Wednesday, October 22. 2014Red, Blue And Pigskin
See, I told you we hadn't seen the last of Travis Wilson.
They say that an ugly win counts just as much as a win with style points. Fortunately for Utah the same can be said about a fugly one. For Byu, it became painfully obvious that some changes need to be made to attitudes on the team, but not because of anything that happened during the game. A Message For The WR's And Westlee Tonga
CATCH THE [expletive deleted] BALL!!!! When 2 Is Not Greater Than 1 While it's true that neither quarterback has been greatly helped out by their WR's, who apparently don't realize that catching the ball is in their job description, the passing the last 4 games has been bad. This week though it officially passed up bad and entered absolutely, horrifically, dreadful. 9/18 62 yards, 0 TDs 1 Int. Just look at it. The combined, full game stats of both quarterbacks. Not a drives worth, or a quarters worth, or a bad half worth. That is the full game. You don't win with passing stats like that, unless you are a team like Navy or Air Force. I'm more and more convinced that Kendal Thompson is karmic payback for three and a half years worth of Riley Nelson/Taysom Hill jokes. When Thompson does pass the ball, he has a good arm, and is fairly accurate, but much like Nelson, and Taysom passing is not his preferred way of playing. Thompson is extremely confident in his legs, too confident. Many times during the first half, he'd lock onto his first read. If the first read wasn't open, or if he thought there might be a pass rush, he would scramble around and end up with a short game, many times passing (pun intended) up a huge play, had he just continued with his read progressions. When it was clear that Thompson wasn't going to pass the ball (and his receivers weren't going to catch it if he did) the Beavers reacted accordingly and started stuffing the box, shutting down not only Thompson's ability to run, but Booker's as well. It was clear the offense wasn't working, and thanks mainly to a superb defensive performance, the Utes went into the half tied at 6, but it was clear that they had to do something. So to start the 2nd half, out trots Travis Wilson. Immediately, just the threat that Travis Wilson was going to pass the ball forced the Beavers to react. Room began to open up for Booker to run, and the Utes had their best drive of the game up to that point, until it was halted by yet another dropped pass. However, that was really it for Wilson. He never looked right. He played the rest of the night like someone who was too afraid to make a mistake because it meant he'd get yanked, and the passing game never took off. Fortunately for the Utes their defense was on top of it's game. Save for one bad angle by Brian Blechen where he ran a pick against Dominique Hatfield and took him out of the play that ended up being a 72 yard touchdown pass from Sean Mannion to Jordan Villamin the defense absolutely shut down the Beaver offense. At some point in the second half of this weekend's game Sean Mannion is going to become the all time Pac-12 leader in passing yards, yet for 4 quarters (minus 1 play) he just couldn't solve the the Utah defense the entire night. With the defense doing enough to to stifle the Beavers, Booker was running like a beast, and keyed a 94 yard touchdown drive late in the game, and added 2 more in the overtime periods to spur the Utes to victory. An Untenable Situation The Utes won't win many more games this year with only 60 yards of passing. Actually I'm fairly confident the Utes won't win anymore games with only 60 yards passing, no matter how good Booker and their defense is. What the Utes really need is to pick someone, and have that person show enough confidence, and have the coaches show enough confidence in them, that they can get the offense out of it's funk. This week, Travis Wilson gets the starting nod. It's the correct move. The offense moved better with Wilson in the game. Wilson is more careful with the ball than Thompson is. Wilson is also the better passer of the two. What Wilson needs now is confidence. We've seen a couple times in his career that Wilson may not be the most mentally strong player. Last year against Arizona State you could tell that Wilson was look for the hit to be coming his way, and it greatly affected his ability to pass the ball. Last week Wilson once again looked to be struggling mentally. The Utes desperately need Wilson to get his head in the game. They need the Wilson that led the Utes down the field against Michigan after coming back from going full scorpion. Actually scratch that, they desperately need the Wilson who has bravado enough to think that he can dive over 4 defenders from 6 yards away to get a first down. They need the guy who went full scorpion. If the Utes can't find that version of Travis Wilson, they are in deep trouble, because Thompson's issues are harder to fix. He'll always be more confident in his legs than in his arm. The Closer They Get, The Farther They Need To Go The Utes are now sitting at 5-1 on the season, 1 game away from the goal of a bowl game. The last win may very well prove to be the hardest. We could easily be sitting here the last week of the year talking about how a win at Colorado and the Utes will be bowl eligible. Having won two games this season at College Football Meccas (The Big House, and The Rose Bowl), and now the Utes first attempt at Bowl Eligibility will come against College Football Royalty. Now granted the Usc Trojans aren't what they were a decade ago, but the name Usc still has a mythos associated with it. The last time Usc came to Rice-Eccles stadium was