Starting off with some good news:
Starting off with some good news:
The Tournament of Roses hosts the greatest football game on earth, the NFL/College Football Playoff tastes like deep fried cardboard in comparison.
Marcus Williams declares.
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If you're not following Andy Phillips' and Tom Hackett's podcast 4th and Long, then you should. It really is a great, honest look at things inside the program. This week's episode is especially enlightening discussing the culture and some of the inefficiencies that may be contributing to late season burn out. A lot of good stuff in here: https://www.spreaker.com/user/broadw...nd-long-1-3-17
Kyle has made significant changes to the in-season practice regimen since joining the PAC 12. Prior to joining the PAC 12, Monday was pretty much a full practice for the travel squad. It is now a full practice for the scout team players, a longer film day and walk through for the travel squad. Tuesday was known as bloody Tuesday, a day when everyone went in full pads, there was live contact and the lengthy practice. Tuesday is now roughly 20 minutes shorter than it used to be and there is no live contact work. Wednesday was formerly a limited edition of the old Tuesday and is now a limited edition of the new Tuesday. Thursday was and still is polish day.
I'm not commenting one way or another on what Hackett and Phillips had to say except to say that Whit has made some dramatic changes to the in-season practice regimen. Maybe additional modifications are needed. I don't know. My view of this past November is that I am not sure it had anything to do with fatigue. Utah played its best offensive game of the season against UCLA and then came home and played a tough game against Washington. The team then had 12 days between games and the offense, with the exception of the two early miscues, did pretty well against ASU. They then fell flat on their faces against Oregon and followed that up by laying an egg against Colorado.
I could easily be wrong, but I don't think the losses to Oregon and CU can be attributed to over working the team.
So we don't have a freak of nature on the OL. It was fun while it lasted. Good for him. OL, DB, I take for granted whit has those positions stacked. This will help recruiting. Better losing Bolles than Huntley or Williams or another offensive skill player.
One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike -- and yet it is the most precious thing we have.
--Albert Einstein
The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, is a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt words to do it justice.
--Richard Dawkins
Be kind to all, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
--Philo
I second this. Their Podcast comes out every Tuesday and is informative and funny.
The latest episode Hackett talked about a Utah punter tradition that's been handed down from punter to punter for almost 20 years. It's pretty comical. Hackett said that when he finally told Whitt about the tradition and why it suddenly ended, Whitt was laughing hysterically.
They also mention that Taefele is likely a Ute, except that Stevie T. swayed him USC's way.
Last edited by LA Ute; 02-09-2017 at 06:46 AM.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Bolles declares. #he'sgone
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At almost 25 years old, Bolles leaving is a no brainer. Good luck to him!
Ok, with the departure of Bolles, I'm officially worried about our O-line for next year.
We lose the meaty left side of our line (Bolles, Asiata, Dielman): all with a decent chance of playing in the league. Plus, we lose our right tackle, Tevi. That's a lot to lose. So who do we put in their spots?
Lo Falamaka(C): He'll be a senior next year and was the starting center this year when he was healthy. Health is a big question mark, but we'll look to him to provide stability.
Salesi Uhatafe (RG): The only returning player who was penciled in to start last year as well. He'll need to show more next year.
Jackson Barton (LT?): He was a big time recruit for us, so I am a little worried that he hasn't played that much for us until now (he'll be a redshirt junior). What do others who have watched him play think? Is he capable?
Darrin Paulo (LG): The big sophmore (RS) gets a lot of praise from the coaches so I am hopeful he can fill the spot vacated by Asiata without too many growing pains.
Right Tackle? A lot of names, lots of youth, but no experience for this spot. Johnny Capra is the big recruit that you'd hope assumes the mantel, but other redshirt sophomores (Kevin Dixon, Scott Peck [is he a freshman]) could challenge. This position gives me heartburn because I haven't heard from the coaches about any of these guys, and someone will be starting next fall. Gulp.
Other names you're likely to hear: Nick Carmen, Jake Grant, Tucker Scott (all are freshmen or sophomores, all probably guards or centers).
You're forgetting Jordan Agasiva
http://www.espn.com/college-sports/f...jordan-agasiva
And Barton actually played quite a bit. He just had Tevi and Bolles to compete with
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About 30 minutes after Bolles declared, we offered George Moore, a four star Washington State decommit. Sounds like he'll take a visit soon.
http://www.scout.com/player/174983-george-moore
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Utah really needs to get Moore. That would give us (on paper) six quality OL. Then we need another couple of the younger OL who have been in the program to step up and become playable. It still wouldn't be as good as this last year's OL but could be decent. Jim Harding has been money both in recruiting and getting a quality OL on the field so I wouldn't bet against him--it may also help that he will no longer have to worry about OC stuff and may be able to focus more on his OL.
I can't help but think what he's done with Asiata, Tevi and especially Bolles will help.
While Bolles has natural gifts the progress he made in one season was very noticeable. And in his statement that he was turning pro, his praise for Harding was very noticeable
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Jordan Agasiva officially in. Lots of early enrollies this year.
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Interview with Kyle Whittingham. In the interview he says that Taylor will be very involved in the RB coach hiring process...or there may not be a new hire for the RB coach. Goon wonders aloud if this would mean Fred Whittingham gets moved to RB coach and they hire a TE coach.
http://espn700sports.com/interviews/...-fb-hc-1-9-17/
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Utah football roster interesting tidbits:
Repp is a DE. As is Davr Hamilton.
Fun to have a Kruger back on the DL.
Cooper Bateman is a QB.
McCormick and Nacua are WR's.
Repp has elite skills at DE. He has potential to be an amazing pass rusher. Can he put on weight to realize his potential? Will he ever be anything other than a pass rusher?
Davr Hamilton at DE? Interesting. I'd be it's because of the 5-1 front Scalley wants to run. Having versatility at DE/OLB would help you quickly go from a 5-1 to a 4-3 to a 3-4.
I think our QB will be Bateman or Williams. I think the coaches want one of those two to win the job with the tough schedule in 2017. The schedule is much easier in 2018 with Rosen, Browning, Darnold, Falk all graduating/leaving. Better to have an all out QB fight on their hands then with Tuttle, Huntley and Shelley. That doesn't mean Huntley doesn't win the job, but that's not the plan.
WR group is so interesting. We return Young, Wilson, Singleton and Simpkins. We also add Dana, have Fulks, Hamilton, Thompson and Dixon. McCormick making the switch is telling as well. Same with Nacua. We have talent there. What can Taylor and Holliday do with that talent? I also wonder with the switches if they will sub WR's a lot. Or if this just means we need more WR's. If Dana, McCormick and Nacua can get minutes with our returners, that gives us 7 WR's. More 4/5 WR sets?
Tyrone Smith also moves to CB. That is exciting.
I think it comes down to this: Spring ball is 100% about the QB's and WR's and OL. Our DL is set, our LB'ers are set, our CB's won't all be here until the fall.
Can Bateman win the job in the spring? He sure thinks he can. What WR's step up? We have talent at OL. Who steps up to start?
"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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