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Thread: The 2014 VEGAS Bowl Thread

  1. #1

    The 2014 VEGAS Bowl Thread

    Is there a thread for this yet? If not, for shame...

    I love the matchup, sorry. I still miss some of the MWC teams, including Colorado State. My favorite Utah football memory is still listening to Bill Marcroft go nuts when Harold Lusk unnecessarily returned an INT for a touchdown to seal the game against #10 CSU in 1994. If anyone can find a video of that game, I will send them good karma.

    Anyone going to the game? I seriously considered it, until I looked at airline ticket prices from D.C. to Vegas on the weekend before Christmas.

  2. #2
    I'm going. Love the Veg. Not the city, just the Veg.

    Also, not bummed about CSU at all. How soon we forget.

  3. #3
    Of course I'm going. To the hoops game, too. Best pre-Christmas road trip in Ute history.

    The '94 classic was awesome, Harold going coast to coast, trying to do a Deion Sanders impression the last ten yards, which turned it into about 20 second 100 yard dash. Harold was fun to watch in practice, always yapping, never at a loss for words, and then McBride would tell him to shut his G.D. mouth, and then Fred Whittingham would have a few choice words to offer, which would shut Harold up for about 45 seconds. It was funny to hear Harold talk about Fred, he called him "Big Man", there was definitely fear/respect.

    This game should be interesting - CSU's not a bad team. 10-2 is good no matter what league you're in. But we'll be expected to get a solid win.

  4. #4
    I would love to go. I agree it would make a great Ute roady. Unfortunately I have to work.

    I like the CSU matchup. My BIL played DE for the Rams back in the 90's. I miss talking with him about the yearly game.
    "Don't apologize; it's not your fault. It's my fault for overestimating your competence."

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Applejack View Post
    I love the matchup, sorry.
    I guess this is an okay matchup. But not really. How many CSU games did we collectively watch this season? I saw the 4th quarter of their CU win, and I saw the end of their AFA loss. That's probably more CSU football than 99% of America saw or cared to see. We are the only P5 team playing before xmas, and we are one of like 3 or 4 P5 teams matched up with a G5. It's a disappointment after so many bowl projections over the past 6 weeks had us with juicier opponents. This is the kind of game the P5 usually loses. We have not forgotten how much it used to mean to us to beat a BCS team. That's how CSU feels.

    I went off and on and off again on driving to Vegas. 10.5 hours. In the end, there's just too much going on right before Christmas. It's not a good time for a bowl game.

    But it is what it is. It's the matchup we have, and CSU really is a good team. Rashard Higgins leads America in everything. So let's think about star WRs and how they have done against us so far:

    Funchess, 4-82. Probably could have had 200 yards against us if Gardener wasn't a mess in that game.
    Agholor, 10-110. Made the mistake that gave us a game winning drive.
    Strong, 5-77-1.
    Montgomery, 4-41.
    Hill, 3-61.

    I think we've done pretty well against the future early draft picks we've played against. Hopefully we can do it again.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by sancho View Post
    I think we've done pretty well against the future early draft picks we've played against. Hopefully we can do it again.
    That said, the key matchup is our run D vs Hart. When we shut down a team's run game, everything else goes with it.

  7. #7
    I was really excited about this matchup when it was announced. And reading a story in the Deseret News today took me down memory lane and reminded me why I am a Ute fan, and how I am really lucky.

    It is long, so I didn't want to spam the boards with it. If you have a minute and want to read, go ahead. http://bigbensworld.blogspot.com/201...le-things.html

  8. #8
    Free and nice place to stay, great seats, traveling with my brothers... all of these could have been mine less my wife's misguided niece decided to get married on Saturday at 1:30MST. Reception will be held from 7-10pm that same night and my presence has been requested and expected for the duration of the thing despite never being acknowledged by more than a reluctant grunt by the lovely bride in over 10 years.

    When we got married it was immediate family and very close friends only, followed by a wedding luncheon - a small but personal group. Two hours later the festivities were done, we were free from all of the wedding related nonsense and with a fat check in our paltry savings account from a grateful father-in-law who didn't have to pay for a reception. We also estimate that without the reception, well-wishers unable to hide what they actually paid in discount gifts and cut checks in the full amount, meaning we made out better than if we had a reception.

    Since then I've gotten out of most all wedding related events by stating, "Hey, we didn't make anyone go to our wedding and reception - that was our gift to humanity, why should we have to go to theirs?" It didn't work this time. I will be watching via game tracker and possibly streaming to my smart phone.

    Also, Christmas time wedding? Worst idea ever.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Rocker Ute View Post
    Free and nice place to stay, great seats, traveling with my brothers... all of these could have been mine less my wife's misguided niece decided to get married on Saturday at 1:30MST. Reception will be held from 7-10pm that same night and my presence has been requested and expected for the duration of the thing despite never being acknowledged by more than a reluctant grunt by the lovely bride in over 10 years.

