Crimson Blitz

Officially gone.

2006-06-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

Crimson Blitz is officially done with. Sad I know, but don't get too upset (as if people are reading this, anyway), we've gone the way of Vanilla Ice and reinvented ourselves! Say goodbye to Crimson Blitz and hello to Block U, which suspiciously sounds a lot like something I say to the TV every time George W Bush is on it. That's our new home, goodbye blogspot and hello SBNation!

We're moving!

2006-05-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Crimson Blitz is moving, which explains the lack of updates over the past week or so. The Blitz will soon be located at www.sbnation.com under a new name (Block U), but with the same great blogging you've come to expect (or not expect). I may update throughout the weeks as I ready the blog for the move, so keep checking beck. I'd also like to give a shout out to Bruins Nation for not only linking to a story of mine, but adding a link to their site. Bruins Nation is a fantastically ran UCLA blog that also happens to be apart of the SBNation, so check it out! And why shouldn't you, the Utes play them in less than 100 Days!

Corny Clip-art Photo Proves it

Miamization of USC football?

2006-05-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

Yes this is a Utah Utes blog, however I feel that just talking Utah football -- especially in the spring and summer months -- can get a bit old. So I'm going to venture outside the safe confines of Utah football and pay our brothers to the west a visit.

Unless you're a recluse, most already should know the problems facing USC. It all really began in January of 2006 when the Trojans lost to an underdog Texas team in the national championship game. Even if you didn't buy the hype, the way USC lost left many fans scratching their heads and many pundits questioning their "greatest team ever" mantra. Who knew, back then anyway, that this would begin the unraveling of a possible football giant.

The national championship loss stung, but it wasn't that bad. USC still had a fantastic season, finished the year ranked 2nd in the country and produced the Heisman Trophy winner for the second straight year. Fans were optimistic that, even without Bush, the team could produce yet another great season and the loss to Texas was quickly becoming a distant memory. Then something funny happened by way of a Yahoo! sports columnist -- Reggie Bush might have broken NCAA rules. At first it seemed minor, mostly involving his parents and a sports agent. Then, as most scandals do, it unfolded into something much bigger. This violation got so big that many questioned whether it would cost Bush the Heisman, or worse, USC their 2004 national championship.

It seemed the once strong dynasty that had been USC football was crumbling from within. If the NCAA does come down hard on Bush, which has been speculated, it could devastate a Trojan program already reeling from an unexpected loss in the national championship game. And what's left standing may just be a shell of what once was. A strong giant, fretted by scandal, left to rebuild and retool from the ground up. While it's likely USC will rebound from these problems, at what level and timeframe they do it in is unknown. What we do know is that college football can change at a whim and a once strong program could be passed by another. Just ask Miami, they're proof of this.

While Miami was never embroiled in a scandal that could have cost them their national championship in 2001, their rise and eventual fall is dramatic. And though the fall hasn't been as tough for the Hurricanes as it was for say Nebraska, it was tough none the less, especially for the fans to accept. Mostly because Hurricane football, though always strong, was at the top of their game in 2000. Butch Davis had built a solid team that went 11-1 and won the Big East. Parlaying that into a gig with the NFL, the Hurricanes looked to their own offensive coordinator in their hire, Larry Coker.

Larry Coker overtook a great Miami football team and made it even greater in his first season. The 'Canes won their first national championship in 10 years, finished undefeated and Coker looked like the perfect replacement for Hurricane football. The team, which was dominate the year before, looked even more dominate in Coker's first season. And his second looked even better, as Miami opened up 12-0 (Coker was 24-0 as head coach -- Miami was on a 34 game winning streak) and then went out and was stunned by an underrated, underdog Ohio State team.

Was that loss to Ohio State the downfall of Miami's dynasty? Probably not, as they went 11-2 the very next year, including finishing the season ranked 5th in both major polls. But it showed that the program was not invincible to losing. That's important, because Miami has yet to sniff the success they had in '01 and '02. But beyond that, the Hurricanes faced even a bigger blow as they left the weaker Big East for the more dominate ACC. It's no coincidence that the Hurricanes have failed to win 10-games since leaving the Big East at the end of the '03 season. Both in 2004 and 2005 Miami finished the year 9-3, including a blowout bowl loss to LSU to end last season.

So how does that compare to USC and what USC has done? Well on the surface it may not seem like the two have anything in common. Miami dominated prior to Coker, while USC struggled prior to Carroll. Miami had no real scandals that shook the foundation of their program over the past few years, while the same can't be said for USC. And most importantly, Miami changed conferences while USC still remains in the Pacific Ten.

Yet USC, like Miami, lost in a national championship game they were heavily favored to win. Like Miami, USC was coming in on the heels of an undefeated season the year before, one where they won the national championship. Like Miami, USC was talked about as being the best ever prior to the big game. Now while we can't tell where USC will go from here, sometimes looking to the past gives us an idea. What did Miami in was not only the fact they changed conferences, but that they made critical mistakes when it came to preserving their dynasty. As I said earlier, a program can always revert to the middle of the pack at any given time. In fact, historically that has been the trend. Nebraska, Oklahoma, Miami, Florida State, Florida and even USC, have suffered through this over the years. Football is fickle and as easily as a dynasty can start, it can just as easily end.

USC's downfall may not stem from that of Miami's, but the eventual outcome could be the same. The Trojans aren't invincible and Pete Carroll can be beat. If the Trojans are forced to forfeit the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons, their dynasty may just be over and USC may find itself in Miami's shoes.

2006 SportsLine hot seat rankings.

2006-05-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Never one to let a speculative opportunity pass, Dennis Dodd of CBS SportsLine shares his 2006 Hot Seat Rankings: Coach-by-coach (all D-1 coaches, to boot). Instead of inundating you all with the entire list, I will just take a look at Mountain West Coaches, ranking them by his rating system.

Dodd's rating system.

0-0.5: Untouchables
1-1.5: Very safe
2-2.5: Safe
3-3.5: On the bubble
4-4.5: Warm seat
5: On the hot seat

The only coach on the hot seat, according to Dodd, is Kentucky coach Rich Brooks, who has gone an appalling 9-25 at Kentucky. Damn, that's some losing right there! Of course, chances of only one coach getting canned at the end of the college football season seems unlikely. So I've got to say there probably should be a few more names added to the hot seat list.

Here's how he ranks the MWC coaches on job stability (ranked in order from most secure, to least).

Gary Patterson (TCU) - 0
Rocky Long (New Mexico) - 1
Chuck Long (SDSU) - 1
Mike Sanford (UNLV) - 1
Kyle Whittingham (Utah) - 1.5
Bronco Mendenhall (BYU) - 2
Sonny Lubick (CSU) - 2
Joe Glenn (Wyoming) - 2.5
Fisher DeBerry (Air Force) - 3.5

DeBerry, along with Ted Roof at Duke and Dennis Franchione at Texas A&M, are the only coaches at a 3.5.

Looking at this list, most coaches in the MWC, outside DeBerry seem to be safe. However I question whether Mike Sanford can continue to be a 1 if he has another terrible season, especially if their offense fails to put up poins.

It's interesting that two of the three bottom guys are also the longest tenured coaches currently in the MWC. Lubick and DeBerry pretty much made their programs, yet both haven't had much success since the 2003 season. Colorado State did make a bowl game last year, however they were destroyed by Navy in it and finished with another non-winning season. Likewise, Air Force finished last year with its second straight non-winning season.

But in the end, these coaches probably won't be fired because they're legends by their program's standards. I guess if DeBerry has another losing season he may step aside, but Lubick is coaching at Colorado State for two more seasons, at least. That's either good or bad if you're a CSU fan. Good because he still is da man and built your program. Bad because he's in obvious decline and the further the program goes down, the harder it will be to bring it back up.

Outside the two oldies, there's New Mexico coach Rocky Long. He's been with the Lobos for 8 seasons and has yet to elapse the .500 mark in his overall record. Oh and he's also failed to win a bowl game or bring Albuquerque its first Mountain West Conference championship. But he's still beloved there and, as Dodd seems to point out with his rankings, he's there until he decides to call it quits.

