The week after the Utah football team rolled up season bests of 52 points and 509 yards against Division I independent South Florida, the Utes will have their second bye week of the season?this one planned.
Despite the powerful performance against the Bulls, U coach Ron McBride said the team is not without things to work on, especially after accumulating 13 penalties for 158 yards (including five flags for 68 yards on USF’s 91-yard third quarter scoring drive).
“We won’t work long, but we will work on the fundamentals,? he said after the USF contest. “That [penalty situation] was very disturbing. We’re reacting to what [opponents are] doing, and we’ve just got to learn to keep our composure.”
The 4-1 Utes took off their normal Monday practice, but will make it up today (Fridays are their usual day off) at the McCarthey Practice Field.
The off-day Saturday will give the Utes a chance to recuperate from injuries, as well as give them some extra time to prepare for their second MWC game of the season?a matchup with Wyoming (2-3 overall, 0-2 MWC) at Rice-Eccles Stadium Oct. 20.
“This is a good time for us to have a bye week,” McBride said. “We’re a little nicked up in a couple of areas. It will [also] give us time to take a good look at Wyoming and work at developing some young players. It’s really ideal because we’re heading into a stretch of all the important games, the conference games.”
Each of Utah’s six remaining games are with conference opponents, but after the Wyoming contest, four of five are on the road?the Nov. 10 game against San Diego State is the lone exception.
The Utes’ third and final bye week of the year (the first came on Sept. 15, when the scheduled game vs. Air Force was postponed in response to the terrorist attacks) will come Nov. 24, after the season was originally scheduled to end.
Following the grudge match with BYU Nov. 17, the Utes will have a third week off before making up the Falcons matchup Dec. 1.