College Football
Utes Flying Under the Radar
Most of the Pac-12 coverage this offseason will likely center around perennial powerhouses like Stanford, Oregon, and USC. Schools like Washington and Arizona will get attention because of their star quarterbacks, Jake Browning and Khalil Tate. But one dark horse team to keep an eye on is the University of Utah Utes.
The Utes have never won a Pac-12 title, having only been in the division since 2011, and they are coming off a down year. In 2017 they barely earned bowl eligibility, getting their requisite 6th win in the final week of the regular season against Colorado. They won their bowl game in a blowout, but it was against an undermanned West Virginia squad. The Mountaineers were without their star quarterback due to injury.
Some of the teams that have recently been tough to beat in the Pac-12 may take a step back due to the loss of major stars to the NFL. Washington State, UCLA, and USC lost star quarterbacks Luke Falk, Josh Rosen, and Sam Darnold, and Oregon lost star running back Royce Freeman. Nevertheless, due to this and a number of other factors, Utah has a real chance to bounce back and unseat defending champion USC for the Pac-12 title.
Close Games
Though the Utes finished with a poor 3-6 record against other Pac-12 teams, they lost a number of close games that could have gone either way. Also, They lost to eventual champion USC by 1 point on a failed 2-point conversion as time expired. Additionally, they were defeated by Stanford and Washington by 3 points each in games that went down to the wire. If just a few plays had gone differently in these games against elite teams, the Utes’ season would have looked quite impressive.
Last Year’s Young Team
The 2017 NFL Draft left the Utes with a very young roster last season. Utah had a school record 8 players drafted by NFL teams, including star players Garett Bolles and Marcus Williams. All-American defensive end Hunter Dimick also signed with a pro squad after the season. This exodus of talent required young players to step up in 2017, and as a result very few key contributors graduated or were drafted.
Returning Talent
Junior quarterback Tyler Huntley returns as a potential rising star. He battled injuries in his first year as a starter, but still managed to pass for 2,471 yards and rush for another 537 in just 10 games. If he takes another step forward in 2018, he could become the driving force in a potent offense.
Another returning star is running back Zack Moss. As a sophomore last year he rushed for 1,173 yards and 10 touchdowns at a clip of 5.5 yards per carry. He was dominant in the Utes’ last 2 games of the season, rushing for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns in a pair of blowout wins.
A key addition is slot receiver and return man Britain Covey. He was very impressive as a true freshman in 2015 before taking 2 years off to go on a Mormon mission. The trio of Covey, Moss, and Huntley behind an offensive line that returns 4 of its 5 starters from last year could lead an explosive offense that could give Pac-12 defenses fits.
Former All-Conference linebacker/safety Chase Hansen leads a defense that is usually a strength of the Utes. Replacements for some good players on the defensive line are in line. However, cornerback Julian Blackmon heads a deep and talented secondary that will be important to a potential title run in the pass-heavy Pac-12.
Coaching
Kyle Whittingham, the head coach of Utah, gives the Utes a distinct advantage over much of its Pac-12 competition. In his 12 years as the head coach of the program the team has a record of 104-50. He has also led the Utes to 11 bowl games and won 10 of them. That 91% winning percentage in bowl games is the highest for any coach in NCAA history. Though Utah does not get the talent through recruiting that more storied schools like UCLA, USC, and Oregon do, they can count on Whittingham and his experience to keep them competitive.
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This article was originally written by former TSJ101SPORTS writer
