An interesting development...

Ever since the bowl announcements were made, all of the “experts” have been saying that Utah wouldn’t stand much chance against Alabama. One of their main arguments was that Utah’s offensive and defensive lines are much smaller than Alabama’s. Alabama has two first-team All Americans on their offensive line, which provides plenty of time for quarterback John Parker Wilson to make his reads and deliver the ball. They also open up big holes for runningback Glen Coffee to run through. The offensive line plays a huge part in the success of Alabama’s offense.

Well, things just got a little less lop-sided.

All-American left tackle Andre Smith was sent home from New Orleans yesterday and suspended from playing in the Sugar Bowl because of a violation of team rules. He would have gone up against Paul Kruger, the sophomore defensive end who lit up offenses all season. Instead, he’ll be watching the game on Fox Sports like the rest of us.

I have mixed feelings about this. Obviously I’ll gladly take anything that gives the Utes the slightest advantage in this game. Kruger has been preparing for nearly a month to take on Andre Smith. I have to think that all his preparation will be enough to completely overwhelm whoever fills in for Smith. But I can already hear it. Imagine Kruger gets 5 sacks and a handful of tackles for loss. We won’t hear anything about what a great player he is. All we will hear is that Alabama suffered because their star left tackle was out of the game. If Utah wins, the same excuses will be made. So this suspension really cheapens a Utah victory.

Now, that said, a win here would still be a HUGE milestone for the Utah football program. And just because Andre Smith is out, that doesn’t make this an easy victory by any means. It will require a near-flawless performance for Utah to win the game.

Dear Kevin O'Connor :

It has become abundantly clear that the Jazz do not need Carlos Boozer. He is nothing more than a sponge, soaking up more than his share of salary cap space. Over the last 15 games, we have seen Paul Millsap step into the starting role, and he has proven he is ready. No one on the team works harder than Millsap. It would be foolish to let Millsap go in order to keep Boozer around.

Since the Jazz have opted out of Morris Almond's contract at the end of the season, I propose the following trade:

(Screenshot via ESPN Trade Machine)

I have come to realize that what the Jazz lack is a defensive presence in the paint. Millsap is doing a good job, but his size limits his effectiveness against some of the league's premiere centers (O'Neal, Gasol, etc.). Bosh could be the answer. I think this trade equally benefits both teams, and will give the Jazz the spark they need to make a run at the championship.

Sincerely,
Me

Sugar Bowl, here we come!

The BCS Bowls were announced yesterday, and there were no surprises. Utah landed a bid against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Allstate Sugarbowl! The game will be played on January 2nd at the New Orleans Superdome.

This is absolutely the biggest game in Utah football history – yes, even bigger than the ’04 Fiesta Bowl. Alabama is an extremely good team this year. Had they won on Saturday against Florida, they would be playing Oklahoma for the National Title. Their defense is ranked 3rd in the nation. They are fast, and they are HUGE! Their nose tackle, Terrence Cody, is a giant at 6’ 5”, 365 LBS. He is scary. This will be a very tough test for the Utes.

That said, I believe in this team, and I believe in our coaches. I think that we have a very good chance in this game. We’ve seen how explosive our offense can be, and we’ve seen how stingy our defense can be. Kyle has almost a month to get our boys ready (though I'm sure they've been watching Alabama film for a while now, since it was the likeliest scenario) , and I think he’s up for the job.

Roll tide! Roll over and die! Go UTES!!!

Going Bowling!

Ever since dispatching BYU on Saturday, I can't quit thinking about what bowl game Utah will end up in, and who their opponent will be. I was planning on waiting until next week to make this post, but I just can't wait. I'll probably have to post the revised eddition after this week's games have been played. The way I see it, there are basically two options; the Fiesta Bowl, or the Sugar Bowl. Of the two, I'd much rather see the Utes go to the Fiesta. For one, it's played in Arizona so Utah will definitely have more fans there. The Sugar Bowl is in New Orleans. Also, since the Fiesta Bowl picks first this year, it is a more prestigious bowl. Here is the breakdown of both scenarios...

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The Fiesta Bowl:

How do we get there?

The Rose Bowl has a contract with the PAC-10, so their champion ALWAYS will go to the Rose Bowl. The one exception is if the PAC-10 champ is ranked # 1 or # 2 in the BCS at the end of the season, in which case they would play in the National Championship game. So, if Oregon State beats Oregon, OSU wins the PAC-10 and gets the Rose Bowl. That leaves a 1 loss USC team in the At-Large pool. Of course the Fiesta Bowl would snatch them up without the slightest hesitation, thus killing the possibility of the Utes in the Fiesta Bowl. On the other hand, if Oregon State loses, USC wins the PAC-10 and they are obligated to go to the Rose Bowl. With 4 losses, OSU wouldn’t even be in contention for a BCS game, leaving a spot open in the Fiesta Bowl for Utah. A USC loss to Notre Dame this weekend couldn’t hurt anything either.

Who would we play?

This is wide open still. While the winner of the Big-12 will likely play for the National Title, the loser of the Big-12 title game will likely play in the Fiesta Bowl. This could either be Oklahoma, Texas, or Missouri. The Fiesta Bowl could also pick Texas Tech.

---

The Sugar Bowl:

How do we get there?

This one is easy. We are pretty much already slated for the Sugar Bowl, since we would be a more attractive option that either the Big East or ACC champ. If the Fiesta doesn’t take us, the Sugar is almost a guaranteed lock.

Who would we play?

The Sugar Bowl has contractual ties to the SEC. Since the SEC champ will likely play in the National Championship game, the loser of the SEC title game will be picked up by the Sugar Bowl. We would play either Florida or Alabama. While I would LOVE to see the Utes beat Urban Meyer’s team, I think a win there would be quite a long shot. We would stand a better chance against Alabama.

