What a weird night

Football
1

So, it appears that the Oregon “O”, was surprisingly “forked” by ASU. Didn’t see the game, but if Daniels played, we might have a few stiff challenges from ASU in the coming years…

In the interim, in Tucson…

I’m stunned! I have not seen any video yet, but my impression from watching the game live was that we should have scored 21 more points, and allowed 7 fewer. A 35-7 score is a BIG win; but given the level of “Style Points” expected by the “committee”, we lost this game, both because of point differential and fouls/turnovers/lack of discipline.

Frankly, the end of the first half clock and strategy management, let in a view of a coach, who stepped out of his normal, statistical, sensible game management, and stepped into the weirdo “according to our needs for style points”, mode and made all of the wrong choices.

We needed Oregon to win! We also needed to win at Arizona significantly. Oregon lost, and while our own 35-7 win is more than respectable, if anyone was actually watching at that hour, they were less than WOWWWed , due to the penalties, turnovers, and mistakes.

The real loss tonight is the idea that Oregon AND Utah were top 6/7 teams, and that the winner of their inevitable showdown, was a playoff team. Now, it seams that only Utah is a playoff worthy team, and the foe that we needed to defeat, to push us over the top, just lost and dropped well down in the standings.

We need to win out! We need to beat Oregon in the CC game, and do so significantly.

Tonight’s game was a nice win for the Utes. But the night in the overall standings, leaves a lot to be desired.

I fear, now, that a perfect season from here on out, by the Utes, results in MAX, the Rose Bowl.

As a UTE fan since the 60s, in which a Rose Bowl was a real DREAM, I’ll take it. But we may have just lost a chance at something much bigger.

(*&^%$#@! Ducks!!!

3

I hope the Arizons game will be like the USC loss as a reminder to the Utes to stay focused. They had a little less of the eye of the tiger last night. A 14-0 lead at halftime was underwhelming — it should have been 28-0. It also wasn’t the night for Huntley to throw a bad pick that also cost us points. Simpkins might have run the wrong route, which if true would absolve Huntley but would still show a lack of focus by Simpkins. For whatever reason, the team was just a little “off“ last night.

On the bright side, if they’re going to slip a little, this was the team to do that against. They could get away with a still-solid win, late at night when fewer people were watching, and no injuries. The coaches will help them clean up the mistakes and the team can refocus. The prize is still available.

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4

I wonder how much the chippiness out there last night affected players’ concentration? That needs addressing regardless.

Tonight’s mistakes, Colorado’s win, and the ASU upset should refocus the team. The margin for errors is slim.
Hopefully the Utes didn’t peak a week or three ago.

I were coach we might watch lowlights of Buffalos vs Utes upset the 1st season that kept those Utes out of the championship game. But given this weekend’s results that might be piling on.

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5

I think this Utah team has peaked, but I don’t see them falling off. They are relentlessly confident, and extremely consistent on both sides of the ball. No use worrying about the playoff since we don’t have any say in the matter, but it would be a damn shame if Utah wins out and doesn’t get a well deserved shot at a championship.

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6

Going for a touchdown on 4th and goal is the statistical, sensible game management. The only reason to kick a field goal in that situation is because you think it will look better. You go for the touchdown because it gives you a better chance to win, especially when you have an elite running back.

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7

I was good with the call. Just seemed odd how we didn’t look at the clock and didn’t really show any creativity on the play. Or…we could have just pushed their damn D-line back 1 yard…that would have worked as well. Ah well. Sometimes you take the shot and it doesn’t work. We still won easily, maybe too easily to keep us hungry? So I’m going to worry more about our penalties…that has to get cleaned up fast.

Colorado is going to leave it all on the field next week. So we better take them seriously and come hungry. We cannot afford ANY letdown.

8

Daniels played, threw for over 400 yards against the Duck’s defense (after getting twenty-five yards in Rice-Eccles)

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9

AZ’s TD drive was against Utah’s 2s and 3s. They had 20 yards rushing in that drive, giving them a total of 61 for the game. Whitt is never going RUTS. He’ll pull the players to keep them from injury as opposed to padding stats. IMO it had no impact whatsoever on Utah’s standing in the CFP. Those people pretty much know what they’re looking at and that was a sound beating of AZ. If you aren’t used to this, you better start getting used to it.

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10

The pick is on Simpkins. Whit confirmed in the post game Simpkins ran the wrong route

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11

Good thing Simpkins can’t tackle. With a touchback, Arizona would have been able to open the playbook and maybe make something with that drive.

12

I thought so. It fell too perfectly into the Arizona DB’s hands.

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13

Simpkins has been ok at Utah but seems to make more mistakes than positive plays. When he fumbled a week or two ago at a home game the guy behind me said that Simpkins has more fumbles than touchdowns.

14

Yea I have my doubts. I couldn’t see the whole play on TV, but it looked like the defender was playing inside out, front to back. With that angle not sure any route Simpkins runs to get to that spot would have given him a shot at the ball. Simpkins may have run the wrong route, but I think it was just a better defensive play.