Some of you have the wrong perspective

[chinngiskhaan]

Yes, Whitt screwed the pooch in hanging all his hopes on Rising and Kuithe returning. He should have seen the writing on the wall and moved on from them. I get why he did it, but in hindsight, it was the wrong choice.

HOWEVER, this team is FOUR AND ONE(!) against the best OOC schedule we’ve had in years (if not ever) and two good Pac teams. The fact that the defense is good enough to win games when our entire offense is injured (and much of the defense as well) is a testament to how great Whitt and his staff are at coaching.

We shouldn’t be whining about Whitt. We should be praising him for getting this team to 4-1 with all the injuries they’ve had. Every position group has been severely hampered by injury at some point.

[Yergensen]

Complete perspective is this: Whit has made the best of a tough situation and deserves credit for that. However, it’s his job to build a championship team. He has a championship defense, however he bungled the most important position on the team (again) and will likely miss out on a championship because of it. He deserves the criticism for this.

[Anfernee]

Whitt and most everyone else in the program had a general timeline in the off-season for Cam’s return. And that’s back by now. That also would include portal quarterbacks who look and talk to programs. Any of them worth a damn wouldn’t come here to ride the pine on the potential Rising would still be out. You can’t predict how someone will mentally react to being back out in live reps once “cleared.” Whether it’s the yips, not trusting your knee yet or just getting that confidence back. I don’t blame Whitt in this. This situation sucks but currently it what it is. The margin for error is smaller after last week but we still have the opportunity for a great season.

[Yergensen]

Whit and Lud have not had a capable backup QB for Cam going on 3 seasons now. You can rationalize the transfer portal decision all you want, but they didn’t have a capable backup in 2021 and 2022 either.

Did they mistake the adequacy/talent of their backups? Did they mistake in the development of their backups? Did they mistake in not going portal? Did they mistake in exposing QB to full contact in practice? There’s a mistake(s) in there somewhere. Bottom 10 offense.

[Ute2]

The actual #2 lacerated his liver. It’s not a stretch to say Whitt was comfortable with the talent in the room and that that was a reasonable conclusion. But yet again, the injury bug struck.

My only complaint is that we’ve been presumably game-planning for cam this whole time and rather than Nate. Still think Nate can perform better if we scheme around his skills. I hope we committ to a starter before the week starts and go with it.

[2008 National Champ]

And yet, every year we see high profile QB’s transfer to schools with established starters and/or other high profile QB’s. We see 4 and 5 star QB recruits go to teams that already have multiple 4 and 5 star recruits on the roster. The idea that every QB in the portal was afraid to come to Utah because a guy with an average injury recovery timeline might have him back at midseason is a stretch.

Obviously Utah would not consider just any portal QB. Yet there were qualified stopgaps in case TQWSNBN or any of your 3 backups with limited experience were not ready to perform at the level you need. Spencer Sanders transferred to Mississippi to challenge Jaxson Dart and the 5 star who transferred from LSU (Walker Howard). Sanders was a 4 year starter for Oklahoma State who wanted one last chance to impress the scouts. He’s gotten garbage time snaps only this year. If you really wanted an experienced QB, you sell him on how good he can look in an offense that put up 36.1 and 38.2 ppg the last 2 years with over 3k passing each year.

Sanders is one example, there were others. JT Daniels is throwing for 300 yards per at Rice. Heck, Michael Penix was a reclamation project when he transferred before the 2022 season and Bo Nix was a 4 star bust.

The staff decided that they already had everything they needed for this year. Had Johnson and/or Barnes been producing 30 points per so far, even with a loss on Friday, we all would be celebrating the decision and the foresight of the staff. Thus, it is okay to question the decision when it doesn’t turn out as hoped. In my mind, that is being honest.

[Central Coast Ute]

Not saying you’re wrong, but do you have any examples of where high profile QB’s have gone to be QB2?

[2008 National Champ]

I thought I just gave one where a high profile guy went to a team with no expectation of anything other than the chance to compete for the starting job. I assume that is the conversation that would be had with anyone Utah was trying to get out of the portal at any position.

I’ve seen comments that no one would come in because it was Rising’s job. And yes, I doubt many would transfer if they knew they were going to be QB2 or worse. I just can’t believe that Whitt would take that approach in January, February, March.,, when he had no idea what shape Rising would be at the start of the season. In fact, that sounds like coaching malpractice – which isn’t really a thing – instead of what Whitt has always claimed which is that everybody competes every week for their spots. Maybe in June, July or August if the staff was getting reports as favorable as OnlyU was telling us you let a potential transfer know that you think you are good but if he wants to come in as an emergency option only, then he is welcome. But to have the approach that no matter what anyone else does, it’s Rising? That sounds more like fan board rationalization than what our staff would do. Or at least, what I hope our staff would do.

Not to give a long-winded answer and then try to answer a question with a question: but do we have any evidence that the staff told potential transfers that they were coming in to be a backup only?

[Central Coast Ute]

My apologies

[2008 National Champ]

For what? Having a different opinion than me? I respect people who question my opinions and learn when they show me why they think I’m wrong. I may not change my stance but it won’t be because I’m such an idiot that I think I’m the only smart one in any room I walk into.

[RoboUte]

“Whit has made the best of a tough situation”

No see that’s the entire problem. If he had made the best of the situation we’d have beaten Oregon State. He has made quite nearly the worst of a bad situation. That’s what’s really wrong

[2008 National Champ]

That sounds almost like what would come out of a politicians mouth. Yes my legislation is the reason for the problems you are having and if you just vote for me again I’ll show you that I’m the right person to fix the problems that I created.

