Utah @ 
UCLA Search Results for '2023'
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Search Results
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Though I greatly trust Whittingham for his defensive abilities, I have no trust for him with his offensive knowledge. Since Kyle came to Utah, Utah has averaged 29.9 points per game. Their average offensive ppg rank is 50th nationally since he has been at Utah. For the most part, his offenses have been incredibly boring to watch. Even in games where we have done well offensively, Whittingham has shut down the offense and played not to lose. I’m sorry, but although I’m incredibly grateful for the good years, I’m ready for a team with some offensive firepower again. I will gladly eat my words if Whittingham reforms next year, but I don’t see it happening.
Utah PPG National Ranking | PPG Average| QB |Coordinator
2024 -109th – 23.3ppg – Wilson- Ludwig/Bajakian
2023 -93rd – 23.2ppg – Barns/N Johnson- Ludwig
2022 -14th – 38.6ppg – Rising- Ludwig
2021 -13th – 36.3ppg – Rising- Ludwig
2020 -49th – 30.2ppg – Bently- Ludwig
2019 -29th – 32.3ppg – Huntly- Ludwig
2018 -73rd – 28.1ppg – Huntly/Shelly- Taylor
2017-52nd – 29.5ppg – Huntly/T williams- Taylor
2016 -50th – 30.3ppg – T Williams- Roderick/Harding
2015 -50th – 35.2ppg – T Wilson- Roderick/Harding
2014 -51st – 31ppg – T Wilson- Christiansen
2013 -82nd – 29.2ppg – T Wilson/Schulz- Johnson/Erickson
2012 -79th – 26.7ppg – T Wilson/Hays- Johnson
2011 -65th – 25ppg – Hays/Wynn- Chow
2010 -22nd – 33.1ppg – Wynn/T Cain- Schramm
2009 -30th – 28.9ppg – T Cain/Wynn- Schramm
2008 -12th – 34.9ppg – Johnson- Ludwig
2007 -64th – 27.4ppg – Johnson/Grady- Ludwig
2006 -39th – 25.2ppg – Ratliff- Ludwig
2005 -36th – 30ppg – Johnson- LudwigWhitt is what he his and that’s not going to change. He has reached the ceiling that he himself has set. Imagine what it would be like if we averaged at least a top 30 offense with a Scalley defense. I’m ready for a coach who is open to a higher ceiling.
I’m cautiously optimistic about where we’re headed.
In terms of recruiting, our overall rank is currently #38 on 247 (a few spots higher if you go by average rating). Historically, we’ve been in the #30-40 range and done very well w/ that kind of talent. We did miss out on getting a marquee guy like we’ve had in so many past recruiting classes (Myles or Dunn would’ve given us that and put this class about where we’re used to being). In a down year like we’ve had though (really, a couple of down years), it makes sense that we didn’t quite get there w/ one of those marquee guys. Still, I think we should all be encouraged by what we saw from today. We’re technically #5 in the Big 12, but #3 if you go by average rating (this always seems to be the case for Utah). Demonstrates that we perhaps haven’t lost much ground from all the progress we’ve made over the past 10+ years. And, hey, we’re still meaningfully higher than BYU!
A lot will change depending on how the transfer portal goes for us and we obviously have a lot of very critical needs (QB, RB, etc.). But at this point in time, it feels like the program is trending in the right direction (considering the circumstances). Otherwise, I would’ve thought that A) our recruiting class would’ve seen a meaningfully worse step back and B) we would’ve seen an exodus of talent transfer out of the program. We were all worried about those two things for much of the last half of this past season.
From what I’ve been able to see (on social media), it looks like a lot of the promising players from last year have already announced they’re staying (e.g. Spencer Fano, Smith Snowden, Cam Calhoun)?
We should have a good defense w/ a number of young solid/strong contributors returning (Tanuvasa, Logan Fano, Calhoun, Tao Johnson, Hall, Snowden, etc.). D line should be good. Secondary should be good.
Linebacker is the area that feels very iffy. Maybe another year will help Lander Barton get closer to the player he was pre-injury? I remember Cody Barton was a frustrating player to watch for a couple years before breaking out. And I heard that it’s possible Levani Damuni could return w/ a medical redshirt.
Plus our 2023 recruiting class (which was, on paper, our best year ever) will start to mature some. Most of those guys are still on the roster. And we get the missionaries from that class back (Clegg, Fonoimoana, etc.).
I am a little nervous b/c it did feel like we really missed Karene Reid when he was out.
Anyway, I’m confident our D will be good like it always is. And that should at least keep most of the games close. I think we were better than a 5-7 team this year. All the losses were close and we had a chance to win all of them in the 4th quarter (even Colorado, though they were clearly the better team). If you play in that many close games, it feels like the odds are that you’d win 1-2 more than the Utes did.
And on the offensive side of the ball, it really can’t get much worse than it was. That was arguably the worst Utah offense we’ve seen under Whittingham (a lot of it having to do w/ the QB situation).
We’ve been pretty good in the transfer portal in recent years. We can sell players on A) playing time in a P4 conference that’s pretty open in terms of contention and at what has consistently been a nationally relevant program and B) at least some NIL money (now that we’re no longer paying Cam and Kuithe so much).
I won’t form much of an opinion on our new OC (whoever that is) until I see an actual game against a P4 opponent, but I’m hopeful whoever that is will be better than what we had this year. If it’s Leftwich, the noteworthy results are putting up 42 points in a win @ Baylor last year (a lot more points than we scored @ Baylor) and 28 points in a close loss at home against ASU this year (again, more points than we scored against ASU).
Let’s see how the transfer portal goes, but they must be telling a pretty good story or else I would’ve thought things would be much worse since the end of the season. I would assume they already know the coaching situation and are telling all the players/recruits.
And if you’re still feeling pessimistic, it could be worse. Look at our peer, OK State. OK State is probably one of the most comparable programs to Utah over the last decade (the Utah of the Big 12). Consistently good, consistently bowl eligible, played in and won some prestigious bowl games, similar recruiting position (#30-40), etc. And yet their recruiting class has taken a material step down over the last couple of years. Their team checked out of this season early. Our team could’ve done the same thing, but didn’t. They just fired both their coordinators. I think it’s fair to say they have less talent returning than we do. Anyway, it could be a lot worse for us. I think we can be cautiously optimistic.
