Struggles

[pedro]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the following who were either OFFENSIVE starters, expected starters or significant contributors all have missed time due to injuries:

Cam
Brandt
Bernard
JJ
Curry
Barnes
Vele
Pittman
McClain
Maea
Fano

I’m not mathematician, BUT losing 11 key guys on various levels might cause an offense to struggle. But it’s probably coach speak that is dooming us.

[ProudUte]

You could add Rose to that list.

[UrbanLiar]

He never enrolled but Trejan Bridges never cleared his ability to join us. That also would have helped.

[AZUTE]

Yet people just think Whit and Lud suck at offense.

NO team in America would be successful in their 4th string QB. Nobody

[D T]

Bingo….How many programs go 4-deep at QB?

[ORute]

Im just going to say it, Bernard has been the biggest loss of all. He’s been such a versatile weapon on offense; as a runner, blocker, pass catcher, leader. I dont see our O struggling nearly as much with him–certainly great to have everyone back, but he was the glue guy and just what we’ve been lacking offensively

[DataUte]

Strongly agree 👍. He can run. He can catch or be the check down. He picks up the rush. He just grinds. Glad he came back once TT was gone. Only an off field accident can slow him down.

[2008 National Champ]

Let’s see, the coaching staff constructs the roster and determines who is best qualified to play each week. As injuries happen, the “next man up” is inserted into the lineup and the game plan must be altered accordingly to put the player, who by definition is not as qualified as the person he is replacing, in the best position to succeed. If your 4th string corner struggles with man coverage but you have to play him because everyone ahead of him is unavailable, it might not be a good idea to call man in an obvious passing situation with him in the game.

The offensive staff, specifically Ludwig, had 7 months to war game how they would assign player rotations and call a game based on who was available each week. They had a month of spring to verify that their initial planning would be successful with 3 healthy QB’sto choose from, essentially the same line we’ve seen all season, and most of the same receiving core. Rising and Kuithe should never have been involved in the initial planning as they were unknowns.

Then they had all fall camp to again evaluate whether the plans they had been working on since January were still feasible. Jackson gets dinged up in camp, okay I need a plan that features Bernard and Glover. But what do I do if Bernard gets hurts – like he has every season he’s been in uniform at Utah? Curry might not be ready for a couple of games and limited after, maybe I should get one of the freshmen some reps to see what they’ve got if needed.

That evaluation and planning goes on all year, and especially every week of the season. Anyone who has ever run a project of any size knows that you don’t come up with contingencies for the obvious roadblocks only. Your contingencies need to have contingencies. The best trait a manager in any business can have is being adaptable to changing conditions. Those who fail are often the people who have done something that worked in the past, yet when challenged with issues that don’t allow them to fall back on that experience are unable to formulate a plan that isn’t anything more than a variation of more of the same.

But yeah, I can see why you think it’s the players who got injured who are the problem.

[Charlie]

I would say yes and no. Of course coaches have contingencies on contingencies, plan E and F. (Maybe about plan F you are F’ed). Football absolutely requires a coach to deal with injuries. However, each one chips away at rhythm and production. We saw two Pac schools respond with backup QBs this week as an example. When you go off the 2 deep roster adventure starts. When combinations come into play the adventure builds. In some cases like center, just going to the #2 reduces production. Yes, ‘no one feels sorry for you’, you must deal with injuries, but it is not like there is no limit that you can be expected to deal with. Myself, I think if you are off the 2 deep for QB, RB, best 2 pass catchers, center amongst others, you are in uncommon ground and the combinations are quite difficult to deal with. I have seen teams tank with less injury chaos.

[DataUte]

This. But isn’t it ok for us fans to keep expectations as if all the 1st teamers (or maybe a few 2nd teamers) were still playing? kidding

I think we are probably on plan F with all the permutations we’ve had to deal with.

[The Miami Ute]

Charlie, did you see Noah Fifita light up USC last weekend? That kid is a RS Freshman and was playing his second college game ever against a blue blood. If you saw the game, how do you explain his instant success versus what we’ve been seeing from Johnson?

[DataUte]

The rest of the offense was still the same? He struggled a little more after their top receiver went out hurt. At least that’s what I saw. Also, USC defense really sucks?

[The Miami Ute]

I’m assuming that you’re talking about Jacob Cowing? He went out for a couple of series but played the rest of the game. Fifita just looked more “game ready” than Johnson at any time this season. His mechanics didn’t seem to be off and I can’t recall him missing many passes, if any. That could be attributed to having an offensive coach in Fisch and possibly getting all of the reps, all of the time once De Laura went out.

[pedro]

So what you’re saying is the coaches should be able to ‘coach’ our 4th string QB and 4th string RB to the point they can beat other teams first strings? I would like some of what you’re smoking.

[2008 National Champ]

I’m saying that they should have a plan for it. Whether the plan works is always open to interpretation.

If CAL can put up 40 points with a kid getting his first experience against the same Oregon State team that gave up 7 to Utah, you have to wonder why. And to clarify, Johnson has been QB3 since the Rose Bowl and QB2 or higher since the middle of camp. Anyone who decided that Rising would be QB1 at this point in the season was not making contingency plans. They were going all in on Rising instead of spending the last 8 weeks, at minimum, figuring out a way to perform to the best of their ability without him.