---

So there you have it. Either way, it's a great accomplishment for the Utes. In 2004, we got stuck in the Fiesta Bowl because they had last pick, and we faced a crappy Pitt team. We didn't earn much respect, because everyone expected us to win. This year, it will be different. We will almost definitely be the underdogs in whichever BCS game we play in. A win against a quality opponent in a BCS game would be huge for the Utes.

The anticipation is KILLING ME!!

Victory

48-24. What a great game on Saturday!

Remember when BYU fans were calling Max Hall the “Dark Horse” candidate for the Heisman? HA! Well, on Saturday we saw the Max Hall that shows up when BYU faces a good defense (just like at TCU). He couldn’t do a thing out there – our corners were too good, and our D-Line got pressure on him, forcing him to throw before he wanted to. I reveled in the agony on his face after every pick he threw.

So you tell me: Who’s better – Brian Johnson or Max Hall? Is there even any question?

Johnson was awesome. He completed over 80% of his passes, and every time they blitzed, he responded well and made things happen.

Everyone (myself included) expected this to be a fairly close game. The Utes just dominated the whole way. They doubled up the score on the Team Down South.

A BCS game is now a lock. It’s going to be a long two weeks before the bowl matchups are announced, but no matter where or who we end up playing, I give the Utes a great chance to win.

12-0 baby. 12-0.

Utah Saftey Robert Johnson intercepting a pass from Max Hall.

Bronco saying a little prayer -- asking how such a heathen team would be allowed to beat the Lord's University.

Why don't I like BYU?

Let me just preface this with a disclaimer. I have some good friends who are BYU fans, and we tend to get along just fine (although when one of them picked a fight with my fanatic U-Grad uncle, he got more than he bargained for). I know some really good people who graduated from BYU. Unfortunately, these friends of mine represent a small minority of BYU fans -- those who are not total idiots.

I was having a... discussion... with a co-worker yesterday who is a pretty outspoken BYU fan, and he said to me, "Just answer me this: Why is it that Utah fans just hate BYU so much?" (as if the opposite weren't equally true...) Well, I had to really think my answer through. I didn't want to be rude, or offend my friend. So instead of really answering truthfully, I just kind of side-stepped the question with, "It's just part of being a Ute."

His question got me thinking though. Why do I hate those guys? I'm not entirely sure how much storage space Blogger allows it's users, so I'll just summarize. Here's the top-ten:

• 10 -- It really is just inherent to being a Ute Fan
• 9 -- Having suffered through the majority of the Lavell "Bitter-Beer Face" Edwards era
• 8 -- The term "The Lord's University". Ridiculous, considering the fact that the better part of general authorities over the years have been products of the U of U. FYI, the Lord wears RED.
• 7 -- The term "The Lord's Team". Even more ridiculous. I can't even express how stupid I think that is.
• 6 -- STILL having to hear about the 1984 National Championship. Fine. You won. TWENTY-FOUR YEARS AGO!!! Get over it!! You don't still hear Ute fans talk about beating you guys 20 years in a row from 1922-1942, do you?
• 5 -- BYU fans + media down-playing the rivalry game. They start saying that BYU doesn't care any more about this game than every other game of the season, and that Ute fans are much more invested in that game. This is the new trend. Actually, it becomes trendy every time BYU isn't favored to win. See here for a blatant example. (as I side note, I can't stand the Deseret News)
• 4 -- The phrases "4th and 18" and "Harline is still open in the endzone!" Both were bad enough when they actually happened -- I'd rather not hear about it from every other BYU fan I see.
• 3 -- Austin Collie. Not only is he arrogant, self-righteous, and a bone-head, but he also just makes the Church look bad by bringing insisting on bringing religion into football. I sure hope the rest of the country doesn't base their opinions of the Church on Austin Collie's shining example. I would love to see the Cougars lose on Saturday 100% because of something he did. Tip a pass to one of our corners, fumble the ball after a catch, etc. So much for "living right" if that happens. :)
• 2 -- "The Quest". Great job, Bronco. I know I know, "The Quest was never about an undefeated season". And if you had half a brain it would get lonely. Of course this was how it was going to be seen by EVERYONE ELSE! Too bad it didn't quite work out.
• 1 -- Self-righteous, holier than thou, obnoxious, cocky fans/players/coaches/students. See here, here, here, and here. This guy represents what the majority of BYU fans are like. What's not to hate?

As Saturday aproaches, my anxiety grows. I really do feel confident in my prediction, but I always get pre-game anxiety, and when it's the rivalry game, that starts about a week early. I can't wait!!

GO UTES!!

Rivalry Week

“I don't talk trash, I talk smack. They're totally different. Trash talk is hypothetical, like: Your mom is so fat she can eat the internet. But smack talk is happening like right now. Like: You're ugly and I know it for a fact 'cause I got the evidence right there.” --Kelly Kapuur

As for me, I talk both.

Trash/smack talk is one of the things that makes Rivalry Week so much fun. Bernell, one of our former bishops, is a Ute fan – as red-blooded as they come. He’s somewhere in his late fifties/early sixties. He is usually a quiet, soft-spoken guy, but when it comes to his Utes, he holds nothing back. In priesthood opening exercises, a BYU fan in our ward came and sat by him and commented, “Well, it should be a pretty fun football game next Saturday, eh Bernell?” Bernell’s reply cracked me up. “Well, it’ll be fun for us, ‘cause we’re gonna woop ‘em!”

And so it begins.

I don’t usually make any predictions when it comes to this game. Partly because it tends to be completely unpredictable, and partly because I know that someone (…probably lots of someone’s) will come along and rub it in my face if I’m wrong. But then, wouldn’t I do the same? Of course I would!!! Nevertheless, I have decided to stick my neck out and predict the outcome of this game. My prediction is that it will not come down to a last second miracle play as it has the last two years. Utah will lead going into the 4th quarter, and hang on for a victory.

