Fall Camp 2014

[Applejack]

This is the thread to put all observations, rumors, sightings, non-sightings, lack of injuries (knock on wood), and assessments from Fall Camp 2014. Begin.

[UtahsMrSports]

This is the thread to put all observations, rumors, sightings, non-sightings, lack of injuries (knock on wood), and assessments from Fall Camp 2014. Begin.

Per Matt Piper, reporters are not allowed to report on injuries.

Am I going crazy? I swear that in years past, reporters have always reported on who is injured and while maybe not giving the extent, have always at least talked about who sat out and who was in the pit, right?

[U-Ute]

Per Matt Piper, reporters are not allowed to report on injuries.

This has been the trend in college sports lately.

[Applejack]

OK, here's the non-injury news: Kyle says that Gionni may be back for the first Pac-12 game! And Jacoby could be back by midseason! Those both sound like best-case guesses to me.

[Diehard Ute]

OK, here's the non-injury news: Kyle says that Gionni may be back for the first Pac-12 game! And Jacoby could be back by midseason! Those both sound like best-case guesses to me.

They actually said Paul may be back for the first game but certainly by conference.

Hale would be midseason at best.

[LA Ute]

Kendal Thompson is much more articulate than Travis.

[Hot Lunch]

Kendal Thompson is much more articulate than Travis.


Kendal has an interesting delivery. So does Travis, it works for him though because he is 6'7. Kendal seems to have a hitch in his delivery. I was able to watch a video that the team released on twitter from yesterday's practice. It look like that hitch, doesn't allow him to get the ball out as quickly as you would like. I only saw a couple of throws via the video so take it for what it's worth and that is not much to go off of. It just lucked funky.

[LA Ute]

Kendal has an interesting delivery. So does Travis, it works for him though because he is 6'7. Kendal seems to have a hitch in his delivery. I was able to watch a video that the team released on twitter from yesterday's practice. It look like that hitch, doesn't allow him to get the ball out as quickly as you would like. I only saw a couple of throws via the video so take it for what it's worth and that is not much to go off of. It just lucked funky.

I was listening to practice report podcasts this morning and heard about that. The speculation is that the hitch will cause problems on long throws because the DB will have an extra split second to lock on to the receiver. I also heard that Wilson is throwing the ball from a little higher position now, with less sidearm, so he doesn't negate his height advantage as much as he did before.

[UtahsMrSports]

Osa Masina tweeted a picture of himself up at practice holding a Ute helmet and said "Always considering #Hometownboy"

If he really is thinking about Utah anew, that is awesome. If not, ugh............

[Applejack]

Osa Masina tweeted a picture of himself up at practice holding a Ute helmet and said "Always considering #Hometownboy"

If he really is thinking about Utah anew, that is awesome. If not, ugh............

Twitter is a tease.

Having said that, winning would change a lot of recruits' opinions of Utah. In fact, Osa should hurry and commit because once we drop a 10-2 season on the world, we won't be slumming with 4-star guys.

[Applejack]

Lots of hype coming from camp ("fastest safeties ever," "big," "fast," "Astros minor league TE is a future HOFer").

But of actual tidbits of substance, I haven't seen much. Reports are that Tevin Carter and Blechen are the starting safeties, but that isn't a huge shock (who else is there?). On offense the only position battles worth discussing are the right-side of the O-line. QB is being discussed, but I'd be shocked if Wilson isn't the guy. Maybe the Astros guys is giving Siake F. a run at #2 TE.

On defense, I haven't seen anything about who the starters on D-line will be, other than Dimick and Nate O. I'm assuming the inside guys will be a committee of sorts. Have heard almost nothing on the linebackers, probably because they are all hurt.

[Diehard Ute]

Lots of hype coming from camp ("fastest safeties ever," "big," "fast," "Astros minor league TE is a future HOFer").

But of actual tidbits of substance, I haven't seen much. Reports are that Tevin Carter and Blechen are the starting safeties, but that isn't a huge shock (who else is there?). On offense the only position battles worth discussing are the right-side of the O-line. QB is being discussed, but I'd be shocked if Wilson isn't the guy. Maybe the Astros guys is giving Siake F. a run at #2 TE.

On defense, I haven't seen anything about who the starters on D-line will be, other than Dimick and Nate O. I'm assuming the inside guys will be a committee of sorts. Have heard almost nothing on the linebackers, probably because they are all hurt.

There was talk of the backers. They said Norris and Whittingham will start, and their plan is to use the nickel package as a base due to the pass happy PAC

[concerned]

Just out of curiosity, would Langi have started at ILB or seem significant playing time there this year for the U? That apparently is where he is llining up now. I realize the Y's scheme is different.

[LA Ute]

I find myself starting to get excited for the season and feeling like I want to buy the fall camp hype. Not.Doing.That.Again.This.Year.

1203

[concerned]

I find myself starting to get excited for the season and feeling like I want to buy the fall camp hype. Not.Doing.That.Again.This.Year.

1203


i feel exactly the same way. I remember all those Runnutz and Maake camp reports from years ago, God bless them, that always seemed to lead to a let down.

[UBlender]

I find myself starting to get excited for the season and feeling like I want to buy the fall camp hype. Not.Doing.That.Again.This.Year.

1203

Buy in. This is the theme song for the season. Buy in!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StTqXEQ2l-Y

[jrj84105]

There is always hype, but the silence is just as telling. When Carter is healthy at free safety, and when we have a serviceable right tackle, it will be time to get excited.

[LA Ute]

From Light the U:



Utah Fall Camp Roundup: Day 1 (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LightTheU/~3/O3QyZdUAzlQ/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email)

Utah Fall Camp kicked off today and had their first practice today. Below is a complete roundup of tweets, pictures, and audio from day 1 of Camp Kyle.

Reports

Bill Riley’s report on Day 1 (http://espn.kall700sports.com/camp-kyle-day-1-2/)
KSL report on Day 1 (http://www.ksl.com/?sid=31000191&nid=635&title=utes-open-up-fall-camp-with-quarterback-competition)
Kyle Goon: Start of Utah football camp brings some answers, but questions remain (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsutahsports/58260635-59/camp-utes-fully-start.html.csp)
Matthew Piper: At 6’5, walk-on Utes WR Tim Patrick will provide a big downfield target (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsutahsports/58255300-59/patrick-college-com-shoulders.html.csp)
Dirk Facer: Ute coach Kyle Whittingham says 1st day of fall camp was ‘exceptional’ (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608100/Ute-coach-Kyle-Whittingham-says-1st-day-of-fall-camp-was-exceptional.html)
Dirk Facer: Utah Utes football camp report: Day 1 (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608078/Utah-Utes-football-camp-report-Day-1-photos.html)
Carter Williams: Whoever the QB may be, the Utes receiving corps is ready (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608091/Utah-Utes-football-Whoever-the-QB-may-be-the-Utes-receiving-corps-is-ready-video.html)
Brad Rock: Bearded Brian Blechen ready for ‘normal’ football year after ‘baptism’ and bee incidents (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608088/Bearded-Brian-Blechen-ready-for-normal-football-year-after-baptism-and-bee-incidents.html)
Dirk Facer: Travis Wilson expresses regret over concert situation (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608072/Utah-Utes-football-Travis-Wilson-expresses-regret-over-concert-situation.html)

Audio

Kendall Thompson (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kendall-Thompson-8-4-14.mp3)
Curtis Conway (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Curtis-Conway-8-4-14.mp3)
Kyle Whittingham (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kyle-Whittingham-8-4-14.mp3)
Travis Wilson (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Travis-Wilson-8-4-14.mp3)
Kalani Sitake (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kalani-Sitake-8-4-14.mp3)
Kaelin Clay (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kaelin-Clay-8-4-14.mp3)
Brain Blechen (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Brian-Blechen-8-4-14.mp3)
Kenneth Scott (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kenneth-Scott-8-4-14.mp3)
Eric Rowe (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Eric-Rowe-8-4-14.mp3)
Dave Christensen (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Dave-Christensen-8-4-14.mp3)
Jared Norris (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Jared-Norris-8-4-14.mp3)
Jason Whittingham (http://kfanav.s3.amazonaws.com/20140804_080414-jared-norris-and-jason-whittingham-with-Hans-Olsen.MP3)
Morgan Scalley (http://kfanav.s3.amazonaws.com/20140804_080414-morgan-scalley-WEB.MP3)

[roseparkutes]

I agree I'm not going to drink the Kool-Aid... yet. Although I am super excited, pumped, nervous for the season. Can't wait till is here.

[Hot Lunch]

From Light the U:



Utah Fall Camp Roundup: Day 1 (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LightTheU/~3/O3QyZdUAzlQ/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email)

Utah Fall Camp kicked off today and had their first practice today. Below is a complete roundup of tweets, pictures, and audio from day 1 of Camp Kyle.

Reports

Bill Riley’s report on Day 1 (http://espn.kall700sports.com/camp-kyle-day-1-2/)
KSL report on Day 1 (http://www.ksl.com/?sid=31000191&nid=635&title=utes-open-up-fall-camp-with-quarterback-competition)
Kyle Goon: Start of Utah football camp brings some answers, but questions remain (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsutahsports/58260635-59/camp-utes-fully-start.html.csp)
Matthew Piper: At 6’5, walk-on Utes WR Tim Patrick will provide a big downfield target (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsutahsports/58255300-59/patrick-college-com-shoulders.html.csp)
Dirk Facer: Ute coach Kyle Whittingham says 1st day of fall camp was ‘exceptional’ (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608100/Ute-coach-Kyle-Whittingham-says-1st-day-of-fall-camp-was-exceptional.html)
Dirk Facer: Utah Utes football camp report: Day 1 (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608078/Utah-Utes-football-camp-report-Day-1-photos.html)
Carter Williams: Whoever the QB may be, the Utes receiving corps is ready (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608091/Utah-Utes-football-Whoever-the-QB-may-be-the-Utes-receiving-corps-is-ready-video.html)
Brad Rock: Bearded Brian Blechen ready for ‘normal’ football year after ‘baptism’ and bee incidents (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608088/Bearded-Brian-Blechen-ready-for-normal-football-year-after-baptism-and-bee-incidents.html)
Dirk Facer: Travis Wilson expresses regret over concert situation (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608072/Utah-Utes-football-Travis-Wilson-expresses-regret-over-concert-situation.html)

Audio

Kendall Thompson (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kendall-Thompson-8-4-14.mp3)
Curtis Conway (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Curtis-Conway-8-4-14.mp3)
Kyle Whittingham (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kyle-Whittingham-8-4-14.mp3)
Travis Wilson (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Travis-Wilson-8-4-14.mp3)
Kalani Sitake (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kalani-Sitake-8-4-14.mp3)
Kaelin Clay (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kaelin-Clay-8-4-14.mp3)
Brain Blechen (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Brian-Blechen-8-4-14.mp3)
Kenneth Scott (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kenneth-Scott-8-4-14.mp3)
Eric Rowe (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Eric-Rowe-8-4-14.mp3)
Dave Christensen (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Dave-Christensen-8-4-14.mp3)
Jared Norris (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Jared-Norris-8-4-14.mp3)
Jason Whittingham (http://kfanav.s3.amazonaws.com/20140804_080414-jared-norris-and-jason-whittingham-with-Hans-Olsen.MP3)
Morgan Scalley (http://kfanav.s3.amazonaws.com/20140804_080414-morgan-scalley-WEB.MP3)





Thank you sir. I can't read enough reports about camp. I am cautiously optimistic about this team.

