GAME BLOG: Utah 13, TCU 10

FINAL - #8 Utah 13, #12 TCU 10

Post-game thoughts
For anyone that says the kicking game is not important in college football, go back and watch highlights of all of Utah's games this year. While TCU kicker Ross Evans missed two 4th quarter field goals (26 and 35), Utah's Louie Sakoda was 2 for 2 (49 and 37). But tonight's game wasn't won on the foot of King Louie. Brian Johnson came through in the clutch, quarterbacking a 9 play 80 yard drive to give Utah its first lead of the game with 47 seconds remaining. Johnson's key target today, Freddie Brown, caught 9 passes for 105 yards and most importantly, the game winning touchdown. As bad as TCU feels about this loss, they should hold their heads high as they dominated the Utes for much of the game, accumulating a whopping 202 yards of total offense in the FIRST quarter. TCU finished the game with 416 yards compared to Utah, which was only able to muster 275 yards (80 of which came on the last drive). TCU's rush defense lived up to its expectations, only allowing Utah to gain 45 yards on 25 carries.

Hats off to defensive coordinator Gary Anderson for making adjustments after the 1st quarter and not allowing the Frogs to score (albeit 2 missed field goals).

Interesting stat: Under Head Coach Gary Patterson, TCU was 50-0 when allowing under 17 points. Now, they fall to 50-1.

Utah will keep its BCS bowl dreams alive, at least for 1 more week, while TCU is pretty much eliminated from all consideration.

Next up for Utah: at San Diego State (Nov 15)
Next up for TCU: Air Force (Nov 22)

End of 4th Quarter
Love close games? So do the Utes. After another missed field goal by Ross Evans, Utah marched down the field, using the 2 minute offense to perfection. Johnson hit Freddie Brown from 11 yards out for the TD and Utah's first lead of the game. Utah marched 80 yards in 5 plays and used up 2 minutes off the clock. TCU still has time to get into field goal range or a TD with its speed on offense.

TCU is able to move toward mid-field, but the Utes safety Robert Johnson saves the day, intercepting a 4th and 10 desperation pass by Andy Dalton.

Score: Utah 13 TCU 10

4:43 4th Quarter
LB Mike Wright has returned to the game for the Utes, but the Frogs are using their speed to once again move down the field with ease. On third and 4, Dalton once again steps up and makes a big throw to Jimmy Young for a gain of 15.

Utah catches another break. TCU kicker Ross Evans tries a 26 yard field goal, but the try hits the goal post and bounces off. With only 5:49 left in the game, Utah NEEDS to score NOW, and it has to be a touchdown. That is a tough thing to ask since Utah has only been in the red zone once so far this game.

Nope, sorry, not going to happen. Utah throws 3 incomplete passes in a row and is forced to punt. Sakoda punts his worst of the season, only going 28 yards and the Horned Frogs have great field position and a chance to run the clock out.

Score: TCU 10 Utah 6

10:04 4th Quarter
After getting a first down on a Matt Asiata run, Utah was in prime position to score. However, a false start and a -6 yard pass from Johnson to Asiata on the screen takes the Utes out of field goal range and are forced to punt. Sakoda's punt goes into the end zone, so TCU will start on their own 20.

Utah's defense holds the Frogs to 1 first down on their next drive. Utah will take over on their own 26. Utah needs to put a scoring drive together right here. I don't know how much longer the Utes can keep the Frogs from scoring.

Utah goes 3 and out. TCU is sniffing every play out before it even begins. Utah had a slimmer of hope to get a first down on a deep post route to Bradon Godfrey, but Godfrey was decleated by 3 TCU defenders.

Score: TCU 10 Utah 6

End of 3rd Quarter
Dalton is again moving the Horned Frogs down the field, completing a 22 yard pass to Jimmy Young. 2 plays later, Utah LB Mike Wright is injured. That will really be a negative for the Utah defense as he has been all over the field with 4 tackles and stopping anything over the middle.

Dalton is sacked by Joe Dale for a loss of 16, forcing a 2nd and 3rd and long which the Horned Frogs are unable to convert. Utah will take over on their own 15 yard line.