Utah and BYU are basically in the same boat. You can't gauge the success of a coach based off of his first year, so both are safe for now. With that said, Utah and BYU return a ton of talent and if they can't squeeze out at least 8 wins, (even more so for BYU, since they replace a lot of their offense next year) these two might not cut it.

Patterson is the best coach right now in the MWC and is pretty much at TCU until he decides to either bolt, or retire. And Chuck Long (not to be confused with Rocky Long), will be the MWC's only new coach this season. The talent is there for SDSU to do some great things, but can Long do something past coaches haven't been able to do since the 1980s? That's his task, and not an easy one at that and because of that, he's safe by default.

Can't say I don't agree with his rankings, because they seem pretty accurate. CSU and Air Force won't fire their coaches and for whatever reason Rocky Long has the entire city of Albuquerque by the balls and Sanford, Bronco, Chuck Long and Whittingham are just too new. That leaves Glenn, who has finished with two losing seasons in his first three with Wyoming. If the Cowboys have another losing year, especially in the fashion of last year, the heat will be turned up just a bit. So Glenn watch out, your butt may be burnin soon.

National Champions 2006 preview of Utah.

2006-05-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

National Champs has their preview up for the 2006 Utah Utes, where they're ranked 33rd. Though the preview costs money to view (a measly $8.95), I'll post a few excerpts here. The preview is extensive and well worth the money, and you can also view other teams' previews as well.

Offensively, this team is stacked in each of their talent units, especially at QB and WR, so only the line has to overcome its issues inside (at center) to give what is needed. How they decide between dual-threats Ratliff and Johnson, or if they rotate them (which is not likely) is a great problem to have. Either is good enough to finish in the nation’s top 10 rankings for QB efficiency, and therefore, no one misses Alex Smith one bit. Utah did have a scoring drop off in the fourth quarter (only scored a total of 44 combined points), and defensively, they also let in the most points in the closing stanza (88), so if they can just get 60 minutes worth of fury, this team should even make a top 25 ranking by November (at the latest).

Last year - the first year without offensive architect Urban Meyer - was successful with new OC Andy Ludwig running the show, and things here should only improve. Utah finished 12th in both total offense and in passing, a testimonial to how well Ludwig (also) coaches these QBs and runs his own version of the spread. Expect no drop off as there is too much firepower here to say anything less will happen in ’06. Many point to the RBs and say little experience will mean lesser results (32nd in ground production last campaign), but the potential there runs just as deep as any other talent area. The QB problem is that three extremely qualified guys have to realize one (or more) might not see much action, if any, as the starter is named and that person takes off like Johnson did last year. Ratliff wouldn’t have seen any snaps if Johnson’s knee hadn’t blown, though Ratliff has the inside track with his amazing showing and Johnson still recovering through the summer, but it is hard to call that race, too. The line could be marginal if the outside shines but the inside struggles as expected, but the expansion of the TE spot and quality blocking backs (Mack, Liti) should allow those crazy schemes Utah runs to work, regardless. Lots of reverses (super-quick Eric Weddle sneaks a few of these) and fakes in their three- and four-WR sets will continue to keep pursuers flat-footed as option after option can burn even BCS-aligned-quality defenses. Ludwig’s second season here will be even better and make many think Meyer never left.

Predicition: 9-3

It's a great read if you have the time and the money, so check out their site and register.

http://www.nationalchamps.net

Eric Weddle named to Sporting News preseason All-American team.

2006-05-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

The preseason hype continues for the 2006 Utah Utes, as the Sporting News has named Eric Weddle to its pre-season All-American team. He was also listed as the #1 free-safety in the nation, as well as the preseason Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, an honor he won last season.

Weddle, a senior out of Alta Loma, California, split time between cornerback and safety last season.

Non-BCS teams with the best shot at crashing the BCS party.

2006-05-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

In 2004 Utah became the first team from a non-BCS conference to make a BCS bowl game. They further solidified their spot in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl with a thrashing of the Big East Champion, Pitt Panthers. Like every year, the inevitable question will circle around the mid-majors and their ability to crash the BCS like Utah did in 2004.

Utah, on top of being a really good team, also had some favorable things tilt their way. Firstly, they opened the season ranked in the top-25 (ranked by the AP at 21) and also opened their season against former BCS powerhouse Texas A&M on national TV. After demolishing the Aggies live on ESPN, heads were turned and the Utah bandwagon swelled. The Utes would go 12-0, while winning every game by 14 or more points.

Now it seems since Utah has finally done it, expectations have been set for another team from outside of the BCS to find their way to the party. So who's it going to be? Which team will be the next Utah and how will they do it?

Last year TCU came the closest, but an early loss to SMU killed any chance of making a BCS bid. Outside of the Horned Frogs, no team even sniffed the BCS from outside the non-BCS conferences. Unlike in 2004, where Louisville, Utah and Boise State were all legitimate contenders for the BCS, the '05 really lacked any controversy.

This year might actually turn out to be a lot like 2005. However, the rules have changed and it's now realistically possible for a one loss non-BCS team to slide their way in. This will definitely make things more interesting, especially when it comes to some of the non-BCS powers.

Non-BCS teams with the best shot at making a BCS Bowl:

TCU - TCU is the obvious choice based on what they did last year. They have a favorable schedule to do it, especially with how they get Texas Tech at home. However they must go on the road to play Utah, which could ultimately kill their shot at BCS bowl, especially if Utah goes undefeated.

Utah - They did it in 2004, and after a season of transition, the Utes might be ready to do it again. Like TCU, they have a favorable schedule, except they must play UCLA on the road. The opening game against the Bruins will be crucial for the Utes to not only build momentum, but turn national heads much like their victory over A&M did two years ago. The Utes do luck out with Boise State, TCU and BYU all at home.

Boise State - In 2004 they made a lot of noise, but suffered some set backs last year. The hype surrounding BSU heading into the '05 season was completely lost after a blowout loss to Georgia in the opening game. This year, BSU has a new coach, but a relatively easy schedule. Their toughest game is probably going to be at Utah, though there are two rough road games against Oregon State and Nevada. They do however play Fresno State at home.

BYU - Brigham Young is the original BCS busters. Ok, they've never actually made a BCS bowl game, however they did shake things up with their 1984 national championship. Since then, BYU made noise in 1996 and 2001, yet have not done much since. The Cougars have a pretty difficult schedule to overcome, however, with road games against Arizona, Boston College, TCU and Utah. It's pretty unlikely that they can get through that schedule with fewer than 2 losses.

Fresno State - They constantly rank toward the top as a non-BCS program, but have continually failed at getting things done when they count the most. Last year Fresno State made national waves with their near upset of then #1 USC. However, that loss would spark a 4-game losing streak, which cost Fresno State another WAC championship. This season Fresno has probably one of their toughest schedules in school history. Road games against Washington, Boise State and LSU and a home game against Oregon does not bode well for the Bulldogs and will most likely kill any hope of making a BCS bowl game.

Non-BCS teams with a small chance of making a BCS Bowl:

UTEP - Mike Price is doing good things at Texas-El Paso, and he may make some noises this season. That said, UTEP still is not a good enough team to sustain the success needed for a BCS bowl berth. They do have a favorable schedule with their toughest game at home against Texas Tech. However road games against New Mexico, Tulsa, UAB and Marshall might do them in.

Tulsa - Tulsa had an amazing season last year which culminated in a Liberty Bowl win against Fresno State. With that momentum, Tulsa will look to continue their success and parlay that into a possible BCS bowl this season. They certainly have the schedule to do it, though their two toughest games are BYU and Navy, both on the road. Tulsa will have no games against BCS opponents, so that might hurt their strength of schedule and kill any chance at a BCS bowl bid.

Colorado State - Sonny Lubick knows how to win, and that's echoed in his record at Colorado State. Yet he's failed to ever position Colorado State as a real threat to the BCS. Will this year be any different? Probably not, as CSU wasn't much of a team last year and has a fairly difficult schedule this year. They open the season against Colorado in Denver, then go on the road to play Nevada and Fresno State, two decent WAC teams. A difficult early schedule will probably once again keep CSU out of the BCS picture.