[LA Ute]

Kool-Aid warning! This is a pretty positive camp report from Bill Riley:

http://espn.kall700sports.com/camp-kyle-day-4-2/

[concerned]

Kool-Aid warning! This is a pretty positive camp report from Bill Riley:

http://espn.kall700sports.com/camp-kyle-day-4-2/

Speaking of Kool aid, here is a link to Stephanie Pelton's observations on Donovan Isom.

http://utah.247sports.com/Board/59490/Contents/Early-impressions-of-Donovan-Isom-30134296

[LA Ute]

Speaking of Kool aid, here is a link to Stephanie Pelton's observations on Donovan Isom.

http://utah.247sports.com/Board/59490/Contents/Early-impressions-of-Donovan-Isom-30134296


http://media.tumblr.com/28e6fa3d37503487ac87cacb2cf24d07/tumblr_inline_n0ek4gLpUc1qbygev.gif

[U-Ute]

http://media.tumblr.com/28e6fa3d37503487ac87cacb2cf24d07/tumblr_inline_n0ek4gLpUc1qbygev.gif

Yeah. He is one of those kids, like KScott when he was recruited, which just make me savor the idea of watching him play for 4 years. Time will tell if he has it upstairs or not. He certainly seems like he does as far as I can see in the brief time we've been able to see/hear him.

[LA Ute]

From Light the U today:



Utah Fall Camp Roundup: Day 3 (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LightTheU/~3/C1Vo_MqAwiw/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email)
Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:29 PM PDT

Tweets

Day 3 of #CampKyle (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CampKyle?src=hash) is in the books. Today the offense took a step back, Whitt said. But he expected that to happen with pads.
— Josh Furlong (@JFurKSL) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/JFurKSL/statuses/497075293366939649)

#CampKyle (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CampKyle?src=hash) Day 3 is done..Full report coming soon. Defense looked sharp in my limited viewing time today. QB's just ok. #Utes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Utes?src=hash) @Utah_Football (https://twitter.com/Utah_Football)
— Bill Riley (@espn700bill) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/espn700bill/statuses/497082168699416576)

One injury note..Head Coach @UtahCoachWhitt (https://twitter.com/UtahCoachWhitt) says he hopes to have Geoff Norwood & Dan Nielsen back from injury in 3-4 weeks. #Utes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Utes?src=hash)
— Bill Riley (@espn700bill) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/espn700bill/statuses/497082784888803328)

More confirmation today that @GionniPaul (https://twitter.com/GionniPaul) is progressing nicely in his recovery from injury.No set time for return yet. #Utes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Utes?src=hash) @Utah_Football (https://twitter.com/Utah_Football)
— Bill Riley (@espn700bill) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/espn700bill/statuses/497083139986964480)

New Uni’s looking pretty mean-ch! #UtahFootball (https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahFootball?src=hash) #Utah (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Utah?src=hash) #Utes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Utes?src=hash) @5ilipo (https://twitter.com/5ilipo) http://t.co/84rHqK7fmg
— Malakai Mokofisi Jr. (@babymals) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/babymals/statuses/497130852124741633)

These jerseys are nice
— Marc Pouvave (@BodyMARCedUp) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/BodyMARCedUp/statuses/497125777997979648)

Picture Day #NewJerseys (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewJerseys?src=hash) pic.twitter.com/1GwpVLMGyT (http://t.co/1GwpVLMGyT)
— Isaac Asiata (@AsiataFive4) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/AsiataFive4/statuses/497124997236678656)

Can't overlook DBs' OT each day following practice (all 3 days). #drive (https://twitter.com/hashtag/drive?src=hash) #utes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utes?src=hash) #goutes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/goutes?src=hash) #utenation (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utenation?src=hash) #utahfootball (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utahfootball?src=hash) pic.twitter.com/ZKYVSvntSE (http://t.co/ZKYVSvntSE)
— Stephanie Pelton (@StephUteReview) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/StephUteReview/statuses/497121874242207745)

Manning putting in his OT. #utes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utes?src=hash) #goutes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/goutes?src=hash) #utenation (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utenation?src=hash) #utahfootball (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utahfootball?src=hash) pic.twitter.com/SGvp9q0PLO (http://t.co/SGvp9q0PLO)
— Stephanie Pelton (@StephUteReview) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/StephUteReview/statuses/497091733620940801)

Isom stayed after practice for extra work, as did Manning, Dre'Vian Young. #utes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utes?src=hash) #goutes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/goutes?src=hash) #utenation (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utenation?src=hash) #utahfootbal (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utahfootbal?src=hash) pic.twitter.com/xn0rxo8isJ (http://t.co/xn0rxo8isJ)
— Stephanie Pelton (@StephUteReview) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/StephUteReview/statuses/497091173064769536)

Execution not as good, overall. Another good day for Wilson & Thompson, but still tight. Less telegraphing & better, tighter throws from KT.
— Stephanie Pelton (@StephUteReview) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/StephUteReview/statuses/497077250509275136)

Whit. Raelon Singleton out for season, needs surgery & Pasoni Tasini projected to arrive in January. #utes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utes?src=hash) #goutes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/goutes?src=hash) #utenation (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utenation?src=hash) #utahfootball (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utahfootball?src=hash)
— Stephanie Pelton (@StephUteReview) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/StephUteReview/statuses/497076418413473793)

If it looks like guys are on the verge of giggling during intros, that's because they're being mocked mercilessly pic.twitter.com/vtrjYn28OL (http://t.co/vtrjYn28OL)
— Matthew Piper (@matthew_piper) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/matthew_piper/statuses/497128627557765120)

Travis Wilson's cutting-edge helmet. pic.twitter.com/ISEVZZUSz8 (http://t.co/ISEVZZUSz8)
— Matthew Piper (@matthew_piper) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/matthew_piper/statuses/497126875357908993)

Ready for their close ups. Suits and ties come next. pic.twitter.com/zrsH6DeIBc (http://t.co/zrsH6DeIBc)
— Matthew Piper (@matthew_piper) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/matthew_piper/statuses/497126030851584000)

Travis Wilson poses in the new threads. pic.twitter.com/jgArodaEvg (http://t.co/jgArodaEvg)
— Matthew Piper (@matthew_piper) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/matthew_piper/statuses/497124585217613825)

Strong like our mountains. #LightTheU (https://twitter.com/hashtag/LightTheU?src=hash) #utahfootball (https://twitter.com/hashtag/utahfootball?src=hash) pic.twitter.com/E4dvV6DWkF (http://t.co/E4dvV6DWkF)
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/Utah_Football/statuses/497121076426448896)

After practice, Whitt donated Lucky Radley's old helmet to the U. hospital for a procedure to stop internal bleeding.pic.twitter.com/3lb8vR89Pw (http://t.co/3lb8vR89Pw)
— Matthew Piper (@matthew_piper) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/matthew_piper/statuses/497095700669161472)

Whittingham said Kaelin Clay could see some time at running back, a la Shaky Smithson.
— Matthew Piper (@matthew_piper) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/matthew_piper/statuses/497086436320215040)

Whittingham expects Geoffrey Norwood and Daniel Nielson to be out for 3-4 weeks with unspecified injuries. Moana Ofahengaue out "long-term"
— Matthew Piper (@matthew_piper) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/matthew_piper/statuses/497087253672636417)

This is not Kendal Thompson vs. 2013 Travis Wilson. Right now, Wilson is making it difficult for anybody to look much better than him.
— Matthew Piper (@matthew_piper) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/matthew_piper/statuses/497094671101743104)

Tail end of a kscott_2 freestyle with Dres Anderson giving the moral support. #Utes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Utes?src=hash) after practice… http://t.co/HKwDdHZMq1
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/kylegoon/statuses/497089800189386753)

Utah will also have white & black jerseys. They're not in yet, so no pics. Coming soon, I'm told.
— Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) August 6, 2014 (https://twitter.com/BonaguraESPN/statuses/497152313115824128)
Audio

Kyle Whittingham, Head Coach (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kyle-Whittingham-8-6-14.mp3)
Kalani Sitake, Defensive Coordinator (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Kalani-Sitake-8-6-14.mp3)
Uaea Masina, Utah LB (http://espn.kall700sports.com/uaea-masina-utes-fall-camp-8-6-14/)
Tim Patrick, Utah WR (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Tim-Patrick-8-6-14.mp3)
Jeremiah Poutasi, Utah OL (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Jeremiah-Poutasi-8-6-14.mp3)
Conner Manning, Utah QB (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Conner-Manning-8-6-14.mp3)
Aaron Roderick, QB Coach (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/8-5-14-Aaron-Roderick.mp3)
Junior Salt, Utah OL (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/8-5-14-Junior-Salt.mp3)
Dres Anderson, Utah WR (http://espn.kall700sports.com/dres-anderson-utah-wr-8-6-14/)
Dirk Facer, Deseret News (http://espn.kall700sports.com/dirk-facer-utes-insider-8-6-14/)
Kyle Goon, Salt Lake Tribune (http://kfanav.s3.amazonaws.com/20140806_080614_Kyle-Goon-WEB.mp3)
Devontae Booker, Utah RB (http://kfanav.s3.amazonaws.com/20140806_080614-devontae-booker.mp3)

Articles

Kyle Goon’s (Salt Lake Tribune) report on day three (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/utes/58268820-89/whittingham-receiver-harding-defensive.html.csp)
Deseret News: Utes unveil new uniforms, and yes they include mountains on the sleeves (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865608226/Utah-football-Utes-unveil-new-uniforms-and-yes-they-include-mountains-on-the-sleeves.html)
Josh Furlong (KSL): Ute walk-on Wallace Gonzalez a ‘pleasant surprise’ (http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=31017312&nid=635&title=ute-walk-on-wallace-gonzalez-a-pleasant-surprise)
Bill Riley – Day 3 (http://espn.kall700sports.com/day-3-camp-kyle/)


The post Utah Fall Camp Roundup: Day 3 (http://lighttheu.com/2014/08/utah-fall-camp-roundup-day-3/) appeared first on Light The U (http://lighttheu.com/).
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[jrj84105]

Speaking of Kool aid, here is a link to Stephanie Pelton's observations on Donovan Isom.

http://utah.247sports.com/Board/59490/Contents/Early-impressions-of-Donovan-Isom-30134296

There's only one missed recruit who I think could turn around if we have a big season, and that's the San Clemente QB Sam Darnold. Wilson, Isom, Darnold would be a perfect sequence of high quality QB's who are meant to play in the kind of spread to run offense we use.

