Alex caught up with Jeff Johnson, editor from Oklahoma State's Rivals site:
utah.rivals.com
Here's Alex's portion of the Q&A, answering Jeff's questions:
Gundy said he expects to see Isaac Wilson as QB1 this weekend, but they’re preparing for both. What’s the latest on Cam Rising’s status?
That's just gamesmanship. If he’s not preparing for Cam Rising to start, that would be pure insanity and Gundy is much smarter than that.
Rising would have gone back into the game against Baylor, but they couldn’t get the bleeding from the gash to stop. Last weekend, it was just the perfect opportunity to start Wilson and let Rising take extra precaution.
I fully expect Rising to play on Saturday.
Outside of those two, who are other Ute offensive players to watch?
There’s a lot more this year than in years past. Tight end Brant Kuithe, plus receivers Money Parks and Dorian Singer will be Rising’s favorite targets. Their tight end room is stacked and they’ll use any at any given time, but one that’s emerged recently as a scary red zone threat is 6-foot-8 former Baylor basketball player, Caleb Lohner.
The run game is a two-headed monster with Micah Bernard and Mike Mitchell, mixed with specialty plays from Dijon Stanley. Bernard is the lead back. He’s averaging 6.7 yards per carry with back-to-back 100 yard games. Bernard is also dangerous in the passing game. Mitchell is your stereotypical bruising back, but with speed. As for Stanley, he’s too light to be an every-down back, but he’s dangerous on misdirections and wheel routes out of the backfield. If Stanley gets the ball with a head of steam, he’s extremely difficult to catch and bring down.
What defensive scheme and philosophy does Utah employ, and who are some of the top defenders?
Utah runs a mix of a 4-2-5 and a 4-3 defense. Typically they’re reliant on man-to-man coverage and Defensive Coordinator Morgan Scalley takes a smart but aggressive approach. Utah uses a lot of pre-snap movement to attack with stunts and blitzes.
In Whittingham’s 31 years at Utah and 20 as the Head Coach, there’s few years where Utah hasn’t had an elite or above average defense. It’s how Utah caused hell in the Pac-12, leading to four conference championship game appearances and two conference titles in 13 years in the Pac-12.
If there’s one area to attack on Utah’s defense it’s the replacement for linebacker Karene Reid, who might not play. Sione Fotu and Johnathan Hall are talented, but when you can go at backups, then go at them.
Aside from that, Utah has a stacked defensive line, led on the interior by Junior Tafuna and Keanu Tanuvasa, one of the better interior combos in the country. Utah’s defensive ends have also gotten off to a strong start. Linebacker Lander Barton has gotten off to a slow start, but he’s an all-conference caliber backer. Tao Johnson is the next in line for Utah’s storied history at producing safeties.
One name fans could hear a lot of on Saturday is Cameron Calhoun. The Michigan transfer took on a larger role last week after being slowed by an injury and he had a dominant performance. The freshman will be targeted a lot because Oklahoma State will want to avoid senior Zemaiah Vaughn, but they could learn fast that it’s not the best decision.
How have the Utes been on special teams? OSU has been excellent, is this a potential advantage for the Pokes?
Utah kicker Cole Becker is 4-6 on field goals and 11-11 on extra points. He has a strong long and is a dependable kicker. Utah punter Jack Bouwmeester has a strong leg, and Utah has capable returners.
Oklahoma State has an edge, but I wouldn’t say it’s a big edge.
How do you see this one playing out and do you have a prediction?
One thing the Pac-12 teams and fans learned over the years is, when Rising is playing, it’s difficult to bet against Utah. With all of his experience, I really don’t see him being rusty after missing last week, so I do expect a Utah victory. It’s going to be a hostile crowd, but Rising has a way of minimizing that with his chill composure that also affects his teammates.
At this point in the season, the Oklahoma State pass defense is bad and their run defense isn’t much better. Rising has plenty of weapons, so the Cowboys can’t just key on one or two guys. Utah also has an effective running game to keep Oklahoma State off balance.
As good as Utah’s front seven is, Ollie Gordon is due for one of his bigger games. I just don’t see it being enough for an Oklahoma State victory. Utah 34, Oklahoma State 24.
