 1 touchdown in an impressive victory against an elite FCS school. The Bison were largely in control but the late turnover absolutely killed them. </p>
<p id="h2Ozrw"><strong>30 Eastern Michigan</strong></p>
<p id="4I1nn7"><strong>21 Arizona State Sun Devils</strong></p>
<p id="pHUp6z">This was always going to be a difficult season for Arizona State but they were at least expected to win at home against Eastern Michigan. Eastern Michigan had other plans and built a 27-14 lead entering the fourth quarter. Despite a Sun Devils touchdown to close the gap Eastern Michigan’s defense was just too tough and they were able to kick a field goal to take an insurmountable lead and preserve the upset victory. </p>
https://www.blocku.com/2022/9/18/23359778/state-of-the-pac-12-week-3Philip.Malugade2022-09-17T19:31:00-06:002022-09-17T19:31:00-06:00Utah vs SDSU Open Game Thread
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Southern Utah at Utah" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eE6uc4BnuUzvnaD7LymNOtSM2zw=/0x0:3753x2502/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71381916/usa_today_19023599.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="0tuvZ1">Could this be a future conference matchup? With the Pac-12 looking at expansion, I think SDSU is at the top of the wish list for the conference. Utah wants to get revenge on that loss from a season ago. Both teams are 1-1 but lost a winnable game to Florida while SDSU got thumped by Arizona. Utah is a big favorite, and if they play that way and take care of business, they should come away with a nice win. If they are a bit sluggish, this could be much closer than needed. </p>
<p id="aJtzMt">Can Cam Rising and crew get payback? Let’s find out.</p>
<p id="DhkMbQ"><strong>First Quarter: SDSU 0 Utah 0</strong></p>
<p id="Rl3ywW">It’s a defensive stalemate after the first quarter. SDSU has only 34 yards total on offense compared to 84 for Utah. The Utes are struggling to run the ball and SDSU is making life difficult for Cam Rising in the pocket. The Utes had two promising drives only to have them stall around the 40-yard line just after entering SDSU territory. Fortunately, the Utes defense has looked really good and has only given up one first down. Hopefully, the Utes can get their offense going in the second quarter. </p>
<p id="Y6twE8"><strong>Second Quarter: SDSU 0 Utah 21</strong></p>
<p id="wZRhkT">Similar to last week, Utah started slowly in the first quarter before getting it going in the second quarter. In the second quarter, the Utah offensive line finally gave Cam Rising time to step up in the pocket and he took full advantage. Cam Rising has now gone 14-24 for 152 yards passing and 3 touchdown passes. Meanwhile, SDSU quarterback Burmeister is only 1-4 for 5 yards passing. Burmeister was out with an injury and is questionable to return. Rising’s first touchdown pass was a 30-yard dot to Kuithe to get Utah on the board. With about 2 minutes left in the first half Rising found Enis on a critical third and long to put Utah up 14-0. On the ensuing kickoff, SDSU fumbled the football and Rising found Vele (who displayed some excellent eye-foot coordination) to get a 15-yard touchdown. With the way Utah’s defense has played, the game certainly seems out of reach, but it will be critical for the Utes to keep up the intensity in the second half to close it out. </p>
<p id="SKbCVH"><strong>Third Quarter: SDSU 0 Utah 35</strong></p>
<p id="Ah3yds">The Utah defense has been excellent all night. The Utes got an interception early in the third quarter and Tavion Thomas capped off the short field with an 18-yard touchdown run. Cam Rising found Vele for his 4th passing touchdown of the game and the Utah defense has made life miserable for SDSU backup quarterback Kyle Crum. Crum is 2-8 for 20 yards passing and 1 interception. Hopefully, we will see some action from Barnes in the fourth quarter and it would be great to see if the Utes can pitch a shutout. </p>
<p id="oHv2PR"><strong>Fourth Quarter: SDSU 7 Utah 35</strong></p>
<p id="ouEtaC">Unfortunately, the Utes couldn’t quite pull off the shutout but nonetheless, Utah was able to get a dominant home victory to get some much-needed revenge against SDSU. SDSU got a consolation touchdown from backup quarterback Kyle Crum late in the game but Utah was in complete control after the second quarter. Rising went 18-30 for 224 yards passing and 4 touchdown passes on the night. Tavion Thomas had 16 carries for 59 yards rushing and 1 touchdown. SDSU’s defense was really tough in the first quarter but once the Utah offensive line gave Cam Rising some time in the pocket he had no problem finding open targets and picking apart the SDSU defense. Utah will need to figure out how to start faster in games if they are going to repeate as PAC 12 champions moving forward. </p>
<p id="ZteBvB"><strong>Up Next: Utah Utes @ Arizona State Sun Devils 9/24 at 8:30pm MT</strong></p>
https://www.blocku.com/2022/9/17/23358150/utah-vs-sdsu-open-game-threadShane.RobertsPhilip.Malugade