[LA Ute]

There's only one missed recruit who I think could turn around if we have a big season, and that's the San Clemente QB Sam Darnold. Wilson, Isom, Darnold would be a perfect sequence of high quality QB's who are meant to play in the kind of spread to run offense we use.

Can't we get Darnold to become LDS and go on a mission so we can have a shot at flipping him?

[LA Ute]

These came today. I'm starting to get pumped.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/08/yqa9u3e6.jpg

[jrj84105]

Can't we get Darnold to become LDS and go on a mission so we can have a shot at flipping him?
I think we just have to send him to a Tim McGraw concert.

[Hot Lunch]

One thing that I heard today that really concerns me was that we only have 4 scholarship linebackers taking reps right now. Those are some very low numbers.

[Applejack]

One thing that I heard today that really concerns me was that we only have 4 scholarship linebackers taking reps right now. Those are some very low numbers.

Surprised it's that high. It feels like we just have lineman and dba on defense. People are going to kill us across the middle this year.

[LA Ute]

I think the coaches and many in the news media are whistling past the graveyard when it comes to our LBs. When your top two -- the guys who were supposed to turn around our LB situtation -- are injured in Spring ball, you can't recover from that just by slotting the next two guys in. Even USC, with all their depth of talent, couldn't pull that off. Opposing coaches are going to be watching film carefully for ways to exploit that weakness.

Man, I hope we have satisfied the football karma gods and that our rotten luck with injuries is over for a while.

[LA Ute]

Nice article on Donovan Isom:

Utah football: QB Donovan Isom proud to follow mom’s lead (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58272473-78/donovan-isom-utah-mom.html.csp)

It says he is only 6'3". Seems like I read somewhere that he is taller.

[UTEopia]

Nice article on Donovan Isom:

Utah football: QB Donovan Isom proud to follow mom’s lead (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58272473-78/donovan-isom-utah-mom.html.csp)

It says he is only 6'3". Seems like I read somewhere that he is taller.
He looks taller to me. I would say 6'4+

[jrj84105]

I think the coaches and many in the news media are whistling past the graveyard when it comes to our LBs. When your top two -- the guys who were supposed to turn around our LB situtation -- are injured in Spring ball, you can't recover from that just by slotting the next two guys in..

Paul had a lot of hype and is a brash guy who gets a lot of attention, but Whittingham was/is the best, most complete LB. It will be big to get Paul back, but we still have our best guy in there.

[Jarid in Cedar]

I think the coaches and many in the news media are whistling past the graveyard when it comes to our LBs. When your top two -- the guys who were supposed to turn around our LB situtation -- are injured in Spring ball, you can't recover from that just by slotting the next two guys in. Even USC, with all their depth of talent, couldn't pull that off. Opposing coaches are going to be watching film carefully for ways to exploit that weakness.

Man, I hope we have satisfied the football karma gods and that our rotten luck with injuries is over for a while.


Norris and Whittingham are outstanding LB's. Hale and Paul make the group dynamic and a strength. We are still crossing fingers about injuries at the position, but there isn't any worry about the caliber of talent of the players we have healthy.

[Jarid in Cedar]

I also disagree with the notion that the linebackers were a weak spot last year. There were a ton of questions entering the season, but once Norris started in the place of Fehoko, they were a strength on the defense.

[LA Ute]

Norris and Whittingham are outstanding LB's. Hale and Paul make the group dynamic and a strength. We are still crossing fingers about injuries at the position, but there isn't any worry about the caliber of talent of the players we have healthy.

Do we have the speed we need?

[jrj84105]

Do we have the speed we need?

I wish we had Hale to hawk the QB against UCLA and really hope we have him by Oregon. I also worry less about speed and more about strength against Furd. So, I guess I think we're fine except against the top tier teams where we need every advantage possible.

[Ma'ake]

The two top LBs are studs and know the defense well enough to be playing at full speed - Jason Whittingham & Jared Norris. (Anyone remember Jason throwing down a 360 dunk at the dunk contest for football players at the BB game in 2013? I don't remember KWhitt having anything close to that level of athleticism when he played.)



Uaea Masina really moves well and has a nice frame to build on. Really nice upside.


Marcus Sanders-Williams has to be one of the fastest LBs in the PAC. He's young and new to the position, but the ability to chase down RBs on a sweep is one of those "non-teachables".


Gionni and Jacoby are icing on the cake.


If push came to shove, remember that Pita Taomoepenu scored a 28 on the science part of the ACT, suggesting there's some aptitude there to pick up differing assignments, if need be. Maybe he'll play the Trevor Reilly "is he a backer or a DE?" part in this year's defense. He's supposed to be about as fast as MSW.

[LA Ute]

The two top LBs are studs and know the defense well enough to be playing at full speed - Jason Whittingham & Jared Norris. (Anyone remember Jason throwing down a 360 dunk at the dunk contest for football players at the BB game in 2013? I don't remember KWhitt having anything close to that level of athleticism when he played.)



Uaea Masina really moves well and has a nice frame to build on. Really nice upside.


Marcus Sanders-Williams has to be one of the fastest LBs in the PAC. He's young and new to the position, but the ability to chase down RBs on a sweep is one of those "non-teachables".


Gionni and Jacoby are icing on the cake.


If push came to shove, remember that Pita Taomoepenu scored a 28 on the science part of the ACT, suggesting there's some aptitude there to pick up differing assignments, if need be. Maybe he'll play the Trevor Reilly "is he a backer or a DE?" part in this year's defense. He's supposed to be about as fast as MSW.

OK. I feel better now!

[Ma'ake]

In the Trib this morning they talked about Pita Taumoepenu getting reps at the Stud LB position, so maybe he'll begin to take on that hybrid DE-LB that Reilly did a masterful job of doing, last year.

In nickel, you can be a 3-3-5, or you can be a 4-2-5.

If nothing else, getting your DEs good coverage reps on the TE gives you flexibility in attacking an offense.

[DrumNFeather]

Pac 12 Blog Preseason Power rankings...Utes check in at 10:



10
http://assets.espn.go.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png
http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/254.png?w=50&h=50&transparent=trueUtah Utes (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/254/utah-utes)
The Utes' 2013 season needs to be broken into separate entities: With Travis Wilson (http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/531051/travis-wilson) (4-2) and Without Travis Wilson (1-5). Granted, the latter also came against the more difficult portion of the schedule, but without its starting QB, the Utah offense sputtered. He's back -- with a new offensive coordinator -- and that brings a renewed sense of optimism.

[sancho]

Pac 12 Blog Preseason Power rankings...Utes check in at 10:


Climb the ladder, Utes!

[DrumNFeather]

Grantland is out with its Pac 12 preview...which is not surprisingly void of much Utah talk...though there was this:


Toastiest Coach• Somewhat unfairly: Sonny Dykes, Cal. We aren’t actually counting on any Pac-12 head coaches losing their jobs this year, barring the always-possible melodramatic collapse of an entire program here or there. Call Dykes the likeliest of an unlikely bunch, then. Mike MacIntyre’s Buffaloes made incremental improvements in Year 1 and look set to keep bucking up in 2014; Utah’s Kyle Whittingham keeps turning up on preseason hot seat lists, and we disagree with all of them. That leaves Dykes, who has an appalling 1-11 first-year record under his belt, changes at the administrative level (http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/11142501/sandy-barbour-stepping-california-golden-bears-athletic-director-according-reports) with which to contend, and other newish Pac-12 coaches achieving bigger gains and making him look bad. And the Bears are in the North, bless their fuzzy hearts. Still, we’d love to see Dykes get a shot worth several years; when it’s hopping, Dykes’s and Tony Franklin’s offense is pure joy on sparking tireless wheels.

[UtahsMrSports]

First scrimmage in the books and the defense won this round (color me shocked!).

The QBs had terrible stats, and so naturally, we should panic, abort the season, and just focus on basketball. All this and more on 1280 the zone!

[Rocker Ute]

Grantland is out with its Pac 12 preview...which is not surprisingly void of much Utah talk...though there was this:

Utah’s Kyle Whittingham keeps turning up on preseason hot seat lists, and we disagree with all of them.

[/FONT][/COLOR]

It seems everyone outside of Utah can't understand why Whittingham is on the hot seat. I think I agree with them.

[sancho]

It seems everyone outside of Utah can't understand why Whittingham is on the hot seat. I think I agree with them.

The hot seat is a media construct. If hot seat journalists decide a coach is on it, he is on it. I'm looking at you, Mark Schlabach.

[sancho]

First scrimmage in the books and the defense won this round (color me shocked!).

The QBs had terrible stats, and so naturally, we should panic, abort the season, and just focus on basketball. All this and more on 1280 the zone!

This is the year we officially become the Virginia Tech of the west. We will win 10 games on defense and special teams, and no one will be able to figure out how we keep winning.

[SoCalPat]

This is the year we officially become the Virginia Tech of the west. We will win 10 games on defense and special teams, and no one will be able to figure out how we keep winning.

As long as the Pac-12 becomes the Big East/ACC of the West, I'm with you.

[SoCalPat]

It seems everyone outside of Utah can't understand why Whittingham is on the hot seat. I think I agree with them.

Coacheshotseat.com has Kyle 44th. He's labeled as "Safe For Now" but is only three spots from "Edge of the Hot Seat." I think that's pretty fair.

I think Kyle's a victim of circumstance when talking about the Hot Seat. Who's made a bad hire in this league since we joined? Cal? Everyone recognizes the Bears had a lot of bad breaks in going 1-11 last year. It hasn't helped that every one of our neighbors in the South has significantly upgraded the HC position in the last three years. That makes Kyle look bad by comparison.

[LA Ute]

Coacheshotseat.com has Kyle 44th. He's labeled as "Safe For Now" but is only three spots from "Edge of the Hot Seat." I think that's pretty fair.

I think Kyle's a victim of circumstance when talking about the Hot Seat. Who's made a bad hire in this league since we joined? Cal? Everyone recognizes the Bears had a lot of bad breaks in going 1-11 last year. It hasn't helped that every one of our neighbors in the South has significantly upgraded the HC position in the last three years. That makes Kyle look bad by comparison.

True.

[LA Ute]

John Pease: "In 48 years as Defensive Coach (College and NFL) I don't think I ever lost the first scrimmage. (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/John-Pease-8-12-14.mp3)"


http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/John-Pease-8-12-14.mp3

[USS Utah]

John Pease: "In 48 years as Defensive Coach (College and NFL) I don't think I ever lost the first scrimmage. (http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/John-Pease-8-12-14.mp3)"


http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/John-Pease-8-12-14.mp3

Excellent stuff. The one thing I wanted to know yesterday regarding Wilson going 8 for 21 was if there were a lot of dropped passes or not. According to Pease, while some passes were off target, there were too many drops.

