As the saying goes, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
Before I go any further, let me say that I believe this Utah team has talent. It’s clear the program has made significant strides this season, and the Utes are a Pac-12 caliber team.
I feel as if everyone, myself included, bought into this “grinder” mentality that Utah had and mistook this team as a potential contender in the conference. However, after the pummeling the Wildcats handed to Utah, it seems this team has been more lucky than it has been good.
Don’t get me wrong, Utah has put together some great games. I’ve been saying all season long that this is two-thirds of a team, and I still feel that way. While the offense had times where it looked halfway decent, for the most part, it was inept and unsuccessful the entire campaign.
Whether it was Kendal Thompson or Travis Wilson, it didn’t really matter. Both quarterbacks had their ups and downs, with the latter being the norm. So, I guess you can say head coach Kyle Whittingham probably deserves Pac-12 Coach of the Year for somehow getting to seven wins, and potentially eight, with such an atrocious offense.
But looking back on some of the games the Utes competed in this season, you can’t help but think that if the ball bounced the other way on just one or two possessions, this team would be sitting below .500.
Really the Utes have been knocking on the door for a while, so it’s not a total surprise this squad started winning some of those close games it lost in 2013. There is no doubt this team is improving, and I honestly believe next season will be THE year for Utah. The Utes have been, and continue to be, recruiting Pac-12 caliber players, and it’s just a matter of time before this program reaches the peak of this conference.
However, this year just wasn’t the right year for Utah. It was a very special season, and with one game to go, the Utes can provide some more magical moments and get their eighth win of the season.
In the end, though, Utah is just an average team that knows how to compete. The Utes aren’t a Pac-12 contender and were lucky to even be in the conversation in the first place. I think Utah is lucky it only has one game left after Arizona clearly found a weakness in the Ute defense.
It’s sometimes better to be lucky than good, and Utah was a little bit of both this season.
 
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