Utes and Zoobs Thread

Football
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We had a lot of chances, but after our max pressure D strategy leveled out, BYU started to assert themselves.

We had them dead-to-rights, selling out and overwhelming the pass pro to keep Ratzleff on the run. Best defensive performance of the year, but really hard to sustain that kind of effort.

Our offense struck early, then struggled as their D found some mojo and the more routine part of executing an offense showed Rose still has some maturing to do.

More than anything, I really savored that our team finally showed some life.

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Regarding the outcome of the game: There were a lot worse outcomes this week.

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The six points off turnovers was what got us. Mistakes came back to bite us. If we lose just one of those miscues, it is a different result. This should be the learning experience. It was great to see the offense show signs of life after looking like road kill in the last four games. Maybe next week they gel some more and become more productive.

Yes, the inconsistencies in the referee’s calls hurt; but honestly should have been expected. We know that even as bad as the PAC referees were, they were at least consistent in the way they called games. This bunch of referees? Their only consistency has been their inconsistency. The learning experience here is never give the referees a shot to snatch you a defeat from the jaws of victory. This is why some coaches run up the score - to slam the door shut on the opposing team and assure their defeat.

The getting home at 1:30am has me pretty messed up today; but overall seeing the game live in person and sharing time with friends never sucks.

Now let’s go ruin Deion’s season and wreck Shadeur’s and Travis’s Heisman hype trains.

GO UTES!!!

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Hats off to interim OC Mike Bajakian. That was an imaginative game plan, some of the blocking schemes in particular gave us an advantage, early.

Considering Rose had exactly zero starts before last night, it was truly excellent preparation.

Xs and Os can be adjusted to, and the gameplan fell off as BYU adjusted, but we haven’t had a 21 point quarter in a looooong time.

Who knows what the future brings, but Bajakian’s extensive experience in the NFL and in B4 paid off. Tough spot to be put in, but a job well done.

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With 26,000 students at the U there must be 1 who can kick the ball through the end zone on a kick off. Give him or her a scholarship. And if your analytics tell you to try to save 5-10 yards by kicking to the goal line—wrong.

#2. At the end of the game when the Y is without time outs & scrambling do not call time out & let them get settled, and then to make it worse they can run a play to get the ball exactly where they want it mid to left hash for a right footed kicker & again you call time out. All to leave yourself 3 seconds??? Some one help Whit do the math.

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Other missed opportunities were Retzlafs 2 fumbles that bounced the wrong way for us and a difficult, yet possible INT by Calhoun on BYU’s last drive.

Oh well.

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I put this on CougarBoard, because it’s cathartic. Or something.

Hi-De-Ho, Fist Rollers!

Just want to say that good teams win games, and it doesn’t matter how they win, they just win. So, props to the Mighty Cougars. They won. And they’ve done it nine times in a row this year. Respect.

None of what follows changes the above. This is solely intended to allow me to keep up my twice a decade posting streak on Cougarboard to maintain my membership status, and also hopefully to whine about stuff in a way that will bother you.

The thing I want to say, as a loyal member of the gang that is the jolliest that you have ever seen, is JUST THAT HOOOOBOYYYYY THAT WAS A SUPER SUCKY WAY TO LOSE A GAME. HOOOOBOY.

I think I’d rather take the beefy five layer treatment than endure that one again.

But the thing I really want to say, and probably just to help you fist rolling navel gazers on Cougarboard understand more about us, your morally superior red-clad brethren, is that, yes, it was a hold.

But, even though it was a hold, I still think it’s a sucky call and I’m still a little testy about it and will be for all eternity, and I’ll tell you why.

It’s the freaking inconsistency of it. I get that refs miss calls - the facemask you all have leaned into like Ted Bundy leaned into leisure suits, or the 15 yarder Utah got on a phantom blindside block on a freaking fair caught punt, or that horrible injustice inflicted on Mark Harlan at the end of the game, or poor Brandon Bradley and his downed knees - I get all that. It happens. Refs are a holes and should never be trusted.

But what makes my hackles burn like the bubonic plague is just the inconsistency. These are not missed calls. These are calls that are entirely out of character of the way the game has been called and that players and coaches have adjusted to. It’s like the ending of Game of Thrones played out on a football field.

The Landon King hold on Utah’s last possession on what looked like a first down, that instead put Utah back in 3rd and 11 on their way to yet another glorious punt, I promise you, even those of you within whom the spirit of the Zoob is the strongest, that you will find at least, AT LEAST, 25 uncalled offensive holds throughout that game that were far more offensive to your life and worldview than that hold called on King.