If one offensive TD each of the last two games is their peak ability, I will withdraw any criticism I have made over the last two weeks. Will you reverse your statement(s) if likewise proven wrong?

[DataUte]

Putting in QB2 (not even QB3, QB4) with the rest of the regular offense sure is different than playing a 2nd string Center (and shuffling the line), RB1, RB2, RB4 hurt or out for season, TE1 (Yassmin) should be doing better, but TE2 is undersized, TE3 is converted defense. McCain, Pittman hurt, so leaves us thinner at WR (Vele, Parks, Matthews). We just can’t get the run game going and agree that we need to beat them with a few passes (so that IS on the coaching and play calling. But 4-1 not bad – definitely need to see them regroup and coach/call plays better after the bye.

[2008 National Champ]

Arizona State is missing their entire starting O Line. Utah has been using as their starting center the guy that we’ve been told for years is the most talented lineman in a group that is collectively the deepest and most talented ever at Utah. Which apparently includes 2016 when all 5 starters went to the league.

Every team has injuries. You don’t get extra credit if you have more people out than your opponent. You still have to figure out a way to score one more point than you allow for that game. So it doesn’t matter if you were playing QB1, RB5, TE13.,, it just matters if you got the job done.

Why are people on here convinced that Whitt is always right but conveniently ignore him when his past statements directly contradict their narrative.

[DataUte]

True, but if you don’t have the talent or experience, sometimes it’s just not possible to score 1 more point than you hold them to.

And the last question … that is the great mystery of fans, forums, and diversity of thought. It’s our soap opera.

[UtMtBiker]

Wrong. Cam and BK were never going to play before the bye week. Calling them injured starters is an excuse for the coaching staff that have flat out bungled the situation to this point. JJ is at best a RB2. Bernard is a devastating loss but isn’t built to be a RB1 either. Not having a bell cow RB1 after booker, moss, and TT is a recruiting failure. I’m not giving a pass to the people who are supposed to know more about football than all of us on this board combined. I think it’s more likely that they got complacent/ lazy and bit but them in the ass.

[ORute]

Gotta disagree with JJ not being a RB1. Guy averages 6.5 yards/carry as a RB–and thats as a converted QB still learning the position.

[pedro]

You know these two weren’t going to play? How did you know? Cam didn’t even know. Kuithe didn’t even know. But you knew? OnlyU thought they would play and he knows a dumpload more than us. But some how Whit was supposed to know when the players themselves weren’t sure? Please fill us in or provide proof that anyone knew?

[The Miami Ute]

Doesn’t the fact that they haven’t played a down this season, and there’s no prognosis for their return, make the entire point moot.

[EagleMountainUte]

I don’t think it is coach speak.
It is decisions made with incorrect or mistaken information.
Whitt would be the first to tell you injuries are no excuse. You have to find a way to manage it. He has said this many many times.
I am questioning his managing of the situation. I think disclosing injuries is good for transparency. But it is largely useless when it comes to the decisions made with Rising’s return.

Rising had surgery on 01/16/2023. So at a minimum 11/16 is his return as a best case scenario. The transfer thing is a dead horse clearly the information of his return scared off prospective players.

In fact this whole discussion is a dead horse. So whatever copium you need to suck down go ahead and do it. I am moving on.

[ORute]

Of course injuries–but everyone has them, its part of the game. While much falls on Whit, he also hasn’t been calling a zillion runs up the middle. Its a combination of many things; injuries, better QB1 planning, unexpectly subpar O-Line, PLAY CALLING and to be fair, some good D’s thus far. Just a bad combo of stuff at the same time and we get an impotent O

[DataUte]

The way we list our 2-deep doesn’t help, but:
WR-X: Parks, Simmons
WR-Z: Vele (just returned), McClain (injured)
WR-R: Pittman (injured), Matthews
LT: Fano (injured), Togiai
LG: Bills, Harrison
OC: Maea (injured, could return soon), Faaiu (but isn’t Kump generally taking C duties? haven’t paid close enough attention)
RG: Mokofisi, Kump
RT: Laumea, Kaumatule
TE-Y: Yassmin, Suguturaga
TE-U: Kuithe (injured, perhaps never plays), King
QB: Rising (injured, so lie he is #1), Johnson, Barnes (injured, unknown), Rose (injured, maybe can play soon?)
RB: Jackson (banged up), Glover, Bernard (out for season), Vincent (injured, probably long), Curry (something seems off), Freshman that probably aren’t picking up pass rush

So, yeah, 2 OL out so shuffled plus a bunch of injured ‘skilled’ position players makes us pretty vulnerable, even with ‘next man up’. Not like we are playing the 1’s with QB2. As many have mentioned, RB probably is the position that hurts us the most. I’d say OL is soon after (and the run game goes with those 2 position groups). THEN, QB.

I don’t have answers, but maybe we have to let Nate improvise more (not sure why we aren’t doing more RPO) or get into some short passing rhythm to Mikey, TEs, screens with occasional 20% chance down the field throws to the sideline. Then defenses can’t stack the box as much (we’ve faced some of the better defenses we’ll see), maybe we can get a RB or Nate going, etc. Set up the run with the pass instead of pass with 2 runs up the middle.