one of the most electric crowds in recent memory, and I expect something similar this upcoming Saturday. On the field the Utes are going to have a real test. While many people remember Usc giving up 451 yards rushing in a week 3 loss to Boston College and are quick to assume that the Trojans must have a terrible run defense, and are apt to get gashed on the ground. The truth though is actually quite the opposite. Outside of that aberration the Trojans are more likely to get beat through than air than they are on the ground. In the other two games they've struggled the most this season (games against the teams from Arizona) the Trojans were stout against the run, giving up 77 yards to Arizona in a loss, and 31 yards to Arizona in a close win. Meanwhile the Trojans were gashed for 510 (Arizona State) and 395 (Arizona) yards in the air. That said, the Utes still need to come into the game with a power run gameplan. One that has lost of intent to Feed Booker. If Booker can get going it can take some pressure off of Wilson, and just maybe this Usc team might be just what the doctor ordered to get the passing game going. Making both those tasks difficult will be Usc DE Leonard Williams. Williams is currently considered the #1 overall prospect for the upcoming draft. While that spot will eventually go to a QB, it doesn't diminish just how much of an effect Williams will have on games, and why the Utes will have to keep an eye on him for every play. Don't be surprised if many of Utah's passing plays include a delayed route by either a RB or TE solely to allow them to get a chip on Williams prior to going out for a catch. Offensively, the Trojans are just as dangerous now as they've ever been. QB Cody Kessler is coming off of a 7 TD Game, while Nelson Agholor continues a long line of great WR's for the Men of Troy. Though the key for the Utah defense will be stopping RB Javorious "Buck" Allen, who already has 909 yards and 8 TD's on the season. Between Booker and Allen, don't be surprised to see this game turn into a running battle. Everything aside though, the Utes have a tough road over the next 4 weeks, one that could just as easily see them bowl eligible with a win, or battling for a bowl game in the final week of the season if they go 0 fer. If they can't get a QB going, the latter is more likely. The Excuses Aren't (Entirely) Valid Meanwhile in Provo the Cougars played their first Saturday game in three weeks, and for the third time in those three weeks ended the night on the wrong end of the score board. For the second time in two weeks they lost after holding a two touchdown lead in the third quarter. Predictably a lot of the excuses since then have revolved around Taysom being out injured, the host of other injuries the Cougars have suffered, and lack of depth caused by those injuries. While there is some validity to those excuses, it does not, nor can it, completely explain away the last two weeks. If injuries and depth are the reason the Cougars blew those leads, that doesn't explain how the exact same depth was able to get those leads in the first place. It's the same group of second stringers and replacements who are building these big leads, that are blowing those leads. Yes Taysom was a special player who managed to hide a lot of the flaws that were already deeply ingrained in this team. Without him, those flaws are magnified, but Taysom being out doesn't excuse the defense for being so soft, and so terrible. Taysom being out could explain some of the offensive struggles, but let's be honest, while not nearly as dynamic, Christian Stewart has played well the last couple weeks, and seems to be getting more comfortable as the weeks go on. Last week against Nevada Stewart was 38/63 for 408 yards and 4 TD's. There were some mistakes made, and Stewart is very likely to latch onto one WR, and not progress through the options, but the last two weeks, from just a passing standpoint, the Cougars have had their best QB since Max Hall graduated. It's the other things (scrambling, keeping plays alive, etc.) that they miss from when Taysom was in the game, that was able to hide many things. Of course, the injury and depth excuse is nothing compared to the whopper levied by Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall. Sorry Bronco, The System Isn't Phenomenal During his Monday press conference, when asked why the team was missing plays, and if they might have to adjust the system to deal with all the players who are now lower on experience, Mendenhall threw his players under the bus by replying that "the system is phenomenal, the execution is what's lacking." Really? The system is phenomenal? When your team keeps making the same mistakes year in and year out, the system isn't phenomenal. When Skye PoVey is your starting DB over more athletic, more talented, less experienced athletes, the system isn't phenomenal. When Skye PoVey is your starting DB period, the system isn't phenomenal. When a starting DB for 2 years is only 5'6", the system isn't phenomenal. When Riley Nelson is your starting QB for 2 years, the system isn't phenomenal. When a future top 5 NFL draft pick, and overall freak of nature languishes on the bench, and only gets to start because of an injury, the system isn't phenomenal. When you're blowing two touchdown leads, in consecutive weeks to Nevada, and Central Florida, the system isn't phenomenal. If after three weeks, an injury to a single player, no matter how dynamic, or how great, still has your team in shambles, the system isn't phenomenal. When you fired your previous Defensive Coordinator to take over the playcalling, saw your entire team struggle because