Interoduction
Cam Rising and his surgically repaired knee have naturally dominated the conversation surrounding the Utah football team for the past week or so.
And, while his availability is the single most important aspect looming over the team right now, it is far from the only one.
There are numerous other factors that will play a role in the Utes’ ability to improve to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in Pac-12 play this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium, heading into a murderers row portion of the conference schedule that includes three top-10 opponents in a four-week span.
Getting the ground game going
The inadequacies of Utah’s passing attack has, of course, been a major role in the team’s offensive woes.But, according to head coach Kyle Whittingham, the team’s rushing has also been disappointing.
“Certainly not. When asked if it had been as good as he wanted, he said, “Not even close.” “That’s one of the letdowns.” We were missing Ja’Quinden [Jackson] and Charlie [Vincent] last week, as well as Micah [Bernard]. So it’s been Jaylon Glover, and he’s done a wonderful job, but… 5 yards per rush is kind of the bar for what we’re striving for, and we’re not even close.
To make matters worse, the Utes lost another body from the running backs room this week.
“Chris Curry will miss the rest of the season.” “He got hurt on Monday,” Whittingham added. “… Getting the boys back has been extremely difficult. When you get someone back, it seems like you almost instantly lose someone else.”
• As much as Whittingham wants to see the RBs shine, he believes that, aside from the injury situation, their performance is down due to the aforementioned passing inadequacies, which makes their job extremely difficult.
Blocking also need reinforcement.
• Whittingham has stated several times this season that the offensive line needs to become more physical.
This week, he was much more forthright about their work.
“We’ve been pretty mediocre with [pass] protection,” he went on to say.
Given the team’s chronic health issues, that subpar pass protection is unlikely to improve dramatically this week. When asked if Jaren Kump, who was originally scheduled to be a backup guard but was shoved into the starting center job due to Johnny Maea’s injury, will now be the “permanent” center even after Maea’s return, Whittingham stated that as terrific as Kump has been, circumstances simply don’t allow it at this time.
“Not indefinitely. We did get some guys banged up on the offensive line in the last game, so we may have to shuffle the deck again this week,” he said.
• It appears that the front five aren’t the only ones who need to improve their blocking.
“First of all, we’ve got to be great in run-blocking, because if we can successfully run the ball, that opens play-action pass and the throw game and everything else,” the coach added. “And it all begins with the run.” We must have excellent footwork, pad level, technique, effort, and finishing.”
The Rivalry: A Clash of Cultures
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Kyle Whittingham has often emphasized the importance of the Utes continuing to support one another, and for defensive players not to start casting fingers at their offensive counterparts in the midst of their troubles.
The message appears to have been received, as numerous defensive players stated this week that they can do more to put the offense in better positions.
Utah’s head coach is delighted with the team’s solidarity in the face of adversity.
“I think they’ve done a nice job of handling adversity — we’ve had some tough spots through the season, and they seem to have a great attitude and great mentality towards that,” he told reporters. “They worked well together. We’re aware that we’ve played [worse] on O.Wide receiver Devaughn Vele also addressed the topic, and he did it in a very moving way, stating that the team’s recent real-life traumas have made dealing with injuries and a slow offense relatively easy.
“I feel like if [there hadn’t been] the whole situation with Aaron Lowe and Ty Jordan and the adversity that we faced like that, I feel like we wouldn’t handle this as well as we are right now,” Vele went on to say. “I don’t think guys are generally turning against one another. We expect higher performance from everyone. That is what we as a team anticipate. As a result, everyone is pressing everyone, especially on the offensive side. We’ve had extra unit meetings on the side, simply talking about what we need to accomplish. We can’t expect the defense to save us every time.”
FAQs
1.Is this a game in a bigger college football tournament?
Yes, this game is part of the college football season, when teams compete for conference championships and bowl game berths.
2.What is the record of these two clubs in terms of wins and losses?
The Utes and Bears have a close historical record, with both teams having their fair number of victories.
3.Are there any prominent NFL alumni on these teams?
Indeed, both the Utes and the Bears have produced NFL stars who have gone on to have successful NFL careers.
4.How can I acquire tickets to see this game live?
Tickets for the game can be purchased on the official websites of the respective colleges or from authorized ticket brokers.