Utah is putting a nice drive together, moving the ball on down to the TCU 33 yard line. Utah will face a 3rd and 1 when the 4th quarter begins. Johnson has completed passes to Freddie Brown 3 times and once to Bradon Godfrey. Brown has 6 catches for 78 yards so far.

Score: TCU 10 Utah 6

6:21 3rd Quarter
TCU starts the half with the ball on their own 20. Dalton looks much more comfortable in the pocket than he did in the 2nd quarter, completing a 34 yard pass to Ryan Christian. TCU is using a lot of pre-snap motion on offense to put them in favorable matchups. On the play, Christian was being covered by a linebacker.

Utah catches a break as Dalton appeared to hit Walter Bryant on the Utah 3, but Bryant was ruled out of bounds. On the next play, DE Paul Kruger sacks Dalton for a loss of 12 yards and more importantly, takes the Horned Frogs out of field goal range. After the punt, Utah will take over on their own 13 yard line.

After a false start and a sack by NT Cody Moore for a loss of 5, Utah faced a 2nd and 21 when Johnson hit Brent Casteel for a 26 yard gain over the middle of the field. The Utes are able to get into TCU territory on the 49 yard line, but on a 3rd and 1 Utah elected to have Matt Asiata throw a pass to Bradon Godfrey that was well overthrown. Utah ends up punting and TCU will take over on their own 14 yard line.

Score: TCU 10 Utah 6

Halftime - TCU 10 Utah 6

Halftime thoughts
TCU is fast on both sides of the ball. After getting completely dominated the first quarter, the Utah defense plays lights out in the 2nd. Utah only allows TCU to gain 6 total yards in the quarter (7 pass, -1 rush). A great job of Coach Gary Anderson making some defensive adjustments to keep the Utes in the game. CB Sean Smith makes his 4th interception of the season, and sets up the Utes nicely to get 3 points before the break. Today's official attendance is the second largest crown in Rice-Eccles Stadium history (45,666).

In the second half, Utah will need to continue its defensive dominance in the second quarter and not rely on trick plays to move the ball.

End of 2nd Quarter
TCU makes the first mistake of the game as Dalton is intercepted by CB Sean Smith. Smith returns the interception 37 yards into TCU territory.

Utah runs out of time, but is able to get the ball deep enough in TCU territory for Louie Sakoda to hit a 37 yard field goal.

Score: TCU 10 Utah 6

1:17 2nd Quarter
Utah was able to have some success on the drive, but a bad play call costs the Utes a chance to move into scoring position. Facing a 2nd and 4 on the TCU 40, Utah runs a reverse to Jereme Brooks which loses 10 yards. TCU's defensive speed is creating a hard time for Utah to run its offense. Credit the Utes' offensive line though- they are doing a great job of giving Johnson time to make some throws. Sakoda's punt is downed at the 2 yard line.

Utah has its best defensive set of plays so far. Utah doesn't allow TCU to gain 1 yard and forces a 3 and out. Dalton is nearly sacked for a safety on both second and third down.

Utah takes over with great field position on TCU's 44 yard line, but cannot get a first down. Utah elects to go for it on 4th and 2 and is stopped for a one yard gain. TCU will start on their own 35.

Score: TCU 10 Utah 3

8:08 2nd Quarter
Utah is completely outmatched on defense. TCU is moving the ball at will against a slow, fatigued Utah defense. Dalton is picking the secondary apart, and on key downs nonetheless. Dalton hit Jimmy Young for 14 facing a 3rd and 4, then hit Ryan Christensen for 24 yards on a third and five. In the first quarter, TCU racked up 202 total yards (99 rush 103 pass) compared to Utah (60 total yards, 16 rush 44 pass).

Finally the Ute defense breaks through and makes a big play. With the Horned Frogs easily in field goal range, Dalton is sacked for a loss of 13 yards by Stevenson Sylvester and Kepa Gaison. The Frogs elect to punt, creating Utah's first defensive stop of the game. Utah will take over on their own 9 after the punt.

