Just two games into the season, the grumbling over offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig is getting louder. It’s also getting personal.
Moments after the Utes finished with their apathetic rendition of “Utah Man,” Ludwig was the caboose of the trail of Utes making their way to the locker room. At that point, a disgruntled U supporter hung over the railing where the band occupies the south end zone stands and yelled, “Ludwig, do the right thing and resign. Go back to Oregon.”
There was no doubt that Ludwig — and the several hundred people standing below — heard the U fan’s plea.
After the silence swept over the mob and Ludwig put his head down and trudged into the locker room, another fan told Ludwig what she thought of his play calling.
With the 2007 season looking gloomier by the minute for the Utes, call-outs like these will only get louder and more frequent.
Justified or not, Ludwig is bound to bear the brunt of this “call to action” for a reformation of the U football team’s coaching staff.
Understandably, Whittingham still holds a major “get out of jail free” card with many fans and Athletic Director Chris Hill. As hostile as Ute fans can become, many still honor and appreciate what Whittingham did as a defensive coordinator.
In addition to that, injuries, lack of talent and untimely departures have prevented Whittingham from meeting a season where he had a legitimate chance at winning the Mountain West Conference.
That leaves Utah with the next guy on the chopping block — the guy directly responsible for the Utes’ anemic offense and even worse play-calling decisions.
Make no mistake that Ludwig is a very nice and classy guy. But in the world of college football, that doesn’t mean squat if the team is struggling to make a push on the offensive side of the ball.
Whether it is fair or not, Ludwig will be the first to go if the Utes’ season continues in the direction it is headed.
Interestingly, the Ludwig situation wasn’t the most popular grumble from Saturday afternoon.
During the fourth quarter — and following the devastating interception that U quarterback Tommy Grady threw — the head official and the clock operator were not on the same page. This forced referee Dan Romeo to announce to the clock operator, “Please set the clock to…” such and such time. This prompted a very quick-witted Ute fan to haphazardly yell, “Please set the clock to next year.”
It’s amazing that after just two games so many Ute fans would be echoing that same sentiment.
The only problem is, in the future, they likely won’t be in the stands to make themselves heard.