Wynn Leads Utes Past the Pokes

Jordan Wynn saw his first action of the season tonight after an unimpressive first half by Terrance Cain. Jordan looked really good, not perfect, but good. He threw a beautiful TD pass and managed the game well. In my opinion he needs to start from here on out. He and Cain are at the worst equals. And when they are equal you go with the younger one. Even if he costs us a game or two, the experience for Wynn from this season will set us up with three years of an experience QB and could quite possibly lead us back to the BCS.

The defense played great, especially in the 2nd half, special teams was solid, etc. I missed the first half so can't comment, but obviously it was terrible considering we were down 10-3.

The Utes have a lot of offensive problems. We are very fortunate to only have one loss on the season (and that loss was by seven to a great Oregon team). It is hard to get an idea about really how good or bad this team is. We look very vulnerable against teams like Wyoming and San Jose State, but then only lose by seven to the Ducks. I think we are overrated probably, but hey, we continue to win and know how to win. We deserve the ranking we have and probably better. I love the fact that the Utes have built such a program that even when they suck, we still figure out how to win. Love it.

UTES 7-1

BLACKOUT

Tonight is Blackout night, how I wish I could go. We have the suddenly threatening Wyoming Cowboys coming in tonight. One frustrating part of this season is that there isn't really any game this season that I am comfortable that the Utes are going to dominate; perhaps that will change against New Mexico, but not tonight.

Wyoming is a dangerous team for the Utes. This is the best they have been in a few years and Dave Christensen is going to have them ready to play. They are also coming off their bye week; so how will that extra week of practice suit them.

Traditionally, the Utes dominate the Cowboys. But considering the Utes' season and the newly discovered strength of Wyoming, I expect a tough fought game.

Utah obviously is riddled with far more talent than the Cowboys and that will be the difference. I think the Utes will end up winning pretty comfortably, but the score will be closer than the game actually was. I also say the Utes have a big offensive day and have no fumbles.

UTES: 33-17

P.S. After the Utes, the Cowboys are my second favorite team in the MWC. I mean how can you not cheer for a team from the smallest populated state in the nation, whose University is in a town as terrible as Laramie, and have the best colors in CFB.

Utes Beat Air Force, Thoughts on TCU

The Utes won a tough fought game against Air Force 23-16. While I would usually be pretty down on the Utes for this game, it largely went the way I thought, the Utes struggled against the option and had a hard time on offense - I mean, Air Force hadn't allowed any team to score more than 20 points before tonight. Air Force has a good defense and their offense is so different from anything the Utes play otherwise that it is difficult to defend. Kudos to the Falcons for the way they played.

So while I could go on and on criticizing various elements of this game, I really want to discuss why I love this program. The Utes are gritty team who never gives up. Kyle has toughened this program and instilled a never say die mentality. In both the Oregon game and this one, the Utes were down and made a game of it, despite the loss to Oregon. Tonight the Utes showed heart and sheer will. They have a lot of flaws and they will likely lose at least once more this year, but I don't see them getting blown out.

Overall, I would say that my feelings after this game is relief. This was the toughest game left other than BYU and TCU. The Utes easily could have lost this and the Utes always struggle against the Falcons. Now we have two near-certain wins to prep us for TCU in three weeks.

So let's talk about TCU. After watching the BYU-TCU game, it is hard to believe that TCU would not be a top-5ish team. They are for real and can play with any team in the country. Florida and Alabama look vulnerable after today, Texas hasn't looked great nor has USC, and who knows about Boise considering their schedule (though they look for real). I really think that TCU could line up with any of those teams and win or at least keep it close. TCU may not move a ton in the polls, who knows? But they should jump Boise State, Iowa, and LSU. It is a shame that our football system has such biases in place that TCU will not get a serious look at the National Championship game simply because of the conference they play in.

UTES 6-1

BYU would have won if...

I have no idea.
2 Things are clear:
1 - TCU is very good.
2 - BYU needs to find a pass Defense if they ever hope to compete with the best teams. Even in this conference. It is so frustrating watching BYU give up 3rd and 25 and wide open deep balls. TCU looks to be by far the best team in the MWC right now. I hope they run the table and win a BCS bowl. I still expect a good game against Utah, but as for the bigger picture it looks like I have to hope for the future.
Bottom line: TCU deserves to be a top 10 team. BYU doesn't belong in the top 20. I expect we'll be unranked for the first week in over 2 years. There's nothing to do but get better and that will take some time. I hate time.