[Diehard Ute]

Per Piper on Twitter

Reggie Porter lost for the season with a knee injury

Hatfield will play on both sides of the ball for the rest of camp.

Sam Tevi being tried at OT

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Per Piper on Twitter

Reggie Porter lost for the season with a knee injury

Hatfield will play on both sides of the ball for the rest of camp.

Sam Tevi being tried at OT

Seems like there's one every Fall. Of course it had to hit us where we're thinnest.

[DrumNFeather]

One report I read has Greg Reese on defense. I hadn't heard that.

[wally]

I am in full-on Pollyanna mode this year. I just feel in my bones we are due. Where is Sancho's lucky button?

[UTEopia]

One report I read has Greg Reese on defense. I hadn't heard that.
Greg Reese moved during spring ball.'

[concerned]

If Sam Tevi is being tried out at OT, is that tantamount to a vote of no confidence in the incumbents?

[Diehard Ute]

If Sam Tevi is being tried out at OT, is that tantamount to a vote of no confidence in the incumbents?

I don't think so. This was planned last season but Sam asked for one last shot at defense and Kyle allowed it. I think without that he'd have been an OT in spring ball.

By all accounts his natural talent, and prospects beyond college, are all at OT

[sancho]

If Sam Tevi is being tried out at OT, is that tantamount to a vote of no confidence in the incumbents?

I think so. Maybe also a vote of no confidence in the depth of the Oline. I guess it could just mean that they looked at the Dline and figured Tevi was just not good enough at that position to get time. Might as well see if he can be effective on the other side?

[Diehard Ute]

I think so. Maybe also a vote of no confidence in the depth of the Oline. I guess it could just mean that they looked at the Dline and figured Tevi was just not good enough at that position to get time. Might as well see if he can be effective on the other side?

If you remember the post game from the last game last year with Trevor Reilly he said Tevi would be moving to OT. As I said above, Sam asked for another shot at DL.

[sancho]

If you remember the post game from the last game last year with Trevor Reilly he said Tevi would be moving to OT. As I said above, Sam asked for another shot at DL.

Well, I like that version better. I didn't know about that. Thanks

[sancho]

Where is Sancho's lucky button?

I'm putting it through two-a-days this week and next. Then a bit of a break leading up to the opener. I've seen a lot of excitement and work this off season. Gonna be a good year.

[Hot Lunch]

Just heard an interview with Whitt after this mornings practice. He said Masina went down and because of his policy on speaking about timeline of injuries, he wouldn't say what it was or give any time table to return. Consider me even more worried about health and depth with our LB's. Can't believe how thin we are there right now.

[Applejack]

Just heard an interview with Whitt after this mornings practice. He said Masina went down and because of his policy on speaking about timeline of injuries, he wouldn't say what it was or give any time table to return. Consider me even more worried about health and depth with our LB's. Can't believe how thin we are there right now.

Couldn't agree more. I do think it's weird that no one is focusing on the fact that we literally don't have enough bodies at LB. It seems like people are failing to ask the hard questions like "Do you have enough linebackers to play football?" or "If Jarid Norris gets hurt to we forfeit?"

[sancho]

Couldn't agree more. I do think it's weird that no one is focusing on the fact that we literally don't have enough bodies at LB. It seems like people are failing to ask the hard questions like "Do you have enough linebackers to play football?" or "If Jarid Norris gets hurt to we forfeit?"

The secondary is at least as big a concern now with Porter out. Stupid injuries. I wish we had fewer and that our opponents had more.

Someone who actually knows will have to correct me, but nowadays it seems that DBs and pass rushers are the two most important pieces of a defense. You need 5 DBs on the field most of the time now. It's tough to have that much depth.

[Utebiquitous]

A few things going back to Sam Tevi first. I can tell you first hand (conversation with a couple of coaches) that the coaches have believed since last season that Sam is a future pro at offensive tackle. He has great feet and very athletic for his size. They also believe he would be a very good defensive tackle his junior and senior seasons but they believe he's an even better offensive tackle. The pressure's been on him to change. An off-season injury put him behind the other tackles and once the team knew Lotulelei would be back early coaches began hoping Tevi would switch. Now, I do think they'd like to see more out of a few other players on the right side of the line but this switch appears to be one that will be good for the player and the team.

I don't share the angst at linebacker. Gionni Paul will probably be cleared to play by Fresno St. That means the starters - Whittingham, Norris and Paul - could all be together by game two. Given how much we play nickel, having Whittingham and Norris the first two or three games of the season is a good thing. Marcus Williams is playing very well and I'm very happy to see that Pita is going to get time at linebacker. Coaches are doing him an injustice playing him solely at defensive end. He is simply too undersized - especially once Pac-12 play begins. Pita needs to learn the linebacker position. That probably means he'll be a situational backer but that's what he would have been/will be as an end as well. Keep in mind that Kalani is going to play Orchard in the Reily role a bit this year as well. He'll move around as a hybrid end/outside linebacker. I certainly hope Masina's injury isn't serious and I do wish we had a couple more linebackers but given our philosophy of 4-3/5-2 rather than flipping between a 4-3/3-4 we don't have the same need at linebacker that we do at defensive back. Obviously, we are a little thin there if Dominique Hadfield is doubling up. I do like our starters and couple of the backups but counting on true freshmen at the position in the Pac-12 could be brutal. I don't want to get to that point.

[UtahsMrSports]

I have been hearing the "Sam Tevi to OT" talk ever since he got here it seems. And if he has NFL-potential, that obviously helps us a lot. With Barton, Dielman, and Tevi around, I have to wonder if there isn't serious thought given to moving Poutasi inside once Salt graduates, especially if he has some struggles keeping the edge this year.

As for linebackers, going through the roster, we either plan on going almost exclusively 4-2-5/Nickel or we really blew it with recruiting. There just aren't many on scholarship; even counting the guys injured. As others have pointed out, there are some things we can do. First, we can have Pita T/Orchard play there as a hybrid. Also, In a 4-2-5, the 5th DB doesn't have to be a corner. You could bring in an extra safety and have Blechen play a hybrid safety/linebacker role at times.

All that said, I really hope that Paul and Masina are back quickly. We could really, really use them.

[Diehard Ute]

Pita is going to get exclusive LB reps. And Kyle is on record that we will spend far more time in Nickel than 4-3-4

[concerned]

The information from all of you in this thread is terrific. Anybody have the time or interest to explain the responsibilities of the two LB's in the 4-2-5, and how it differs from the 4-3 or the 3-4? It would be much appreciated.

[DrumNFeather]

ESPN's Utah Preview is up: http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/75224/utah-utes-season-preview

Best Case Scenario: 7-5
Worst Case Scenario: 5-7

The margins will be thin again this year.

[UtahsMrSports]

ESPN's Utah Preview is up: http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/75224/utah-utes-season-preview

Best Case Scenario: 7-5
Worst Case Scenario: 5-7

The margins will be thin again this year.

These "previews" done by national folks are often too hasty. I really think our ceiling is higher than 7-5 and our floor is lower than 5-7. Quite frankly, I wanted to stop reading when the author listed some guy I had barely heard of as the Instant impact newcomer.

[Crimsonute]

ESPN's Utah Preview is up: http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/75224/utah-utes-season-preview

Best Case Scenario: 7-5
Worst Case Scenario: 5-7

The margins will be thin again this year.Funny thing is, in the Pac 12, the margin for error is very small.
Utah was 5-7 last year. If they beat Oregon St in OT, they hang on to the ball and run out the clock vs ASU, Beat UCLA in overtime, win at USC giving up only 19 points, and Win at Wazzu they finish the season 10-2 with losses at Arizona and Oregon.
BUT, if they couldn't come back and lose to Utah State, Stanford scores on their last drive, and Colorado comes back and wins in OT, Utah finishes 2-10. Crazy.

[concerned]

Funny thing is, in the Pac 12, the margin for error is very small.
Utah was 5-7 last year. If they beat Oregon St in OT, they hang on to the ball and run out the clock vs ASU, Beat UCLA in overtime, win at USC giving up only 19 points, and Win at Wazzu they finish the season 10-2 with losses at Arizona and Oregon.
BUT, if they couldn't come back and lose to Utah State, Stanford scores on their last drive, and Colorado comes back and wins in OT, Utah finishes 2-10. Crazy.

and the USU game came down to recovering that onside kick.

[Diehard Ute]

Looks like as of today Dielman starts at RT Asiata starts a guard. Barton and Tevi back Dielman and Uhatafe backs Asiata.

[SoCalPat]

and the USU game came down to recovering that onside kick.

Don't know if I'd go that far. It was a huge play, no doubt. But we were also only down 6 points late third when we pulled it off.

I'd say this play was just as big. Leading by 1 early fourth, Aggies are driving and have goal to go at the 8. After a 4-yard run by Keeton, we get this:



Usu
2-G
at Utah04
HILL, Joe rush for loss of 4 yards to the UTAH8 (Hale, Jacoby (http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/jacoby_hale_702150.html)).




USU gets a FG out of the drive. A TD would've put them up 5 or 7 (USU would've gone for 2 here, guaranteed). I would say the game came down to this, since we promptly went down the field, had goal to go from the 2 and had to settle for a 19-yard FG. Granted, we go for it here if we're trailing, but Hale's stop played a huge role in keeping things to a FG game.

But yeah, we easily could've lost this game. Mid-third, I had resigned myself to the idea that it was quite likely.

[U-Ute]

Whittingham takes a bath in ice water like most of us sink into a nice warm hot tub...

1207

Cold does not affect this man. I remember the one year he wore shorts to a sub-freezing game in Laramie in November. It was all Marcroft and Shah could talk about.

[LA Ute]

Don't know if I'd go that far. It was a huge play, no doubt. But we were also only down 6 points late third when we pulled it off.

I'd say this play was just as big. Leading by 1 early fourth, Aggies are driving and have goal to go at the 8. After a 4-yard run by Keeton, we get this:



Usu
2-G
at Utah04
HILL, Joe rush for loss of 4 yards to the UTAH8 (Hale, Jacoby (http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/jacoby_hale_702150.html)).




USU gets a FG out of the drive. A TD would've put them up 5 or 7 (USU would've gone for 2 here, guaranteed). I would say the game came down to this, since we promptly went down the field, had goal to go from the 2 and had to settle for a 19-yard FG. Granted, we go for it here if we're trailing, but Hale's stop played a huge role in keeping things to a FG game.

But yeah, we easily could've lost this game. Mid-third, I had resigned myself to the idea that it was quite likely.

