Utah 2005 preview
Source: Utah 2005 preview
It was, without a doubt, a storybook season.
After several years of sub-par performances and unfulfilled expectations, not to mention decades of standing in the shadow of its rival to the south, the football team achieved nearly unprecedented success, finishing the season undefeated and earning a trip to a major bowl. Of coarse, as a smaller school, not part of one of the major conferences and ranked below several other teams, most knew there was little chance of playing for a national title.
But then, that team lost its bowl game.
Not that it mattered so much, since after that 1979 season, the Florida State University Seminoles went on to become one of the most successful programs ever in Division I football
theres every reason to believe that the groundwork is being laid for Utah to make a push of its own to become an elite football program. (Continuum, summer 2005)
Utah had a great year in football and basketball last year, picking up the #1 pick in both drafts. A great coach and a great offense made waves in the college football chat rooms and sports shows. That coach and a large chunk of that offense have moved on. Can Utah do what FSU did 25 years ago and climb its way into the nations elite programs, or will they fade back into the pack like so many teams before them?
Last year Utah came out shooting on offense, scoring in many quick drives. The defense played aggressively for the ball in the middle of the field, giving up some yards and time with the dividends of one of the best turnover ratios in college ball. They also had one of the best red zone performances to boot, so the yards werent as critical as they could have been. After the game was well in hand (usually midway through the third quarter), Utah used the second string offense to run the time out. Through out the season Utah’s proficient defense remained in the shadows of its unstoppable offense.
With 11 starters returning, the MWC media partners voted Utah as the preseason favorite. Andy Ludwig, the new offensive coordinator, will incorporate Meyers option package into his scheme to utilize the abilities of the players he has. Expect to see a Utah offense with a twist of Oregon and Fresno State thrown in. Ludwig was instrumental in building both of those offenses.
What I expect to see this year is a Utah offense that is slowed down, so the scoring will not be so high. A slowed Utah offense will take more time to drive down the field, actually decreasing the time the other team has the ball. This, along with the closer scores, will keep Utahs defense fresh and motivated to step up and show their metal.
While the offense may be giving up 21 points per game from last year, I feel the defense should gain 10 points per game over last year. The end result is Utah still has 11 points over any team they played last year and no games on their schedule they should lose.
I am as confident in my team this year as I was at this point last year. Last year I expected Utah to finish 10-1, with a good show in the Liberty Bowl as the MWC champion. Although the Liberty Bowl and MWC have ended their previous arrangement, a 10-1 Utah would be a good choice for their at large spot. It worked well last year, so Ill run it again.
GO UTES!
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