The Ute offense is able to manage a first down on a 8 yard pass to Bradon Godfrey, but then stalls. Johnson had an open David Reed on the right sideline, but overthrew him by 3 yards. TCU will take over on its own 39 following the punt.

TCU shoots themselves in the foot on their next drive, being penalized 3 times (3 false start penalties). They still had a chance to get the first down as speedy wideout Bart Johnson had a linebacker covering him, but the pass was overthrown.

Utah fumbles the punt, but Casteel is able to recover it and run for 6 yards to the Utah 32 yard line.

Score: TCU 10 Utah 3

2:37 1st Quarter
Utah's offense shows some sparks on its next drive, marching down 40 yards on key passes to Freddie Brown and Brent Casteel. Eddie Wide is running the ball better than Mack or Asiata against a very fast TCU defense. The drive stalls as TCU pressures Johnson into throwing an incomplete pass on 3rd down. Sakoda then proves his value to the team hitting a 49 yard field goal to put the Utes on the board.

Score: TCU 10 Utah 3

6:16 1st Quarter
Utes go 3 and out on their 2nd possession. Not good for their defense which definitely needed the rest. TCU is now moving the ball downfield at will. Aaron Brown rumbled down the left sideline for 41 yards. During the uniform switch to the black jerseys, did San Diego State's defense show up instead of the Utes?

TCU marches 72 yards in 6 plays to take a commanding 10-0 lead. The touchdown was scored on a Ryan Christensen 3 yard TD run.

Score: TCU 10 Utah 0

9:47 1st Quarter
TCU wins the opening coin toss and elects to defer to the second half.

Starting at their own 25, Utah was able to put a few good plays together before the drive stalls near mid-field. Johnson hit Freddie Brown on a quick 10 yard slant route for a first down. Then the Utes dodge an early bullet as Johnson's 3rd down pass is nearly intercepted by LB Robert Henson.

The Utes defense appears to not have arrived for the game. On third and 5 Dalton hits Bart Johnson on a simple flat route, but ends up showing his speed and running for 52 yards down to the Utah 26 yard line. TCU looks FAST. In the red zone, CB Sean Smith nearly intercepts an Andy Dalton pass. Missed opportunity for the Utes. The Frogs capitalize on the field position and hit a 37 yard field goal for the early lead.

Score: TCU 3 Utah 0

My Prediction
Statistically speaking, TCU is slightly better than Utah. But the beauty of college football and any other sport is this: the games aren't decided on paper, they are decided out on the field. While the Utes haven't been statistically as good this year as the Horned Frogs, they have still found a way to win each week on their way to a 9-0 record.

TCU has been dominant in its victories, and even played Oklahoma fairly tough in their only loss of the season. After coming back from an injury, QB Andy Dalton has thrown for 9 TD passes and 0 interceptions. With Gary Patterson as head coach, TCU is 50-0 when allowing 17 points or less.

Look for TCU to bring in an extra linebacker and play an aggressive style of defense. Utah's offense will need to spread out the defense as best as it can, and hopefully get the vertical passing game back into a rhythm like we saw in the first half of the Utah-Michigan game and also against Colorado State. That will open up Darrell Mack and Matt Asiata to have more space to run the football and more importantly, control the clock.

Utah is the fastest team TCU has faced since losing to Oklahoma, and with the advantage of the home crowd and cold weather, I'm giving a slight edge to the Utes.

MY PREDICTION: Utah 30 TCU 28. Let me know what you think. Post your predictions/questions in the comment board.

Keys to the Game for Utah

• Win the turnover battle - Utah will need to force at least 2 Horned Frog turnovers and not give up the ball on offense.
• Spread the field - just like New Mexico, TCU will play an aggressive defense keeping most guys near the line of scrimmage. Brian Johnson will need to get into rhythm early on the vertical passing attack in order to stretch the defense and open up the running attack
• Stay focused - with all of the hype surrounding the game it will be easy for the Utes to get distracted (Blackout, MWC Championship and possible BCS implications). Utah needs to stay focused on the task at hand.

