Stick to what you know
The Utes have been known to throw quite a bit of trickery at opposing teams in their special teams game, so it wasn’t a huge surprise for Utah fans to see a fake field goal against the Aztecs.
Utah had practiced the play all week. Holder Bradon Godfrey takes the snap and throws it behind his head to kicker Louie Sakoda, who runs out to his right. Then Sakoda throws the ball down the left sideline to a wide-open Godfrey who streaks for a score.
Everything went according to plan until Sakoda sent his pass on a punt-like trajectory and Godfrey had to come back to make the catch. Meanwhile, an Aztec defender came across the field and made the tackle short of the first down.
When asked to talk about the play after the game, Sakoda joked, “Do I have to?”
“We were practicing it all week and the throw was perfect all week,” he said. “I can throw just so you know. I just felt the rush and it was a bad throw.”
Utah quarterback Brian Johnson was then asked to analyze Sakoda’s passing ability.
“He’s got a little bit of a trajectory issue,” Johnson said. “He’s got to come over there and get some individual work with the QBs.”
On the other hand, Sakoda’s forte, kicking the ball, looked quite a bit better. The junior netted all three of his field goal attempts from 32, 51 and 27 yards, respectively. Sakoda’s efforts earned him a second consecutive Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Week Award and keeps the junior among the nation’s elite in kicking.
The Louks package
Looking for an offensive spark against UCLA earlier this season, Utah coaching brass installed a run-heavy set with freshman quarterback Corbin Louks at the helm. The move gave the Utes a legitimate running threat behind center in Brian Johnson’s absence.
Despite the return of the dual threat Johnson three weeks ago, the Utah coaching staff decided to continue using the “Louks package” to lessen the number of blows taken by the still-ailing Johnson.
“We’ll see how healthy we can get (Johnson) because he’s still on the mend,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. “Corbin brings to the table the same thing that (former Ute Eric) Weddle did last year. Corbin’s a little better passer and Weddle was more of a running threat, but essentially it just gives defenses another element to prepare for.”
Whether or not Johnson will ever revert back to his 2005 form, in which he averaged close to 50 rushing yards, still remains to be seen.
“Later in the season he may end up running a little bit more, but right now we just have to try to keep him healthy because he’s not 100 percent yet,” Whittingham said.
Constructing a brick wall
After allowing an average of close to 200 yards per game on the ground in the first five contests of the season, the Utes’ rush defense has vastly improved over the past two games.
Two weeks ago, the Utes faced a Louisville running attack that had been averaging close to 200 yards per game and held them to a mere 26 rushing yards. Last week against the Aztecs, Utah reinforced its new image by holding them to 62 net rushing yards.
So, why the dramatic change in numbers?
“Whenever we have had trouble against the run, it’s mostly been because of missed tackles,” said Utah defensive lineman Greg Newman. “Our tackling has been a lot better in the past couple games because we’re making more first-contact tackles.”
One of the biggest reasons the Utes are now able to stop the run is 6-foot-3-inch, 290-pound defensive tackle Gabe Long. The senior missed three games earlier this season because of a sprained knee, but has gone back to plugging holes and stopping the run in the past two games.
“Getting Gabe Long back is big for us because he’s our big run stopper inside,” Whittingham said. “He brings a lot of athleticism to that defensive front.”
Broaden your recruiting horizons
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is looking forward to his Thursday night match up with TCU this week, hoping to use it as a recruiting tool for high school players in talent-rich Texas.
“We hope to increase the amount of Texas players on our roster every year,” Whittingham said. “We would like to see the number at around 25, but right now it’s a little less than half of that.”
To be exact, nine players on the Utah roster went to high school in Texas. Starters Brian Johnson, Brice McCain and Robert Conley all grew up in the state and were recruited to play football at the U.
The match-up between Utah and TCU will be nationally televised on Versus and is one of only two games being played Thursday night.
“It’s good exposure for the program and it’s good for recruiting,” Whittingham said. “When you’re playing on Thursdays, you’re usually one of the only teams to be playing so recruits see you on TV and that’s huge for a program.”
Lennie Mahler