‘U’re on in three…two…one…
The Utes will play on national television for the first time this year on Friday night when they travel to Kentucky to take on Louisville. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
“Everybody wants to play on national (television) so it’s exciting for us,” Utah quarterback Brian Johnson said. “Some guys might get a little bit more hyped for this game. We know we have a challenge ahead of us and we have to play extremely well on offense.”
Despite the fact that both teams were expected to have better records at this point in the season, the Utes are excited about playing another BCS team in the Cardinals.
“It would be huge for us. We’ve had one good win against a national powerhouse this year so why not have another, you know? They are a very talented group of guys though so we’ll definitely have our hands full.”
Know your enemy
Although Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has never faced the Cardinals, he’ll see a few familiar faces when the teams play each other on Friday.
Louisville head coach Steve Kragthorpe is in his first year with the Cardinals after coming over from Tulsa. The Utes played Tulsa in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl a year ago and edged the Kragthorpe-coached Golden Hurricane, 25-13.
The Cardinals’ offense is much more efficient than Tulsa’s offense was last year though. They currently average 595.4 yards per game en route to a 45.8 point-per-game staple.
“There’s definitely some similarities,” Whittingham said. “He’s got the same offensive coordinator, Charlie Stubbs, from when he coached at Tulsa so there is some definite Tulsa flavor that’s mixed in to what they were already doing there at Louisville.”
Special in every way
Thanks to “Sweet” Louie Sakoda, the Utah kicking game has been stellar the whole season. Against Utah State, Sakoda made both of his field goal attempts and booted two of his three punts inside the Aggies’ 20-yard line.
Despite Sakoda’s clutch play, he was still overshadowed on special teams by return man Derrek Richards. The senior returned one punt 75 yards for a touchdown and finished the game with 135 yards on four returns.
His punt return efforts against the Aggies earned Richards his first Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Week Award and ranks third-best in school history.
“Derrek Richards played an exceptional game against the Aggies,” Whittingham said. “He was named special teams player of the week for the conference so that’s big for him. The touchdown on the punt return was a huge spark for this football team.”
Two safety valves that work
Traditionally, safeties are a last line of defense before the opposing team breaks away for a touchdown. But safeties Steve Tate and RJ Rice reinvented that theme against the Aggies.
Tate, who used to play at Utah State, treated his former team to 13 tackles, two of which were for losses. The senior led the team in the game and is currently ranked third in the conference.
On the other side, Rice got his first collegiate start of the season after Joe Dale suffered a slight concussion. Rice made the most of the opportunity, recording nine tackles. Like Tate, two of those tackles were for a loss.
The Utah secondary definitely has their hands full this week when they face a Louisville offense that averages 393.4 passing yards per game.
“(The secondary has) played well so far this year, but there hasn’t been a challenge like the one they’ve got in front of them right now,” Whittingham said. “This team is in the top three or four in the nation in passing offense so it’ll be interesting to see how these guys respond.”
Lennie MahlerMarquis Wilson pulls in a 38 yard touchdown pass form Brian Johnson during the second quarter of the Utes 34-18 win over Utah State Saturday.