# USC -vs- Utah



## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Awfully quiet around town. I think I can hear the Trojan marching band all the way from Park City.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Looked like SC could run anytime they wanted. Started out with high hopes and then...... -)O(-


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

Heck of better game than I anticipated


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

I am struggling with the Ute defense right now...yeah, I said it, their defense! I know, I know...their offense stinks. But, that is to be expected considering the QB situation (it seems they just don't trust Hays to extend their passing game beyond an occasional deep ball and the dinks and dunks...where's the 10-15 yard pass attempts?). Anyways, their defense has been driving me nuts lately....the Utes have had a ton of success the past several years by playing a lot of tight man-man coverage with one safety over the top. But, I just don't think their secondary is good enough right now to consistently rely on their corners to cover 1-on-1. They are getting torched through the air....their run defense has been adequate, but their pass defense has been poor at best. And, to make things worse, they were getting virtually no pass rush. In my opinion, Kilane and Whit need to mix things up a bit more and start disguising their pass coverages, blitzes, and start throwing in some more stunts. With a QB like Barkley, it was too easy for the Trojans to move the ball up and down the field....besides the two turnovers early in the game, the Utes never did stop USC from moving the ball. I liked what one of the announcers said when he mentioned that the Utes don't move Star around to try and confuse people. Let's face it....for the Utes to win, their defense has to be pretty stellar. Right now, they are the third best defense in the state!


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

wyoming2utah said:


> the Utes have had a ton of success the past several years by playing a lot of tight man-man coverage with one safety over the top. But, I just don't think their secondary is good enough right now to consistently rely on their corners to cover 1-on-1.


The difference is doing that against Mountain West receivers vs. Pac 12. Give Coach Whitt a couple years. He'll get guys that can keep up.

I won't pile on utahutes after a second tough loss. It'll just take time. For their really great span of years, they had Smith and Johnson as QB - something they don't have now. I think the Utes did a GREAT job of recruiting a bunch of guys that would start at Utah, or play second string at places like USC - so the guys just wanted playing time. And the Utah Coaching staff did an excellent job of coaching those guys up to dominate the MWC and put many in the NFL. But now they need to get guys that could start at any other school in the country. Right now they have two, maybe three of those guys (Star and Blechen). But Coach Whitt is a really good coach and will get there. It'll just take a few years to get kids into the pipeline. Hang tough Utahute fan. Don't be like my fellow Cougar fans and think the sky is falling.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

GaryFish said:


> But Coach Whitt is a really good coach and will get there. It'll just take a few years to get kids into the pipeline. Hang tough Utahute fan. Don't be like my fellow Cougar fans and think the sky is falling.


Ouch...you're right! I just realized my comments were similar to all the disgruntled cougar fans after they were beaten by Boise State! Coach Whittingham knows what he is doing...much more so than any of us geniuses in the stands!


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

HighNDry said:


> . I think I can hear the Trojan marching band all the way from Park City.


Had I been in Park City when the Trojan marching band was performing, I would have booed loudly and maybe puked. This gives me another reason to hate Park City...! Park City allowing/having the USC marching band come down main street is almost the same as BYU allowing the Utah State marching band to perform down Orem main street!


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

I don't see Utah doing much more than just competing in the PAC12. They'll win a few but I don't see them ever winning a conference championship. It took them way to long (in the 70's/80's) to catch up to what BYU was doing back then. Still, the fans should be glad that they get to watch some big-time programs roll into RES. It's kind of like the Jazz--they put up some good seasons and make the play-offs a lot--but they will never win a championship. Still, it allows the fans to see some great basketball teams come to ESA.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Until the other ten Pac 12 teams can match the funds expended by USC and Oregon, none of them will compete for the conference title. Oregon's budget is about 5 times that of Utah. Mix that with a School like Utah that is committed to good kids that do good things, I don't believe Utah will compete for a Pac 12 title. Oregon and USC will take any kid, cover up their criminal behaviors, pay them, pay their families, and no matter what the Utes do here with facilities, Oregon's will be newer, better, and include the latest and greatest of everything (ala Nike.) It is not a level playing field.


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