Utah 30, BYU 21

There, I said it. I could be way off, but that’s my gut feeling. You’ll probably hear more from me this week, since Saturday’s game is pretty much all I can think about.

GO UTES!! Bust the BCS (again)!!!

What are your predictions??

Utes @ Lobos: Highlights / Lowlights

Definitely not the most enjoyable game to watch. I was quite hoarse on Sunday. Nevertheless, we got the "W", and it was enough to move us up to #8 in the BCS poll -- which is awesome.

Highlights:

• Aiona Key blocking the early UNM field goal. I think a lot of people maybe forgot about this spectacular play (which, btw, probably saved us from an overtime situation), but this kid is awesome! He timed his jump perfectly, and he can really get up there. He's got the highest vertical leap on the team. What a stud!
• Louie Sakoda. It will be a sad day in Ute-ville when he graduates. I'm pretty sure we would be somewhere around 6-3 if it weren't for him. Pinning the Lobos about an inch from the goal line -- you just can't punt better than that.
• The hook and lateral on our one TD of the game. I love trick plays -- and, note-to-ludwig, when you change it up every now and then, it usually works!
• Making Rodney Furgussen a non-factor.

Lowlights:

• The O-Line. Granted, UNM blitzed on nearly every snap, and that can wear down an offensive line pretty quick, but come on guys. Johnson gets blamed for making poor choices with the ball, but you've gotta give him some time to make his reads.
• Throwing an INT in the endzone. We let our most productive drive of the game end in a turnover. SO frustrating!! (incidentally, that seems to happen to me quite often on the PlayStation.)
• Where was the option?! We finally started running it against CSU, and it was excellent! This team executes the option (which, IMO, is one of the hardest plays for a defense to sniff out and stop) as good as any team in the NCAA. I only saw us use it ONCE against New Mexico. And in case you were wondering, it got us about 15 yards. What the heck?!
• We did a great job stopping Furgussen, but their Freshman quarterback ran all over us. We just couldn't stop that kid. He was fast. He was hard to tackle. We didn't have an answer. Why does this make me nervous? Because Andy Dalton (TCU's QB) is even better at that game. Yikes.
• There's something I just REALLY didn't get. We returned a punt (or kickoff maybe?) to about the 35 yard line. A couple flags come in. The refs have one of there little ref meetings (which always seem to take longer than I think they should), and then the lead official steps up to call out the penalties. "There are fouls against both teams", he says. "Illegal block in the back on the return team, and a dead-ball personal foul on the kicking team". So I'm thinking, "Ok, it could be worse. They'll back us up 10 yards for the block in the back, and then they'll give us 15 yards for the personal foul." Not so. His little ref buddy comes running over and whispers in his ear, then he comes back on the mic and says, "Correction, both fouls are against the RETURN team." WHAT?! You would have thought his would be clarified during their 5-minute meeting. But then, as if to pour salt in the wound, we get marched back to the 5 YARD LINE! Since when was a block in the back a 15 yarder? Very irritating. End of soap box.

What were your highlights and lowlights?

Bye Week Blues

This happens to me every year. I hate bye weeks. I seriously go through Utah Football withdrawals. In order to keep my mind off the fact that we don’t play again until Nov. 1, I have been trying to focus on the teams that are playing this week. In a perfect world, here’s how it would play out:

*****DISCLAIMER*****
The following does not reflect my actual opinion of who WILL win each game, but simply my opinion of who I would LIKE to see win each game.

#12 Boise St. @ San Jose St.

If SJ State can pull off an upset in this game, that would ease my mind a little. I actually really like BSU, but if they are our toughest competitor as far as crashing the BCS goes. They play in a very weak WAC conference, so there aren’t many teams with even a slight chance of beating them. SJ State is one of them.

#8 Texas Tech @ #23 Kansas

The obvious pick here is Kansas. A loss to Kansas would probably allow us to jump Texas Tech. Kansas would definitely go up in the polls, but it’s unlikely that they would rise high enough to jump us.

#4 Oklahoma @ Kansas State

Rule Number One: Any time a high-ranked team is playing an un-ranked opponent, an upset is the best case scenario. Good luck Wildcats.

# 10 Florida vs. Kentucky

See rule number one. Go… Wildcats.

#21 BYU vs. UNLV

Eh... I don't really care. A win for BYU won't push them up in the polls unless some teams ahead of them lose, which would also move Utah up. I mean, I love seeing the Cougars lose, but it would help Utah a little if BYU was still at least ranked when we play them in November. So, Rebels, Cougars, fight it out amongst yourselves.

#1 Texas vs # 6 Oklahoma State

This is going to be a good game. I am rooting for Texas in this one, and I hope it’s a blow-out. Why? Because an OK State loss might be enough for Utah to jump them. Admittedly not an extremely likely scenario, but it could happen.

#7 Georgia @ # 13 LSU

I’m going with the Georgia Bulldogs on this one. An LSU win would propel them past Utah in the rankings. (Although, it would probably also drop Georgia below Utah at the same time, thus leaving us exactly where we are now.) Scratch that. I don’t care who wins this game.

# 16 South Florida @ Louisville

As per rule number one, I’ll be rooting for Louisville.

# 14 TCU vs. Wyoming

This is an important game for Utah’s strength of schedule. A loss to Wyoming would be devastating to TCU’s credibility. I actually don’t even mind if TCU jumps Utah in the polls between now and November 6th. It will only help us as long as we beat them. Go Frogs.

# 15 Missouri vs. Colorado

Rule number one gives Colorado my support in this one.

# 2 Alabama @ Tennessee

See rule number one. Go Volunteers! (as a side note, I beat the Tennessee Volunteers 67-7 in the Sugar Bowl last night. Gotta love NCAA football for PS2.)

