Coach Whittingham held his weekly presser this morning addressing the NIU game and looking forward to this Saturday against Washington.
- Zack Moss didn't get enough carries and was not used enough in the offense. This has to do with the play calling as well as the reads that were made during the play. But Whittingham said that the offense needs to feature him more.
- Offensive line performed poorly and there is much room for improvement at this position. The coaches feel like they have 6 guys that can get the job done but they need to perform at a higher level. NIU also deserves credit for a great game plan and the plays that they made.
- Once again there were too many drops that were eventually drive killers. Due to the drops and penalties the offense couldn't finish drives and execute at the level they expected.
- Special teams was disappointing once again. The wind did play a factor on the blocked field goal because Matt Gay tried a lower line-drive style kick to conquer the wind but the defense was able to get a hand on it, due to the height of the kick. As well on the punts, the ball was moving all over the place in the air, which made it difficult for the players to track and judge the ball while it was in the air.
- Washington Quarterback Jake Browning is a smart kid great decision maker, has pocket presence which is uncommon, leadership qualities, and exceptional in pressure situations. The coaches respect his play.
- The 6 sacks the offense gave up was due to not performing on the offensive line and receivers not getting open. Also there were some situations where Tyler Huntley could've released the ball a second quicker. Whitt commented that giving up 6 sacks is awful.
- The kickoff return team is fair catching the kickoffs because, according to research that the coaches did in the offseason, 80 percent of kickoffs that were returned in past years did not reach 25 yard line. With this being said, the coaches have plays to take the ball out at times and test their luck but the 25 yard line is a great place to start a drive.
- Utah can stand toe to toe with Washington, they have had some rough finishes in the past. But the team feels like they have the talent to compete with the top of the Pac 12. Whittingham considers the frustration of the past two years games and said the team needs to find away to get over the hump
- Special teams has not been a disaster, but it's not at the level the coaches are used to.
- Orlando Umana is a better technician on the offensive line but, Nick Ford is stronger. They both have similar grades up to this point in the season and both bring something different to the table. There hasn't been markable separation so far.
- Jaylen Dixon will play more, production has not been where it's needed to be at the receiver position. It needs to be more than the "Brit Covey show." Also, drops will effect playing time.
- The offense has not held anything back and is trying to win every game being as potent as they can on offense. They are not trying to save anything.
- After watching film, the coaches are more optimistic about the offense and their performance.
- Francis Bernard is up to speed but there has not been a lot of opportunity so far for him. Cody Barton and Chase Hansen have played exceptional so far and unless there is an injury or something comes up these two will continue to play as much as they can.
Last edited:
