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SALT LAKE CITY — Here’s a spooky thought for this Halloween season: the Utah Jazz, Utah Utes and BYU Cougars may all realistically miss the postseason.
BYU faces the longest odds. At just 2-7 to start the season, they will have to win out on the season to even qualify for an exception to make a bowl game. The Utes have to win two of their final four games this season to be bowl eligible, with Friday’s game against UCLA likely a must win, understanding that nationally-ranked Washington and Washington State loom ahead.
The Jazz are 4-3 on the season after knocking off the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, but have been anything but consistent to start the year. If they fail to find an offensive identity soon, staying competitive in the loaded West may be tough sledding.
In Provo, some fans are looking for wholesale changes to the coaching staff, while others are wary of another season with offensive coordinator Ty Detmer guiding the once highly-touted quarterback Tanner Mangum.
Utah fans are again questioning the identity of their offense, with Troy Taylor currently manning the turnstile that has been the offensive coordinator position under head coach Kyle Whittingham. Angrier fans are wondering if the Utah football team has reached its potential with Whittingham as the head man.
While Jazz fans have shown the most patience of any fan base so far in the state, there are still expectations for the Jazz to make the playoffs, despite losing their lone All-Star in Gordon Hayward in the offseason.
Here’s the thing, though, the complaints fueling the unhappiness from these fanbases may be legitimate. BYU has underperformed, even against lesser opponents, with a loss on the road against East Carolina serving as the point of no return for the Cougars this season. Some are left wondering if the move to independence was a mistake after all.
After losing to a wounded Oregon Ducks team, the Utes have dropped four straight games. The offense has failed to break the 30-point barrier in five of its eight outings this season. The Utes chose to move on from Aaron Roderick this past summer, who had won a combined 19 games in their last two seasons, in favor of Taylor, an unproven name in college football. So far, it’s hard to justify the change.
While the Jazz started the year well, knocking off Denver and Oklahoma City in their first three games, back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and the lowly Phoenix Suns had Jazz fans fearing another multi-year rebuild may be on the horizon.
Let’s also consider this.
Until this season, BYU hasn’t missed a bowl game since 2004. That’s tied for the ninth-longest active streak in the country.
The Utes had 16 players sign professional contracts in the NFL, with eight of those players getting drafted. That was tied for fourth most among college football teams this offseason.
The Jazz are coming off their best season since 2010, with a franchise cornerstone in Rudy Gobert under contract for the next four seasons.
Perhaps the somewhat abnormal success we’ve seen from these three teams recently has set an unreasonable expectation for success, and while the coaches may not be willing to settle for anything less than high winning percentages from their squads, fans should be more forgiving of rough stretches.
BYU could move on from the legendary Detmer after two seasons, looking for an offense more similar the those seen under its former coordinator Robert Anae. However, not long ago, many were begging to see the Cougars move away from the go-fast, go-hard system. While the offense has been underwhelming, the first-time coordinator may need more seasoning to truly fulfill his potential as a play-caller.
The Utes could move on from Taylor, finding their ninth coordinator in 11 years. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Whittingham to make the switch. However, with Tyler Huntley, a sophomore quarterback starting for the first time this season, the Utes would be wise to see if this offense can grow with the young quarterback under one coach, at least for one more season.
The Jazz are asking several players to take roles they’ve never held before on this roster. Rodney Hood has never been a go-to scorer at this level, and Ricky Rubio has never been tasked with leading a team in field-goal attempts. Simply put, it may take time for these players to adjust to their new identities.
This may be a rough season for fans of the Utes, Cougars and Jazz if all three are unable to earn themselves a trip to the postseason. However, recognizing that for these teams, those shortcomings would signal an exception to their recent high level of play, rather than a consistent pattern. Fans may be better served showing patience during these minor blips, rather than calling for major changes.
