I may be the minority

[Utah5410]

But I thought the offense and defense played well today given the circumstances. Defense was down Fitts, Hansen, Toutali and lost Blackman. Other than Hobbs our entire secondary were true freshmen or new. Falk is the all time touchdown leader in the PAC. Yet the defense, despite being put in terrible positions all night, kept the offense from blowing them out. The offense, Huntley threw all over the place. We didn’t have Carrington and our offensive line is just not good. Yet we moved the ball up and down Wash St at will. THE PROBLEM Turnovers. YES, Huntley made poor decisions. But Wash St. defense is good, not great but good enough.Take away the TO and I would argue based on how we played and moved the ball that we win. I honestly think we have a good chance next week especially if we get guys back, If not then playing for a bowl against CO. I was so down on this team against Stanford, ASU, Oregon. But the last two games both sides have played well given the circumstances. Not trying to be an optimistic, I’m just looking at the big picture, you have to score in this league and have to have a QB. Ill trust Hardin that he will get the line figured out by next year. Taylors play calling (other than that horrible reverse in the red-zone) has been good. If anything I would say replace Scally with Anderson.  Anderson clearly wants to be here.

[Utah]

How do you predict a good OL? Experience. Experience trumps all on the OL. We are horribly inexperienced and it shows. 

I️ agree with you. 

Our offense and defense played very well tonight. Taylor called a good game. We had TO’s. That sucks. They are sophomores. They will get better. 

Add in Andseron in defense and some experienced OL and we will contend for the south next year. 

[noneyadb]

I’ll put Utah as fighting for a bowl game team next year. PAC title contender? that’s a stretch. Still no d-line, losing lowell, fitts, and both LB’s is a big loss. Secondary will be solid. O-line still a big ?.

[Utah]

I️ think LB’ers will be fine. Hansen and Thompson. 

[pedro]

Fitz has played less than half the season, thought talented, we can’t miss what we really never had.  Lowell is lazy, one good hit and he backs off.  Not impressed.  I predict our D line will be marketly better next year as we have several young guys aching to get out there.

[gUrthBrooks]

I agree. I don’t know this for sure, but it seems to me like Levi Fotu 99 gets the best push of the DT’s.

[Puget Ute]

Leki Fotu looks like Maui in Moana.  He is enormous.  

[noneyadb]

The problem-  the o-line is hot trash, and Harding/Taylor are a mismatch.

[Utah5410]

Fitts has been out all year, Lowell (EH) and Hardin has a record of improving O-line play. Linebackers sure. But Thompson was balling today, plus Hansen will be at LB next year. They are going to play Blair, Ballard together. We have a ton of unproven line coming back so we will see. But i never really worry about the line.

[noneyadb]

Improving oline play? How had Utah’s redzone offense been under Harding? Terrible. That’s entirely on the oline.

[noneyadb]

In ’08 Utah ranked 17th nationally in touchdowns scored.

This year so far 83rd. 

Lastyear 65th.

2015- 62nd.

2014- 54th… 

[BD]

The defense played very well. Kyle said in his interview that the defense allowed less than 4 yards per play. That is excellent. And he said that pass efficiency was excellent. Lets give the defense credit. With the ridiculous numbers of turnovers they could have given up with excuses. But they didn’t. 

I seriously doubt Utah wins at Washington next week. They are a better team at their place. And, Stanford beating them was the worst thing that could happen. Good teams with excellent coaches bounce back and they aren’t going to lose 2 in a row, most likely. 

I am hoping for 6-6. I predicted 7-5 so being off by one, I can live with it. Next year they better improve. No excuses not to. 

[Puget Ute]

There are a number of bright spots to that game. It should have been a 35 point blowout with the team giving up, but they kept battling. The players had a lot more faith in themselves than did the fans in the east side of the stadium, 70% of whom apparently left early in the 3rd quarter to beat the traffic. Seeing all those empty seats on the tv was disheartening.

And you are wrong, WSU’s defense is actually great this year. Statistically they are top 5 in pass defense, top 10 in run defense, lead the nation in tackles for a loss, are top 5 in takeaways, and are top 15 in many other categories. They are not a bruising and crushing defensive the excellent Utah defenses of years past but they are extremely fast, take good angles, stay in position, and are sure tackles.

 

Great points all around.  Placalling was pretty good all around. Even the reverse was setting up to be a big play because Huntley was wide open for the pass reception. Mata’afa just made a spectacular play that very few DEs in the coming conference could make. 

The Offense execution was better last night, except for the turnovers. We were moving the ball pretty well and picking up chunk yardage in important situations. Huntley’s long scramble on the last drive was phenomenal.

 

The ‘late hit’ out of bounds was a bad call, but it should have been targeting. We have been flagged for targeting on less than that. The stupid Offensive PI call was insane, and the Ineligible Receiver Downfield calls are just frustrating. I hate that rule.

Onward and upward. Next week we play a team with less speed but significantly more power on the front 7. On Offense we need to find a way to keep the ball away from Dante Pettis, and to contain Myles Gaskin. That will help things a lot.

[TexanUte]

Every year there is a new excuse. Next year if we are a .500 team it will be that the LB and DL group is weak or the OL hasn’t come together quite yet. Maybe we just aren’t cut out for the Power 5 based on the performance since joining.

[shakeitsugaree]

I’m convinced you’re a troll

[crazyute]

One guy to keep am eye out for at LB is Devin Lloyd

[TexanUte]

Yah using this Utes forum board to vent during a bad season and get stoked during high flying times is being a troll. Excuse my disappointment and evidently misplaced optimism when we joined the Pac 12. Evidently I should have had lower expectations.

[dwainegf]

With great expectation comes either great exhilaration or greater disappointment.