[Anfernee]

4-1 and bye week right now is also pretty perfect timing. Learn, get healthy and most importantly, get the taste of rotten beaver out of our mouths. 🦫 😝 🪥

[belli1976]

These questions running in my head.
How much is this on Whitt?

Could he have pulled Cam’s and Kuithe’s scholarships? I don’t think they can.

They went after multiple TEs. Holker went to Colorado State to be with his wife who is on the track team. He is having a hell of a year.

QB – if you are in the transfer portal and wanting to play, would you take the risk of competing with Cam’s iconic status? If we did go after a QB transfer, that would be a big deterrent.

Again these are random thoughts with no evidence of anything.

[Yergensen]

It’s more than a transfer QB in case Cam doesn’t come back on time this season. Whit and Lud haven’t had a capable backup QB for 3 seasons now. The backup for 3 seasons has pretty much been a 1A high school walk-on QB. Maybe Rose would have been/is that guy, but he got maimed in practice of all places. If you look beyond the portal decision, the picture gets worse. Whit and Lud have let it all ride on Cam Rising for 3 seasons now and finally busted. Bottom 10 offense, let that sink in.

[Anfernee]

Conversely, letting it all ride on Cam has produced back to back Pac12 championships, 2 Sugar Bowl appearances and he’s still (I know we all have doubts at this point) possibly back for Cal. The no having to sit out a season transfer rule change has also made it so guys who would normally be back ups can go immediately and compete for a starting job elsewhere. Rose getting injured definitely hindered his progress as back up. I still believe he’ll be very good. Our offense currently is 💩 but I believe after this week bye we’ll see some major improvements.

[2008 National Champ]

When your comp is the Iowa defense, that’s a really good thing.

When your comp is the Iowa offense, there are serious problems. For those not in the know, Brian Ferentz, the coach’s son and offensive coordinator, had his contract rewritten this year stating that if the team did not average 25 points per he could be fired with cause. Oh, and Iowa is averaging 3 more points per than Utah.

[DataUte]

Just 2 years ago we started Brewer, a transfer portal guy, and started 1-2. He left when Cam came back instead of staying as backup. 3 years ago was crazy covid year. So we want a transfer guy to come in and be backup? We lost Costelli, Tuttle a while ago – guys that wanted playing time but left (and haven’t done much elsewhere).

Unless we become a pass-first team or open it up like WSU, UW, UO, or a Riley offense, we aren’t going to be 1st choice for a passer hoping to bolster pro credentials.

[Central Coast Ute]

The thing that hurts most about Costelli is that we took him over Dart

[2008 National Champ]

Even worser than that, Utah didn’t even offer Dart because of Costelli.

Just as they never offered Zach Wilson because they were all in on Jayden Daniels. Even took a commitment from his teammate who was never going to qualify.

[Yergensen]

ZW was passed over for Jack Tuttle, not Jayden Daniels. ZW and Tuttle were 2018 classes, Daniels was 2019. Your point still stands.

[2008 National Champ]

Not sure what I did when flipping around 247. Thanks for the check.

I’m not a guy who values locals over out-of-state kids, but those were both QB’s who expressed interest in Utah and were completely ignored. Not taking them is one thing. Not even offering, even as a conditional offer.,,

[UTE98]

That’s your opinion. I see it differently.

I couldn’t help but see other teams running route combinations, and setting up future plays.

The pinnacle of Utah’s offense this season was the first play of the first game. Since then it’s like watching pain dry with a fly in it.

I don’t blame the players for poor play calling and an ultra-conservative game plan. Think back to the Sugar Bowl, and first Rose Bowl. Those were good game plans. This year? Not even close.

[SalUteopia]

The thing about the 4-1 argument is that it is not forward looking. It’s great to be 4-1, and I’ll take a 2-0 safety to win every single game, so it’s not about entertainment either (for me). What I saw in the OSU game doesn’t seem to bode well for the remaining games, and that’s my main concern.

[Anfernee]

100%
This bye week and lead up to Cal in my opinion will define the rest of the season.

[UtMtBiker]

Exactly. A loss against Cal and we might not find another win besides Arizona.

[Caliman]

is AL and KW sleeping on another top state QB? This guy is 3rd. nationally just behind Wilson, his stats are right up there good enough for 3rd in the nation.
Jackson Stevens Sky ridge high school.
https://www.maxpreps.com/football/stat-leaders/

[2008 National Champ]

his only offer is Southern Utah.

[Caliman]

Alex Smith was a 2* recruit with only one div 1 offer, This guy is 6’5″ and can throw bombs 65-70 yards out. I want him at Utah. Please and thank you.

[2008 National Champ]

You’ve unlocked the secret to recruiting. Just go for the kids who are 2* and have only one offer 🙂

[GameForAnyFuss]

Alex Smith was a 2* recruit with only one div 1 offer,

Alex Smith was an outlier. Occasionally you hit a home run with an outlier like we did with Alex, but do you know what you become when you base your recruiting strategy on outliers? You become BYU-Provo Campus.

[Anfernee]

Thank you for that, Brother Stevens.

[Caliman]

I AM NOT A MOMO BYU FAN, I BLEED RED. LOS UTES ES MI EQUIPO FAVORITO.

[RoboUte]

Yes! Yes!

The ritual is nearly complete! Quickly, pour una cerveza on this voodoo doll of Zack Wilson’s mom’s friend and repeat after me, “may our coeds ever be the fairest.”

[Caliman]

Ok

[RoboUte]

Why would you have written such a beautiful confession of affection for Mrs. Wilson only to edit it to “ok”? It was so humanizing