Offensive Line

[Dwight89]

My three takeaways:

In the three games we lost our offensive line got utterly exposed. In my mind that’s the main reason why we lost, especially against Oregon and Texas. 

Additionally, I don’t think the defense had as much mental toughness as teams of years past. Meaning they wilted and got disheartened at the offensive ineptitude and couldn’t continue to play tough. A lot of this is probably because they didn’t need to develop that toughness throughout the season.

Finally, our defensive backfield was incredibly depleted in the Texas game. That hurt a lot and kudos to Texas for taking advantage of it. 

 

Sucks, but frankly this is our lot in life. Maybe Whitt and co can keep building the recruiting momentum needed to truly compete with the cream of the crop. But until the system is completely overhauled it’s probably fairly unlikely. Parity just doesn’t exist in CFB. 

[Trailgoat]

Moss made the Oline look better than they were. ZMs stat of most yards after first hit/missed tackle is telling. He was constantly muscling out of hits in the backfield. He was amazing and will do well in the NFL.

Oline gets the coach speak pass for being “young” as we’ve heard from the coaches as an excuse this year. They really did not improve as the season went on. Next year will tell the truth.

[homer]

After watching bowl games, I would trade almost any bowl playing B1G team’s O-block for 2019 Utes. If Utes had Minnesota or Iowa O-Block they woulda played LSU

[Tednab]

Agree .. I also believe we have improved every year since joining the Pac 12 ; however that growth has been incremental. Maybe I am to impatient and spoiled with my expectations with this team. Whit and Co have done it in the Mountain West ;no reason I my mind we can’t do it in the Pac 12 . Hopefully we’ll get it figured out while the window is open ; college football is changing and I don’t think that’s favoring us.. regardless I have enjoyed watching the Utes growth from the WAC to the PAC

[SteelUte]

I agree, O-Line was our biggest issue this year.  Oregon ran through them like wet toilet paper, and Texas did as well.  I’m not exactly confident that they’ll be better next year.  The sad thing for Utah and the majority of schools is you can have a great qb, or a great rb, or great D line, but you need to be solid across the board.  We’ve had years where our O-line was great but didn’t have great players else where.  Only at the Alabamas, Clemsons, LSU’s, Ohio St’s do are you stacked at every position every year.  I think we had a really good team.  Not playoff worthy, but a solid team.  We all would’ve taken 11-3 and South Division champs at the beginning of the year.  It was just heart breaking to be so close and lose two games like that to end the year.