# 3 Penn State @ # 9 Ohio State

Here again, I’m hoping for a blowout win. I’m going with Penn State in this game. If they blow out the Buckeyes, we could potentially jump OSU.

# 6 USC @ Arizona

As per rule number one, Arizona gets the nod. Although, this game also has implications towards Utah. If USC loses, Oregon State’s win over them looks less impressive, and so does our win over Oregon State. HOWEVER, it would also give Oregon State the opportunity to win the PAC-10, so that would make Utah’s win over them seem pretty good.

So there you have it. If I could decide the outcome of this week’s games, that’s how it would all play out. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Utes Stuff

Oh man, I’ve got so much to say right now. I shall do so briefly:

1. Thank you TCU. That was definitely the most enjoyable game I have watched this season, that didn’t feature the Utes. See, a lot of people said they wanted the U and the Y to be undefeated come 11/22, but my heart was never in it. Now, the Utes still have a quality ranked opponent on the schedule (TCU), and I don’t have to listen to any more ridiculous notions of BYU going to the BCS National Championship game (although, there are still incredibly naive cougar fans who think that BYU is going to a BCS bowl game. See here – no wonder they call themselves “Cougar Crazies”). Anyway, thanks again Horned Frogs. We shall beat you on Nov. 6th, and I will be there on row 9 in the Red Zone to watch it happen.
   
   
2. I found this really cool Utes blog. Check it out here.
   
   
3. The first official BCS rankings were released on Sunday, and the Utes are ranked at # 11 right now. You know what that means? It means a guaranteed BCS game as long as we win out. That’s pretty freakin’ awesome. The first school to bust the BCS will likely be the first school to do it twice!
   
   
4. So, I know there’s still a lot of football to be played, and this is just estimation right now, but CBS Sports released their latest bowl predictions. If you followed the link, then you know why I am so excited by this. They are predicting Utah vs. Florida in the All-State Sugar Bowl. Why is this significant? Because Urban Myer, the coach of the 2004 Utes (which went undefeated and played in the Fiesta Bowl), jumped ship after that season and went to coach the Florida Gators. How big would that be if Utah could go into the Sugar Bowl and beat their former coach?! That would be SO awesome! I seriously hope this happens. I know there’s no way to really predict right now, but it really got me excited.
   
   
5. So, we’ve got a bye this week, and I hope we use it well. We need to prepare for New Mexico – the Lobos looked good against BYU, and they absolutely massacred San Diego State (70-7). I know the Utes are leagues above SDSU, but still, that game was just unreal.
   

Ok, that’s all for now. GO UTES!!

Utah vs. Oregon State -- 10/2/2008

There was a lot of hype surrounding this game. The Beavers had just knocked of USC, previously the # 1 team. Running back Jaquizz Rodgers rushed for 180+ yards in that game, and scored 2 TD's. This made them a much more legitimate opponent for the Utes and their strength of schedule.

RECAP: The Utes did not look anywhere near as sharp as I hoped they would at the beginning of the game, but still held a 20-15 lead going into half-time. They allowed a quick score by OSU to start the third, making the score 21-20. Neither team scored again in the third. In the fourth quarter Jaquizz Rodgers broke loose on a big run, going all the way to about the 3 yard line. They scored the touchdown momentarily, making the score 28-20. At this point there was only about 2 minutes left in the game. And that's when it happened. The Utes took less than a minute to complete an 80 yard scoring drive, making the score 28-26. They of course went for 2 points. Their first attempt failed as a result of a pass interference on the part of OSU. On the second try, Brian Johnson ran the ball in for 2 points. Tie game. OSU then displayed the most ridiculous use of clock I've seen. They used about 23 seconds on three passing plays (thus stopping the clock each time). Utah got the ball back with plenty of time to win the game. They moved the ball up the field, and when they were satisfied, they let the clock run down to 2 seconds and took a time out. Sakoda came in and knocked the 38 yard field goal straight down the middle of the uprights, and it was all over. Eleven points in about 2 minutes of football. So that's the story, in case you missed it.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Defense. Our defense spent WAY too much time on the field, particularly during our abismal 3rd quarter. Still, they kept OSU from running away with the game and did a great job out there.
• TD pass from Johnson to Freddie Brown. I'm not sure if there was anyone within 15 yards of Brown when he caught that pass. He was literally standing still in the back of the endzone and didn't even have to move to catch the ball. That's when you know they bought into the misdirection.
• Battling back from what seemed like an impossible situation at the end of the game.
• Sakoda. I don't need to say anthing more here. He is the man.

LOWLIGHTS:

• Andy Ludwig (utah's offensive coordinator). Can we say PREDICTABLE?? I swear at one point, Whittingham was glaring straight up at Ludwig in the booth. This guy needs to shape up if he wants to have a job next year.
• Brian Johnson. This guy just plain had a rough night. 1 int and 2 fumbles. He single-handedly spotted OSU 14 points. I have to admit, I was begging for Louks or Manis during that third quarter. Still, Johnson semi-redeemed himself during that amazing comeback.

So we remain undefeated on the season. We've got Wyoming @ Laramie this weekend, and I think it will be interesting to see what happens after last years 50-0 beatdown. I'm not terribly worried, seeing as how Wyoming is worse than the Murray Spartans, but still... any given Saturday...

GO UTES!

Utah vs. Weber State -- 9/27/2008

Let me just set the record straight...

I am tired of people making a big deal over the fact that Weber State scored 3 touchdowns against Utah on Saturday. Mostly it's people who weren't at the game. Since it wasn't televised, unless they listened to it on the radio (unlikely), they do not know how the game played out. I was there, so please allow me to tell you.

The score was 34-7 near the end of the 3rd quarter when Coach Whittingham decided to pull his starters. Utah played the rest of the game with our 2nd units on offense and defense. The offense moved the ball ok, and put up another 3 points. The defensive 2nd unit, however, was not as good. SO, it was in the 4th quarter, against our 2nd string, with the game well in hand, that Weber scored 2 of their 3 touchdowns. Another point that I'd like to make is that the officials basically gift-wrapped Weber's third touchdown on a pass-interference call that was completely ridiculous. If not for that call, Weber would have had to settle for a field goal.

In a public forum that I read, some Cougar fans commented saying, " How much more out of focus can you get than to let a D-2 school score 3 TD's on you?" Idiots. First of all, Weber is not a D-2 school. They are Division I-AA. Kind of like, oh, I don't know, Northern Iowa for example. Are the Cougars really that much better, having let NIU score 2 TD's and a field goal? And, I might mention that this occurred against BYU's starters -- not their 2nd unit.

Ok, so that's my soap-box -- like it or not.

Thank you Oregon State!

Well, Utah’s “Strength-of-Schedule” points just increased! Oregon State knocked off # 1, USC last night by the score of 27—21. Who do we play next Thursday? That’s correct – Oregon State. That makes them a much more legitimate opponent for Utah.

Last year we opened our season at Oregon State. Things were rolling, and the Utes were looking pretty good. Then, a couple of major players went down with injuries, and the game collapsed. I wish we had been deeper last year, because those injuries really changed how the rest of our season played out. We’ve got them at Rice-Eccles this year, and hopefully we can get a victory. Let’s just hope they don’t break Asiata’s leg again, or jack Brian Johnson’s shoulder...dam Beavers. (get it?)

My Inner Conflict...

Now, I am conflicted. I have ALWAYS rooted against BYU no matter who they are playing. This is largely due to the fact that I can’t stand smug BYU fans*. But I am torn because Utah only has 2 ranked teams on their schedule: TCU (currently # 24) and BYU (currently # 11). If TCU loses this week (likely-- see below), that only leaves the Cougs. If they lose a game, Utah won’t have ANY ranked opponents. This would greatly lessen Utah’s chances at busting the BCS (aka Bull-Crap-System). So, as much as it PAINS me to do so, I hope that BYU remains undefeated** until the November 22nd faceoff. I won’t object, however, to seeing the Cougs barely squeak out a couple of games in the mean time. That could at least shut some mouths.

A key game for the MWC and Utah’s strength-of-schedule will take place this Saturday when TCU takes on #2 Oklahoma University. IF by some miracle, TCU can go in and win that game, that would be huge. Of course it wouldn’t do the Utes any good if we don’t beat TCU later this season. Still, here’s hoping the Horned-Frogs can go in and get the upset-of-the-year!

* Please note that this does not include ALL BYU fans -- just smug ones. There are many Y fans that are great to talk sports with, and don't give off that arrogantness that really gets under my skin. Pat, for example, is the kind of BYU Fan that I have no problem with.

** UNLESS Utah loses a game, in which case, I will go back to my old ways of hoping BYU loses every game they play.

Catching Up

This blog has been dormant for quite some time… I’d be surprised if anyone still reads it. I have been so busy with school this semester that I haven’t had time to update it. Lucky for you (if there is a “you”), I have some down-time at work today, and I left my Business Law book at home. So, without any further ado, a recap of Utah’s season thus far:

August 30 – @ Michigan: Utah Wins 25-23

Highlights:

• Utah beat Michigan and broke into the Top 25
• Matt Asiata

Lowlights:

• Utah BARELY beat Michigan after letting a substantial lead dwindle in the second half
  Utah’s final possession, in the red-zone (for my full opinion on this, read here)

September 6 – vs. UNLV: Utah Wins 42-21

Highlights:

• Avenging our embarrassing loss from last season
• Matt Asiata THROWING a touchdown pass
• Brian Johnson’s 60+ yard rushing touchdown

Lowlights:

• UNLV’s first drive – it looked like Frank Summers might run all over us again
• The offense had a lousy first half

September 13 – @ Utah State: Utah Wins 58-10

Highlights:

• Blow-out victory
• Matt Asiata taking direct snaps (this almost guarantees the Utes a 6+ yard gain, often even more)

Lowlights:

• Punt returns! A botched punt return gave USU their only touchdown of the game. Subsequent punt returns weren’t any better

September 20 – @ Air Force: Utah Wins 30-23

Highlights:

• Beating our toughest opponent so far this season
• Getting a Safety – this is always a sign that the defense is doing a great job.
• Darrell Mack – 101 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns -- Mack is back!
• Holding Air Force to 53 rushing yards. Anytime you can shut-down the running game against Air Force, you will win. Period.

Lowlights:

• TURNOVERS! Brian Johnson had some struggles, but the O-Line is also responsible. They need to protect him better, and he needs to be smart enough to get rid of the ball when protection breaks down.
• Sakoda missing 2 field-goals. I don’t know if this has EVER happened in his career. I don’t blame him though. The offense put him in a terrible position for both of them, and he was kicking into a crazy wind. He’s still the man.

Utah is sitting at # 17 in the nation right now, and they remain undefeated so far. We’re off to our best start since the legendary 2004 season. I hope we can keep it up.

Season Opener

Well, Utah Football has officially begun, which means this blog will cease to be neglected as it has been all summer long!

Utah beat Michigan today by a score of 25-23. Utah dominated most of the game, but they let Michigan come back on them in the 4th quarter. I was really please with how we played (most of the time...). Utah faced some adversity at the hands of the officials. I can't remember EVER seeing Utah get hit with so man penalties.

The thing that was disappointing to me was the very last possession of the game. Utah took over on about Michigan's 15 yard line with 2:35 left. Instead of even TRYING to score, they opted to run laterally and just run down the clock. They ran all four downs that way. In all, they lost about 20 yards on the possession -- intentionally. I just think that the coaching staff showed a total lack of confidence in the players, and it was a cowardly way to finish the game. And they should have at VERY least kicked the field goal (which, for Sakoda, would have been a drop in the bucket).

Oh well, a win's a win. And this one was a pretty big one.

Bring on the Rebels!

I Can't Wait!!

So, I'm pretty much on Utah Football's official site just about every day. I also read all of the articles in the Tribune about the Utes (deseret news, not so much). I can't help it. I get this way every year. In less than a month, football season will begin!

I can't wait!!!

That is all.

Round 1:

Well, the regular season is over, and the Jazz find themselves in the exact same situation as last year – Fourth seed (due to winning their division), no homecourt advantage, and opening the playoffs in Houston. (incidentally, my bracket prediction wasn’t even close… wishful thinking, I guess)

I’m hoping that the Jazz can do it in 5 or 6 games this time around. A seven game series is tiring. Not to mention that if the Jazz win in round 1, they’ll almost certainly face the Lakers in round 2. And I’m betting on a Lakers sweep of Denver, which would mean the Lakers would get plenty of rest if the Jazz / Rockets series goes long. Let’s hope that Denver’s dirty duo (Carmelo and K-Mart) do a little damage to the Lakers in that series. I’m kidding. Kind of.

In order for Utah to beat Houston, a few things will HAVE to happen. The keys to a Jazz victory (in my opinion) include, but are not limited to:

• Run your offense: In Monday’s game versus the Rockets, the Jazz started out a little shaky. Houston was forcing them into jump shots and taking them out of the paint. The Rockets defend very well against the 3 point shot, so the Jazz can’t fall back on that as a crutch. They must play through the paint. Pick and Roll.
  
  
• Contain McGrady: Tracy McGrady burned the Jazz badly in their home-opener this season, scoring 47 points. On Monday, he started off the game on pace to do it again scoring 10 in the first quarter. Brewer was in foul trouble early and McGrady was getting whatever shot he wanted. The Jazz were able to hold him scoreless in the second quarter, however, and he finished with 22 points on the night. McGrady IS the Houston Rockets, now that Yao is out, and he must be stopped.
  
  
• Rebounds: The Jazz out rebounded the Rockets 50-38 including 16 offensive boards. This gave the Jazz a huge advantage one second (or third… or fourth… or fifth) chance points. That said, they really had to battle for many of those. Scola is an animal on the glass, and they will have to work hard to keep him off the boards.
  
  
• Bench Production: The Utah Jazz have one of the most productive benches in the league. Harpring and Korver provide energy and physical play. It was Korver who iced the Jazz’s victory in Houston this season with some clutch 3-pointers in the fourth, yet he is a streak shooter. Let’s hope he’s on a hot streak. Harpring beats the crap out of people battling for position. He had 9 rebounds on Monday against the Rockets. Millsap blocked 3 shots and had some incredible plays. The one I’m worried about is Price. When Deron Williams leaves the game, there is a tangible drop in the teams energy. Price will really have to step up his play.

So there you have it. It will be a tough series, but I really believe the Jazz are the better team. They’ll have to steal a game on the road, but they’ve already won there once this season. Go Jazz!!

Season Finale

So much is still at stake tonight as the Jazz take on the San Antonio Spurs. With the Western playoff race ever tightening, a win tonight would guarantee the Jazz the number 3 seed in the West, along with homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs (not to mention, it would break a forever-long streak of consecutive losses @ San Antonio). A loss tonight would mean that the Jazz stay at the fourth seed minus homecourt advantage in the first round (unless by some miracle Houston and Phoenix both lose tonight).

Although a million different scenarios are still possible, here is how I think (and hope) it will all end up:

{Click Image to Enlarge}

In order for this to happen, tonights games must play out as follows:

• New Orleans beats Dallas
• Denver beats Memphis
• Utah beats San Antonio

None of those is a long shot, and I think that this bracket highly favors the Jazz. It puts us as far away from playing the Lakers as possible, and gives us a fairly easy road to the conference final, while making the Lakers' path much more difficult.

So it all comes down to tonight. Go Jazz!!

2 Down, 4 To Go!!

The Jazz have played excellent defense in their last two games. They held San Antonio to just 64 points on Friday, and last night they held New Orleans to 66. In these two games, the Jazz have completely validated what Sloan has been saying all year – if you want to win, you have to play defense. Especially last night against the Hornets, when the Jazz didn’t have a particularly good night offensively, they were still able to handle the Hornets without any trouble because of the caliber of defense they played. With the playoffs right around the corner, it’s definitely a good sign to see the Jazz stepping up their defensive game – especially on the road like last night.

The Jazz have 4 regular season games left:

• 4/10 @ Dallas
• 4/12 vs Denver
• 4/14 vs Houston
• 4/16 @ San Antonio

Every game is so important in this tight Western Conference race. The Jazz can’t afford to lose even one if they want to secure home-court advantage at least for the first round of the playoffs. Let’s hope they win them all!

Missing Memo

(Isn't this an awesome picture?!)

I have come to an indisputable conclusion: We NEED Mehmet Okur. Here are a few stats to support my point:

1. Memo has missed 10 games this season due to injury / illness. The Jazz have gone 4 - 6 in those games.


2. The Jazz are 20 – 7 when Memo scores 15 or more points.


3. The Jazz are 15 – 4 when Memo has 10 or more rebounds.


4. The Jazz are 15 – 3 when Memo has a double-double.

He brings a dimension to the Jazz that very few teams have. There aren’t many players his size that have such a good outside jump-shot. That is extremely valuable to the Jazz. He stretches opponents’ defenses. If he is out on the perimeter, the other team has to put someone on him – thus opening up the lane for Williams to penetrate or pass to Boozer in the low post. I really hope he is better soon. We need him at full strength for this final stretch.