    Also, Christmas time wedding? Worst idea ever.
    I know some people have Christmas time weddings because they are students, and that is their time off. Others because family is spread out, and that is a time when people will be able to attend. But most of those happen AFTER Christmas. It takes a special kind of thoughtless/selfish to go for Dec 20. It's as thoughtless as the Vegas Bowl itself. Anyway, I guess you are a better man than I am because I'd be in Vegas with my brothers if I were you. I'd probably send a nice gift and card to make up for it.

    My Mom could not understand why we didn't have a guestbook at our reception. But when you're elated at having just married, you really don't care who is there and who is not. That's the killer - if you skipped town for Vegas, I doubt anyone would know or care except one in-law.

    I slept on it and have more Vegas Bowl griping to do:

    The bowl game season in the national conscious starts after xmas. Nobody is waking up Saturday thinking "let's go check out the bowl lineup." Maybe a few football fans will turn on the TV, stumble across a bowl game, and think "Huh, a bowl game this early with a Pac-12 team? Ok, I can watch for an hour."

    There was some debate earlier about where this season ranks all time for Utah. With this game and opponent, there is now no case for this season over 1994, when we got to play the famous desert swarm defense against a ranked BCS opponent. Turned out to be the 2nd best Utah bowl game ever. Even if this Vegas Bowl ends up going to the wire, a win would be more like our close win vs Tulsa in whatever forgotten bowl game that was.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by sancho View Post
    Anyway, I guess you are a better man than I am because I'd be in Vegas with my brothers if I were you. I'd probably send a nice gift and card to make up for it.
    This is exactly what I'd be doing except the woman who has given me a free pass without penalty to go to every home football game, every basketball game, three bike races that took me from home for 2-3 days a piece and every other idiotic and selfish thing asked if I'd be there with her. So, you've got to give for the single request and sit in reminder of why I lucked out in life like I did.

    As for the selfishness of this event, it is some of that and some of it being some people who are young in life and adult enough to want to do their own thing their own way, but not adult enough to listen to other people. I was like that too (still am).

    The Veg sucks for the reasons you list too, it won't provide any exposure for us, but it does give us an extra month of practice time, and I think we need that more than anything else.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Rocker Ute View Post
    This is exactly what I'd be doing except the woman who has given me a free pass without penalty to go to every home football game, every basketball game, three bike races that took me from home for 2-3 days a piece and every other idiotic and selfish thing asked if I'd be there with her. So, you've got to give for the single request and sit in reminder of why I lucked out in life like I did.

    As for the selfishness of this event, it is some of that and some of it being some people who are young in life and adult enough to want to do their own thing their own way, but not adult enough to listen to other people. I was like that too (still am).

    The Veg sucks for the reasons you list too, it won't provide any exposure for us, but it does give us an extra month of practice time, and I think we need that more than anything else.
    If these kids are LDS, I'm assuming this is code for "they are really eager to get their naked on"?

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by sancho View Post
    .....It takes a special kind of thoughtless/selfish to go for Dec 20....

    27 years ago December 18th. Hadn't even considered if it was selfish till this very moment. LOL.

    Although my wife would be more like, Hey Rat Boy......
    “Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads.” -- Harry S. Truman

    "You never soar so high as when you stoop down to help a child or an animal." -- Jewish Proverb

    "Three-time Pro Bowler Eric Weddle the most versatile, and maybe most intelligent, safety in the game." -- SI, 9/7/15, p. 107.

  13. #13
    Administrator U-Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by UtahsMrSports View Post
    I was really excited about this matchup when it was announced. And reading a story in the Deseret News today took me down memory lane and reminded me why I am a Ute fan, and how I am really lucky.

    It is long, so I didn't want to spam the boards with it. If you have a minute and want to read, go ahead. http://bigbensworld.blogspot.com/201...le-things.html
    A great post. It is funny how moments like those seem to change your whole course in life.

    Personally, I remember when Lusk intercepted it, as he started to take it out of the end zone I was like "NO! NO! NO!" as I felt like taking a knee would give us better field position. That quickly turned into "YES! YES! YES!" as he crossed the 50.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by mUUser View Post
    27 years ago December 18th. Hadn't even considered if it was selfish till this very moment. LOL.
    The 18th is totally different.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Applejack View Post
    Is there a thread for this yet? If not, for shame...

    I love the matchup, sorry. I still miss some of the MWC teams, including Colorado State. My favorite Utah football memory is still listening to Bill Marcroft go nuts when Harold Lusk unnecessarily returned an INT for a touchdown to seal the game against #10 CSU in 1994. If anyone can find a video of that game, I will send them good karma.

