Search Results for 'fano'

[jshame17]

Man, when you look at outgoing seniors as well, we are rebuilding the middle of the defense as well.

At LB we lose Reid and Fotu, so we have Barton and Hall left.

At DT, we lose Tafuna, Pepe, Fotu, Vimahi, so we have Tanuvasa that got minutes.

DE, we lose Filinger, O’toole, Akana, and Taofatofua , so we have Fano.

Defense needs some portal help as well.

So many needs in this team, it’s pretty shocking.

[hbUte]

Kuithe and Spencer Fano: 1st team
Fillinger & Bouwmeester: 2nd team

BIG12 All Conference Teams

Semi-surprised to that Reid did not even receive honorable mention – probably because of so many games missed due to injury.

[Holladay Ute]

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.

[EagleMountainUte]

Offensive guys have a lot of gripes but also not a lot of film to put out there for other teams.
Makes me wonder obviously about a lot of things. Could be Whitt and Scalley working wonders. Could be not a lot of market space for what Utah had offensively. I assumed Fano would be poached heavily.

[DataUte]

I can’t find the thread from just before the season, but I thought we’d have something like an 800 yard rusher, 600, and 500. Totally wrong.

Micah Bernard 1,009
Mike Mitchell 158
8 with 25-66 yards
– only 7 total rushing TDs: 4 for MB, 2 Kuithe, 1 Mitchell

For QBs:
IW 1,510 yards | 56% completion | 10 TD | 11 INT
CR 555 | 52% | 7 | 3
Bottari 171 | 63% | 1 | 0
Rose 157 | 53% | 2 | 2

WRs:
Singer 53 receptions | 702 yards | 1 TD
Kuithe 35 | 505 | 6
Money 21 | 294 | 3
Stanley 7 | 166 | 2
MB 30 | 150 | 2
Zipperer 8 | 122 | 0
Ryan 10 | 113 | 1
Williams 10 | 101 | 0
Lohner 4 | 54 | 4 (all catches were TD)
King 3 | 54 | 1
etc.

Defense:
12 INT (Barton, Snowden, Davis with 2 each)
6 Forced fumbles (by 6 players)
24 sacks (Van Filinger with 6, Reid with 3, Fano/O’Toole with 2.5)
Barton led with 72 tackles, Johnson with 70, Reid 54, Snowden 48, VF 44, Gilman 41, Vaughn 29, Hall 38, Fano 35, …

ST
Becker was decent (if not on right hash): 23/23 XP, 18/24 FB, missing 1 from 30-39 and 3 from 40-49. Coleman seems like a good replacement. We’ll see. Coverage was crap on ST.

[//r00t4Utes]

It was also clearly not executed correctly. As stated on the TV, it was supposed to be a backward pass. Either the QB ran back too far or Fano didn’t go back far enough.

[Utah5410]

Some Advice, Opinions and observations.

Talent matters. Stars matter to a certain extent. But I would argue that culture and a no nonsense approach means much more than just paying a bunch of pampered players.

The portal is both great and terrible. Same with NIL.

Both of led to in some cases privileged individuals who cry and destroy locker rooms when things don’t go there way.

That destroys programs and culture. It is true that short term you can have a good year or two. But overall programs will be destroyed by this.

The SEC is not affected because they have always been paying players. The other big blue bloods also

But the Utahs can’t play this game. We can’t sustain it long term. We need to out the program and culture of the program above individuals. That doesn’t mean we can’t pay guys. But pay guys who want to be here. Who want to be part of a disciplined, earn your strips, winning matters, team work and all in or in the way attitude.

Pay the guys who want to be here and who make a difference (Fano brothers). And get rid of guys who think the grass I greener and just want the bag, unwilling to work or expect the world to be handed to them see Wilson.

The main reason this season went into the toilet is because IW was promised the number 2 spot and paid. Which from the beginning is a problem.

Maybe he earned it in practice. But we all saw after AZ that he wasn’t the guy.

Further, as guys continue to post cryptic things and leave. Wish them the best.

I would rather we pay 20 guys 50 k each who aren’t pre Madonna’. Want to be here, will play as a team and not cry every time there don’t get there way.

I am not saying don’t tweet things. But this is what I have learned from the portal and NIL.

1. The right OC matters
2. You have to have a QB. A game manager QB who doesn’t make mistakes is fine.
3. Spread the wealth NIL wise and get the right guys.

Don’t forget when guys leave the sky isn’t falling. The good thing about having Scally when Whit does leave is that the program and culture will still be in place with some tweeks.

[BleedsRedUte]

Everyone has good points. Yes, I think Fano was in for Fillinger, so there is that difference. But I thought we were getting good play from T Johnson, and Ritchie. Although I didn’t see Ritchie in on plays last night.

It seems like the players have adequate physical capability on defense, but sometimes make some dumb mental errors, that veterans shouldn’t. The Safeties really missed on the halfback (or whatever) pass for a first down, when we had them stopped. The pass was thrown from the same side as the receiver who had leaked out, and whether the guy was going to run or pass, the Safeties should have been to that side by then. There was no one within 5 yards of the receiver.

So close to a great win.

[Ute Dub]

I pulled up the PFF Grades and the rankings of Utah players among their position group peers. Some interesting data. I know PFF grades aren’t everything but I do think they show some trends.

Micah Bernard PFF Ranking #226 of 471 Half Backs for 2024
Ja’Quindon Jackson (Arkansas) PFF Ranking #35 of 471 Half Backs for 2024 (Jaquindon was the highest rated Ute in 2023 after Sione Vaki)
Damien Martinez PFF Ranking #23 of 471 Half Backs for 2024
Cam Sketebo PFF Ranking #21 of 471 Half Backs for 2024
LJ Martin PFF Ranking #94 of 471 Half Backs for 2024

Spencer Fano PFF Ranking #4 of 645 OT’s for 2024 (But really he’s #2 if you include a snap minimum)
Caleb Lomu PFF Ranking #53 of 645 OT’s for 2024

Tanoa Togia PFF Ranking #18 of 654 OG’s for 2024
Michael Mokofisi PFF Ranking #267 of 654 OG’s for 2024
Falcon Kaumutule PFF Ranking #185 of 654 OG’s for 2024 (but not enough snaps to rank him, officially)
Johnny Maea PFF Ranking #195 of 654 OG’s for 2024 (but not enough snaps to rank him, officially)
Salatoa Moeai PFF Ranking #633 of 654 OG’s for 2024 (but not enough snaps to rank him, officially)

Jaren Kump PFF Ranking #58 of 296 Centers for 2024

Brandon Rose PFF Ranking #210 of 315 QB’s for 2024 (but not enough snaps to rank him, officially)
Isaac Wilson PFF Ranking #305 of 315 QB’s for 2024
Cameron Rising PFF Ranking #306 of 315 QB’s for 2024 (but not enough snaps to rank him, officially)
I’ll do defense another day but Cameron Calhoun is #2 at Utah after Tao Johnson

[2008 National Champ]

Film room: I found it interesting that the writer highlighted Tennessee running RPO in the red zone and the QB made the wrong read twice in a row so Bakajian called a reverse that should have been blown up as a great play sequence.

Oh, and am I the only one who thought the Spencer Fano wrinkle on the 2 point play was really nice but could have been unveiled in a higher leverage situation? I’d have rather that be on the 3rd and 3 where Wilson got blown up instead of trying to cut the lead from 13 to 11 which doesn’t change the calculus of needing 2 TD’s either way to take the lead.