The Home Stretch

It’s crunch time. The Jazz only have 11 regular season games left. That means they have 11 games to try and push themselves to the top of the Western Conference and secure home-court advantage for the playoffs. Here is my expert analysis of the situation :

Things that could help the Jazz:

1. 7 of their remaining games are home games, and the Jazz have the best home record in the NBA (29-4).
2. 4 of their remaining games are against Sub-500 teams.
3. Dirk Nowitzki suffered a major injury against San Antonio last night. Dallas being one of our tougher road games, this might give the Jazz an edge.
4. Their schedule is spread out – they will only play one more “back-to-back”. All other games will have at least one day of rest between them.

Things that could hurt the Jazz:

1. The Jazz still have to play the San Antonio Spurs twice. Their last game of the regular season is against the Spurs and will be played at San Antonio.
2. The Jazz’ last 6 games are against Western playoff contenders.
3. 4 of their remaining games are against Sub-500 teams (notice how this one made both lists…)

Here’s another random fact… The LA Lakers are in position to end up as the number one seed in the West (darn Lakers... I hate those guys!). The Golden State Warriors are in position to finish at number 8. If that happens, the Lakers will play the Warriors in the first round. Why is this significant? Because the Warriors seem to be one team that has the Lakers number this year. They have won all three matches so far, and they will play again tonight. Could the Warriors end up doing everyone a favor by eliminating the Lakers in the first round? Hey, they did it to the Mavs last year… We’ll have to wait and see. In the words of our beloved broadcaster, Craig Bolerjack, "BUCKLE UP!!"

Good luck Jazz! Here’s hoping we finish off the season 11-0!

The Problem With the MWC Tournament...

The Utes beat the Lobos 82-80 in overtime last night, so they will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face # 2 seeded UNLV tonight at 10:00. Good Luck UTES!!!

The other semi-final game will be played between BYU and San Diego State. (Go Aztecs!)

So here's my gripe. Since the Mountain West Conference was formed nine seasons ago, the Men's Basketball tournament has been held at the Thomas & Mack Center (home of the UNLV Rebels) six times -- this season being the sixth. Six out of nine seasons. And the plan is to continue to hold the tournament there every year. Of the five tournaments that have been played on their home court, the UNLV Rebels have appeared in the tournament final four times. They have won two conference championships.

How is this fair to the other 8 teams in our conference? Having the home crowd behind you, playing in the same gym you have practiced in all season, and NOT being road-weary are major advantages. Is it any wonder that UNLV has the best overall record in the tournament?

Why couldn't they move the tournament every year, and just cycle through all 9 schools? It just bothers me that they get home court advantage EVERY year in the tournament.

MWC Tournament

With March Madness coming up, the Utes' only shot at an NCAA Tournament berth would be to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament -- and they'll have their work cut out for them.

Tonight, the Utes face off against the number three seeded New Mexico Lobos. Utah lost both regular season meetings against the Lobos -- first in New Mexico (77-67 OT) and then in Salt Lake (72-71). In Salt Lake City, a made free-throw put New Mexico up by three with under 10 seconds left. The second free throw missed, and the Utes got the rebound. Tyler Kepkay pushed it up the court, but thinking the Utes were only down by two, he drove all the way to the basket for the buzzer-beating shot. Had he pulled up for the three-pointer, who knows?

The Utes have struggled in conference play this season, after going 10-4 in non-conference matches. However, don't count them out just yet. Eight of their nine conference losses were decided by single digits. They can play extremely well -- their fault is inconsistency.

The Utes tip-off at 9:30 PM on The Mtn. (my LEAST favorit sports network). Good luck Utes!

All-Star Break Blues

Since the All-Star Break, the Jazz have played four games. Even though they have won two of those, their level of play has been pretty poor. Both losses came on the road, but against sub-500 teams. Last night they lost to Minnesota – the worst team in the West. They just aren’t playing with the intensity that they were before the break.

With the West as tight as it is this season, the Jazz really can’t afford to lose these games. They are only two and a half games ahead of Denver in the Northwest Division. With two tough games coming up this week – Detroit tonight and New Orleans on Friday – I am hoping the Jazz can find the spark they need.

The Jazz beat the Pistons in November, and that was on the Road. Tonight’s game is here at the ESA where they hold the NBA’s best home record (24-3). I just hope our boys don’t fall into the same slump they were in throughout December. They are a much better team than this.

D-Will's Got SKILLS!

Deron Williams set a new record in the Playstation Skills Challenge, completing the course in 25.5 seconds. What made it even sweeter? In the final round of the competition, it came down to Deron and rival Chris Paul. No matter how much they are compared to each other, Deron is consistently a MUCH better player when the two are competing head-to-head. Take a look at Deron's record-breaking run through the obstacle course :

10 Game Streak!

The Jazz have won ten games in a row for the first time since 1999, and they are showing no signs of slowing down. Let's look at a few factors that have contributed to the Jazz's recent success...

1. The Kyle Korver trade. In my opinion, this was one of the best moves the Jazz have ever made. It has been compared to the trade that brought Jeff Hornacek to the Jazz in February of 1994 (coincidentally, he also came from the 76ers). Kyle is a pure shooter, and he is really starting to find his rythmn with the Jazz. In the last three games, he has scored an average of 20.3 points, including 27 in last night's overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets. He has become one of Utah's top scorers, and he has provided a solution to the difficulties the Jazz were having against the zone defense. Nice work, Kevin O’Connor!
   
2. Deron Williams' improved game. Deron has always been one of the best point guards in the league, but recently he has stepped up his game another level. Over the 10 game win-streak, he has averaged 18.4 points and 11.6 assists per game. He had back to back 29 point, 11 assist games agains New Orleans and Denver. And not only is he consistently putting up big numbers, but he is coming through when it is crucial. His 3-pointer at the end of the 4th quarter sent the game into overtime. Without that shot, the Jazz would have lost to the Nuggets and slipped from the top spot in the Northwest conference. I don't care what anyone says -- he IS an All-Star.
   
