Any diehard Utah fan could tell that quarterback Brian Johnson still wasn’t 100 percent when he played against Utah State. The junior threw two interceptions and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig refused to send the dual-threat quarterback on any run plays.
That will not likely be the case this week as the Utes will need the entire playbook and perfect execution to keep up with Louisville’s dynamic offense.
The Daily Utah Chronicle caught up with Johnson earlier this week to discuss his performance against Utah State and how the Utes are planning on keep up with quarterback Brian Brohm and the Cardinals.
The Chronicle: So, the Utah State game was your first start since the injury. How would you evaluate your first game back?
Johnson: It was okay, it was decent. I wouldn’t say it was horrible. We got the win, and that’s the most important thing.
The Chronicle: What do you think you need to improve on before this weekend’s game?
Johnson: I need to take better care of the ball. Two interceptions are two too many, so I’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the ball and finishing drives once we get into the redzone. We just need better effort from everybody involved. We need to be more productive as an offense.
The Chronicle: Coming into this season, everyone had this game circled as the big game between the underrated smaller schools and Utah’s big chance to make a name for themselves again on the national level. How does that change now that you guys are 2-3 and Louisville is 3-2?
Johnson: I don’t think it changes for the players. It might change a bit for the media. They might not see it as that big of a game anymore, but for the players that are involved, nothing has changed.
The Chronicle: You’re squaring off in a quarterback dual of sorts with Louisville’s Brian Brohm. How do you think you measure up to the Heisman candidate?
Johnson: I think I measure up pretty even with him. He’s definitely a different style of quarterback as far as production goes, because he’s a traditional dropback quarterback. But it is what it is and everybody has their own strengths.
The Chronicle: Speaking of your running ability, it seemed like the play calling was awfully timid last week. I’m guessing that was to protect your shoulder for another week, but can we expect the old option back this week?
Johnson: I think it will change this week. We were just doing such an awesome job up front, and Darrell was doing such an awesome job running it, so the QB run game wasn’t needed as much.
The Chronicle: Let’s say the Louisville offense goes off in the game this weekend. Can the Utes beat the Cardinals in a shootout?
Johnson: I think we can. We’ve just got to not give those guys short fields and protect the football. They got into a shootout against Middle Tennessee, and the difference was that Middle Tennessee turned the ball over in the redzone when they had the opportunity to score. As long as we protect the football and score when we have the opportunities, there’s a great chance we could beat them like that.
The Chronicle: Louisville is well-known for that high-powered offense, but who impresses you on their defense? Who are you going to constantly be aware of?
Johnson: One guy who was really impressive on field, they don’t have anymore: Willie Williams. The linebacker was just a beast on the field. Other than that, they have a good front four that are very active off the ball. The thing about their defense is that they have a lot of speed.
The Chronicle: Does the short week factor in much when preparing for a team like this or is that just a load of hogmolly that coaches use for excuses?
Johnson: I don’t think it’ll affect us too much. Obviously your body is probably more banged up than it would be normally on Saturday games. But as far as the preparation factor, I don’t think it hinders you that much. Everything is just one day earlier so you just have to find time to get the work done.
The Chronicle: Finish this thought for me — Utah will beat Louisville if…
Johnson: We play well. We have to play extremely well. This is a well-balanced team that’s good in all three phases of the game, so we have to come out and play our best game of the season.
Lennie Mahler