Nevada - Nevada last year stunned the WAC by winning a share of the conference championship. This year they'll look to do it again, however they have a fairly difficult early schedule. They open up against Fresno State on the road, then travel to Arizona State. Both games are realistic losses and home games against CSU and Northwestern aren't to be taken lightly, either.

Other teams that could make some noise: Miami Ohio, Toledo, UCF, Navy.

Athlon ranks Utah 23rd in its preseason top-25.

2006-05-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

Like in the months leading up to 2004, the Utes are finding their way into preseason top-25 polls. This time, it's Athlon, who ranked Utah 41 last year in their preseason poll. This season, the Utes are ranked 23rd and have a small write-up on their site. The Utes also made the cover of Athlon's Western edition for the third straight year.

Athlon's preview of the 2006 Utah Utes.

Breaking down the schedule.

2006-05-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

The 2006 season is still months away, but that hasn't stopped countless speculation leading up to it. But how else are we fans supposed to get through the grueling spring and summer months now that spring ball is officially over? I guess it's either that or baseball and I think I'd rather hang myself before watching an MLB game. So here I sit, looking at this season's Utes schedule and how I think it should play out.

I'm going to say it right off the bat, this is a very important season for Kyle Whittingham and Crew. His team last year fared decent enough, barely keeping their heads above water with a 7-5 finish. However that record is respectable considering the changes that took place between 2004 and 2005. Most notably, the Utes losing most of their offense and a good chunk of their defense. With that said, a 7-5 regular season finish (since there will be 12 regular season games) will probably not be acceptable for many Ute fans this season. Utah returns most of its offensive weapons and a great deal of its defense, all on top of a spectacular finish that culminated in an Emerald Bowl thrashing of 25th ranked Georgia Tech. That ending created strong momentum that Kyle Whittingham needs to capitalize on in his second year.

Looking at the 2006 schedule, I think it would be best to break it down by four categories: Sure Win, Probable Win, Toss-up, and Should Lose. Since there are no real "Sure losses" on the schedule, I have omitted that from the breakdown.

Sure Win:

NAU - Let's not kid ourselves, Utah has a better chance of going Democratic than the Utes have of losing to Northern Arizona. As George Herbert Walker Bush would say, "Not going to happen, wouldn't be prudent". You're right, George!

USU - Sorry our Northern Utah friends, but until Utah State actually proves they're good on the football field, this will always be a sure win for Utah. Since '77 Utah has only lost to USU 5 times and hasn't lost since 1997.

UNLV - 1979 was the last time UNLV actually beat Utah in football. Since, they've rarely made it competitive. In fact since 1999, Utah has won by an average score of 42-19. Holy Taken Out Behind the College Football Woodshed Batman!

That puts Utah's win total at 3, at least. Not good enough.

Probable Win:

SDSU - Probable as probable can get. San Diego State stunned Utah last year in Salt Lake City, but I don't see that happening again (yeah, and I didn't see SDSU beating Utah either). Utah should be favored to win and with it coming early in Coach Long's first season, the Utes get a break. Does this mean they will win? Definitely not, but I don't see the Utes repeating the same mistakes as last year.

Wyoming - The Cowboys are a hard team to peg. I say this is probable mostly because the Utes have had their way with Wyoming over the past few years. The Pokes struggled last season and I think they're still going to struggle this season as well. They won't be nearly as bad, but the Utes should win it.

CSU - 4th and goal, then bam! Game over. That loss still burns me and keeps Utah from a respectable 8-4 finish. In fact, if the Utes punch it in on 4th and goal, they beat CSU, probably go on to beat SDSU and finish the season with 9 wins and a top-25 finish. But if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd have ourselves a porno movie. That said, payback is a bitch and the Utes have Colorado State at home this season. I'm sure that game will be playing in the minds of both the coaches and players leading up to it and a more experienced Utes team should put the hammer down on a declining Rams team.

If all goes well, that would put Utah's win total at 6 wins, still a lot of work to do.

Toss-up:

TCU - Another game that haunted Utah last season. Who knew, when the Utes lost that one, TCU would turn out to be one of the best teams in the nation? Well now the Utes will look for a bit of revenge, especially with how that game ended. Let's just hope that the refs actually KNOW when to stop the clock. Either way, this game could be epic and neither team has a clear advantage.

Boise State - You think Whittingham remembers the 1999 game between the two? He should, his defense kept BSU nearly 10 points under their season average (34 PPG) on the road. Yet even with holding BSU to 26 points, the Utes still lost. I'd like to say it won't happen again, but BSU is a good team and I'm not going to talk down their recent success. This game will be tough and could break the Rice-Eccles scoreboard. Light out, baby.

New Mexico - Tough game, Lobos will be difficult, as they always are, and being on the road doesn't help matters. The Utes have had a bad past with New Mexico ('94, '03, '05) and '06 might be added to the sordid chapter, too.

Air Force - I put Air Force here because they always play the Utes tough. It doesn't matter what the records are, the Falcons always show up to play the Utes. In 2004 it took the Utes 3 quarters before they finally put away the Falcons, and the final score was the closest game Utah had all season. Last season the Falcons made a feverish fourth quarter comeback and nearly stunned Utah, luckily though they held on for the victory. This season the Utes travel to Colorado Springs, the site of their epic 3 OT game three seasons ago, the Utes won by two points. This game could go either way, especially if the Falcons actually turn things around.

BYU - Who am I kidding? This should be as much of a near lock as USU. Utah has won 4 straight, 9 of the last 13 and the game this season is played in Salt Lake City. Yet, I'm not that foolish, because this is a rivalry game. And as they say, the records can be thrown out the window when two rivals meet. BYU will be looking for some revenge after the Utes pretty much ruined the debut of Bronco Mendenhall, and that might be enough to beat Utah in Salt Lake.

The toss-up games make up most of the schedule and will either make or break this team. Last year it nearly broke them, but a victory over BYU saved them from the embarrassment of a losing season. The Utes probably won't win every game, but I don't see them losing more than 2 out of this batch. That would put their win total at 9 wins.

Should Lose:

UCLA - As much as I'd love for this to be a toss-up, I'm confident in saying Utah won't be favored heading into the game. The Utes may upset the Bruins, but it will be a difficult challenge and one I'm not sure Utah is ready to do right now. Of course, this game isn't a sure loss and so the possibility is there, it's just not a big enough of one to warrant placing in the toss-up category.

That keeps Utah's record at 9 wins, and most likely 3 losses. In my mind, that would make the season a success. In fact, even 8 wins and 4 losses would be a success, especially if you couple that with a bowl win. Anything less than that however will be a disappointment.

Is it football season yet? Maybe this'll wet the appetite.

2006-05-02T21:12:00.001-07:00

Toone and Ganther drafted by Titans.

2006-04-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

With the 245 and 246th picks in the 2006 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans chose Spencer Toone and Quinton Ganther. Those two are the only Utes selected in this year's draft.

SI.com's spring top-25: Utah at 25.

2006-04-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

For the first time since the 2004 season, Utah has found its place in Sports Illustrated top-25 poll. The Utes, after going 7-5 last season -- including an Emerald Bowl victory over ranked Georgia Tech -- was placed at 25th in the first spring poll done by Sports Illustrated.

Along with the ranking, SI had a small break down of Utah this season.

Utah Utes (7-5)Key returnees: QB Brett Ratliff, WR Brian Hernandez, CB Eric Weddle, S Casey EvansSpring star: RB Daryl Poston. The oft-injured USC transfer has finally ascended to No. 1 tailback. Lowdown: The Utes' offense took off at the end of last season after Ratliff took over for the injured Brian Johnson. He'll have the benefit of a deep receiving corps and veteran O-line. Eight starters return from an already solid defense, though DT Steve Fifita and LB Spencer Toone are big losses.

Other teams of interest:

21 - TCU
29 - BSU

Spring game: White defeats Red 22-21.