you were focusing too much on the defense (which did become stellar), so you gave playcalling duties to a new DC, just to watch your defense collapse to the point your thinking about taking over the defense again, the system isn't phenomenal. When you have to "bite your tongue" in regards to the defense, the system isn't phenomenal. When your team is 4th worst in the nation in penalties, and penalty yards, the system isn't phenomenal. When three times in the same season you've been offsides during onside, or onside like kickoffs, the system isn't phenomenal. When you routinely don't use all of your allotted practices, and your team then comes out sloppy and undisciplined, the system isn't phenomenal. When you refuse to practice with contact, and your team then is weak at tackling, the system isn't phenomenal. When you run your offensive coordinator out of town, languish in a crappy offense for three years, partially due to the fact you hamstrung said offense with Riley Nelson, and then have to re-hire said offensive coordinator, the system isn't phenomenal. When you try to run a 2 QB system, despite years of evidence telling you "if you have 2 qb's you have none" because in you're mind the other teams just weren't doing it correctly, the system isn't phenomenal. And sorry Byu fans, not trying to rub salt in the wounds (well not completely trying), but when you lose 4 in a row (3 of which you were favored), 5 of 7, and 6 of 9 to your bitter rival, the system isn't phenomenal. Finally, if all of the above were taken away, and you had the most perfect, phenomenal system in the history of football, but your team still struggled to execute in it, well guess what, the system still wouldn't be phenomenal, because if you can't succeed in the system, no matter how great it is, than it's either the fault of the system, or the fault of the implementer. (Thanks Rhett.) You want better execution Bronco? Why not try to execute some actual game plan, instead of going into half time with a lead, telling the reporter that things are looking good, and if you keep doing what you're doing you'll win the game, then watch the other team adjust to what you were doing while you fail to make any adjustments whatsoever and lose the game. Of course all that said, as a Utah fan, I hope Bronco stays in Provo for a long, long time, because the system is phenomenal. The Smurf Turf This week Bronco gets to take his phenomenal system and make the boring trek to Boise, Idaho to play the Boise State Broncos on the smurf turf. The Broncos have come back to earth the last few years, and especially this year without Chris Petersen as their coach. This year the Broncos enter the game with a 5-2 record, mainly due to their workhorse running back Jay Ajayi. The Broncos struggled early on in the year losing to Ole Miss, and Air Force. It'll be interesting as we go through the rest of this year, and the next couple to see if Boise State can ever get back to close to the heights they once acheived, or of they are permanently going to settle into the role of a good, but never again elite, team. Byu on the other hand, looks to be getting some much needed help back on both sides of the ball. Offensively Jamaal Williams will be starting again. The Cougar running game didn't miss much of a beat last week without him, but an offense power like Williams can only help the Cougars and Stewart. Speaking of Stewart, as mentioned above, he has played really well the last two weeks. While you don't ever really want him throwing the ball 60+ times, he's shown that he can put the offense in position to make plays. Defensively, the Cougars will be aided by Alani Fua's return. Fua is the closest thing the Cougars have to a defensive play maker, and his return will greatly shore up the line backing corp. Now if only, Byu would stop playing Bronson Kaufusi out of position and put him back on the line. Rumors are also starting to abound, that Bronco will once again take over the defense. Which leads me to.... Would You Rather Okay Byu fans I have a question for you. We know that Bronco is a good head coach. We know that he's a very good defensive coordinator. We know that when Bronco focuses on the defense, other aspects of the team fall by the wayside because he's not giving it enough attention. We also have seen that when he's not in charge of the defense, it sucks. Considering we've kind of seen the ceiling that Bronco can achieve as a head coach, but we've also seen that he could coach a defense to be borderline elite, would you rather have Bronco the Head Coach, or get somebody else as head coach, and have Bronco the defensive coordinator? The Uniform Game This week is the Utes annual Between this, the white helmet from earlier in the year, and the new uniforms, which I actually don't mind, I like what the Utes have done with uniforms this year. Of course, if the Utes lose Saturday, that just means the sweet looking, chrome lined black helmets are cursed and can never be seen again. The Utes won't be the only team sporting new helmets during their game. Set Your Schedules Byu's game against Boise State is an early week game. It kicks off Thursday at 7 p.m. MST, and will be available to watch on ESPN. Utah will once again have a late night, as they again kick off at 8 p.m. MST. It's the third consecutive game for Utah that kicks off 8 p.m. or later. (Arizona State next week will make it 4 in a row.) With no threat of World Series preemption this week, the game will be televised on Fox Sports 1. One More Message For WR's And Westlee Tonga CATCH THE [expletive deleted] BALL!!!!! Trackbacks
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