Yay! The 2010 schedule has been released. Now we get to comb over it and dream about it for the next few months. God bless spring and summer!
Utah kicks off the season, as expected against Pitt on Thursday, Sept. 2nd at 6:30 MST. The game will air on Versus - which you may or may not get.
Then, which I love, Utah will host UNLV to kick start their brief conference schedule. This is similar to 2008, when Utah opened against Michigan and then played the Rebels a week later.
The Utes will then travel to play New Mexico on the 18th, another conference game.
A week later, the Utes jump back out of conference play with a game at home against San Jose State.
Then the Utes will have a bye-week before playing at Iowa State on Oct. 9th.
The best news about the schedule, in my opinion, is the fact the Utes will then travel to Laramie in mid-October, as opposed to late-November - which looked possible.
On the 23rd of October, Utah then hosts Colorado State and then travels to take on Air Force a week later in Colorado Springs. It's a later game in the season, which probably benefits the Utes because the Falcons have historically been a weaker team later in the season than at the start.
That starts a crucial stretch for Utah.
After a road trip against AFA, Utah then hosts TCU on November 6th, travels to Notre Dame a week later and ends the season with a home game against BYU.
Air Force, TCU, Notre Dame and BYU - all in a month's span. This will either make or break Utah's season.
What I like about the schedule is that the Utes have a great chance of building some solid momentum early. They don't face many difficult opponents (ISU might be their toughest road game) and are realistically looking at a 7-0 start before their game against the Falcons in October.
Building momentum will be key to finishing this tough stretch the strongest.
What do you think?