Game Day: Air Force

The Air Force's A-10 is the awesomest plane ever

Air Force kicks off the Utes' three game home stand. The Utes will be favored in all three and this game today is the only one that Utah has a chance to lose. The Falcons always play the Utes tough. There is something about that option offense that is terribly difficult to stop. The Falcons also have not allowed more than 20 points in any game, so they have a stout defense.

So the Utes win if:
1. They can contain the option. We have a good run defense, though it has shown some cracks this season. This will be a good test of Sitaki's game prep skills as a new coordinator. This type of game rely's far more upon the defensive scheme rather than the play on the field in many respects. The Utes will have to alter their defense for this one.

2. Win the Turnover battle. Air Force is tops in the MWC in takeaways. No doubt they are aware of the trouble the Utes have holding onto the ball and they will stripping like crazy.

3. We can spread the ball around and establish the run. If the Utes can play balanced offense and keep the Falcon D off balance, they should roll.

I think this will be a close game. I think both teams have two turnovers each. I think the Utes win this with a strong 4th quarter and pull it out.

Utes 27-17

Previewing TCU

Remember this guy last year? Jerry Hughes might be the most watched player on the field. How BYU manages Hughes could ultimately decide this game.

Before I start, here is a link to ESPN's Ivan Maisel and Todd McShay previewing the game. Todd votes BYU and Ivan remains neutral.

Now TCU has a good Offense and BYU has a better Defense than last year but this game will come down to BYU's O against TCU's D. If BYU can get rid of the ball quickly, it should neutralize the Hughes Monster. Expect a lot of screens and slants which have been pretty effective so far this year. I hope McKay plays. If he does that will force the corners to play back a bit. If not look for a lot of short game. It will also be vital for BYU to establish the run. TCU gave up significant yards on the ground to Clemson and AF. AF will always get big rush yards so that might be misleading. I believe BYU can get stuff going between the tackles but the TCU speed will prevent much from happening on the sidelines. Look for some draws for DiLuigi as well as some QB draws.

As for BYU's D, they will be tested. The should be decent against the TCU run. Although TCU uses up to 4 RBs in a game with 2 and 3 RB sets. Also, Dalton can run. He isn't a Christian Ponder but he can scramble. This could create problems. TCU's passing game is decent but not stellar. However the prepare very well and will attack BYU's short pass defense weakness all game.

TCU also has a kick returner who can take it all the way. Kickoffs need to be deep and in the opposite corner of Jeremy Kerley.

Keys to the game for BYU are: Creating turnovers, Getting rid of the ball quick, Establishing the run game, covering kick returns.

BYU 31 TCU 28

Utes Mid-Season Report

My how time flies. You know considering all the negativity I have written about the Utes in their individual games, it is almost hard to believe that the Utes are 5-1 with their only loss being a seven point loss to the #13 team in the land. The season has been far from pretty, but I think that if you were to ask any Ute fan how they felt, they would generally be satisfied.

Terrance Cain has played much like a veteran. He has confidence and looks to be a leader on the team. He hasn't been the most accurate passer, but he definitely looks like the right choice at QB and he should have a great final half of the season.

The Utes biggest issue this season has been turnovers. There have been plenty of games that we should have won far more comfortably, but kept the opponent around due to turnovers.

The biggest surprise of the season has been the success opponents have had against our run defense. While, this is still the strength of our defense, I think we all expected more.

So heading into the latter-half of the season there is a lot to be optimistic about. The Utes have their next three games at home when they face Air Force, Wyoming, and New Mexico. The Air Force game this weekend is huge and is a threat, but they should be able to handle Wyoming and UNM without much hassle.

Should the Utes win these three, they will head into Fort Worth for a showdown with a ranked (and possibly top-10, depending on this weekend's game) TCU team. That will be a major challenge, but the three games leading up should help the team prepare and refine. To finish the season the Utes tune up for the Y at home against SDSU and then head to Provo for what is setting up to be an epic Holy War where both teams should have no more than two losses each.

So far this year has played out much as expected. If it finishes as expected the Utes will finish with 2-3 losses over all and heading to yet another bowl game. This is a great time to be a Ute!

College Gameday Coming to Provo!

