In preparation for Saturday’s contest with Fresno State, The Daily Utah Chronicle caught up with Christopher Livingston, sports editor at The Collegianto get the low-down on the Bulldogs.
Q: Should Utah expect to see two quarterbacks on Saturday?
A: It has been hinted from the Fresno head coach. Brian Burrell has more experience with other quarterbacks, being an incoming transfer. They’ll try to test the waters with both quarterbacks and see which one they are going to pick moving forward.
The head coach is kind of hush-hush, he doesn’t want it to get out of hand, but I would say that you should expect both to be playing on Saturday.
It’s a dead heat, both will be used in the same capacity that they used with during the USC game. If I had to make a guess, it would be Burrell will win it, [not Brandon Connette].
Q: What should Utah expect from the Fresno offense?
A: The running game will be emphasized. You saw a lot of aerial attacks, you saw [Myles] Carr throwing bombs all over the place. With the receivers plus Carr, Fresno was an aerial attack. Against USC, the only points we scored were from the ground. So you can expect there will be a heavy, heavy, heavy rush offense. Expect to see them going to the ground a lot in this upcoming game.
Q: Fresno Offensive Coordinator Dave Schramm spent seven seasons with Utah — will this game be special for him?
A: I think it will be another run of the mill game. During my time I have spoken with him, it’s mostly one game at a time. In the inside, I am sure he will be having flashbacks and may even point out places where he used to go to. For now, though, I think he is just focused on trying to win. Fresno State was embarrassed last week, so he’s focused on getting a W.
Q: Is Utah considered on par with the other Big 5 schools Fresno State plays?
A: I think Fresno State holds Utah in a high regard. The Pac-12 isn’t a conference you just walk in to, you actually have some stripes, and some money, but that’s a different story. I feel that Fresno holds Utah in the same light as they hold USC. But Fresno tries to avoid the whole historical concept and just focus on the here and now.
Q: Compare the excitement around campus from playing Utah and USC.
A: USC was fairly close to home, so because of that, there was more hype, and it was because it was the first game of the season. In Utah, you’ll still have your die-hards go to Salt Lake, but on campus there hasn’t been a lot of hype for the game. I wouldn’t attribute it to Utah though, I would attribute it to the distance and the lack of media coverage.
[email protected]
@millerjryan