Whittingham optimistic to get season going, get to a bowl game


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LOS ANGELES — The Pac-12 began its two-day media event Wednesday, and Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said he’s ready for the season to get underway.

“I really am excited about the upcoming season,” Whittingham said. “Last couple of seasons have been tough. Missed a bowl game the last couple of years, uncharacteristic of our football team and our program. So we’re determined to get ourselves back on track this year and get things headed back in the right direction.”

With back-to back losing seasons and a team that is seemingly injury prone the last few years, Whittingham said he hopes to finally compete for a bowl game again and turn the program around.

“Nobody cares about being close. You've got to get over that hump. We thought we had gotten over that hump. We beat Stanford at the halfway mark of the season at 4-2. Felt good about ourselves next week,” he said. “Our quarterback gets hurt and we stumble the rest of the way. So it's very important for us to get back on track and play ourselves into a bowl game.”

Although the desire to return to a bowl game is a major motivating factor for the program and the fans, Whittingham added that it’s not the only tool used for motivation.


Nobody cares about being close. You've got to get over that hump. We thought we had gotten over that hump. We beat Stanford at the halfway mark of the season at 4-2. Felt good about ourselves next week. Our quarterback gets hurt and we stumble the rest of the way. So it's very important for us to get back on track and play ourselves into a bowl game.

–Kyle Whittingham


“We're motivated to win because of the history of our program and what we've accomplished in the last 10, 12 years,” he said. “We've got to have the right mindset going into the season. We've had a difficult schedule, and we have to be ready to play each and every week if we have a chance to be successful.”

With a healthy quarterback returning in Travis Wilson and a lot of depth at the quarterback position, Whittingham said he feels confident in his team’s potential. And with Dres Anderson returning for his senior season and Kenneth Scott coming back from an injury, the offense appears to be taking shape.

However, Whittingham said it’s essential for the success of the program for the team to have more than just Anderson as the solitary target.

“There are three or four of those guys that need to step up and take some of the stress off of what Dres is doing,” Whittingham said.

In reference to the university’s decision to alter the lyrics of the school’s fight song, Whittingham said the team will meet a day before fall camp starts and discuss which version of the song they will sing.

“I'm going to leave it in the players' hands,” he said. “They'll make the determination of what they want to sing.”

Contributing: Jeremiah Jensen

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