I think it's important to keep in mind (as I know you do) that although the 2013 Utes lost many close games, they also won many close games. Including USU I count 4 close wins, including BYU (which is kind of a stretch, but that game was blow-able until the last play). We just weren't very successful last year, across the board. Not an indictment of the team, just a fact. With a few different bounces of the ball, last season could have been spectacularly good or spectacularly bad.

[Applejack]

From Kyle Goon (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsutahsports/58300945-59/whittingham-scott-matthew-piper.html.csp):


The picture on the right side of the offensive line is getting clearer, Whittingham said. Right now, it appears that J.J. Dielman will start at right tackle and Isaac Asiata will play right guard. Backing up Dielman are true freshman Jackson Barton and recent defense-to-offense switcher Sam Tevi, and backing up Asiata is Salesi Uhatafe.

So where is Albers now? Is he backing up Poutasi at left tackle?

[LA Ute]

Interesting approach to linebackers from UCLA. Doesn't Utah kind of already do this?

http://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/la-sp-ucla-football-20140818-story.html?track=lat-email-latimessports

[Dawminator]

Latest depth chart has interesting items for discussion:

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/utah/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2014-15/misc_non_event/fbaug18.pdf

1. No surpirse, Wilson was named the starter.

2. Tim Patrick has rocketed up the depth chart and is now listed as a starter. The three starting receivers are 6-2, 6-3 and 6-5. With guys like Clay, McClellon and Lewis at backup. I like this rotation a lot more than what we had last year.

3. Dielman is starting at RT, with Tevi as his backup. That is interesting. I wonder how high Tevi's ceiling is at tackle.

4. We have four co starters listed at DT (including Freshman Lowell Lotulelei). We have six guys that will see time. Utah is DT U.

5. Walter Gonzalez is on the depth chart as a DE. Should be interesting to watch his development.

6. Pita T. is a co-starter at Stud and a co backup at Rover. Hope he can play pass coverage as well as he can charge the QB.

[sancho]

Latest depth chart has interesting items for discussion

Like the depth at the skill positions. Worried about the LB, DB depth.

[Applejack]

I'll be interested to watch Tim Patrick this year. He had some decent JC stats, but he's not highly recruited (to say the least). Hopefully we stumbled onto a Pac-12 quality starter.

Out LB depth chart looks SHAKY. Behind Norris and Whittingham we have only three LBs even listed: Uaea Masina (mystery injury), Pita (hasn't ever played LB), and Marcus Sanders-Williams (ditto). That is scary thin.

[sancho]

I'll be interested to watch Tim Patrick this year. He had some decent JC stats, but he's not highly recruited (to say the least). Hopefully we stumbled onto a Pac-12 quality starter.


If he is a reliable route runner with good hands (which is what Piper is saying), he should be perfect as a #3 WR. Fitz would have been good in that role last season, but it was too much to ask him to be the #2 option once Scott and Murphy went out.

[UtahsMrSports]

A couple things I noticed as I looked through this.......

-Bubba Poole is the starting running back at this point. No doubt Booker and McCormick get carries as well. I just hope we don't rotate too much, to the point that no one gets in a rhythm.

-I really like seeing a walk-on earn his way into the starting lineup. Way to go, Tim Patrick. Can't wait to see how he does.

-As we have talked about a lot here, the linebacker depth chart is well........interesting. A lot of unproven depth there. Hopefully, a couple of those guys prove to be plus players and the rest serviceable to complement Whittingham/Norris.

-So much of the secondary will hinge on the health of Carter and Blechen. If they stay healthy, I think that duo could be one of the better ones in the conference.

[Applejack]

I just saw that Cox was named Qb#3. That is fairly shocking to me as everything I had read suggested that Manning was the #3.

[concerned]

I just saw that Cox was named Qb#3. That is fairly shocking to me as everything I had read suggested that Manning was the #3.

I was wondering if they expect or want Manning to transfer, so put Cox at #3.

[LA Ute]

I was wondering if they expect or want Manning to transfer, so put Cox at #3.

So was I. The top 3 QBs are guys who are threats to run. Maybe the writing's on the wall for Manning.

[concerned]

So was I. The top 3 QBs are guys who are threats to run. Maybe the writing's on the wall for Manning.

or maybe he just doesn't fit DC's offense.

[jrj84105]

So was I. The top 3 QBs are guys who are threats to run. Maybe the writing's on the wall for Manning.

Our QB recruiting was a mess. It made no sense to me that we recruited Cox, Manning, and Hansen in the same year with Manning being the obvious odd man out. I'm still uncertain as to why he signed with Utah unless he thought we'd go back to Chow's system.

[Hot Lunch]

I'll be interested to watch Tim Patrick this year. He had some decent JC stats, but he's not highly recruited (to say the least). Hopefully we stumbled onto a Pac-12 quality starter.

Out LB depth chart looks SHAKY. Behind Norris and Whittingham we have only three LBs even listed: Uaea Masina (mystery injury), Pita (hasn't ever played LB), and Marcus Sanders-Williams (ditto). That is scary thin.

Tim wasn't highly recruited because it was such a long shot for him to be eligible. He had to pass a crazy amount of hours to even be eligible. He is going to be good. Our wide out depth is pretty dang good this year.

[Ma'ake]

Late reply to concerned on LB responsibilities (the Fisher-Price version):

In a traditional 4-3, the stud lines up on the strong side (which ever side the TE is on), the "Mike" is in the middle, and the Rover or Weakside or "Will" LB is on the weak side. Historically, the strong side of the offense will be the point of attack on a lot of run plays, so the Stud typically is a guy who can hold up in heavy traffic, and the Will is usually a bit more athletic. TEs in motion and ton of other factors make this simple explanation inadequate, but it's a start.

When you shift a 4-3 into nickel, ie, 4-2-5, the Stud usually comes out and the nickel picks up a slot WR.

So, with this depth chart today Masina and Taumoepenu are listed at the Stud, but because we'll be running a lot of nickel, they'll play less, with J Whittingham and Norris being the workhorses.

My hunch is some of the thinking may be that the arrival of Wallace Gonzalez makes moving Pita to LB full time a possibility. If need be he can move up to DE on pass downs, ala Hale. Watching Gonzalez belt homer after homer in the "homerun derby" where Whit blew the whistle, and yelled "give that guy a drug test!" it's evident the kid is an athlete, just by looking at him. (Having a pro baseball swing made that competition a joke, but the physique doesn't lie.)

[concerned]

Moo
Late reply to concerned on LB responsibilities (the Fisher-Price version):

In a traditional 4-3, the stud lines up on the strong side (which ever side the TE is on), the "Mike" is in the middle, and the Rover or Weakside or "Will" LB is on the weak side. Historically, the strong side of the offense will be the point of attack on a lot of run plays, so the Stud typically is a guy who can hold up in heavy traffic, and the Will is usually a bit more athletic. TEs in motion and ton of other factors make this simple explanation inadequate, but it's a start.

When you shift a 4-3 into nickel, ie, 4-2-5, the Stud usually comes out and the nickel picks up a slot WR.

So, with this depth chart today Masina and Taumoepenu are listed at the Stud, but because we'll be running a lot of nickel, they'll play less, with J Whittingham and Norris being the workhorses.

My hunch is some of the thinking may be that the arrival of Wallace Gonzalez makes moving Pita to LB full time a possibility. If need be he can move up to DE on pass downs, ala Hale. Watching Gonzalez belt homer after homer in the "homerun derby" where Whit blew the whistle, and yelled "give that guy a drug test!" it's evident the kid is an athlete, just by looking at him. (Having a pro baseball swing made that competition a joke, but the physique doesn't lie.)

Thank you very much kind sir. What happens when Paul is healthy?

[Ma'ake]

Paul is a little smaller, but an animal. I have no idea how well he knows the D, all the pressure packages. Historically, backers and DBs didn't platoon very much, but I think Sitake will want Paul to get some live snaps as early as he can. I was talking to backer a few years back, and asked him how many pressure / blitz packages they have, and he said it's in the 40s, so that's a barrier to new players getting on the field.

I'm thinking J Whitt & Norris can play any of the LB positions and not have to think too much, so blending in a Gionni Paul or an Osa Masina, even Marcus Sanders-Williams will be at the position they're most familiar with.

[Diehard Ute]

Paul is a little smaller, but an animal. I have no idea how well he knows the D, all the pressure packages. Historically, backers and DBs didn't platoon very much, but I think Sitake will want Paul to get some live snaps as early as he can. I was talking to backer a few years back, and asked him how many pressure / blitz packages they have, and he said it's in the 40s, so that's a barrier to new players getting on the field.

I'm thinking J Whitt & Norris can play any of the LB positions and not have to think too much, so blending in a Gionni Paul or an Osa Masina, even Marcus Sanders-Williams will be at the position they're most familiar with.

Paul sitting last year makes me think he's provably better off than most at the play book.

[Hot Lunch]

Paul sitting last year makes me think he's provably better off than most at the play book.

I have to agree. Paul probably has a good grasp on the d having been in the program for more than a year. I am way more concerned with his conditioning, speed and strength at this point. Since he hasn't been able to run for he past 5 months I wonder where he is at physically.

[Applejack]

Ranking things I'm worried about with these 2014 Utes:

1. Linebacker depth.
2. Lack of experience at DB/Safety
3. Offensive tackles
4. Wilson's health
5. Wilson's ability
6. New rule changes that are going to hurt our defensive philosophy of man coverage.

I haven't heard much chatter about #6, but I think the new PI guidelines are going to hurt us more than a lot of teams. Any insight from the insiders about what the Utes are planning to do to counter this? I've heard we will play more zone. Anything else?

[chrisrenrut]

Ranking things I'm worried about with these 2014 Utes:
6. New rule changes that are going to hurt our defensive philosophy of man coverage.

I haven't heard much chatter about #6, but I think the new PI guidelines are going to hurt us more than a lot of teams. Any insight from the insiders about what the Utes are planning to do to counter this? I've heard we will play more zone. Anything else?

I read somewhere (maybe here) that they were having the DB's practice with boxing gloves on, to prevent them from grabbing and holding the receivers. Hopefully they don't have to wear them during tip drills.

[Applejack]

I read somewhere (maybe here) that they were having the DB's practice with boxing gloves on, to prevent them from grabbing and holding the receivers. Hopefully they don't have to wear them during tip drills.

I read that too. I hope that's not the only plan.

[Diehard Ute]

Ranking things I'm worried about with these 2014 Utes:

1. Linebacker depth.
2. Lack of experience at DB/Safety
3. Offensive tackles
4. Wilson's health
5. Wilson's ability
6. New rule changes that are going to hurt our defensive philosophy of man coverage.

I haven't heard much chatter about #6, but I think the new PI guidelines are going to hurt us more than a lot of teams. Any insight from the insiders about what the Utes are planning to do to counter this? I've heard we will play more zone. Anything else?

Why are you worried about Wilson's health?

[sancho]

Why are you worried about Wilson's health?