2006-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

With a last second play, the White team beat the Red team 22-21, officially ending Utah's spring practice. The game, which was played in front of 10,000 or so Utah fans, played out much differently than past Spring Games. The White team was given a 16 point cushion to start the game, and instead of having a game clock, game time was dictated by a 50-snap rule.

On offense, Brett Ratliff once again shined, picking up right where he left off from the Emerald Bowl. Ratliff, who had one touch down pass to WR Marquis Wilson, did not play in the second-half of the spring game. Much talked about QB Tommy Grady connected with Freddie Brown on a 14-yard touch down and found Derrek Richards for his second touch down of the day. While Kevin Dunn hit Sean Smith with a 10-yard, game winning score.

Grady went 8-of-16 passing for 144 yards and two scores; while Ratliff went 5-12 for 37 yards and one score with limited play. There were a few dropped passes, most notably from Marquis Wilson, but the Utes' offense was strongest when it rolled through the air. Utah barely ran the ball, opting to work the passing game, which was effective enough.

For the White team, Godfrey had 30 receiving yards, while Sean Smith finished with 21 receiving yards, including one touch down. For the Red team, Marquis Wilson led both teams with 63 receiving yards, including one touch down.

Defensively the Utes looked decent, though not much pressure was put on Dunn, Grady or Ratliff. The lone sack came at the hands of Shyne, one that resulted in a 10-yard loss. Mostly, this spring is where the offense shined. All quarterbacks proved they were capable to step into the starting role, though it seems Ratliff might have the edge on Grady and Dunn.

Overall, the game was a lot cleaner than last year's game, though the dropped balls are a bit of a concern. There were some great passes both by Grady and Ratliff that fell incomplete because the receiver failed to hold onto them. With that said, it's still only spring and it seems the team is progressing nicely. Especially when it comes to their offensive production.

Utes look good in first practice of the spring.

2006-03-27T09:21:00.000-08:00

The lack of updates pretty much center around the fact there hasn't been much to update about. But luckily for Ute fans, spring practice kicked off Saturday. I wasn't able to attend, but there was some great coverage by the two local papers and from all accounts, the practice rocked.

It seems Grady has replaced his arm with a rocket launcher, that can only explain the way he throws the football. It's going to be interesting to see if either Grady or Ratliff can distance themselves in the spring. Whittingham has said that they won't have QB chosen by the end of spring, so we won't know who'll lead the Utes until later in the summer.

Spring Practice Stories:

Still hurt: Utes' QB not yet ready to fight for starting spot (Salt Lake Tribune).
Spring practice begins for Utah football team (Deseret News).
Quarterback U.? Utes in QB quandary (Deseret News).

5 biggest games of '06.

2006-03-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

Every year there are games that make or break a team's season and last year was no exception for the Utes. There were five games (all losses) that every Ute fan looks back on in disappointment.

In each of Utah's 5 losses last season there was a turning point that hurt the Utes. Games where the Utes had a chance to win, but didn't. Actions that not only cost Utah a chance at a third straight MWC Championship, but a possible chance of going undefeated. In all 4 of their conference losses, the Utes lost by a combined total of 20 points. That's less than a three TD difference in 4 games. All but 1 were decided by fewer than 7 points. While a 7-5 record with a bowl win is decent, an 11-1 record would have looked a lot better.

This year's schedule is no different, as there are 5 games that can be characterized as the "biggest" of the season. These games will define the success Utah has this season and will almost certainly tell whether Utah is a conference contender or a conference pretender. The good news for the Utes is that all but one of these games is played at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

5 Biggest Games of 2006:

UCLA:

The opening game is always one of the biggest of the season, opening against UCLA at the Rose Bowl just ups the anti a bit. This is Utah's statement game, as a win would undoubtedly turn heads much like the win against Texas A&M did in '04. It's a big game for the Utes because it can set the course for either a very successful season, or a repeat of 2005. A loss won't hurt the Utes much, as it's an out of conference game, however the way the Utes lose very well could. A blowout loss to UCLA might set the wrong tone for a season just getting underway.

Boise State:

Battle of the two top non-BCS teams. This is a big game mostly because it'll prove which team is a legitimate threat to the BCS and which team is still not ready for primetime. Again, a non-conference game that can set the tone for the rest of the season. Boise State is a tough opponent and a win will draw some national attention to the Utes. A loss on the other hand would not only hurt the prestige of the Utah program, but the Mountain West Conference as well. The Utes dropping two out of conference games early may signal some troubles in the future, while a win may prove the opposite.

TCU:

This is Utah's second Mountain West Conference game (SDSU is the first) and probably the biggest. Not only will it be a game between the two "perceived" top teams in the conference, it could be a game where the Utes get a bit of payback after last season's loss in Fort Worth. After losing to TCU last season, the Utes tumbled downward, losing 4 of their next 5 games. That cost them a shot at the conference championship and pretty much guaranteed them a spot toward the middle of the conference.

This year, like last, the game is played early on in the conference. The Utes will need to beat TCU if they have a shot at winning the MWC, as a loss will probably take them out of the picture. Looking at the schedule, this is Utah's biggest game based on the fact it's against the defending conference champions. TCU knocked Utah off the top of the MWC last year, Utah needs to do the same to TCU this year.

Colorado State:

All that seperated Utah from a win against Colorado State was a yard and a decent O-line. The Utes were faced with 2nd and goal on the 1 yard line and still couldn't punch in the game winning TD. The loss didn't cost Utah much of anything (except it continued a 3 game losing streak and assured them of no more than 7 wins), but this season a loss to CSU could be devastating. Colorado State will probably be picked to finish toward the top of the conference and a win against the top-tier MWC teams always gives the program a better shot at claiming the MWC title. A loss here will probably kill any chance the Utes have of taking home the trophy.

BYU:

No matter what the records are between the two team, this will always be one of Utah's biggest games. It's a rivalry game and nothing fires up a team more than instate bragging rights. But this season the rivalry might have a bit more flare to it, as both the Utes and Cougars could be in the hunt for the MWC Championship. The Utes have beaten BYU 4 consecutive times and will look to run their streak up to 5 with a win. But most importantly, a win could bring the MWC title back to Salt Lake City and could -- if you're really optimistic -- put the Utes back into another BCS bowl game. No matter how the season plays out for either Utah or BYU, this will be a big game solely based on the fact both the Utes and Cougars are bitter instate rivals. It'll just be much more important if they happen to be playing for the Mountain West Conference championship.

Ranking the games:

1. TCU
2. UCLA
3. BYU
4. Boise State
5. CSU

CFN's Utah schedule outlook.

2006-03-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

College Football News has a pretty interesting article up on Utah's schedule outlook. The article takes a quick look at the Utes schedule and breaks it down into three categories: Almost Certain Win, Likely Loss and Could go either way. They also predict Utah's record based on three factors.

They think the Utes' realistic record will be 10-2, while their best case record would have them finishing at 11-1. Barring total disaster, their worst case record would be 6-6. All in all, I agree with this article, though I generally think Utah will finish 9-3 (10-3 counting the bowl win), with two conference losses. Though I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that they do in fact finish with only two losses.

They break down every other MWC team as well. Also, take note of the fact that Utah's almost certain win over UNLV is the only MWC game labeled as such. Which of course proves CFN understands Utah's total domination of the Rebels. But I must wonder why BYU isn't also highlighted as an almost certain win? I mean, 4 straight victories, 9 out of the last 13 games, you can't get any more automatic than that!

The never too early '06 predictions.

2006-03-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

With the official release of the 2006 schedule, it's too much temptation NOT to take a look at the schedule and predict the outcome. The 2006 Utes will have their hands full with the likes of UCLA, Boise State, TCU and BYU, so expecting perfection might be a bit too much. Luckily for the Utes, they get three of those four teams at home.

These impulse picks hold little weight as spring ball hasn't even arrived yet. But that's the point, as it will be interesting to see how these predictions change as the season approaches and pan out as the season progresses.