Opponent Q & A: Oklahoma State
Mike Gundy and Kyle Whittingham are rare breeds for their coaching longevity at one school. What has allowed Gundy to
Here's Alex's portion of the Q&A, answering Jeff's questions:
Gundy said he expects to see Isaac Wilson as QB1 this weekend, but they’re preparing for both. What’s the latest on Cam Rising’s status?
That's just gamesmanship. If he’s not preparing for Cam Rising to start, that would be pure insanity and Gundy is much smarter than that.
Rising would have gone back into the game against Baylor, but they couldn’t get the bleeding from the gash to stop. Last weekend, it was just the perfect opportunity to start Wilson and let Rising take extra precaution.
I fully expect Rising to play on Saturday.
Outside of those two, who are other Ute offensive players to watch?
There’s a lot more this year than in years past. Tight end Brant Kuithe, plus receivers Money Parks and Dorian Singer will be Rising’s favorite targets. Their tight end room is stacked and they’ll use any at any given time, but one that’s emerged recently as a scary red zone threat is 6-foot-8 former Baylor basketball player, Caleb Lohner.
The run game is a two-headed monster with Micah Bernard and Mike Mitchell, mixed with specialty plays from Dijon Stanley. Bernard is the lead back. He’s averaging 6.7 yards per carry with back-to-back 100 yard games. Bernard is also dangerous in the passing game. Mitchell is your stereotypical bruising back, but with speed. As for Stanley, he’s too light to be an every-down back, but he’s dangerous on misdirections and wheel routes out of the backfield. If Stanley gets the ball with a head of steam, he’s extremely difficult to catch and bring down.
What defensive scheme and philosophy does Utah employ, and who are some of the top defenders?
Utah runs a mix of a 4-2-5 and a 4-3 defense. Typically they’re reliant on man-to-man coverage and Defensive Coordinator Morgan Scalley takes a smart but aggressive approach. Utah uses a lot of pre-snap movement to attack with stunts and blitzes.
In Whittingham’s 31 years at Utah and 20 as the Head Coach, there’s few years where Utah hasn’t had an elite or above average defense. It’s how Utah caused hell in the Pac-12, leading to four conference championship game appearances and two conference titles in 13 years in the Pac-12.
If there’s one area to attack on Utah’s defense it’s the replacement for linebacker Karene Reid, who might not play. Sione Fotu and Johnathan Hall are talented, but when you can go at backups, then go at them.
Aside from that, Utah has a stacked defensive line, led on the interior by Junior Tafuna and Keanu Tanuvasa, one of the better interior combos in the country. Utah’s defensive ends have also gotten off to a strong start. Linebacker Lander Barton has gotten off to a slow start, but he’s an all-conference caliber backer. Tao Johnson is the next in line for Utah’s storied history at producing safeties.
One name fans could hear a lot of on Saturday is Cameron Calhoun. The Michigan transfer took on a larger role last week after being slowed by an injury and he had a dominant performance. The freshman will be targeted a lot because Oklahoma State will want to avoid senior Zemaiah Vaughn, but they could learn fast that it’s not the best decision.
How have the Utes been on special teams? OSU has been excellent, is this a potential advantage for the Pokes?
Utah kicker Cole Becker is 4-6 on field goals and 11-11 on extra points. He has a strong long and is a dependable kicker. Utah punter Jack Bouwmeester has a strong leg, and Utah has capable returners.
Oklahoma State has an edge, but I wouldn’t say it’s a big edge.
How do you see this one playing out and do you have a prediction?
One thing the Pac-12 teams and fans learned over the years is, when Rising is playing, it’s difficult to bet against Utah. With all of his experience, I really don’t see him being rusty after missing last week, so I do expect a Utah victory. It’s going to be a hostile crowd, but Rising has a way of minimizing that with his chill composure that also affects his teammates.
At this point in the season, the Oklahoma State pass defense is bad and their run defense isn’t much better. Rising has plenty of weapons, so the Cowboys can’t just key on one or two guys. Utah also has an effective running game to keep Oklahoma State off balance.
As good as Utah’s front seven is, Ollie Gordon is due for one of his bigger games. I just don’t see it being enough for an Oklahoma State victory. Utah 34, Oklahoma State 24.
