Scouting Utah

Submitted by alum96 on

Not sure we can look past a MAC opponent - even one that was the worst last year - after this week's Big 10 results, but skipping ahead to Utah, some disturbing things have come out in their game versus Fresno St.  Let me throw the caveat out that Fresno State was destroyed by a sort of ho hum USC team the prior week.  I watched almost all of the USC-Stanford game and it was a very sloppy affair and after drive 1 when USC marched down he field they did little.  But they blew up Fresno State... as did Utah.  Reading a few box recaps it sounds like the 1st team offense and defense left mid way through the 3rd quarter with Utes up 38-7. 

Again Utah last year beat Stanford (a team good in the trenches), lost to Arizona State by 1 (a team that was 2nd/3rd best in the Pac 12 last year) and lost by UCLA (4th best in the Pac 12) by a touchdown - all at home mind you.  They dont do well on the road.  But they "only" lost to Oregon (with a 70% Mariota) by 23 in Eugene last year as well.  Held Oregon to about the same # of points as Sparty did. Transitive theory and all that.

 

But here is the scary food for thought - defense seems quite legit based on last year's data points and what they did to a baby seal:

  • The Bulldogs finished with 55 rushing yards after posting 157 yards in a 52-13 loss at USC.
  • The Utes recorded seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
  • Fresno opened the game with an 8-yard pass completion. And then the Bulldogs’ next 14 plays netted minus-6 yards. The result was five straight three-and-out sequences.

So there's that.

 

 

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/utes/58382659-89/state-utah-fresno-ute.htm…

Zoltanrules

September 7th, 2014 at 2:30 PM ^

They may be the best team we play at home! If we don't win, the whole season could really unravel like it did at the end of 2013. I expected one win out of ND, MSU, and OSU and us to finish with 3 losses. After last week, if we lose to Utah, 5 or more losses are likely and that will not be acceptable to the money donors. This will be a critical and  " must see" game.

Gulogulo37

September 7th, 2014 at 11:50 PM ^

Agreed. Utah seems solid but I'm sure they're not going to be at the top of the Pac 12. It will be a good test to see if we have a chance at salvaging the rest of the season or not. And whatever this team needs to work on in terms of technique and gameplanning should be helped by facing them. I feel like beating all the App St. of the world doesn't really help us prepare at all. If we lose that game, I think Hoke's gone. Not because he lost to Utah, but if he can't beat them at home, they certainly won't be our last loss of the season.

I'm still holding out hope that ND was just a bunch of bad things that snowballed. It didn't play out the same way, but remember Clemson getting annihilated by FSU a couple years ago? That Clemson team was still good. There was so much hype about that game, much like the ND game. I think the pressure of the road losses and the end of the ND series and playing on the road helped cave this team. We need to win all the games before State, and it hurts to say this, but I'll be OK with a State loss as long as it's close. Then play well the rest of the season and hopefully steal one in Columbus.

alum96

September 7th, 2014 at 2:54 PM ^

I played Oregon Trail a few hours this morning and since it led me to Utah I just did some sniffing around the new fangled football stadium.

/old person's joke

/yes we had video games back then too... and they were fun...without all those damn graphics you kids today enjoy

nowayman

September 7th, 2014 at 2:48 PM ^

Statistical analysis is one thing but seeing the games is another.  

I ask because I don't want to go back and watch them and I'd accept your take on the games if you have.  

alum96

September 7th, 2014 at 3:08 PM ^

No I didnt watch Utah.  I did keep an eye on Utah last week and this via game reviews.  It is not just box scores, I read some reviews - last week there were some screw ups on their defense versus Idaho State or whomever they played but they apparently IMPROVED between game 1 and 2 and fixed those. 

I mean you dont have to watch a game to really get a feel for the games.  38-7 through midway thru the 3rd tells you all you need to know.  Not that these 2 teams should be close but they dominated a team in a manner probably even better than USC did the week before.  And based on what they did last year they sound like they have a quite serious defense with good trench play.  We are not good in trenches.  ND's front 4 had two good tackles, and a bunch of very young FR SO mostly at DE.  Yet we were a turnstile again.  Utah has more experience across all front 4, but no one like Day. That won't be good.

As for the other trench, IMO the most dissapointing aspect of last night was our DL rush.  It was bad to the eye test, no matter what UFR tells me.  I doubt Golson had a grass stain on his jersey.   Rush defense was ok but pass rush...putrid.  You can't rush the QB, any mid level Div 1 guy is going to look rock solid.  I am perplexed by the DL.

maize-blue

September 7th, 2014 at 2:53 PM ^

We will win this game by a large margin. The time zone difference is going to mess with them in a big way. These are things that I'm hoping for.

Cali Wolverine

September 7th, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^

Utah is a more than formidable team...and the time zone didn't seem to matter when they beat us in the Big House a few years ago. The time zone also didn't affect Cal at Northwestern last week and will probably not affect Oregon at Michigan State next year. Utah is a solid PAC 12 team.

alum96

September 7th, 2014 at 3:23 PM ^

Speaking of box score if you look at the ND UM one it is boggling that game didnt come down to the last minute, not to mention a shutout, if you only read the box score.  We kept them to under 100 yards rushing and they didnt throw for 300+.  We had way more TOP. 

Turnovers were disastrous as were FG kicking. 

It was in many ways like the 2012 game.  I remember in that game if Denard just kneeled on every play in the 2nd quarter we would have won.   

We moved well between the 35 and 35 of the field in the first half.  Then couldnt get closer or failed on FGs.  The second half, the mental fortitude or lack of it showed up.  The offense just turned into a replay of 2013 Iowa or Northwestern... a nothingburger.

Profwoot

September 7th, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^

This will probably be Kyle Whittingham's last year as Utah's HC. In addition to all the losing, word has it that the locker room is very divided. The O and D players hate each other, and neither faction seems to like the coaching staff.

Of course that doesn't necessarily mean much, but when UM last played Utah in 2008, it was a very good year for them and a very bad year for us, and they still barely won that game (30-28? Something like that). If M loses to them this year, it will signal a very bad year indeed.

Michigan4Life

September 7th, 2014 at 3:05 PM ^

and the best player is their WR, Dres Anderson.  He is a very good NFL prospect.  May not have the top end speed, but his acceleration, quickness and route running is what makes him a tough cover.

If Michigan CBs can't cover Dres, it's going to be a long day for Michigan defense.

1974

September 7th, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^

The game I'm already concerned about (even if Jim H. is coaching and John H. is the OC and ... whoever is the D.C.) is next year's game in SLC.

You know, 2015 -- the year that everything will come together for UMich. :)

That's already looking like a tough game.

M Fanfare

September 7th, 2014 at 5:04 PM ^

Rice-Eccles Stadium is also quite loud for its size, and it is also at about 4500 feet above sea level. Those are factors you always have to consider when watching Utah play at home.



Additionally, Fresno State's offensive coordinator is Dave Schramm, who was on Kyle Whittingham's Utah staff as a position coach and OC from 2005 through 2011, so Utah probably knew what to expect from the opposing offense.

Yale Van Dynamo

September 7th, 2014 at 10:56 PM ^

Rice-Eccles definitely feels louder than at least pre-embiggened Big House. 

Utah will be faster and more physical- but it is the physicality that comes from faster people hitting each other. They can implode and not get stuff done on offense, and they can be out-physicalled if you are bigger and stronger if not faster. Last year Utah played what Sagarin considered basically a top 5 or 10 difficult schedule, and had essentially no luck go their way so they looked way worse on paper. It is not a deep squad so injuries can really cause them problems. They have really suffered from lack of a killer QB lately, and even when the offense is anemic, they are used to playing like underdogs, so everything they do against better opposition is to try to give their skill guys space and counter being overwhelmed by a superior defensive line with fast, quick, short stuff and then deep balls. But they need a QB that can reliably be accurate on those types of things.

Whittinghams top coordinators in 2008 were Gary Andersen and Andy Ludwig (both now at Wisconsin). These were top guys. Defensively, they've been decent since them, but offense has been disappointing. They will be extremely motivated due to falling short in so many games last year.

umbig11

September 7th, 2014 at 5:51 PM ^

They have the ability to score points and are playing pretty good defense. My concern is that every team has a model to come after Michigan's offense right now. The Utes actually have some talented players. so, let's hope this team responds and some of these players get healthy before that game.