So, with that here are the Never Too Early '06 Predictions:

09/02/06 @ UCLA

A lot of questions should be answered with this game. UCLA is coming off a 10 win season, a national ranking and will be looking to carry that momentum over into this season. However out are QB Drew Olson, RB Maurice Drew, and TE Marcedes Lewis. The Bruins also have a new defensive coordinator and will be starting Ben Olson -- you remember him, the kid that spurned BYU after his LDS mission -- for the first time. The Bruins have a lot of doubts left on their side, as does Utah. Many people still question whether Karl Dorrell is the right man for the job and the bitter taste of UCLA's 6-6 season in '04 is still fresh in the mouths of many Bruin fans. Will the Bruins continue the success of the 10-2 season, or return to what they were prior to '05?

Best Case Scenario: Utah rolls into Pasadena hot off their upset win against Georgia Tech in the 2005 Emerald Bowl. Kyle Whittingham has his troops ready and the Bruins, still trying to become a cohesive unit are blindsided from the start. Utah's offense shreds the suspect UCLA defense and the Utes defense dominates a Bruins offense that lost a lot of their fire power from last season.

Worst Case Scenario: Utah is completely flustered by the 80,000+ fans in Pasadena. Brian Johnson/Brett Ratliff/Tommy Grady can't find their rhythm as UCLA's defense bewilders the Utes offense. On the other side of the ball, Ben Olson proves he's one of the best quarterbacks in the country and blazes Utah's secondary. The Utes crumble and UCLA rolls to a victory.

Most Likely Scenario: Utes hang tough with UCLA, but the Bruins are just too overpowering and Utah, late in the game, finally gives in. Both teams look impressive on defense, while the offenses are a bit shaky at times and in the end, UCLA benefits from the home crowd and pulls out a close victory.

Never Too Early Prediction: UCLA 28, Utah 24

09/09/06 Northern Arizona

Utah will return home to play Northern Arizona, a D 1-AA team. This will be the first meeting between Utah and Northern Arizona and the game will give the Utes a much needed tune up before embarking on a difficult stretch of their schedule.

Best Case Scenario: Utah dominates from start to finish. The Utes offense looks explosive against a team that is undermatched to the extreme. On defense Utah controls the flow, keeping NAU's offense on the other side of the 50 yard line. The game isn't even close and the Utes walk away with an easy victory.

Worst Case Scenario: Off their high from the week before, Utah overlooks NAU and the Lumberjacks give them a bit of a scare. The score is close for much of the entire game and the Utes definitely do not take care of business, as they struggle to a close win.

Most Likely Scenario: Utah dominates from start to finish. There is no reason why Utah should struggle against NAU and if they do, it could signal some forthcoming problems.

Never Too Early Prediction: Utah 63, NAU 17

09/16/06 @ Utah State

The Utes head out on the road again, this time to play their rival Utah State. Utah struggled early against USU in Salt Lake last year, but handily put them away in the second half. This time the Utes make their way to Logan, where they'll be looking for their 9th straight victory.

Best Case Scenario: Utah comes out smoking hot and puts the Aggies away early. Like in '04, the Utes build a strong halftime lead and coast the rest of the way. USU, while better than they were last year, struggles to compete with the Utes.

Worst Case Scenario: Like last year, Utah struggles early on against Utah State. However this gives the Aggie crowd hope of an upset and the Aggies hang tough with the Utes throughout the entire second half. The Utes can't find their flow offensively and Utah State wins a tight game, stunning the Utes.

Most Likely Scenario: The Utes and Aggies have had some tough matches in the past. This game is never a "sure win", but Utah State is less talented than Utah and there should be no excuse for the Utes to win by at least 10 points. I think early on the Aggies give Utah trouble, but by the half the Utes have built a solid lead and walk to an easy victory.

Never Too Early Prediction: Utah 41, Utah State 17

09/23/06 @ SDSU

San Diego State has a new coach and the never dying question again has been asked: Is this finally SDSU's year? By that, of course, we mean will SDSU live up to their talent? Last year they finished with their 7th straight non-winning season and Chuck Long will be looking to get the Aztecs to a level where they're one of the top dogs in the MWC. Last season SDSU rolled into Utah and handed the Utes one of their most embarrassing losses in recent history. Will they do it again?

Best Case Scenario: San Diego State is still adjusting to new head coach Chuck Long and the Utes take advantage of it. Not letting up, Utah comes out of the gate strong and rides that momentum into the half. In the second half it's much of the same, as the Utes offense roll up big numbers against a questionable Aztec defense. SDSU, while they may be tough down the road, can't keep up with the Utes and Utah rolls to a win.

Worst Case Scenario: The 2005 game all over again. SDSU opens up a big first half lead and never lets Utah back into it. With the home crowd behind them, the Aztecs power to a big win against Utah for the second straight year.

Most Likely Scenario: Utah and San Diego State battle it out in the first half, but Utah puts them away late in the 3rd quarter. SDSU is probably the biggest unknown right now in terms of success for this season. But the Aztecs, while hanging tough, buckle and Utah wins the game.

Never Too Early Prediction: Utah 38, San Diego State 28

09/30/06 Boise State

Boise State returns to Salt Lake City for the first time since their 1999 win. Both teams have gone through two coaches since that game and the Broncos will be playing under first year head coach Chris Petersen. Two of the top non-BCS teams meet and the end result could be an exciting affair.

Best Case Scenario: Utah is just too much for the Broncos and dominate early. The Utes defense gets into the head of Boise State quarterback Zabransky, and he makes some costly mistakes that only fortifies BSU's problems. Utah walks to an easy victory, like Georgia and Fresno State did in '05.

Worst Case Scenario: The Broncos offense LIGHT the Utes up and Utah is completely stunned. The team struggles to find its groove both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball and Boise State has a field day during the game. Utes fail to match Boise State's explosiveness and the Broncos walk all over Utah.

Most Likely Scenario: Utah and Boise State fight it out throughout the entire game. Both offenses produce fairly well, however Utah's defense comes up big when it matters the most. The home crowd really helps carry the Utes to an impressive, though not massive, victory over Boise State.

Never Too Early Prediction: Utah 35, Boise State 24

10/05/06 TCU

Revenge? The Frogs ended Utah's winning streak last year and sent the Utes into a tumble (Utah would go on to lose 3 of their next 4 games). This game is played in Salt Lake City, so Utah has the edge there. Last year Utah held a late lead before TCU tied the game and sent it into OT, where the Utes lost by 3. Will TCU be as lucky? Will Utah be able to reclaim their status as top dog in the MWC?

Best Case Scenario: Last year Utah proved it could hang with TCU. An OT loss, on the road, to a top-10 team is nothing to snub your nose at. The Utes expand on their close performance against TCU and rock them all night long. TCU, stunned, can't find any footing on both sides of the ball, while Utah's offense rolls against TCU's defense. TCU is left with just getting out of the way and watching Utah do their thing.

Worst Case Scenario: The Frogs are a much better team than Utah and show it on the football field. The Utes, who only had 4 days to prepare, can't get into their offense and their defense is worked by TCU's O. Gary Patterson outcoaches Utah, while the entire Frog team outplays the Utes. The home crowd is taken out of the game early on and TCU dominates Utah from start to finish.

Most Likely Scenario: Last year proved how close these two teams were. TCU got lucky in beating Utah and I don't see why this year's game will be much different. The contest will be close with both defenses shining. This game goes back and forth, but a couple of big plays puts the Utes on top and they beat the Frogs live on national TV.

Never Too Early Prediction: Utah 28, TCU 21

10/14/06 @ Wyoming

Finally! A game against Wyoming that isn't in November. The Cowboys are coming off a terrible 4-7 season and will be looking to turn things around. And they'll need to, as two straight losing seasons never bodes well for a program. The talent is there, but the Pokes will also be replacing a lot from last year's team, including quarterback Corey Bramlet. Can Wyoming return to the 7-5 Las Vegas Bowl team of two years ago? Or will they continue down their losing path?

Best Case Scenario: Utes play like they did in '05. Last year Utah gave Wyoming its worst loss of the season.

