Best friend or mortal enemy?
With the Mountain West Conference football season nearing its end, BYU stands head and shoulders above the competition in the race for the title at 5-0. Air Force sits in second place at 5-2, followed closely by New Mexico and Utah, both at 4-2.
The Utes will be mathematically eliminated from the race if they lose to the Lobos this week, but even with a win, chances of a conference title are dwindling.
In a weird twist of irony, Utah needs newly acquired rival Wyoming to take care of business this weekend against the Cougars. If BYU beats the Cowboys, the Utes’ title hopes will be all but shot, as they would then need San Diego State to beat the Cougars.
“We’re still hanging by a thread in that conference race,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. “We’ve got to have some help in the last three weeks, but we can’t really worry about anything else that’s going on, we’ve just got to take care of our own business.”
Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn might not be too willing to lend a helping hand (or finger) to the Utes after the bitter defeat the Cowboys suffered a week ago.
“Hopefully (the game on Saturday) does start a rivalry,” said Utah center Kyle Gunther. “Maybe over the next 10 years, it’ll be a huge rivalry with a lot of trash talking, and that’s good. I think we need more rivalries. I love rivalries.”
Peaking past the Lobos
Although Whittingham has made it clear that the Utes can’t afford to overlook New Mexico this week, it’s difficult to ignore what is coming over the horizon next weekend.
“It’s hard,” Gunther said. “BYU’s been on my mind ever since that game last year. I still can’t believe how it ended. I’m always thinking about BYU, and every chance I get to watch them, I will.”
Still, the Utes can’t afford to get too overzealous for the rivalry game yet, as they face one of their most problematic matchups of the year this week.
“We’ve had problems with them in the past, and we know they’re a very talented team coming in,” said Utah quarterback Brian Johnson. “We’ve just got to have a great week of practice and come out ready to play on Saturday.”
Young and fearless
Coming into this season, Corbin Louks, Jereme Brooks and Neli A’asa weren’t exactly household names for Ute fans. They still probably don’t ring a bell for everyone, but the Utes have been relying on those three and the rest of the freshman class for a lot of their production this season.
Whether it’s Dallin Rogers catching a touchdown pass from his tight end position, Paul Kruger harassing the quarterback at defensive end or Nai Fotu laying down a vicious hit, the freshman class has stepped up in the void left by injuries and performed admirably.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys that have just been getting better and better each week, and that’s a big part of why we’ve been able to be successful the last half of the season,” Whittingham said.
Defense reigns supreme
If there is one theme that sticks out this football season in the Mountain West Conference, it’s tough defense. Four of the conference’s teams currently rank in the top 25 in the country in total defense (yards allowed per game).
Wyoming still sits at the top of the conference after a dismal performance against the U, allowing 309.1 yards per game. BYU follows, allowing 312.11 yards per game, and Utah and TCU concede an average of 313 and 315.2 yards per game, respectively.
The Utes struggled containing the run early in the year, but cured their ails in time for the bulk of their conference schedule. Utah’s pass defense, however, has been solid the entire season — with the exception of the Louisville game — and currently ranks eighth in the nation, allowing 179 yards per game through the air.
Lennie MahlerGabe Long celebrates his forced fumble during the Utes win over Wyoming. Longs effort Saturday earned him player of the game honors.