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Utah Football gets back into Mountain West Conference action this week, heading to Albuquerque where their record over the years is exactly average at 12-12-1. The Utes head into the game at 8-0 with this game appearing to be the definition of a "trap game." As the Utes record shows, they have a difficult time at New Mexico, and especially when they are ranked. Almost the same scenario occurred in 1994 when the Utes went in ranked 8/9 and lost to the Lobos. This game gives the Utes trouble every time they travel to University Stadium and this year will be no different. The upset lights need to be flashing in the Utes minds.
What did we learn about Utah vs. Colorado State?
The Utah football team got their offense going against the Rams. That was a welcome sight for Head Coach Kyle Whittingham. He had asked for it leading up to the game as he said that the offense had not yet gotten into a rhythm. The Utes offense got into that rhythm and exploded for 49 points against an improving Colorado State team.
Brian Johnson looked to get the ball out quicker to some underneath routes, dumping the ball off, as well as giving it to the running backs, and hitting the big play when it was there. Johnson hit 6 different receivers, spreading the ball around in the spread offense.
Corbin Louks also got into the action to change the pace and he gave Johnson a nice compliment running the ball. He had 5 carries for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns. Everything seemed to click for the Utes offensively vs. the Rams.
What questions remain about Utah?
The questions for Utah continue to come from the offensive side of the ball. Can the Utes duplicate the performance they had against the Rams? Can Brian Johnson continue to get the ball out quick vs. the Lobos pressure style defense?
Those are questions that can be worked on in practice. The Utah football team has improved every week this year and there is no reason they shouldn't keep improving. The bigger question is if this team can accept and play as if it is a top ten-ranked team in the country. The distractions have started to mount, as the team gets farther into its schedule having remained unbeaten. Kyle Whittingham spent last Tuesday in Bristol, Connecticut at ESPN; the Utes are getting more and more media attention nationally.
With that attention comes expectations and a sense of entitlement. The question is: Do the Utes feel entitled? We have seen how teams respond to this and most the time it is not very well. These are 20-year-old young men that have to deal with this. The responsibility falls on Kyle Whittingham to get his team ready. One thing that Coach Whittingham can look back on is his past experiences. Coach Whittingham is in his 4th year as the head coach and in his three prior games coming off bye weeks, he is 3-0.
They have all been about this late into the season, meaning that he knows how to deal with them. He hasn't had to deal with the national attention as much, but he has been through it as the defensive coordinator from the 1994 and 2004 seasons. Coach Whittingham will have to guard against entitlement and complacency. Let's face it, the Utes will be ready to play the game, they will be motivated, every team always is, but what will their mindset be? Can this team go to Albuquerque and take care of business? The biggest question that remains for the Utes is mindset. Can they focus on keeping their dream season alive?
What can Utah expect from New Mexico?
The Utes can expect a crowd looking for upset. This will not be a nice Saturday game in San Diego. These fans would love nothing more than to derail the Utes from their dreams. Having said that, the Utes will expect the run from the Lobos. Last week against the Air Force Academy, the Lobos ran the ball 47 times.
The guy that they need to focus on is Rodney Ferguson, again. He had 19 carries for 107 yards and a TD vs. the Falcons. The week before that, Ferguson ran the ball 25 times for 149 yards and 4 TD's when the Lobos laid 70 points on the Aztecs. New Mexico is very much a run first team. This poses a problem for the Utes because it makes them susceptible to the "big play." The Utah defense will most likely be at least "plus 1" in the box looking to shut down the Lobos running attack. This puts the Utah corners in one-on-one coverage. If the Utes can limit the big plays, that will help. If they can't, that will give Ferguson opportunities to carve up the Utah defense.
What can we expect from Utah vs. New Mexico?
The last time the Utes were in Albuquerque, the Lobos came back from a 21-3 deficit to beat the Utes 34-31, that football game has been very much front and center for this Utah team. Compiling that on top of the game in 1994, the Utes should have plenty of motivation. It will just depend on their mindset.
With the Utah defense concentrating on the Lobo running attack, it would be helpful to have a little more depth on the defensive line and it looks as if help has arrived. Kenape Eliapo, the week 1 starter at defensive tackle looks to be back. That is a welcome addition to a defensive line that has held up extremely well in his absence. Eliapo could keep the defensive line one man fresher against the Lobos, which could mean all the difference.
Miscellaneous:
With many big games this weekend around the country, the Utes could have a very good chance to move up. #8 Florida and #6 Georgia meet in Jacksonville as well as #1 Texas at #7 Texas Tech meet up. Whoever loses the Florida/Georgia game will have 2 losses and most likely be out of the BCS mix. All of course depends on Utah winning in Albuquerque on Saturday evening.
Conclusion:
Is this Utah team ready for the big time? If they are, they will go to a place where they historically are very mediocre and win. If not, their Hopes for a perfect season stops in New Mexico. Stopping that huge New Mexico rushing attack is job #1,2,3,4, and 5. They must stop the Lobos rushing attack. If the Utes can stop the run and be smart and efficient offensively, not turning the ball over, the dream continues for Utah. For New Mexico, this game is Taylor-made for an upset and the Lobos know they can beat the Utes in University Stadium, what a match-up set for Saturday night at 7:30.
You can catch a live game blog of the Utah-New Mexico game beginning at 7 p.m. on KSL.com.
