Game Day!

Here’s Cole’s takeaways from the impressive opener tonight:

https://utah.rivals.com/news/takeaways-no-14-utah-s-depth-topples-florida

The 2023 season is finally here! Plenty of intrigue with this game. Do the Utes avenge last year's opener in Gainesville?

Introducing a fun concept with stats and the human element of the game… Joe and Matt do a great job on this first episode. We’re going to have to talk with Dustin as well.

Stats can be boring, but these two do a great job of keeping you engaged when talking about the “why” of the numbers.

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I am not at all! Can you tell? Big game today. Hoping we give the first punch today to kick off a fun night!

Some great insight here and a great job by Cole too, but Google Fiber was causing him some issues with his connection at times:

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Keys to victory for the Utes:
Disciplined defense with few mistakes.
Success in the run game and commanding the trenches.
Be prepared for adversity and win the mental battle.

More here:

Two days left until kickoff means we get to talk about #2 and Utah's do-it-all back, Micah Bernard:

The fifth-year senior reflects on the cornerback room:

“[Coach Scalley] wanted me to work on my foot speed, that was a big thing, and just getting stronger in the weight room. I feel like I did a good job of that over the summer. We did a lot of speed training, a lot of lifting too, so I feel like I was able to excel at both of those things,” Barton explained.

More here: https://utah.rivals.com/news/barton-sees-big-potential-for-2023-utes

Not much blue and orange

GO UTES!!!!!!

A double dose of articles on game day, and here we discuss a freshman receiver that's made some noise throughout camp:

And with game day officially here, the final article of the 2023 countdown to kickoff series is no. 0 Logan Fano:

Offensive Breakout player?

Alex: Can my pick qualify as a breakout player? I think so and here’s why… After two years of playing through serious injuries, Micah Bernard is healthy and ready to show everyone the all-around running back he’s capable of being. Yes, he’s sharing the backfield with Ja’Quinden Jackson. Yes, Jackson is the starter. However, Utah envisions a big role for Bernard both in the running and the passing games. When healthy, his talent is elite, and it’s a perfect combo with Jackson.

Matt: Mycah Pittman. Finally healthy, the former Seminole and Duck will be Rising's top target. He's always had the talent, now he'll have the opportunity and health to prove himself.

Halie: Thomas Yassmin jumped right in as the ‘next man up’ for the Utes offense last season after injuries plagued the tight ends. Things really caught on fire for Yassmin midway through the season, proving to be a valuable option in the passing game, averaging 23.2 yards per game. I see his role continuing to trend upwards, and doubling his receiving yards in his senior season.

Cole: After switching from QB to RB midseason and quickly acclimating to the position as a consistent contributor, Ja’Quinden Jackson should be poised for a big season out of the backfield for the Utes.

With an entire offseason to develop and cited improvement from multiple members of the coaching staff, Jackson should be poised for a big season in terms of production and just might establish himself as one of the best to ever do it in a Utah uniform.

Offensive MVP?

Alex: I’m tempted to roll with Cam Rising on this, regardless of his injury situation. However, the Utes will rely on Ja’Quinden Jackson as much as he’s able. Look for the tantalizing back to have one of the greatest seasons for a running back in Utah Football history. In the process, look for Utah opponents having a miserable time stopping him.

Matt: I'm going with Rising. He's got so many weapons. He's got so much experience. It should all come together for a special season, even if he misses a game or two.

Halie: I agree with the guys, regardless of his injury status, I am going with Cam Rising. As an unquestioned leader of the team and his competitiveness, he’ll do whatever it takes to help his team succeed. Whether or not he plays in the first couple of games, this could possibly be a special season as he completes his collegiate career.

Cole: Despite his current health status and some remaining questions about his availability, the Utes success will revolve around Cam Rising yet again. With his leadership, elite games management, and how critical he’s been for Utah over the last two seasons, that will continue in 2023.

Defensive Breakout player?

Alex: Keanu Tanuvasa is a name that probably surprised a lot of people when he appeared at the top of the depth chart. However, Tanuvasa has been a menace ever since spring ball. He’s also been the most consistent of the defensive tackles group along with Junior Tafuna. Defensive tackles coach Luther Elliss lights up when talking about him. That endorsement right there speaks volumes.

Matt: Lander Barton. Can he be considered a breakout as the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year? I think so. I think he easily doubles his sack total and becomes a leader to the defense.

Halie: Simote Pepa really helped turn around Utah’s run defense last year. As his presence in the defensive tackle rotation grew, so did his stat line. His size, strength and ability to shut down the run, I think he’ll break out even on the defense in 2023.

Cole: Another welcomed surprise last season, Sione Vaki was arguably one of the most important and consistent contributors for Utah down the stretch. Like Jackson, Sione has now had an entire offseason to develop within his role and should be extremely productive. I wouldn’t be shocked if he leads in multiple defensive statistics.

Defensive MVP?
Alex: Karene Reid. Here’s another where the pick is really difficult. In the pass-happy Pac-12, it was a toss-up for me between Reid and Cole Bishop. Can I just say they’re 1A and 1B? Well, Reid gets the nod here. Reid is just so damn complete as a college football player, but I also expect Bishop to have a season that propels him into being an early-entry into the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the top safeties.