This Saturday ESPN's College Gameday will be broadcasting from Provo in advance of the big BYU v TCU showdown at Lavell Edwards Stadium! Check out this link!

This is awesome exposure to the MWC and for TCU and BYU! Too bad ESPN can't get the rights to the game. Crappy Versus driving me crazy! Go Cougs! Let's show the nation that we deserve this kind of press!

Max to the Rescue

So BYU's offense once again led the Cougars to a decent win but the D kept it interesting almost all the way giving up over 300 yards in the air for the first time this year. The game started out with BYU running at will. At half Rocky Long made some great adjustments because BYU's run game almost disappeared in the second half. That didn't seem to matter as Max Hall was once again on top of his game. He passed for 346 yards and 3 TDs completing 70% of his passes and ZERO INTS!. He also ran for 47 yards. It might have been closer to 90. He broke a huge run in the 2nd half making several tacklers miss but it was called back due to a hold. Anyway, the play of the game came with just a few seconds left with the score tied. BYU had the ball on the 1 with no timeouts and they ran a QB draw that went nowhere. Max quickly got the boys back on the line. My understanding is that not only did SDSU think he was going to spike it, but so did the BYU coaches and the BYU line. Max had other ideas. He said he saw 4 SDSU players in the A gap (not sure what that means!) and he knew he could run it in wide left. Worked like a charm. That sort of offset the terrible 4th down attempt the cougars tried later from their own side of the field. Terrible decision and terrible play to try and get it done. They had an inch to go and instead of Qb sneaking it they actually had a rush play develop from the top of the I. Terrible terrible decision.

On to the D. The Rush D was ruthless allowing 20 yards on the ground by SDSU. The secondary on the other hand got burned often. It's not like guys weren't in position to make plays. They just never turned around to see the ball coming! That is so frustrating to watch! JUST TURN AROUND! Anyway, the boys in blue need to tighten it up this week against TCU. As long as our Offense keeps rolling I think it will be a good competitive game but we sure need to stop the short to medium pass better.

Anyway, a win is a win and I hope it means that SDSU is back on the rise.

A Tale of Alternating Quarters?

The Utes had a solid victory against the Rebs last night where they left Sam Boyd Stadium with a 35-15 win. Overall there is not a lot to complain about. They are starting to finally look like a top-25 team. That being said this was not a complete game at all. The first and third quarters were virtually horrendous, they continue to have problems not fumbling the ball, and our pass defense is still ridiculously suspect (so much so, I think BYU poses the least likely win on the schedule).

Nevertheless, overall I am pretty satisfied. It was pretty clear that Utah is a far better team than UNLV and that is impression we are supposed to get when we watch the match ups. Terrance Cain is coming into his own and looks like the right choice, our run defense was great, and Eddie Wide had some great moments out of the backfield.

This was a solid win for our boys. Now we get three weeks of home games after which we should be 8-1 heading into the TCU game (though, Air Force next week will be a big challenge).

Passing game: B, a few missed passes and Jereme Brooks drops too many balls.

Running game: B+, should be an A, but fumbles drop it down a notch.

O-Line: A, they looked great.

Run D: A, UNLV couldn't do anything, though Omar Clayton had some nice runs after pressure.

Pass D: C, Robert Johnson's a stud, but that's about it. Though the pick-6 was sweet.

Special Teams: A, didn't even notice them, so they must have been fine.

Coaching: C, discipline is the responsibility of the coaches and the Utes had too many personal fouls at key times. But the play calling was fine.

Off we go to the great wide open

UTES: 5-1

Remember the Rebs

It was a dark and gloomy night in the fall of 2007 when the Utes battled against Rebels in hostile territory. It was a route of epic proportions when the Utes were forced to retreat back to their home in colder climbs with shame and embarrasment. However our Utes persevered through this low point and won 25 of 27 battles since.

That game proved to be a turning point for the Utah Ute program. They learned that they can't take any game lightly and have prepared for each game since as if it were their last. While they have lost two of those, I don't think anyone could have predicted a run like this after that game.

Heading into this game, the 24th ranked Utes are still trying to figure out who they are. They haven't looked great in any game, save for a quarter here or there. Their defense is far more suspect than we expected, despite having a ton of talent (so I blame the coordinator), though they are still good. But, despite the many questions that still remain, the Utes are 4-1 and their lone setback is a 7th point loss to the 13th ranked team in the country.

Today's game shouldn't be a challenge. UNLV is a disaster despite having some good talent and there is no doubt that the team remembers the debacle of 2007. I expect this game to be the best played game for the Utes all season. I expect Cain to continue his great play that started in the 4th quarter last week and I expect the run defense to step up and play like they are supposed to. Nevertheless this is a road game and the Utes aren't as good on the road, so my prediction for this game is 41-17.

Previewing the Aztecs

This week BYU once again plays against the dregs of the MWC as they face off against the Aztecs. SDSU really frustrates me because they have no excuse for being so poor. They should be able to recruit some pretty good talent but they just don't play well. They really ought to be consistently in the top half of the conference instead of duking it out with UNLV and Wyoming for the bottom spot. EA Sports seems to give them the benefit of the doubt every year. More on that in a bit.

SDSU D. Rocky Long brings the 3-3-5 which intimidates some people but BYU has a great advantage here in that Bronco Mendenhall knows that scheme backwards and forwards. So the scout team should be able to get BYU's offense spun up pretty good. The thing about the 3-3-5 is that it can really fluster a QB but it also leaves the door wide open for some big plays. Expect to see a few of those. BYU's run game might take the biggest hit against this defense esp since Manasae looks to be out with an injury. But we have 1 great back and another progressively better back that should put up some numbers. BYU's pass game should do just fine.

As for SDSU's O. Don't expect to see them do much on the ground. BYU (with the exception of one really bad game) has been stellar against the run. And let's face it, SDSU doesn't have FSU's athletes. SDSU should be able to do the short pass like everyone can on BYU. Their chances depend on the accuracy of their QB and his ability to do with the BYU rush. Look for Brian Logan to get a lot of action since his size makes him a ready target at CB. He has done pretty well this year though.

What it comes down to is that the Aztecs were a bunch of indigenous people who were slaughtered by a handful of pasty white guys. SDSU will score but BYU should pile the points on once again. BYU 42 SDSU 17.

The game acc to EA Sports (Why do they love the Aztecs?)

Sim: BYU - SDSU
Score: 20 - 23 (Crazy!)
Rushing: 126 - 94
Passing: 292 - 302
3rd down %: 42 - 35
Turnovers: 2 - 2
TOP: 31:19 - 28:41

When I played it: BYU - SDSU
Score: 49 - 28
Rushing: 116 - 71
Passing: 321 - 212
3rd down %: 42 - 10
Turnovers: 2 - 2
TOP: 33:00 - 27:00

BTW I love the SDSU uniforms. Go Cougars!

Collie Continues to Tear it Up

Austin Collie had another big game for the Colts who beat the Titans on Sunday. 8 receptions for 97 yards and 2 TDs! The first TD was awesome in that he handled 2 tacklers on his way to the endzone!
Here's a highlight clip of the game. TDs at 1:43 and 2:20.

BYU Pulls One Out

BYU sneaks by UNLY 59-21

OK I was gonna post a pic of Harvey Unga for obvious reasons but I decided to go with Max Hall. He has put up plenty of Offense this year but it's always marred by INTs. This week he was nearly perfect. He was 78% for his completion percentage and 2 TDs but most importantly NO INTS!

Harvey and the ground crew pulled their weight as well. 149 yards at 7.5 yards per carry and 3 TDs for Unga. DiLuigi had almost 70 yards of his own and two TDs. He makes great moves on the first tackler and is a solid change of pace RB for BYU. The ground game gained 291 yards in total with Riley Nelson and Jojo Pili also picking up TDs. I am very excited at the prospect of Nelson starting next year. Don't get me wrong, I think Jake Heaps is the future of this team but I think he should redshirt a year and learn the system. In the meantime it will be awesome for BYU to have a true dual threat QB.

BYU's D was also pretty darn good. UNLV was held to 45 yards rushing. They did put up some passing numbers but much of it came on one 75 yard broken play. The D gave up 21 points but there was really only 1 sustained drive. We know BYU's kick coverage is terrible but if you are hoping to beat BYU by returning kicks for TDs then you are in trouble. Speaking of which, O'Neill Chambers came within 2 yards of being the first BYU player to return a kickoff for a TD in decades. He did make that promise...