Because we've had QB injuries every year for the past forever.

[Applejack]

Because we've had QB injuries every year for the past forever.

When was the last year our starting QB saw Game 8? Was it BJ in 2008? I just hope we have Wilson healthy by the team the sweet, succulent part of our conference schedule hits.

[LA Ute]

When was the last year our starting QB saw Game 8? Was it BJ in 2008?

Yep, that was it.

[Jarid in Cedar]

When was the last year our starting QB saw Game 8? Was it BJ in 2008? I just hope we have Wilson healthy by the team the sweet, succulent part of our conference schedule hits.

Don't know how you are counting this but Wynn played games 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ,9 ,10, 11 and 12 in 2010. Missed games 2 and 3 for a thumb injury and the bowl game for his first shoulder surgery

[UTEopia]

Don't know how you are counting this but Wynn played games 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ,9 ,10, 11 and 12 in 2010. Missed games 2 and 3 for a thumb injury and the bowl game for his first shoulder surgery

I believe that Cain started the first 8 games in 2009 and was replaced at halftime of the Wyoming game by Wynn due to inefficiency and not injury.

[Jarid in Cedar]

I believe that Cain started the first 8 games in 2009 and was replaced at halftime of the Wyoming game by Wynn due to inefficiency and not injury.

Yep. Really the injury bug is a 2011-13 discussion.

[LA Ute]

I am going from memory here, so tell me if I am wrong. What I was saying is that we haven't had a QB play an entire season as the starter since 2008. In 2009 that was because Wynn Cain was ineffective and Wynn replaced him, in 2010 it was because of injuries (Wynn couldn't play in the Las Vegas Bowl), and it was injuries again in 2011, 2012 and 2013. I think the cause was mainly bad luck, but the coaching staff owns some of it.

[Diehard Ute]

I am going from memory here, so tell me if I am wrong. What I was saying is that we haven't had a QB play an entire season as the starter since 2008. In 2009 that was because Wynn was ineffective and Wynn replaced him, in 2010 it was because of injuries (Wynn couldn't play in the Las Vegas Bowl), and it was injuries again in 2011, 2012 and 2013. I think the cause was mainly bad luck, but the coaching staff owns some of it.

Wynn replaced himself? ;)

[USS Utah]

It's the curse of Terrance Cain.

[Brian]

Ranking things I'm worried about with these 2014 Utes:

1. Linebacker depth.
2. Lack of experience at DB/Safety
3. Offensive tackles
4. Wilson's health
5. Wilson's ability
6. New rule changes that are going to hurt our defensive philosophy of man coverage.

I haven't heard much chatter about #6, but I think the new PI guidelines are going to hurt us more than a lot of teams. Any insight from the insiders about what the Utes are planning to do to counter this? I've heard we will play more zone. Anything else?


Given the nickle situation likely this year (and Porter going down), how close are #1 and #2 in your book?
I think I'm most worried about CBs, but I'm not sure about the other CBs in the system....

[LA Ute]

Given the nickle situation likely this year (and Porter going down), how close are #1 and #2 in your book?
I think I'm most worried about CBs, but I'm not sure about the other CBs in the system....

This is a great question. Has anyone heard Kalani Sitake talk about the new rules and how Utah will adapt?

[LA Ute]

Wynn replaced himself? ;)

Smart aleck.

[concerned]

Smart aleck.

Sounds like an Honor Code violation to me.

[Applejack]

Yep. Really the injury bug is a 2011-13 discussion.

That's a fair point. I forget that Wynn played most of 2010; most likely because I remember Jon Hayes corner pass to Delonte in the bowl game.

[Applejack]

Given the nickle situation likely this year (and Porter going down), how close are #1 and #2 in your book?
I think I'm most worried about CBs, but I'm not sure about the other CBs in the system....

I think they are the same problem (also related to #6). I'm worried that we don't have flexibility to play different schemes/strategies because we are so thin behind the front 4.

[sancho]

That's a fair point. I forget that Wynn played most of 2010; most likely because I remember Jon Hayes corner pass to Delonte in the bowl game.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myaKvQ44o8k

[Applejack]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myaKvQ44o8k

That was a fun year. Stupid Buffaloes.

[Jarid in Cedar]

That's a fair point. I forget that Wynn played most of 2010; most likely because I remember Jon Hayes corner pass to Delonte in the bowl game.

You are confusing seasons.

2010, last year in MWC, Wynn played in 10 of 13 games. Cain played the other 3.

2011 first year in P-12: Wynn hurt in game 4, Hayes played the final 9 including the bowl win.

[Applejack]

You are confusing seasons.

2010, last year in MWC, Wynn played in 10 of 13 games. Cain played the other 3.

2011 first year in P-12: Wynn hurt in game 4, Hayes played the final 9 including the bowl win.

Correct. 2010 was the year when everyone thought we were BCSing after we took 8 kickoffs for TDs against Iowa State, only to lose by 1,000 points to TCU. 2011 was the year when Chow made Hays look like a somewhat, adequate player.

[UtahsMrSports]

Correct. 2010 was the year when everyone thought we were BCSing after we took 8 kickoffs for TDs against Iowa State, only to lose by 1,000 points to TCU. 2011 was the year when Chow made Hays look like a somewhat, adequate player.

Was it only a thousand?

[LA Ute]

You are confusing seasons.

2010, last year in MWC, Wynn played in 10 of 13 games. Cain played the other 3.

2011 first year in P-12: Wynn hurt in game 4, Hayes played the final 9 including the bowl win.

I'm confused, I guess. Is it true that the same Utah QB hasn't started and finished the season since 2008? (Even if true, that may not be unusual among college football programs these days.)

Anyway, I'd sure like to see the same Utah QB start and finish the 2014 season. Chances are that would correlate to a good season.

[LA Ute]

ESPN blog's take on Travis Wilson:

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/75334/better-know-a-qb-travis-wilson

[concerned]

I'm confused, I guess. Is it true that the same Utah QB hasn't started and finished the season since 2008? (Even if true, that may not be unusual among college football programs these days.)

Anyway, I'd sure like to see the same Utah QB start and finish the 2014 season. Chances are that would correlate to a good season.

How can you forget 2010? That is also the year that, the week after TCU, Wynn slid unmolested short of a first down at Notre Dame, and we all screamed a him.

[sancho]

How can you forget 2010? That is also the year that, the week after TCU, Wynn slid unmolested short of a first down at Notre Dame, and we all screamed a him.

I just screamed at him again when I read your reminder.

[LA Ute]

How can you forget 2010? That is also the year that, the week after TCU, Wynn slid unmolested short of a first down at Notre Dame, and we all screamed a him.

I will never forget that. I was there in person and could read Brian Johnson's lips as he screamed at Jordan, "Why did you slide?" I think it came out later that Jordan had injured his shoulder against Iowa State but hadn't told anyone. (Or maybe that is just a rumor.) Anyway, Cain had to start the Las Vegas Bowl game because of that. So although Wynn was the starter throughout the season he didn't finish the season.

Cain, BTW, had a 9-2 record as Utah's starting QB. Interesting factoid.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Cain, BTW, had a 9-2 record as Utah's starting QB. Interesting factoid.

Based completely from passes that never even crossed the line of scrimmage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DrumNFeather]

Andy Phillips and Tom Hackett land on ESPN's Pac 12 blog preseason all-american team, no other Utes make the squad (the only one I would've really expected would be Dres).

[Applejack]

Andy Phillips and Tom Hackett land on ESPN's Pac 12 blog preseason all-american team, no other Utes make the squad (the only one I would've really expected would be Dres).

Kickers for days.

[U-Ute]

Originally tweeted by rojack (https://twitter.com/rojackKSL).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcAtymj1l_0

[Utah]

I'll be interested to watch Tim Patrick this year. He had some decent JC stats, but he's not highly recruited (to say the least). Hopefully we stumbled onto a Pac-12 quality starter.


Patrick has a NFL ceiling. He had some issues to get fixed before he could play, a lot of teams backed off. Utah didn't, went through all the paperwork and other crap and now have themselves a WR that NFL scouts are watching. He is a STEAL for us. You jump through hoops for a lot of players that don't pan out. Patrick may make it all worth it.

[Utah]

I just saw that Cox was named Qb#3. That is fairly shocking to me as everything I had read suggested that Manning was the #3.

This shows you where DC wants to take the offense. Cox and Thompson and Isom are the exact same QB. When Wilson leaves/graduates we will move more fully to his offense.

[Scratch]

This shows you where DC wants to take the offense. Cox and Thompson and Isom are the exact same QB. When Wilson leaves/graduates we will move more fully to his offense.

Isom has a lot more in common with Wilson than with Cox and Thompson.

[jrj84105]

Isom has a lot more in common with Wilson than with Cox and Thompson.
And the 2015 recruit we missed on (I'm sure the staff is still recruiting him, and I' m still waiting for Darnold to change his mind when we beat USC) is very much a Wilson/Isom clone.

[sancho]

Isom has a lot more in common with Wilson than with Cox and Thompson.

Come on, scratch. That'll never fly. Isom is black.

[jrj84105]

How can you forget 2010? That is also the year that, the week after TCU, Wynn slid unmolested short of a first down at Notre Dame, and we all screamed a him.
That was the moment when I realized that a string of injuries had taken the poinsettia bowl champ from us and it was time to rebuild at QB.

[sancho]

And the 2015 recruit we missed on (I'm sure the staff is still recruiting him, and I' m still waiting for Darnold to change his mind when we beat USC) is very much a Wilson/Isom clone.

How many big time QB recruits is Sark hogging down there anyway? They do know that only one of them will get to play, right?

[LA Ute]

That was the moment when I realized that a string of injuries had taken the poinsettia bowl champ from us and it was time to rebuild at QB.

It seems like a lot of people (including the coaching staff) clung to the hope that Jordan would recover and be back to his Poinsettia Bowl self. In hindsight that looks like such a bad approach. As UTEopia has said, there was also some bad luck and some near misses in Utah's efforts to rebuild at that position.

[U-Ute]

It seems like a lot of people (including the coaching staff) clung to the hope that Jordan would recover and be back to his Poinsettia Bowl self. In hindsight that looks like such a bad approach. As UTEopia has said, there was also some bad luck and some near misses in Utah's efforts to rebuild at that position.

The decommits of Eubanks and Brown, along with Shreve deciding he didn't like football, really hurt us. They haven't lit it up anywhere else, but it really hurt our depth.

In a related story, I heard Jay Hill on the radio yesterday saying that the Utes also lost out on a couple of OLine recruits in the week leading up to signing day that was a major cause of our being caught shorthanded there as well.

[LA Ute]

The decommits of Eubanks and Brown, along with Shreve deciding he didn't like football, really hurt us. They haven't lit it up anywhere else, but it really hurt our depth.

In a related story, I heard Jay Hill on the radio yesterday saying that the Utes also lost out on a couple of OLine recruits in the week leading up to signing day that was a major cause of our being caught shorthanded there as well.