Worst Case Scenario: Wyoming's back and they mean business. The Pokes, in front of a ruckus home field come out and steam roll the Utes. Laramie is a tough place to play and even in mid-October the weather can be a factor. The Utes struggle early and the Pokes roll to a victory.

Most Likely Scenario: Wyoming won't be nearly as bad as they were last year. However, they're not going to be great, either. Wyoming will play Utah tough, but the Utes will pull away in the 3rd quarter behind an offensive explosion much like the one in Salt Lake City in '05.

Never Too Early Prediction: Utah 35, Wyoming 21.

10/19/06 @ New Mexico

The Lobos beat Utah last season up in Salt Lake City. The Utes struggled on offense, while their defense pretty much shut down Mountain West Conference Player of the Year DonTrell Moore. The Lobos won because Utah's offense coughed the ball up way too many times in Utah territory. This was also the game where Brian Johnson went down, paving the way for Brett Rattliff. The Lobos will be rebuilding and so it wouldn't be a surprise if they're struggling at this point in the season. Can they upset Utah like they did a year before? The last time the Utes visited New Mexico at University Stadium, the defense held the Lobos scoreless (Lobos only score came on a questionable "fumble" by Alex Smith).

Best Case Scenario: Utah wants a bit of revenge and the defense shreds New Mexico's young offense. The Utes offense on the other hand, has their way with the Lobos defense, putting up solid numbers on their way to a solid win.

Worst Case Scenario: The Utes turn the ball over too many times, putting the Lobos young offense in great position to score. The Lobos defense has historically given Utah's offense some problems and so it wouldn't be a surprise if this is a low scoring game. A couple of costly turnovers might just be enough for the Lobos to win this one. Especially with the home crowd behind them.

Most Likely Scenario: Utah struggles on offense and the Lobos make some key defensive stops, getting the ball back with great field position. A low scoring game tilts in favor of New Mexico as they score a late FG to beat Utah.

Never Too Early Prediction: New Mexico 24, Utah 21

10/28/06 UNLV

Utah has only lost once to UNLV in the Rebels young football history, so to say Utah has had their way with UNLV would be an understatement. To spice things up a bit, UNLV's current head coach is former Utah OC Mike Sanford. This will be a very telling year as the Rebels will look for improvement on their two wins from last season. Can UNLV finally get over the hump and beat Utah for the first time since 1979?

Best Case Scenario: Utah does what it does best against UNLV and dominates from start to finish. The offense rolls through UNLV's not so great defense, while Utah's defense plays the Rebels offense like an accordion. The game is over by the mid-2nd quarter.

Worst Case Scenario: Sanford actually has UNLV playing well and the Utes stumble and lose for the first time ever to UNLV at home. The talent is there and UNLV's offense surprises Utah's defense a bit (last year, UNLV scored 32 on Utah), while Utah's offense struggles. The crowd and Utes look depleted and UNLV walks to victory.

Most Likely Scenario: Utah's offense is just too much for UNLV's defense and the Utes put up some numbers. The Rebels offense just does not have what it takes to keep up with Utah and UNLV falls behind early, never really making a game of it.

Never Too Early Prediction: Utah 52, UNLV 21

11/11/06 Colorado State

The goal line stand still haunts Utah fans and probably will until Utah enacts a little revenge. Colorado State has struggled the past two years and might struggle even more as they replace some key players from their 6-6 team last year. This could be Sonny Lubick's final season, especially if CSU doesn't win more than 6 games. Will one of their victories come against the Utes?

Best Case Scenario: CSU's offense struggles and Utah puts them away fairly early in the game. CSU's offense wasn't anything special last year and they replace their QB this season. So there could be some growing pains.

Worst Case Scenario: Utah fails to control the flow of the game and CSU keeps it close. You can never underestimate Sonny Lubick and he's always going to have his team ready. If the Utes overlook Colorado State, they could fall flat on their faces and lose this one.

Most Likely Scenario: There is some revenge left in Utah's system and the Utes come out hot. Fresh off their dominate win against UNLV, Utah doesn't let up and slowly puts Colorado State away. By the fourth quarter, the game should be easily in hand.

Never Too Early Prediction: 34-17

11/18/06 @ Air Force

Can Fisher DeBerry finally stop the bleeding? The past few years Air Force hasn't sniffed the kind of success they had during their glory years. DeBerry is getting up there and, like Lubick, this could be his final season. Especially if the Falcons fail to have a winning record.

Air Force has historically played Utah tough. Their wishbone offense has done some great damage and last year's game proved how deadly Air Force could be (the Falcons nearly beat the Utes in Salt Lake). This time the game will be played in Colorado Springs, the first time since the teams played in their epic 3 overtime game in '03.

Best Case Scenario: Utah finally finds a way to stop the wishbone and Air Force's offense is contained. Last year Brian Johnson had one of his best games against the Air Force D, so the Utes offense rolls Air Force's defense once again.

Worst Case Scenario: Air Force's wishbone bulldozes through Utah's defense and the Utes offense has difficulty staying with them. The Falcons, behind a home crowd, dominate Utah's defense and roll to an impressive victory.

Most Likely Scenario: Utah and Air Force have one of their epic battles, both scoring a lot of points. Air Force nearly came from behind to beat Utah last year and this season has the benefit of playing the game at home. The Utes hang tough, but the Falcons wishbone offense is just too much for the Utes to handle.

Never Too Early Prediction: Air Force 42, Utah 35

11/25/06 BYU

The Rivalry. The Holy War. Does it get any better than this? Utah and BYU meet once again to decide who's the best football team in the state. Last year Utah and BYU staged one of the best games in rivalry history, with the Utes winning by 7 in OT. Can BYU finally snap Utah's 4 game winning streak? Will BYU get their first win in Salt Lake City since 2000? Or will the Utes continue their domination of the Cougars?

Best Case Scenario: Utah's running game has its best night of the year, by exposing the Cougars rush defense. The Cougars offense struggles mightily against Utah's defense and the Utes pretty much dominate from start to finish.

Worst Case Scenario: BYU and Utah find themselves in a shootout. BYU's offense, which should be more explosive than Utah's, makes the bigger plays down the stretch and the Cougars end Utah's 4 game winning streak in the series.

Most Likely Scenario: BYU and Utah always find themselves in a tough rivalry game. Only on occasion has either team won in a blowout ('96 for BYU, '04 for Utah). The games often come down to a final play or drive and have been notorious for keeping fans on the edge of their seats. This season should be no different, as both teams should have ample offensive power to make an exciting game.

BYU and Utah will battle it out for the entire game, with neither team really distancing themselves. The Utes' offense should eat up the yards against a mediocre BYU defense, doing a good of enough job at keeping the ball out of BYU's hands. A tight ground game will lead Utah to a fourth quarter run and the school's 5th straight win against BYU.

Never Too Early Prediction: 34-28

The schedule is set in a way where I think Utah can go undefeated (highly unlikely though), or finish with 3 or 4 losses. If my predictions hold true, Utah would finish with a 9-3 (6-2) record. I think that is a pretty good estimate on next year's team, however I wouldn't be surprised if the Utes had only 2 losses (1 in conference play). No matter what, predictions will never tell the whole story. No one knows who's going to step up, disappoint, or become an MVP type player.

The schedule is set, speculation has been made and now it's time to wait for spring ball. We'll see how good the Utes really are by about the New Mexico game. The start of the schedule is tough, but also has some benefits as well. The Utes need to exploit some of those benefits and create momentum heading into the conference season.

2006 schedule released.

2006-03-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

The University of Utah released their 2006 schedule today. The Utes, who will play 12 games this season, open up against UCLA in the Rose Bowl on September 2nd, 2006. The Utes first home conference game will be against TCU, that game is scheduled for Thursday, October 5th. Television dates have not been set, however the TCU and New Mexico games fall on a Thursday, so both will likely be played on national TV.

The Utes home schedule consists of Northern Arizona, Boise State, TCU, UNLV and BYU. The Utes will play UCLA, Utah State, San Diego State, Wyoming, New Mexico and Air Force on the road.