Great game. What I am seeing lately is giving me a lot of hope. I think if BYU can stick to the run game against TCU and Utah they will be very good against those D's. Last year BYU averaged almost 9 yards per carry against Utah but decided to drop the run game. Go figure. I think things will be different this year. Go Cougars!

Utes Win a Frozen One

For the first three quarters of play this game was disgusting. Utah's offense was pathetic and their defense looked pretty inept, especially in the 3rd quarter when CSU went up 17 - 3. But then Cain clicked in and carried the team on his back, with the help of Robert Johnson who had 3 interceptions.

Unfortunatley I could only listen to the game and not watch it. I want to chalk up the ineptitude to the bad weather that permeated the first half of the game, but let's be honest, the Utes have looked pretty inept in each game except for the Louisville game. Nevertheless, the Utes showed what they are capable of at the end of the third quarter and in the fourth. It really is a tale of two games. If the Utes play like they did in the first 3 quarters we will get killed by BYU and TCU, if we play like we did in the fourth we will be able to compete.

Grades:

QB: B-, played great in the 4th quarter, but first three were terrible
RB: B-, solid play, but we definitely miss Asiata.
WR: B+, a few drops but were fine.
OL: B
DL/LB: C, They ran all over us. It was pathetic. Stepped it up in 4th though.
DB: B, Chalk up this grade to Robert Johnson who was an A. 3 int's!!
ST: B+
Coaching: C, I have my concerns about our cooridnators. Eddie Wide didn't touch the ball in the 2nd quarter! and with the talent we have on Defense, we shouldn't be allowing the opponent to run it down our throat. I blame the coaching.

All in all, we are lucky to be where we are. And considering our only loss is was a seven point loss to #13 Oregon who looks invincible all the sudden, it is shaping up to be a fine season, despite my constant doubting and criticism.

UTES: 4-1

Previewing the Rebels

BYU is gonna win.

Sorry. I've been busy. Anyway, they have a terrible rush D so I expect another 200 yard day for the boys in blue. Not to mention that it's another home game for BYU (our other home stadium is at UNLV where most fans will be dressed in Blue). Also, I racked up 300 yards on the ground against them in NCAA 2010 so it's as good as done.

Let's Beat the Rams

Finally back from by travel, and should be around the rest of the year, so I will be blogging more.

So let's talk Utes @ Rams. So this is a game the Utes should win without much trouble, though it is one that I have been worried about since the beginning of the season. I thought that CSU would knock off one of the big three. Unfortunately, the Utes are the most vulnerable of the bunch. What gives the Rams the best chance to win is their O-line. They are experienced and can give their Q plenty of time to throw. With one of the Utes's biggest issues being their secondary, expect the Rams to score a fair amount. But ultimately I expect our D-line to have some success and get some pressure on the QB to break his confidence a bit. I also think our offense will do just fine against the CSU D.

CSU keeps it close for a half, but the Utes pull away late in the game, Utes 38-21.

Congrats Austin!

Austen Collie, BYUs star WR last year, caught his first NFL TD against the Seahawks! Great looking catch and certainly not his last. Way to go, buddy!

So frustrated!

So the 35-17 win over USU has made me join an organization I'd hope to avoid. I am now a member of BAI - Bloggers Against Interceptions. For heaven's sake please stop giving the ball to the other team! BYU had 3 turnovers. which accounted for 10 of USU's 17 points. 1 fumble and 2 interceptions. One interception COULD be attributed to a great defensive play. The other INT was on a ball that Hall had NO BUSINESS throwing. He threw into triple coverage and the guy with the LEAST chance to catch the ball was the WR. Hall now has only one more TD than he has INTs. I really don't know what to make of it.

Anyway, time to talk about the positives. BYU's run game was awesome. Unga had 118 of BYU's 213 yards on the ground. Unga is back in full form and he is gonna wreak havoc in the MWC. Also of note was BYU's Defense. BYU had 4 sacks that I counted, Also USU's RB was held to 43 yards on the game with only 2.8 yards per carry and his biggest single run was only 10 yards. That's the rush D that we saw against OU. In fact, much like the OU game, USU only managed to score once when they had to put a real drive together and that was in the waning minute of the game. So props to BYU's D. Time to win some road games against some mediocre teams then it's Homecoming against a very tough TCU. That will be the defining game for the rest of the season. Ugly, sloppy win by the Offense but I'm proud of my boys on the D getting it done!