The U football team (1-0) will have to deal with 82,600 screaming fans along with a very talented Texas A&M football team this Saturday evening, and the team knows that getting through the environment at Kyle Field will be an extremely difficult task.
CBS Sportsline.com recently labeled Kyle Field as the best stadium in the country, and ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit called Aggies fans the nation’s best-and for good reason.
Labeled as the “12th Man,” Kyle Field is enormous and deafening.
“It is one of the top three stadiums in the country and we are excited to go there,” U coach Urban Meyer said.
The mindset for the Utes is to block out the noise, which may be close to impossible.
“When I get out onto the field, the crowd noise usually doesn’t bother me, and I can block it out because I am in my own zone,” U running back Brandon Warfield said. “But the team as a whole will have to learn to deal with the noise.”
Dealing with the noise will be tough, but U safety Morgan Scalley feels it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
“Crowds don’t win games, and if we focus, then we won’t have to worry about it as much,” Scalley said.
Scalley also knows the defense has the ability to control the crowd.
“If we communicate well and play good defense, then we will hopefully keep the crowd down to a respectable level,” Scalley said.
Most teams that have come into Kyle Field haven’t been able to keep focused-certainly a big reason why the Aggies had a 55-4-1 home record in the ’90s and have consistently beaten highly ranked teams at College Station.
Last season, the Utes got a taste of what such a crowd is like as they traveled to the largest stadium in the country in Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on the Wolverines. However, it wasn’t nearly as loud as Texas A&M will be.
“Michigan wasn’t loud at all, but when we played Oregon, that was incredible,” Scalley said.
“Their crowd is crazy,” U cornerback Arnold Parker said.
Though playing in such an intimidating atmosphere may always cause problems, playing such competition has been good for the U football program. The name recognition of the teams the Utes play has been getting better and better each season.
Utah played Oregon in 2001, Michigan in 2002 and now the team will take on both Texas A&M and Oregon this season.
“This is a big opportunity for us,” Meyer said.
The players are very excited for the chance to be recognized by the entire country.
“We are so excited to get recognition this season and we have plenty of chances to do it,” Parker said.
The other factor that will play a major role at Kyle Field will be the immensely high humidity.
“I am used to playing from [living] there, so it won’t be too big of a problem for me,” Warfield said.
Warfield grew up in Texas and starred at Kilgore Junior College. But while he may be used to the Southern humidity, it may cause serious problems for players not accustomed to such conditions-particularly in terms of team depth.
“We are not where we need to be in terms of depth, especially on the offensive and defensive lines,” Meyer said.
Meyer wants more quality backups, especially for the fatigue they will face.
“I like to run 10 offensive lineman, and right now we have six or seven,” Meyer said.
For the other players, it will just be a wait-and-see type of approach.
“I have never played in that kind of heat, so we will see how tiring it is,” Parker said. “We will just suck it up and deal with it.”
The Utes will be without Jason Kaufusi on the defensive line for the second-straight game, but may get Chris Kemoeatu back in the offensive line rotation.
Also on the injury front is running back Marty Johnson, who may not play for the second straight week. That means Warfield, coming off a 173-yard effort against Utah State that garnered him MWC Player of the Week honors, will take the overwhelming majority of the carries once again.
“I am ready to carry the load,” Warfield said. “I just want to perform like I did last week.”
Even if the offensive line is not up to 100 percent, U left guard Thomas Herrion is ready to play.
“I will play 80 plays if that is what it takes,” Herrion said.
Ute middle linebacker Zach Tune should be back, along with tight end Matt Hansen.
For this game, the Utes have to prepare for the crowd and the heat, which is not a normal practice for the team.
Thus, the team will have two practices where there is music blaring at them during practice for at least 20 minutes to get them ready for the noise.
If the Utes aren’t ready for the crowd and the heat, the “12th Man” may just be the difference in Saturday’s showdown.