Interesting. So what's a coaching staff to do? If you're Kyle how do you plan for such bad luck? Simply work harder? Recruit more players? Hire more staff to get more recruiting done? Just wondering. Maybe it is just luck and this happens to everyone.

[U-Ute]

Come on, scratch. That'll never fly. Isom is black.

Hahah... sadly I think there are those that probably do still think this way. I'm certainly not one of them. I don't know why, but Isom gives me a different vibe. Maybe because he actually seemed to play QB in high school and wasn't just the biggest man on the field running around with the football, even though he was most likely one of the biggest men on the field. His senior year stats are insane.

Here's the two senior years of Isom and Manning (the one most people point to as a "true pocket passer"):

Isom
8 Games
Passing
88/140 - 63%
1615 yards
22 TD's/1 INT (22 ratio)
11.5 YPA
.007 INT per attempt
17 passing attempts per game

Rushing
45 carries
276 yards
6.1 YPC
5.6 attempts per game
6 TD's

Manning
11 Games
Passing
319/490 - 65%
4062 yards
41 TD's/10 INT (4.1 ratio)
8.29 YPA
.02 INT per attempt
44.5 attempts per game

Rushing
25 carries
-26 yards
-1.04 YPC
2.3 attempts per game
2 TD's

What jumps out at me is that he has a higher YPA and lower INT/A ratio than Manning. He is efficient with the football. Additionally, even though he was so much bigger and a better athlete than anyone else on the field, he wasn't a running QB. A fact that becomes obvious when you compare his rushing stats to Taysom Hill, who was obviously the best athlete on the field his senior year as well:

Hill
12 Games
Passing
166/258 - 64%
2269 yards
18 TD (I couldn't find any reference to his interceptions)
8.79 YPA

Rushing
146 carries
1491 yards
10.21 YPC
12.17 attempts per game
24 TD's

I think we just have to wait and see if he can make the mental jump that it takes to be a QB in HS to being a QB in college.

[U-Ute]

Interesting. So what's a coaching staff to do? If you're Kyle how do you plan for such bad luck? Simply work harder? Recruit more players? Hire more staff to get more recruiting done? Just wondering. Maybe it is just luck and this happens to everyone.

Hill commented that these decommits are much more prevalent now than they were 5 years ago, and that this is across the country, not just at Utah. The thing that changed for Utah was the jump to the PAC-12. Other teams are now taking a harder look at who Utah is recruiting than they were before and going after guys Utah is recruiting a bit harder. The coaching staff used to be able to rely on that commit and can no longer do so. They just need to keep working on a recruit, even if they feel like they have him locked up, all the way up to signing day. Especially if they get wind that other schools are sniffing around.

[Diehard Ute]

Interesting. So what's a coaching staff to do? If you're Kyle how do you plan for such bad luck? Simply work harder? Recruit more players? Hire more staff to get more recruiting done? Just wondering. Maybe it is just luck and this happens to everyone.

Can't hire more staff, who can recruit is limited by rule.

[LA Ute]

Can't hire more staff, who can recruit is limited by rule.

I was just throwing out ideas. Maybe more support staff would make it easier to get more recruiting done. I doubt that the Texases and USCs of he world have the same number of support staff as Utah. (But if I am wrong about that I am sure you'll tell me. ;))

[NorthwestUteFan]

Come on, scratch. That'll never fly. Isom is black.

And Wilson is one quarter Japanese. Doesn't that account for something?

[LA Ute]

This kinda, sorta fits in here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW3-E_Vq5fc&app=desktop

[SoCalPat]

Hill commented that these decommits are much more prevalent now than they were 5 years ago, and that this is across the country, not just at Utah. The thing that changed for Utah was the jump to the PAC-12. Other teams are now taking a harder look at who Utah is recruiting than they were before and going after guys Utah is recruiting a bit harder. The coaching staff used to be able to rely on that commit and can no longer do so. They just need to keep working on a recruit, even if they feel like they have him locked up, all the way up to signing day. Especially if they get wind that other schools are sniffing around.

I have a hard time swallowing this excuse for two reasons. First, we're losing guys late. That's just being out recruited, plain and simple. Additionally, if were such great scouters of talent, then why aren't our assistants being poached on a regular basis? Especially guys like A-Rod and Scalley?

[SoCalPat]

Hahah... sadly I think there are those that probably do still think this way. I'm certainly not one of them. I don't know why, but Isom gives me a different vibe. Maybe because he actually seemed to play QB in high school and wasn't just the biggest man on the field running around with the football, even though he was most likely one of the biggest men on the field. His senior year stats are insane.

Here's the two senior years of Isom and Manning (the one most people point to as a "true pocket passer"):

Isom
8 Games
Passing
88/140 - 63%
1615 yards
22 TD's/1 INT (22 ratio)
11.5 YPA
.007 INT per attempt
17 passing attempts per game

Rushing
45 carries
276 yards
6.1 YPC
5.6 attempts per game
6 TD's

Manning
11 Games
Passing
319/490 - 65%
4062 yards
41 TD's/10 INT (4.1 ratio)
8.29 YPA
.02 INT per attempt
44.5 attempts per game

Rushing
25 carries
-26 yards
-1.04 YPC
2.3 attempts per game
2 TD's

What jumps out at me is that he has a higher YPA and lower INT/A ratio than Manning. He is efficient with the football. Additionally, even though he was so much bigger and a better athlete than anyone else on the field, he wasn't a running QB. A fact that becomes obvious when you compare his rushing stats to Taysom Hill, who was obviously the best athlete on the field his senior year as well:

Hill
12 Games
Passing
166/258 - 64%
2269 yards
18 TD (I couldn't find any reference to his interceptions)
8.79 YPA

Rushing
146 carries
1491 yards
10.21 YPC
12.17 attempts per game
24 TD's

I think we just have to wait and see if he can make the mental jump that it takes to be a QB in HS to being a QB in college.

I thinking making projections on what a player will do at the college level based on HS stats is a huge mistake.

[Sullyute]

Especially guys like A-Rod and Scalley?

Hasn't a-rod been poached twice already? Scalley is a Utah man.

[sancho]

I have a hard time swallowing this excuse for two reasons. First, we're losing guys late. That's just being out recruited, plain and simple.

We can sell a lot of things about Utah (put players in the NFL, coeds are the fairest, etc), but in the end, we are still competing with UCLA, USC, Stanford, etc. Getting out-recruited is expected, really.

[LA Ute]

I have a hard time swallowing this excuse for two reasons. First, we're losing guys late. That's just being out recruited, plain and simple. Additionally, if were such great scouters of talent, then why aren't our assistants being poached on a regular basis? Especially guys like A-Rod and Scalley?

The shining examples of friends and family.

[UTEopia]

I have a hard time swallowing this excuse for two reasons. First, we're losing guys late. That's just being out recruited, plain and simple. Additionally, if were such great scouters of talent, then why aren't our assistants being poached on a regular basis? Especially guys like A-Rod and Scalley?

I totally disagree. Losing guys late, in most situations, means that we did a great job recruiting, but in the end could not compete in a couple of areas whether it be guys staying closer to home or guys going to a place that has a better academic or athletic pedigree. Seriously, we are Utes here, but if my kid had an offer to Stanford or an offer to play for a team that annually is in the National Championship talk (Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio State) I would be doing my kid a disservice if I did not allow them to pursue that opportunity.

As for Scalley, he and his wife are not interested in leaving Utah. He could have gone with Urban to Florida and Ohio St. and with Gary to Wisconsin, but he is just not interested.

ARod has had numerous opportunities to leave and has even taken two, only to return to the staff. His decision to remain is due to some unique personal circumstances.

Kalani has had opportunities to leave as well.

I think it is a bit illogical to suggest that the coaches should be able to recruit the top guys to Utah and then to suggest that the evidence that they are not good recruiters is their not being "poached" by the higher profile programs you think they should out-recruit. If the coaches should jump to higher profile programs, why is losing a recruit to a higher profile program evidence that the coaches are being out-recruited?

No school gets everyone of the guys they recruit. We lose recruits to higher profile programs and as well as to programs equal to Utah. We also win a lot of those recruiting battles. Another thing to remember, is not every kid that reports an offer from a school or even every kid that the mods say that a school is interested in, is No. 1 with that school. We lose guys who are high on our list. We also lose guys who are not high on our list or who we have backed away from.

Did we steal Cox from UA or did they back off? How about Hippolito Corporan? Did Virginia lose him to us or did they back off? We don't know the answers to these questions.

[LA Ute]

I totally disagree. Losing guys late, in most situations, means that we did a great job recruiting, but in the end could not compete in a couple of areas whether it be guys staying closer to home or guys going to a place that has a better academic or athletic pedigree. Seriously, we are Utes here, but if my kid had an offer to Stanford or an offer to play for a team that annually is in the National Championship talk (Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio State) I would be doing my kid a disservice if I did not allow them to pursue that opportunity.

As for Scalley, he and his wife are not interested in leaving Utah. He could have gone with Urban to Florida and Ohio St. and with Gary to Wisconsin, but he is just not interested.

ARod has had numerous opportunities to leave and has even taken two, only to return to the staff. His decision to remain is due to some unique personal circumstances.

Kalani has had opportunities to leave as well.

I think it is a bit illogical to suggest that the coaches should be able to recruit the top guys to Utah and then to suggest that the evidence that they are not good recruiters is their not being "poached" by the higher profile programs you think they should out-recruit. If the coaches should jump to higher profile programs, why is losing a recruit to a higher profile program evidence that the coaches are being out-recruited?

No school gets everyone of the guys they recruit. We lose recruits to higher profile programs and as well as to programs equal to Utah. We also win a lot of those recruiting battles. Another thing to remember, is not every kid that reports an offer from a school or even every kid that the mods say that a school is interested in, is No. 1 with that school. We lose guys who are high on our list. We also lose guys who are not high on our list or who we have backed away from.

Did we steal Cox from UA or did they back off? How about Hippolito Corporan? Did Virginia lose him to us or did they back off? We don't know the answers to these questions.

It does seem pretty obvious that we are in the hunt for much better athletes, and sometimes getting them, than we were before.

[Ma'ake]

I have to agree with UTEopia here.

Also, with kids that go out of state, how big is the pull to go explore your young adulthood out of state vs wanting to play in front of the family? It seems to me that's a very large part of a lot of kids' calculus in that decision. Like Sofele of Cal, responding to questions about if Utah had been in the PAC, would he have stayed and played for the Utes: "No. Actually, I wanted to go to school out of state". Exuberant Ute fans were projecting his thinking, but his rational was a lot more straightforward and personal.