Matt: Junior Tafuna. Opposing offenses will be so worried about the edges and linebacker and safety blitzes, that they'll forget about the big man inside. His pass rush is valuable, but his ability to halt the run game is so important.

Halie: Karene Reid. With his deep understanding of the defensive scheme and playmaking ability. His game at the linebacker position has continually elevated. No doubt he’s a force on the defense and a proven leader on the field, I expect him to match and/or better his stats from last season.

Cole: It’s crazy to think that Cole Bishop is now one of the most experienced defenders on Utah’s roster, but with 24 career appearances and 19 starts he’s been key to the Utes' success over the last two seasons. Now stepping into his junior year, Bishop will command the defense and should produce his best numbers yet. Alongside Vaki, opposing offenses are going to struggle to move the football no matter what they try.

I was going to post these as articles, but my brain running on empty and I feel like it’s good discussion pieces for the board.


Alex: With uncertainty at the quarterback position due to Rising’s injury, Utah drops one of the first two games if Rising sits both. From there, the Utes will have their leader to battle it out through Pac-12 play, aiming for the three-peat. All of USC, Washington, and Oregon State are road games — none of which will be easy. Utah loses two conference games, but the conference once again eats its own and the Utes head back to their home away from home, Allegiant Stadium. We’re only predicting the regular season games here’s, but I’ll go on and say the Utes complete the three-peat, as Rising completes his Utah career as the G.O.A.T. of all Utah G.O.A.T.s.

Matt: I think the Utes remain undefeated at home, so that's 7-0 there. I have some concerns with the road games at Baylor, Oregon State, USC, and Washington. However, I genuinely think this may be the most talented team in Utah history. Because of this, I think they only lose one game, either to USC or Washington.

Halie: The Utes will face tough teams from the jump as they welcome Florida on Thursday, but with a talented roster and depth, I see them finishing out the season 10-2. The biggest battles will come from Oregon, USC, Washington, and Oregon State looking for an upset.

Cole: Facing arguably the most difficult schedule in program history, the Utes will have their work cut out for them every single week. While there has been talk about this year's squad being the best roster top to bottom and arguably the best defense in program history, the schedule is stacked and could be unforgiving. Overall, Utah will finish somewhere between 8-4 and 10-2. The defense is certainly good enough to keep them in every single game, but questions surrounding Rising health and availability will determine some of the bigger matchups. Between Florida, Baylor, USC, Washington, Oregon, and Oregon State, it is going to be difficult to come out on top in every single one of those games.

Don't forget about this Florida-native in the running back conversation:

I’ve seen Newman’s report. I’ve been tied up until a half hour ago and started seeing all my messages. I have no reason to doubt what he’s saying.

A little run-through…

At the end of last week, it was seeming like Whittingham and Ludwig were beginning lean Barnes’ way due to him have big game experience and consistency. There’s also the real chance that Johnson started trending down, but I was also told he threw a 65 yard pass in the last 7-10 days.

Whether Rising has been cleared or not, there have opinions starting to emerge that it would be beneficial to give him a few more weeks and ramp him. I’m in the camp with agreeing on that.

As for me with Barnes and Johnson, if they truly are even, I’d rather go with the higher ceiling in Johnson, especially knowing that they were considered even. I think Barnes can win and win convincingly if he plays within the game plan and doesn’t try the risky difficult throws. It’s easy to have nightmares of the Wazzu game knowing that game was a lot closer than it should have been. A lot of that was Barnes choosing riskier short throws to the sidelines. It’s important to remember that it was his first start, and I’m sure he’s grown from that game experience.

I know most will be down that the backup to Rising isn’t Johnson, BUT I do know there has been a solid level of confidence with the team surrounding Barnes as camp ended and game prep began.

The Ole Miss transfer should see plenty of time at cornerback this season:

I just spoke with someone in the Utah ticketing office and they told us that the section they've been given for the Utah-Baylor game is not great, so they encouraged us to look at other options first. I'm curious where everyone else that's going are sitting? Hoping to see/meet a few of you this fall.

Joe is back at it! What are the numbers saying? Who is he taking…?

https://utah.rivals.com/news/statistically-speaking-utah-vs-florida

I always enjoy these guys. It’s long, but give it a listen.

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Hey everybody,

Sorry if this isn’t the place for this, first time post.

Like everybody else, I’m looking for tickets to tomorrow’s game vs Florida. Doesn’t matter where, just want to get into RES with my dad. Willing to pay for them, I just loathe the big ticket sites and giving them extra money for ridiculous fees makes me physically sick to my stomach.

I also have 4 tickets for every Utah Jazz home game this season. Can trade multiple Jazz games of your choosing this season for Utes tickets to this game - we can work something out if someone can help me out. My number is 9402350724, can call or text with anything.


Thanks, Go Utes!

Two more sleeps, y’all!… Let’s talk Kenzel Lawler and then Micah Bernard is coming soon…

https://utah.rivals.com/news/utenation-countdown-to-kickoff-no-2-kenzel-lawler-1