2006 schedule:

2006 Utah Football Schedule
Sept. 2 at UCLA
Sept. 9 Northern Arizona
Sept. 16 at Utah State
Sept. 23 at San Diego State*
Sept. 30 Boise State
Oct. 5 (Thu.) TCU*
Oct. 14 at Wyoming*
Oct. 19 (Thu.) at New Mexico*
Oct. 28 UNLV*
Nov. 4 open
Nov. 11 Colorado State*
Nov. 18 at Air Force*
Nov. 25 Brigham Young*
*Mountain West Conference Game

Boise State to replace Ohio on 2006 football schedule.

2006-02-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

The Utah Athletic Department is reporting that the University of Utah will replace Ohio with Boise State on this season's upcoming schedule.

Ohio had been scheduled to play the Utes on 9/29/06, but the Bobcats pulled out of their deal with Utah instead, deciding to schedule University of Tennessee - Martin.

Boise State and Utah will meet on Saturday, September 30th, 2006 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. This will be the first meeting since Boise State beat Utah 26-20 in 1999.

The Broncos will have an entirely new coaching staff, as Dan Hawkins left BSU for Colorado late last year. He was replaced by Boise State offensive coordinator Chris Petersen, one of the architects behind the Broncos' explosive offense. Both teams will meet again in 2011 (Boise), 2012 (Salt Lake City) and 2013 (Boise).

Never too early, a look into utah's possible 2007 recruiting class.

2006-02-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

With Utah's 2006 recruiting class in the books, it's never too early to take a look at what lies ahead for the 2007 class. All recruits listed are in the early stages of looking at programs, so this list is not conclusive in the interest level toward any program -- just a preliminary list of recruits who are looking at Utah.

Currently the Utes have 7 recruits that are interested in the program. Only one of which is from the state of Utah. Interestingly enough, it seems the Utes are looking at the skills position in next year's recruiting class, which makes sense as they stacked the defense and O-line this recruiting season, leaving next year wide open for a possible signing of some fantastic wide receivers and a possible quarterback (though Utah is pretty deep at that position currently).

Possible Recruits in '07? :

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Year Exp. Hometown (Last School)
Chea Peterman QB 6-1 207 Sr. HS North Little Rock, AR/North Little Rock HS
Aaron Corp QB 6-4 195 Sr. HS Villa Park, Calif/Orange Lutheran HS
Markus Mathews WR 6-5 190 Sr. HS Beaverton, Oregon/Southridge HS
Donnie Reed WR 5-10 165 Sr. HS Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood HS
Crosby Tuck WR 6-1 185 Sr. HS Springdale, AR/Shilo Christian HS
Simi Fili DT 6-4 315 Sr. HS Salt Lake City, Utah/Cottwood HS
Drew Bernhardy DB 6-0 185 Sr. HS Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman HS

The above list shows that the Utes will be going up against some great teams for recruits. Chea Peterman has interest in Baylor, Penn State, Oregon and Vanderbelt. Aaron Corp is high on Colorado currently, but is also looking at Arizona, Cal, Ohio State and UCLA. Locally, Simi Fili is looking at USC, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Cal and Arizona State.

I'll have an extensive look at the mentioned recruits during the spring.

2006 out of conference schedule set.

2006-02-03T17:09:00.000-08:00

The Utes 2006 schedule has been set at 12 games. Utah will open the season on September 2nd against UCLA in the Rose Bowl. It will be Utah's first trip to Pasadena since 1973. Utah has never beaten the Bruins.

One week later, on September 9th, the Utes will face D 1-AA Northern Arizona in their home opener. Utah will also face in-state rival Utah State up in Logan on September 16th.

Utah's final out of conference game will be against Frank Solich's Ohio Bobcats at home and most likely will be played on Friday, September 29th. The Utes current MWC schedule has not been released, though Utah will play TCU, CSU and rival BYU at home.

Preliminary 2006 Football Schedule:

Sept. 2nd, 2006: @ UCLA
Sept. 9th, 2006: Northern Arizona
Sept. 16th, 2006: @ USU
Sept. 29th, 2006: Ohio
TBA: TCU
TBA: @ Air Force
TBA: CSU
TBA: @ SDSU
TBA: UNLV
TBA: @ Wyoming
TBA: @ New Mexico
TBA: BYU

Utes Sign 25 Recruits.

2006-02-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

In what many are calling the best recruiting class in Utah football history, the Utes inked 25 recruits in Kyle Whittingham's first true recruiting class. The Utes class ranked as the best non-BCS class in the country by Rivals.com. The gem of this year's recruits looks to be Joe Faifili out of Kahuku High School in Laie, Hawaii.

Faifil, a 4-star recruit, is projected to play defensive tackle for the Utes and was listed by Rivals as one of the top-50 defensive tackles in the 2006 recruiting season.

2006 Signing Class:

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Year	Exp.	Hometown (Last School)
Neli A'asa	DT	6-2	294	Fr.	HS	Big Rapids, Mich./Big Rapids HS
Nick Binks	DE	6-5	220	Fr.	HS	Bountiful, Utah/Bountiful HS
Chet Blasucci	LB	6-2	240	Jr.	JC	La Canada, Calif./Snow College
Joe Dale	DB	6-2	190	Fr.	HS	Irving, Texas/Nimitz HS
Joe Faifili	DT	6-2	296	Fr.	HS	Laie, Hawaii/Kahuku HS
Sean Fitzgerald	WR	6-4	185	Fr.	HS	Mission Viejo,Calif./Mission Viejo HS
Dustin Hensel	OL	6-7	325	So.	JC	La Palma, Calif./Golden West CC
Justin Jones	DB	6-0	180	Fr.	HS	Marshall, Texas/Marshall HS
Pauli Latu	DT	6-1	285	Fr.	HS	West Valley City, Utah/Hunter HS
George Molifua	HB	5-10	235	Fr.	HS	Oceanside, Calif./Carlsbad HS
Mookie Murphy	DB	5-10	175	Fr.	HS	Salt Lake City, Utah/Juan Diego Catholic HS
Caleb Schlauderaff	OL	6-5	270	Fr.	HS	Shelton, Wash./Shelton HS
Corey Seiuli	OL	6-3	330	So.	JC	Provo, Utah/Dixie State College
Matt Sims	HB	6-1	250	Jr.	JC	Lompoc, Calif./Allan Hancock College
Tony Smith	WR	6-0	176	Fr.	HS	Pleasanton, Calif./Foothill HS
R.J. Stanford	RB	6-0	180	Fr.	HS	Chino, Calif./Chino HS
Stevenson Sylvester	LB	6-2	205	Fr.	HS	Las Vegas, Nev./Valley HS
Zane Taylor	DT	6-3	285	Fr	HS	Moab, Utah/Grand County HS
Kenton Thomas	RB	6-2	190	Fr.	HS	Phoenix, Ariz./Greenway HS
Aaron Tonga	DT	6-3	280	Jr.	JC	Pomona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College
Bubba Tuinei	DE	6-5	230	Fr.	HS	Salt Lake City/Cottonwood HS
Peter Tuitupou	TE	6-4	218	Fr.	HS	Orem, Utah/Mountain View HS
Mombroso Washington	DB	6-1	193	Jr.	JC	Bloomington, Calif./San Bernardino Valley College
Walter Watts	OL	6-3	315	Fr.	HS	Los Banos, Calif./Los Banos HS
Zeke Wily	DT	6-4	310	Fr.	HS	Orem, Utah/Orem HS

Watts and Wiley commit.

2006-01-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

Walter Watts, son of former Runnin' Utes basketball player Walter Watts, commited to the University of Utah earlier this week. Watts, rated by Rivals as a 3-star recruit and the 34th best offensive guard in this recruiting class, decommitted from UCLA earlier this year. He had offers from Arizona and Colorado.

Zeke Wiley, who had verballed earlier to BYU, also has decided to commit with the Utes. Wiley is a two-star recruit out of Orem, Utah and is projected to play defensive tackle for the Utes.

Signing day is on February 1st, where the Utes coaching staff is looking to land the best class in school history. Currently, Rivals lists the Utah class as the 48th best class in the nation and the best class for a non-BCS school (with TCU being ranked 56th).

Extras:

Rivals article on recruits.

Deseret News article on Watts.

Salt Lake Tribune article on recruits.

Walter Watts' Rivals page.

Zeke Wiley's Rivals page.

Future Utes.

2006-01-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

Ute Zone is reporting that the Utes have landed 3-star recruit R.J. Stanford, a tailback out of Chino, California. Stanford, who was also considering scholarship offers from Arizona State, Oregon State, UCLA and Boise State, was rated by Rivals as the 14th best all purpose back.

It also was reported during the Army All American Bowl that Joseph Faifili, a 3-star defensive tackle, will commit to the University of Utah. Faifili, was ranked 60th in his position by Rivals and was fielding scholorship offers from Arizona, BYU, Colorado, Arizona State and Oregon State.
Extras:

Ute Zone article on recruits.
Joseph Faifili Rivals Profile.
R.J. Stanford Rivals Profile.

Recapping '05.

2005-12-31T16:15:00.000-08:00

2005 started out well for Utah football. The Utes dominated Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, en route to the school's first undefeated season in decades. However, it also ushered in change. The Utes lost head coach Urban Meyer to Florida, star QB Alex Smith to the NFL and Marty Johnson to graduation.

Kyle Whittingham became the new head coach, Brian Johnson took over the quarterback reigns and Quinton Ganther became the Utes primary rusher.

Utah's former offensive coordinate, Mike Sanford, left for UNLV and former Oregon OC Andy Ludwig took his place.

Speculation immersed the 2005 Utah Utes, as there were a lot of questions going into the season. Could Utah capture an unprecedented third straight Mountain West Conference championship? Would Utah roll to another undefeated season? Would Utah even have a winning season?

The questions finally were answered as the Utes kicked off their 2005 season against Arizona, live on ESPN and in front of a sold out Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The Utes opened the season with a solid 27-24 win against the Arizona Wildcats. The season was off and the Utes, though not as impressive as last year, were looking to keep it rolling.

Sadly, the Utes suffered a few setbacks in their quest for a third straight conference championship. Though they started out 3-1 -- with wins against Arizona, Utah State, Air Force and a loss to TCU -- the Utes would go on to drop 3 consecutive games for the first time since the 2002 season. The losses proved to be a crushing blow for the Utes morale and many questions began to arise on whether Coach Whittingham was the right choice.

After a devastating loss to San Diego State, the Utes rebounded with an impressive road win against UNLV. Optimism however stayed on the backburner, as the Utes only stood at 4-4 and their bowl hopes were slowly slipping away.

A bye week later and the Utes had their most dominate win of the season, a home victory against Wyoming. The Utes scored 43 points -- their most of the season -- and only allowed 13 points. The Utes win put them above .500 for the first time in weeks, and the confidence seemed to be restored to the players and coaches.

However the Utes faced another setback, as the team lost to New Mexico at home. The loss would cost the Utes more than just a victory and a chance at a winning conference record. The loss sidelined star quarterback Brian Johnson and wide receiver John Madsen.

Things were looking ominous for the Utes, as their final game of the season was against their hated rival, BYU. Knowing that they had to play the game without their starting QB or best WR, the Utes were heavy underdogs. Starting in place of Johnson was junior college transfer Brett Ratliff, who had only played a few downs for the Utes all season. Most notably was his performance against New Mexico, where he had one pass completion and a pick.

Utah entered their game against BYU sitting at 5-5, needing a win for any chance of a winning season and a bowl berth.

The odds were stacked against Utah, as their rival had entered the game on a five game conference winning streak.

Utah struck first, taking a 24-3 lead into the break. The improbable was looking possible, as the Utes offense, guided by Ratliff, exposed BYU's weak secondary.

However in the third quarter BYU would mount a large comeback. Scoring 21 third quarter points, BYU was only down 7 to start the fourth.

The lead would shrink to three, before BYU finally kicked the game-tying fieldgoal late in the fourth quarter.

Utah had one last chance to win the game in regulation, setting up for a 50 yard fieldgoal. However the kick was too low, and BYU easily blocked it, sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, it was all Utah. After an incomplete pass on first down, Ratliff found LaTendresse up the middle for a touchdown pass. Utah's defense then flustered BYU quarterback John Beck, and the Utes pulled out their fourth straight win over BYU, 41-34.

With the win Utah's season was saved. The Utes sat at 6-5 and were invited to play in the Emerald Bowl against 24th ranked Georgia Tech. Accepting the bid, Utah would go on to dominate the Yellow Jackets on way to their fifth straight bowl win.

Sitting at 5-5 a little over a month ago, Utah finished the year 7-5. A season of ups and downs, ended on one of the highest notes possible; a win against their rival and a blowout bowl win against a ranked ACC team.

This was supposed to be an extension of last year's undefeated season, however it was clear Utah lost too much to sustain the kind of success they had in '04. Instead, Utah managed a rebuilding year with a respectable record and a strong finish.

2005 will be known as the year Utah struggled to find its footing in a rebuilding year, yet was led to a bowl victory, and a winning season, by a junior college backup.

Emerald Delight as Utah Crushes Georgia Tech in Emerald Bowl.

2005-12-31T00:41:00.000-08:00

What a way to kick off my first blog post! Utah and their fans continue to bask in the Utes improbable shellacking of Georgia Tech in the 2005 Emerald Bowl.

This game wasn't even close. Utah took a quick 20-0 lead and never looked back. If it weren't for two mistakes in the second quarter, Utah most likely would have won by an even wider margin; possibly even shutting out the Yellow Jackets all together.

The punishment at the hands of Utah will go down as the worst bowl loss in Georgia Tech history. It also ties the 2005 Fiesta Bowl as the widest margin of victory for Utah in a bowl game (28 points). Not only that, but Tech's vaunted defense gave up a Utah bowl record 38 points.

It has been widely speculated that Georgia Tech was disinterested in playing Utah in such a lower-tier bowl. If this is true, Georgia Tech's coaching staff has a lot of explaining to do.

Not because Utah won, but because of how Utah won.

The Utes dominated every aspect of the game. The Utes gained 11 more first downs than Georgia Tech. Had an unbelievable 550 total yards, with 381 coming through the air and 169 on the ground. And stud cornerback Eric Weddle shut down Georgia Tech star Calvin Johnson, who only had 2 catches for 19 yards.

Offensively, Brett Ratliff destroyed Georgia Tech's secondary, connecting with Utah WR Travis LaTendrasse for four touchdown passes. Ratliff also rolled up 381 yards on 30 of 41 passing. His lone blemish was an ill-advised interception that came in the middle of the 3rd quarter.

On the other side of the ball, Utah's defense kept Tech' QB Reggie Ball mostly in check. Ball threw for one touchdown and had 258 yards, but also threw for 2 picks on 18 of 38 passing.

Travis LaTendrasse was named the offensive MVP for the Emerald Bowl and it's not a surprise why. LaTendrasse tied an NCAA bowl record for most touchdown catches in a game, and also set an Emerald Bowl record for most touchdown catches in a game.

Eric Weddle was named defensive MVP for the Emerald Bowl. Not only did Weddle take Calvin Johnson out of the game, Weddle also played a little bit of quarterback for the Utes. He ran the ball and also orchestrated a fake field goal while acting as the place holder.

Quinton Ganther's 41-yard touchdown run was the icing on the cake for Utah's bowl outing. Ganther compiled 120 yards on 21 carries, against a Georgia Tech defense that had only given up, on average, 98 rushing yards per game.

The Utes now look toward 2006, where currently they're scheduled to open the season on the road against UCLA. While 2005 wasn't the type of season many Utah players and fans had hoped for, the ending just about made up for it. Now hope has been restored and the eager await for college football's return begins.

Extras:

Photos from the Emerald Bowl.
ESPN Recap.
Salt Lake Tribune Emerald Bowl stories.
Deseret News Emerald Bowl stories.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Emerald Bowl stories.
Official Emerald Bowl website.