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BOULDER, Colo. — In the final game of the season, the University of Utah looked to get their first road victory against the 1-10 Colorado Buffaloes. And while the Utah offense sputtered for most of the game, the Utes pulled out a 42-35 victory over the Buffaloes.
Impression 1:
The Utes failed to capitalize on great field position all game. On multiple possessions, Utah started inside Colorado's territory, but couldn't put together a drive. Colorado's defense is not even close to the best in the conference, but managed to keep Utah from advancing the ball. And while Colorado put pressure on Wilson, it comes down to the offense to make plays.
Impression 2:
Since Reggie Dunn's three 100-yard return touchdowns a couple weeks ago, and his kick return Friday, every team has worked to keep it away from him. And the strategy works. Dunn is the ultimate playmaker and a major threat. It's amazing to see his talent unfold this season. It's unfortunate that Dunn was not utilized more on the offense because he makes things happen when he touches the ball.
Impression 3:
Once again Utah's defense allowed the opposing team to stay in the game. Having the potential No. 1 draft pick in the upcoming NFL draft means nothing if the rest of the defense doesn't play. All day the middle of the field was open on the short slant route, giving the Buffaloes easy access to quick yards. Utah's linebackers seemed to always be a step behind and couldn't tackle when they tried.
Coming into the season it was known the linebacking core would not be the strongest on the team, but at this point in the season, improvements should be made. All season the linebackers have struggled to pick up the offense.
Overall, the defense didn't look like they wanted to stop Colorado. It was as if they were going through the motions to get through a disappointing season.
Impression 4:
Utah's offense simply didn't make sense. Against Colorado, Utah should have been able to dominate and put the points on the board. They did it against Cal and Washington State, but struggled to put together consecutive plays against Colorado. When John White was given the ball, he averaged 8.9 yards per carry and got several first downs.
However, Utah went away from what worked to go with the passing game that was abysmal, thus stalling the offense. Receivers, such as Kenneth Scott and Dres Anderson, had several great looks on good passes from Travis Wilson, but could not keep their hands on the ball. While Utah should not have gone away from what worked with White, there needs to be more effort on the receivers part to make plays when thrown to them.
Impression 5:
In back-to-back seasons, John White continues to be the one consistent player on offense. On Friday, White became the first Utah player to rush for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. White will be severely missed next season when Utah will be forced to put together a well-balanced offense. Utah will have Kelvin York returning, which should help the transition, but there needs to be be more playmakers for the offense to make any improvements next year.