    Anyone going to the game? I seriously considered it, until I looked at airline ticket prices from D.C. to Vegas on the weekend before Christmas.
    My parents have a vast library of Ute basketball and football games from the '80s and '90s on VHS and I'm pretty sure this game is in there. Now how to get it into a format I could share with you is beyond my expertise.

  16. #16
    Administrator U-Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by UBlender View Post
    My parents have a vast library of Ute basketball and football games from the '80s and '90s on VHS and I'm pretty sure this game is in there. Now how to get it into a format I could share with you is beyond my expertise.
    There are a few places around the valley that will convert VHS into DVD for you. A library conversion it would be a solid Father's Day/birthday gift.

  17. #17
    Costco will convert vhs to dvd
    "Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum

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  18. #18
    What impact will the limbo status of CSU's coaching search have on the game? I would guess that many of the current players want the OC to be named the head coach and that he will use that possibility to motivate his players to give it their best. I anticipate that this will be an inspired CSU team and I hope our coaches and players are more motivated for this game then some of our fans seem to be. I am heading down on Friday and am excited to get there.

  19. #19
    Five-O Diehard Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by UTEopia View Post
    What impact will the limbo status of CSU's coaching search have on the game? I would guess that many of the current players want the OC to be named the head coach and that he will use that possibility to motivate his players to give it their best. I anticipate that this will be an inspired CSU team and I hope our coaches and players are more motivated for this game then some of our fans seem to be. I am heading down on Friday and am excited to get there.
    Seems he's got an outside shot at the job based on his own statements

    Saw tonight CSU basically has no rules for their players beyond a curfew. Utah isn't disclosing what rules they have.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by UTEopia View Post
    I anticipate that this will be an inspired CSU team and I hope our coaches and players are more motivated for this game then some of our fans seem to be.
    I agree. Every sign I see is bad for Utah. But we are still the stronger, better team, and Coach Whitt has a good record as far as bowl game preparation goes (he has a good record whenever he has extra time to prepare).

    Motivation for bowl games is not a switch that a coach/player can turn on or off. There has not been much buzz among fans, and I think players and coaches feel it too. We had 6+ games this season that were more highly anticipated by the fans, the press, and the players. After stopping Dee Hart, I feel like energy/desire/motivation is the next key to the game.

  21. #21
    Administrator U-Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Diehard Ute View Post
    Utah isn't disclosing what rules they have.
    Gunther was talking about this earlier this week. He commented on how when they played Georgia Tech, all the Utah players had to leave the club at 1am or so and how the GaTech players in attendance laughed at them.

    I wouldn't expect Kyle to change anything.

  22. #22
    I feel like we are going to lose this game. CSU is a good passing team and I'm worried that the secondary is going to get exposed- in particular the safeties. After the way we played against AZ and Colorado what reasons do we have to believe that we're going to win?


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    "75-10 the last two games? Is my math right? It's enough to make me reconsider my embrace of science over Christianity." --SU

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  23. #23
    Negative Debbie Downers.

    We are going to win this bowl game and it's going to be a great win! I don't care that csu is in the mountain west conference. This is going to be fun to watch. I would be there if it wasn't this week.

    GO UTES!!!!!

  24. #24
    They have a good qb and can't be taken lightly. I don't think we are overlooking them.

  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Coastal Ute View Post
    I feel like we are going to lose this game. CSU is a good passing team and I'm worried that the secondary is going to get exposed- in particular the safeties. After the way we played against AZ and Colorado what reasons do we have to believe that we're going to win?


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    I see it the same way. We have our best defensive player but are missing our two best defensive playmakers (Paul, Carter). KW's going to play for a close win and call on the defense to hold a narrow lead. I don't think the defense will come up with the big stop sans Paul and Carter.

    CSU 34

    Utah 30

  26. #26
    Senior Member justaute's Avatar
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    We also have an innovative, prolific offense and a lock-down secondary.

  27. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Coastal Ute View Post
    I feel like we are going to lose this game. CSU is a good passing team and I'm worried that the secondary is going to get exposed- in particular the safeties. After the way we played against AZ and Colorado what reasons do we have to believe that we're going to win?
    Dee Hart averaged 6.7 ypc this season. Finished with 1200+ yards and 16 TDs. I'm more worried about him than about our secondary. If we stop Hart, their pass game will not be successful.

  28. #28
    Senior Member justaute's Avatar
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    I certainly would not be surprised if we lose this game.

  29. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by justaute View Post
    I certainly would not be surprised if we lose this game.
    No, Colorado State is a very good team. We have lost to a far worse team this year (Wazzu). I feel like the general consensus heading into the last week of the season was that CSU was the best G5 team in the nation. But due to their BSU loss, they were not going to be eligible for a NY6 bowl. Of course, they went and lost to AFA (like Boise), so the point was moot.

  30. #30
    I want to see photos from those at the game tomorrow of Ute fans embracing our former enemies. I still have a soft spot for CSU - probably my favorite old WAC team.

    I still want to kill them, though.

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