3. A balanced effort. The Jazz are playing more as a team. They are consistently getting high production from their bench, and usually have at least 8 players in double figures. Before, the Jazz were seen as a two man show: Williams and Boozer. So the way teams handled us was by packing the defense into the middle to shut down Boozer and force us to take outside shots. But now, with Korver, Okur, and Kirilenko shooting the jump shot so well, our opponents are no longer able to do that. Even when Boozer is having an off night -- which all players do, no matter how good they are -- the Jazz are able to compensate. Boozer has been held under 10 points twice during the win streak, but the Jazz have managed wins regardless.

Those are just a few of many reasons why the Jazz are the hottest team in the NBA right now. I hope all of those fair-weather Jazz fans who jumped off the band-wagon in December are feeling lame now. It will be fun to see how long they can keep this streak going!

Jazz vs Spurs

Well sorry it took so long to post my recap. It was a great game! The jazz won it 97-91. The Jazz are currently on an 8 game win streak, and they will look to make it 9 tonight agains the New Orleans Hornets. Enjoy the highlights!

Jazz vs Spurs Preview

*Flashback*

On December 7th, the Jazz seemed to do everything right... but it wasn't quite enough.

The Jazz out rebounded the spurs by 4. They outscored them in the paint 54-20. They held the Spurs to 43.8% shooting. They shot at a 54.2% clip. Boozer and Williams had 28 points apiece. Boozer had 17 rebounds and Williams had 10 assists. And somehow, the Spurs managed a 6 point win.

The Jazz led the entire game, though admittedly, it was a slim lead. The Jazz, however, could not finish out the game, and the Spurs pulled ahead in the fourth quarter.

*End of Flashback*

Hopefully the home court will give the Jazz that extra push they need to get a win over the Spurs tonight. In that December game, Tim Duncan was out with an injured foot. He's back and in proper form, which could significantly cut Boozer's productivity.

Kyle Korver is coming off his best game with the Jazz this season, and the Jazz will look to him to help match the outside shooting of this Spurs team.

It will be a difficult one, but tonight's game is a must-win. What's at stake? Well, the Northwest Division is VERY competitive this season. The Jazz are tied with the Blazers, and both teams are a half game behind the Nuggets. Denver will play the red-hot New Orleans Hornets tonight, who have won 8 straight games, and are currently leading the Western Conference. Therefore, if the Jazz win tonight, and the Nuggets lose tonight, the Jazz will finally find themselves on top of their division, and on their way to a playoff seed. Of course, it's still too early in the season to be speculating on such things... still.

Rockets Failed to Launch

The Jazz won their second straight road game last night beating the Houston Rockets 97-89. It was a low scoring game for the Jazz. Both teams shot a miserable percentage, although the Jazz improved in the second half.

There wasn't much to highlight in this game. Korver definitely came through when we needed him, by hitting two three pointers in the fourth quarter to give the Jazz an eleven point lead.

Boozer, coming off a spectacular game against the Kings, had a poor shooting night, and went only 4-14. He finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Their win last night makes four in a row for the Jazz, and they'll go for number 5 at home tonight versus the San Antonio Spurs.

Jazz Ruled over Kings

Carlos Boozer led the Jazz with 33 points in this high scoring shootout with the Sacramento Kings. Boozer went 13 for 13 from the field until missing a reverse layup in the final second of the third quarter. This passed the Jazz's franchise record of consecutive shots hit, which was previously held by Karl Malone who converted 12 of 12 on two seperate occasions.

Andrei Kirilenko also had a great game posting 25 points including three 3-pointers. He also had 6 assists and 4 blocked shots. Everyone expected him to have a great game after getting into early foul trouble and going scoreless agains the LA Clippers on Monday.

Deron Williams ran the offense with to perfection. He tallied 16 points and 14 assists without commiting a single turnover.

The Kings held on right until the end. Ron Artest, who made an absolute fool of himself, was ejected from the game with two technical fouls. He made a ridiculous display of poor sportsmanship, and the crowd booed him througout the entire game. When he was finally sent to the locker room, the Energy Solutions Arena errupted with deafening cheers.

Reggie Theus also got himself T'd up. I'm still not sure what he was upset about. An offensive foul had just been called against Matt Harpring. The official was giving the Kings the ball to pass it in, when Theus marched out onto the court and earned a technical foul. Korver converted on all three technical free throws.

So the Jazz won it 127-113. That makes 3 wins in a row, and they'll go for the 4th tomorrow in Houston.

And now, I present my highlights reel, including my pick for "Play of the Game":

I chose that play because it got nearly everyone involved, and it shows one of the biggest keys to the Jazz's success: DEFENSE! Solid defense leads to easy baskets. This play shows that.

Jazz vs. Kings Preview

Before playing the Kings on December 4th, the Jazz were off to a great start at 13-5. Since then, they are 11-13. They lost to the Kings 117-107 in Sacramento, and that loss was the first of six consequtive losses. The Jazz, however, seem to be figuring things out. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games (could this have anything to do with the Kyle Korver trade?), and picked up their first road win since December 21st on Monday against the Clippers.

The Jazz also have one of the most impressive home court records in the NBA at 17-3. In November, they beat the Kings 117-93 at Energy Solutions Arena.

The Kings were without star point guard Mike Bibby in both matches against the Jazz this season. Since returning from his injury, Bibby is averaging 15.4 points and 4 assists per game. He is also averaging a field goal shooting percentage of 78.6 and a 3-Point shooting percentage of 48.0. While these numbers a still a hair under his career average, he seems to be near 100%.

Tip-off is at 7:00 PM on KJZZ. Come back later for post-game comments and highlights, including my pick for play of the game.