Gordon Monson: Utah football is about to gain status that few teams do

Conditions in and around Utah football at the start of the Pac-12 season in 2020 give rise to what should be considered a lot of praise: The Utes will be fine again.

We bet on that, but before a single ball is kicked or passed or caught or recovered, before a game is made or not made, that’s all anyone has. And while Kyle Whittingham says he needs more refinement from an almost all-new defense. Were still a long way off, he said the projection to the Utes looks bright, if not quite clear.

That’s remarkable, given those losses Utah won last year to the South Division-winning team, a now-graduate group or, at least, a group that has moved on, much of which, especially on that D, is playing in the NFL. The Utes lost nine starters on that side, including the entire back, as well as the two most important positions on offense: their starting quarterback and star running back.

Other than that, don’t worry.

But here the replacements of the thing are near. Utah appears to have crossed a talent threshold in the Pac-12 where it can move into something or someone within screaming distance of what or who it has moved.

Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss are gone, who were responsible for most of the Utes’ offensive production together last time. Whittingham has not and will not announce a starter at the quarterback after staging and stoking a fight between Jake Bentley and Cam Rising, doing his very best to hide the conclusion. That starter has been selected and the players have been informed. How did the No. 2 react?

Disappointment and acceptance is the way Whittingham put it.

And on the run back, there are four guys in the mix, including Devin Brumfield and Jordan Wilmore.

It will be on a commission-by-commission basis, Whittingham said, at least in the early stages, adding that each of the four has a unique ability. We don’t expect a man to get 25 touches.

The attack line, a leak in the dam last season, is coming back, stronger, wiser and improved. They look great, said defender Pita Tonga. Brant Kuithe and slot receiver Britain Covey, along with Bryan Thompson and others, will set tight goals for Bentley of Rising throughout the conference.

Football’s rock-solid substructure in Utah, the aforementioned defense, is being splashed and plastered together really after his massive departure, but athletes of substance are being called upon to lead the way, including players like Mika Tafua, Devin Lloyd and Clark Phillips III, among others. others, some of the risers have no experience.

The young guys we have are super athletic and they are willing to learn, Tonga said. You combine that with the things we do [all] are learning and they tried to teach it. Progress has been faster than expected by many people.

On the line of defense, Tonga said:

If you join the D-line in Utah, you will have to look back on the history of the D-linemen who came through this school. Obviously a lot of great players have come through and the few years I’ve been here I’ve been able to train and practice and learn from some of the best D-linemen I could have. Those who have been here before teach those who are coming.

As for the secondary, corner back Malone Mataele said the Utes are sharpening our knives and perfecting our technique. He added that the example of the guys who went to the NFL inspired the leftovers, but most of their confidence now comes from the guys on the team.

It took a lot of time and effort, said defensive goal Maxs Tupai. Many of the young boys are hungry and locked up.

He added: They have a lot of fire in them.

How it all will come about and given the unpredictable circumstances in a typical season of injuries and an unusual season of COVID, it is a conjecture.

That is to say, only a fool says he knows exactly.

Whittingham is not a fool, he just states that his team is at work.

But given the steady leadership of veteran head coach and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, as well as other longtime aides, and the Utes’ ability to be consistent and coordinated on campus during their training through the disruption of the pandemics, all of that is a significant one. benefit . And if there was ever a season where Utah needed to be ironed out in that regard, this is it.

In addition, consider Mosss’s words on leaving for The Tribunes Josh Newman at the end of the 2019 season. Of his remaining teammates, he said: Those guys know the blueprint of the years and the work we put into it. They know what it takes to be here. You know, back to back championship games. Being Southern champions for years, they know the recipe.

They also benefit from a schedule that breaks favorably for them, however short it may be: Arizona at Rice-Eccles, UCLA at the Rose Bowl, USC at RES, Arizona State on the road, Oregon State here, Colorado at Boulder.

Players and coaches cannot take on anything, but we have no restrictions or responsibilities here. It’s vaguely possible, but given the state of the various programs, it’s unlikely and unimaginable that the Utes will stumble across the Wildcats, the Bruins, the Beavers, and the Buffs. That leaves the Trojans and the Sun Devils.

Splitting those games will keep the Utes at 5-1, giving them a shot at a third straight South title. SC is considered the favorite, but how did that work out for Clay Heltons’ teams of the recent past? They wondered if Urban Meyer will take over from Helton in the near future.

If the Whittinghams team successfully absorbs the staff losses from last year’s outfit, which was 8-1 in the Pac-12 regular season and a feeder for the NFL, and wins a new division title, what does that say about the strength? of soccer in Utah?

It says two things: The Utes have yet to conquer the North and win a league championship and, no matter who comes and goes, they’ve built a rare rolling business that annually puts them in a decent position to do that.

GORDON MONSON hosts The Big Show with Jake Scott during the week from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone.