Can Utah Utes Prove They’re More than a Mid-Major?
It’s not as bad as TCU’s fall, but the first three seasons for Kyle Whittingham and the Utah Utes have been massively disappointing.
More from College Football News
- Michigan State vs. Maryland: Location, time, prediction, and more
- Ranking college football’s top 10 quarterbacks after Week 3
- Things are going to get much darker for the Houston Cougars
- Biggest winners and losers from College Football Week 3
- #10 Alabama football: 3 takeaways from close road win against USF
This mid-major powerhouse has followed up its inaugural 8-5 season with two straight 5-7 seasons. If you look at last year, though, things weren’t that bad. The first loss was a very close 3-point loss to a pretty good Oregon State team. Two weeks later they lost by a touchdown to a UCLA team that is now in contention for a Pac 12 Championship. Right after that came an upset win against the Pac 12 champions, the Stanford Cardinal. They later suffered a 1-point loss to Arizona State.
Nov 9, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham watching the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Noting that they were three close games away from an 8-4 season last year and that they beat the Cardinal, this was actually a very good team. And now there is returning talent all over the field, so it could be even better this year.
But the schedule gets worse. All of those close losses last year were at home, and the Utes have to face all of those teams on the road this year. Stanford is also on the road, and there is a road game against Michigan in the non-conference schedule this year. How, with that schedule, can they come up with more than 5 wins this year?
If it is to happen, Whittingham’s players will have to show dramatic improvement at certain positions. Otherwise, the season is a loss again. Continue to Next Slide for Offense