Last Season: 13-0, 8-0, Beat Alabama in Sugar Bowl
For established programs like Florida and USC, sustaining national prominence is the name of the game. The are machines, always looking towards the next few years and how they can stay on top. This is why, despite the sometimes overwhelming number of graduates, success is usually not more than a season away.
For smaller BCS schools like Utah, big time national success is often there and gone in a flash. As soon as you realize that yes, you are in the national picture, the seasons over and most of your catalysts have diploma's in their hand. What's underrated about Utah is the relative quickness in which they returned to national prominence after the 2004 season.
Surely you remember the 2004 Utah Utes. Led by Alex Smith and head coach Urban Meyer, the Utes marched towards an undefeated season and a 35-7 smashing of Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. After that season, Smith went on to the NFL and Urban Meyer found a home somewhere where winning a championship is a little bit easier.
But the Utes rebuilt a program that had lost it's architect and best player with relative ease. Last season was eerily similar to the 2004 campaign. They finished 13-0 overall and ran over another surprise team, Alabama, 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl. But with success comes a challenge that is more difficult for a school that plays in the Mountain West conference: sustaining it.
First and foremost, Utah will have to replace their quarterback, Brian Johnson. Last season, Johnson threw for over 2,900 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only 9 interceptions. He was good enough to be on the cover of NCAA 10 for Playstation 3.
The loss of Johnson creates a bit of a controversy at the quarterback position for Utah. While Corbin Louks may get the job initially, many believe that redshirt freshman DeVonte Christopher may have a better skill set for the offense. Although not a large sample size, Louks does have some in game experience. That is sure to give him a little edge. In nine games last season, Louks completed four of his seven pass attempts for 104. However, this sterling resume may not be enough to overlook the outstanding athleticism that Christopher has shown. Given the wide-open nature of Utah's spread offense, I wouldn't be surprised if Christopher gets the not by mid-season.
The uncertainty at quarterback may lead to an even more ferocious rushing attack. Utah returns both running backs who played integral roles in last years run. Matt Asiata ran for over 700 yards and 12 touchdowns. Perhaps one of the most impressive stats for Asiata is that he averaged nearly five yards a carry (4.8). Junior Eddie Wide also returns. Wide averaged 6.1 yards per carry last year.
The Utes are also experiencing a turn over at the wide receiver position this year. With all starting receivers gone, they will have to rebuild at that position. The most experienced receiver returning is Jereme Brooks. Brooks caught 30 passes for 331yards and one touchdown last season. The Utes also caught a break when John Peel was granted a sixth year of eligibility because of injury. Peel has missed almost his entire college career and is a complete toss up regarding his effectiveness. But for a young receiving core, another option is never a bad thing.
The complete overhaul of the passing game is more proof of the importance of Matt Asiata and Eddie Wide.
Defensively, the Utes lost three starters- DE Paul Kruger, CB Sean Smith, and CB Brice McCain. But the defense that allowed just over 17 points per game last season projects to be good again. Fresh off his three sack game in the Sugar Bowl, linebacker Stevenson Sylvester will anchor the defense yet again. Sylvester had 73 tackles on his way to an All-American season last year. If Sylvester's linebaking mate, Nai Fotu is healthy (knee surgery in the off-season), the core in the middle will be a dangerous one.
The secondary can be described in one word: athletic. Safety Robert Johnson was voted the best athlete in the Mountain West conference by the Sporting News.
I think the defense will be fine. The key to the Utes season will be whether or not the passing game can mature quick enough so that the running game doesn't wear down. Playing in the week Mountain West no doubt will help this transition.
3 Game to Watch
September 19th- @ Oregon- Sure, it isn't USC or Florida, but this is the most nationally showcased game the Utes will play. Last year's squad showed in a big way that they can play on a national scale. This year's will get a shot early against a major conference opponent.
November 14th- @TCU- Utah edged TCU 13-10 last season. TCU has a very good defense that could cause problems if the offense isn't as explosive as it should be. If the passing game is not right, this will be a very tough late season game.
November 26th- @ Brigham Young- Three very tough road games this year. BYU quarterback Max Hall is widely regarded as the best quarterback in the country. If Utah has a stumble in the early going, this could be a game with a ton on conference implications.
Jordan Lauterbach
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