Keys to the Game for TCU

• Defensive pressure - DE Jerry Hughes is one of the best defensive linemen in the nation. If TCU can win the battle in the trenches, Utah will have a hard time running the ball.
• Protect Dalton - offensively, TCU will need to do a good job of protecting QB Andy Dalton. Last year Utah was in Dalton's face all night, forcing him to throw 4 interceptions. The OL will need to play better tonight to give him an opportunity to create plays with his arm.
• Don't let the crowd become a factor - Rice-Eccles Stadium will be electric tonight in possibly the biggest game ever played in the stadium's history. Take the crowd out of the game early by scoring early.

Utah Miscellaneous Stats

• Utah is ranked in the top-10 in the nation in four defensive categories. The Utes are fourth in opponent third-down conversions (27.9), fifth in opponent first downs (130), seventh in total defense (266.2) and eighth in rushing defense (89.0). Utah is also ranked 12th in tackles for loss (7.56) and 18th in scoring defense (17.7).
• The last time a defensive lineman for Utah has returned an interception for a touchdown was in 2007 against TCU where Martail Burnett picked of an Andy Dalton pass and ran it back 55 yards
• The last overtime game Utah played in was in 2005 against TCU. TCU won 23-20
• The Utes lead the league in opponent third-down conversions (27.9) and rank second in four defensive categories: total defense (266.2), rushing defense (89.0), tackles for loss (7.56) and opponent first downs (130). Utah is third in scoring defense (17.7), pass defense (177.2) and pass efficiency defense (117.1).
• Utah ranks second in the MWC and 20th in the nation in scoring, averaging 36.1 points per game. Kicker Louie Sakoda leads the Utes with 87 points and running back Matt Asiata is second with 60. Utah's defense and special teams have combined to score 26 points.
• Splitting carries down the middle are senior starter Darrell Mack (101 rushes, 465 yards, 4.6 yards per carry) and junior Matt Asiata (102 carries, 531 yards, 5.2 average).
• Aiona Key has blocked a kick in the last three games.
• Senior Brian Johnson has set the school record-holder for wins by a starting quarterback. Johnson, 22-7 as the starter, passed Alex Smith, who went 21-1 from 2003-04.
• Senior All-America punter/kicker Louie Sakoda became the most decorated weekly performer in MWC history when he was named MWC Special Teams Player of the Week for the 11th time on Nov. 3. Sakoda broke the old mark of 10 held by BYU quarterback John Beck.

TCU Miscellaneous Stats

• Tonight's game marks the second road game in six days for the Horned Frogs.
• TCU is 28-1 in its last 29 games when allowing less than 333 yards of offense. The only loss in that stretch was 27-20 to Utah last year when the Utes had 227 yards.
• TCU leads the nation in run defense (38.9 yards per game), sacks (38) and time of possession (35:05). The Frogs are second in the country in total defense (214.5) and third in both scoring defense (10.8 points per game) and turnover margin (+15).
• TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes is making a strong case for Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year and All-America honors. Hughes tops the nation with 14 sacks (no other player has more than 11) and 17 tackles for loss. He is tied for the national lead with five forced fumbles, while his three fumble recoveries are tied for fourth in the country. Hughes also has two interceptions, including one returned 24 yards for a touchdown.
• The Frogs are 6-4 in short-week games under Gary Patterson as head coach.
• Over the last four seasons, TCU is 2-5 in Thursday games and 37-4 on other days of the week. The Frogs snapped a five-game Thursday losing streak with a 32-7 win over BYU.
• With Gary Patterson as head coach, TCU is 50-0 when allowing 17 points or less. Overall, the Frogs have won 65 consecutive games when holding the opponent to 17 or fewer points.
• TCU has outscored its opponents 85-7 in the fourth quarter. The lone points allowed came with 1:44 left at UNLV when the Frogs cleared the bench leading 44-7.
• TCU has had just one game (a 13-7 win at Colorado State) decided by less than 17 points this season.
• The Frogs have scored on their opening series in eight of 10 games this season, totaling six touchdowns and two field goals. In the two games it did not score on its first possession, TCU produced points on its second series (a TD versus Stanford and a field goal against San Diego State).
• TCU tops the nation with 38 sacks. Texas and Tulsa are second with 31. No other team has more than 27.

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