I think for a number of Poly kids, the strength of family ties can be a bit overbearing, and some of those kids want to escape the microscope. Not a Utah case, but the Haloti Ngata recruiting between BYU & Oregon was a classic case of parents vs kid, all the way to the point of (then) LDS Apostle Thomas Monson getting involved and telling Haloti to pray about it himself and to heed the response he got. (I think I'm in the ballpark on the details - I remember it was remarkably pressure-packed, with family & religious overtones, and community & fan pressure on top of that.) That level of pressure is just plain nuts for just about anyone, let alone an 18 year old kid.

Who knows exactly what the details in the Kylie Fitts situation are, but Utah was in it to the end with him out of HS... only for him to want to stay in Cali to be closer to home. That lasted one & a half years. Now he's at Utah. If we win more games and become contenders in the PAC South, we'll be able to keep a few more kids locally, but there will always been the Sofeles out there.

I think most of us agree Utah is on the verge of being a solid contender. That will help recruiting, but probably not as much as would be expected. I think our best building of the program has happened in the past three years, a steady increase in the quality and quantity of the foundation.

We put so many guys in the NFL who had been overlooked, guys with a chip on their shoulders. The competition for recruits has gone way up, and we're getting guys we would not have snagged earlier, but I think we need that same chip-on-the-shoulder in our recruiting identity, at least until we can make regular appearances in the top half of the P-South. If / when we get to that next step on the ladder, then the identity changes a little, and we'll be more competitive with 4 star recruits (in general).

[Applejack]

It does seem pretty obvious that we are in the hunt for much better athletes, and sometimes getting them, than we were before.

I agree. You can't deny that recruiting has improved since joining the Pac, despite our middling record. In the MWC, we would have been doing backflips over a guy like Raelon Singleton (offers from TCU, Houston, Iowa St, SDSU); as is, we all kind of said, "meh," because he's typical of the recruits we get now.

But the staff has not cleaned up in Utah like I'd have thought they would. I think that is due to increased recruiting from Pac schools/Wisconsin and not selling local kids/coaches enough. If the staff could significantly improve in-state recruiting, I think we'd be fine.

[Applejack]

I have to agree with UTEopia here.

Also, with kids that go out of state, how big is the pull to go explore your young adulthood out of state vs wanting to play in front of the family? It seems to me that's a very large part of a lot of kids' calculus in that decision. Like Sofele of Cal, responding to questions about if Utah had been in the PAC, would he have stayed and played for the Utes: "No. Actually, I wanted to go to school out of state". Exuberant Ute fans were projecting his thinking, but his rational was a lot more straightforward and personal.

I think for a number of Poly kids, the strength of family ties can be a bit overbearing, and some of those kids want to escape the microscope. Not a Utah case, but the Haloti Ngata recruiting between BYU & Oregon was a classic case of parents vs kid, all the way to the point of (then) LDS Apostle Thomas Monson getting involved and telling Haloti to pray about it himself and to heed the response he got. (I think I'm in the ballpark on the details - I remember it was remarkably pressure-packed, with family & religious overtones, and community & fan pressure on top of that.) That level of pressure is just plain nuts for just about anyone, let alone an 18 year old kid.

Who knows exactly what the details in the Kylie Fitts situation are, but Utah was in it to the end with him out of HS... only for him to want to stay in Cali to be closer to home. That lasted one & a half years. Now he's at Utah. If we win more games and become contenders in the PAC South, we'll be able to keep a few more kids locally, but there will always been the Sofeles out there.

I think most of us agree Utah is on the verge of being a solid contender. That will help recruiting, but probably not as much as would be expected. I think our best building of the program has happened in the past three years, a steady increase in the quality and quantity of the foundation.

We put so many guys in the NFL who had been overlooked, guys with a chip on their shoulders. The competition for recruits has gone way up, and we're getting guys we would not have snagged earlier, but I think we need that same chip-on-the-shoulder in our recruiting identity, at least until we can make regular appearances in the top half of the P-South. If / when we get to that next step on the ladder, then the identity changes a little, and we'll be more competitive with 4 star recruits (in general).

I agree with almost all of this. But I do think winning is the key to keeping the local kids local. Sure some kids will always want to go away for college. But if you look around the country, the home team has a huge advantage in recruiting. If we were playing in bowl games the last 2 years I'll bet we'd have commitments from a couple of the top local kids already.

[Applejack]

The latest two-deep (from the Trib):


Quarterback
7 — Travis Wilson, 6-7, 233, Jr.
1 — Kendal Thompson, 6-2, 192, Jr.

Running back
34 — Bubba Poole, 6-1, 197, Jr.
23 — Devontae Booker, 5-11, 203, Jr.

Wide receiver X
6 — Dres Anderson, 6-2, 190, Sr.
49 — Andre Lewis, 6-3, 208, Sr.

Wide receiver H
2 — Kenneth Scott, 6-3, 208, Jr.
10 — Delshawn McClellon, 5-9, 169, Soph. OR
11 — Kaelin Clay, 5-10, 193, Sr.

Wide receiver Z
81 — Tim Patrick, 6-5, 190, Jr.
15 — Dominique Hatfield, 5-10, 170, Soph.

Left tackle
73 — Jeremiah Poutasi, 6-6, 330, Jr.
72 — Andrew Albers, 6-7, 301, Jr.

Left guard
59 — Junior Salt, 6-2, 315, Sr.
77 — Marc Pouvave, 6-4, 302, Sr. OR
75 — Nick Nowakowski, 6-1, 295, Soph.

Center
60 — Siaosi Aiono, 6-2, 305, Jr.
55 — Hiva Lutui, 6-1, 294, Soph.

Right guard
54 — Issac Asiata, 6-4, 316, Soph.
74 — Salesi Uhatafe, 6-4, 311, Fr.

Right tackle
68 — J.J. Dielman, 6-5, 290, Soph.
52 — Sam Tevi, 6-5, 295, Soph.

Tight end
80 — Westlee Tonga, 6-4, 244, Sr.
87 — Siala Fakailoatonga, 6-4, 251, Soph.

DEFENSE

Left end
49 — Hunter Dimick, 6-3, 266, Soph.
51 — Jason Fanaika, 6-3, 270, Jr.

Tackle
98 — Viliseni Fauonuku, 5-11, 285, Jr.
45 — Flilipo Mokofisi, 6-3, 275, Fr. OR
90 — Stevie Tu’ikolovatu, 6-1, 320, Soph.

Nose tackle
46 — Clint Shepard, 6-2, 276, Jr. OR
57 — Sese Ianu, 6-2, 290, Sr. OR
93 — Lowell Lotulelei, 6-1, 310, Fr.

Right end
8 — Nate Orchard, 6-4, 255, Sr.
85 — Greg Reese, 6-5, 253, Sr. OR
86 — Wallace Gonzales, 6-5, 269, Fr.

Stud linebacker
43 — Uaea Masina, 6-3, 223, Soph. OR
50 — Pita Taumoepenu, 6-1, 230, Soph.

Mac linebacker
53 — Jason Whittingham, 6-2, 247, Jr.
22 — Marcus Sanders-Williams, 5-11, 222, Soph.

Rover linebacker
41 — Jared Norris, 6-2, 237, Jr.
43 — Uaea Masina (6-3, 223, Soph OR
50 — Pita Taumoepenu (6-1, 230, Soph.

Cornerback
18 — Eric Rowe, 6-1, 201, Sr.
15 — Dominique Hatfield, 5-10, 170, Soph.

Cornerback
11 — Davion Orphrey, 6-0, 185, Sr.
1 — Boobie Hobbs, 6-0, 175, Fr. OR
20 — Mo Talley, 6-0, 184, Soph.

Nickel back
12 — Justin Thomas, 5-8, 178, Soph.
23 — Wykie Freeman, 5-11, 174, Sr.

Free safety
9 — Tevin Carter, 6-1, 210, Sr.
14 — Brian Allen, 6-3, 200, Soph. OR
20 — Marcus Williams, 6-0, 179, Fr.

Strong safety
4 — Brian Blechen, 6-2, 210, Sr.
3 — Charles Henderson, 5-8, 195, Jr. OR
7 — Andre Godfrey, 5-10, 190, Fr.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter
33 — Tom Hackett, 5-11, 187, Jr.
48 — Chris Van Orden, 6-1, 206, Sr.

Placekicker
39 — Andy Phillips, 5-10, 199, Soph.
96 — Jon Halliday, 6-0, 193, Jr.

Long snapper
94 — Chase Dominguez, 6-5, 225, Soph.
89 — Harrison Handley, 6-5, 244, Fr.

Holder
33 — Tom Hackett, 5-11, 187, Jr.
12 — Adam Schulz, 6-2, 210, Jr.

Kickoff returns
23 — Devontae Booker, 5-11, 203, Jr.
11 — Kaelin Clay, 5-10, 193, Sr.

Punt returns
11 — Kaelin Clay, 5-10, 193, Sr. OR
34 — Bubba Poole, 6-1, 197, Jr.


Nothing earth shattering here, but I had never heard of Nick Nowakowski before (who Utahutes.com helpfully informs me is of Polish descent!). Apparently he is a sophomore walk-on who played 7 downs against WSU (as a center, not a guard) in 2012 and then redshirted last year. What's the story here? Is Pouvave really not able to beat out our walk-on center (who, by the way, is an electrical engineering major)?

[sancho]

Seriously, we are Utes here, but if my kid had an offer to Stanford or an offer to play for a team that annually is in the National Championship talk (Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio State) I would be doing my kid a disservice if I did not allow them to pursue that opportunity.

No, no, no, one hundred times no.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

The latest two-deep (from the Trib):



Nothing earth shattering here, but I had never heard of Nick Nowakowski before (who Utahutes.com helpfully informs me is of Polish descent!). Apparently he is a sophomore walk-on who played 7 downs against WSU (as a center, not a guard) in 2012 and then redshirted last year. What's the story here? Is Pouvave really not able to beat out our walk-on center (who, by the way, is an electrical engineering major)?

Okay. That made me laugh.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sancho]

(who, by the way, is an electrical engineering major)?

Wasn't Zane Beadles and engineering major? Maybe it's good for offensive linemen.

[UtahsMrSports]

A couple of changes on today's game-week depth chart:

-Delshawn McClellon is moved up to starter at H while Ken Scott slides back to Z with Tim Patrick backing him up.
-Massina has pulled away and will start at Stud
-Applejack's Polish buddy is now a co-backup at center and left guard.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/utah/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2014-15/release/release_20140825aaa.pdf

[DrumNFeather]

A couple of changes on today's game-week depth chart:

-Delshawn McClellon is moved up to starter at H while Ken Scott slides back to Z with Tim Patrick backing him up.
-Massina has pulled away and will start at Stud
-Applejack's Polish buddy is now a co-backup at center and left guard.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/utah/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2014-15/release/release_20140825aaa.pdf

Another interesting note from the release is that Blechen was elected a captain. I would love it if he could stay healthy and realize is potential here in his senior year. Hopefully his being elected means he is on track to do so.