And the Defensive Hold Heard Round The World, yes, handsy play. But, like, one reason Utah’s offense in the second half was as productive as I was with the ladies at Bountiful High in 1994 (read: shut out) is that your guy Markee Post Collins was as handsy with Saint Dorian Singer on two straight possessions to start the half as Goatnapper was with his wife on his honeymoon. Handsy. Consequential plays, handsy, no flags. And it happened throughout the game, and throughout the season, on both sides last night and on all sides throughout the season, and it just doesn’t get called. So all freaking year these Big 12 refs seem to be down with handsy the same way Greg Wrubell is down with shmarmy - just constant and consistent. Just constant handsy plays by DBs, unflagged, all year long, and for 58 minutes last night.

And then, for reasons known only to Nature herself and also probably to Ron McBride, the mouth breathing ref used his pudgy, smelly little hands to pull out his greasy, bacteria-filled flag and drop it on the sacred turf at Rice Eccles Stadium.

So two big, consequential calls that seemed no more egregious than stuff not called for 58 minutes.

And the best part is, it gives us losers of the game stuff to complain about, rather than just owning up to the fact that good teams win games, and the better team almost always wins the rivalry game, and BYU is a good team and the better team. And I can’t believe I just typed that and I’m on my way to gouge out my eyes with the claw end of a hammer.

So anyway, props to the fist-rollers. Fun night. Legendary game. And, congrats, to you, fans of the Mighty Cougars, as you absolutely lead the nation in at least two important categories:

  1. The highest pitch of any collective fanbase, like your entire group is comprised only of Frankie Valli.

  2. The most gear worn of the correct color that actually isn’t gear and has no discernible BYU ties, but can be worn appropriately in many situations. You are a utilitarian, value-driven bunch, and I salute you.

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Wake me up in about 4 years and 3 months, if you catch my drift.

And if things have really gone sideways, let me continue to sleep peacefully.

Thanx.

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This will be part of rivalry lore from now on. I respect Harlan for taking the hit and standing up for his program. Edit: After cooling down a bit, I wish he hadn’t done it. But I appreciate his willingness to fight for the program.

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I don’t think Mr Harlan helped our global portrait by complaining voiceferously; particularly in these times of political extremis.
The crowd was jet engine loud and the holding call was problematic. It was also problematic to not just get a couple first downs or the pic. 21 points in the first half shoulde be at least 14 more in the second. I love the team, the culture and most particularly the University of Utah, but we lost - and its part of a pattern. As a practitioner of MMA, all it takes is a slip, punch, or kick and it’s a whole new ballgame…
Let’s care for each other. Congratulate the Zoobs and hope we beat Colorado at their home next week and get a bowl game. That game might actually be more important than last night.
That’s really the only way to save an otherwise colossal WTF season.

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Amen, brother!

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We are on the same page.

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No kidding. Not that the Utes winning would have made up for my depressing week, but it would have been a start. Now I’m thinking, what else could go wrong.

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Hopefully, that’ll work.

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A whole lot more can go wrong…
whining after a legit loss does not promote our brand or the actual achievement of academic execellence we have earned.
It’s a game. We lost.
Let’s win next week. Let’s actually win out; and for that matter, win our bowl game for next year.

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I don’t respect what Harlan did or said. I was an emotional response in a highly charged environment. Leaders who make 7+ figures should be above that crap.

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+1,000,000. It was a remarkably bad look and a serious black eye on Utah.

Look, bad calls happen all the time. That was was particularly bad, but wasn’t the entre reason Utah lost. Harlan’s temper tantrum was just such a whiny and juvenile response.

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I’m going to disagree. We’ve never seen anything like that from Harlan before. I like seeing that the fire he showed, and that he has the players and coaches back. I wouldnt be shocked if Harlan told Whitt I’ll speak to the media first and unload and give them a peice of my mind, so you dont have to and risk a suspension.

Is it true that Utah could have won that by making a play or two in the second half - absolutetly.

Is it also true that 99 out of 100 officials dont make that call, especially at that time of the game - definitely.

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I think it was absolutely the wrong call. The game was stolen from us by a flag thrown by a referee not in position to make the call, and inconsistent with how that type of play had been called all game (and season). We also could have earned the victory by making a single play in multiple other circumstances. I am as upset as any other Ute fan by that call.

But Harlan is not an ordinary fan. He is the leader of the athletic department and the public face of Utah athletics. He would punish Whittingham or any player that acted that way in the press conference. He should be leading by example. There are plenty of other ways to show your employees and athletes that you have their backs.

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And now the backpedaling and regret. . .

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