Finishing the year as co-champs of the Pac-12 South is something this Utah team never envisioned for themselves at the end of last season. Head coach Kyle Whittingham continually mentioned throughout these past few months that if he would take the Utes’ record at various points in the 2015 campaign, he would do it in a heartbeat.
Losing two crucial games down the stretch is also something the team never expected — they essentially gave up control of the division to the two L.A. schools. Looking back on the 9-3 record, however, Whittingham could not be more appreciative of the group of guys, primarily the seniors, who led the team all season long.
“Can’t say enough good things about those guys, their leadership, their work ethic, their determination,” Whittingham said. “Biggest disappointment was not being able to get one of those last two to give us the outright championship. That was tough to take, but we got no one to blame but ourselves. But this team has been very resilient.”
More than anything, the team wanted to go out on a winning note, and the Utes did just that against Colorado this past Saturday. But they’re not done yet.
The Utes still have to wait until Sunday to find out what bowl game they will be playing in. With Utah’s history in bowl games, Gionni Paul is expecting one more win to close out the year.
During Paul’s first year at Utah, the team did not make it to a bowl game, and since he redshirted that year, he did not really have a say about it. He hated watching all the other teams on TV playing in bowl games. Now, as a senior, he wants to be sure he leaves a lasting impact on this program.
“We want to be an elite team, and we’re getting better and better every year,” Paul said. “As long as we keep improving and the seniors above keep leading, I think this program has a bright future.”
Fellow senior Travis Wilson has been at the forefront of this Utah squad for most of his time at the U, and with that, has also caught a lot of backlash whenever he would have a bad game or two. With all this, Whittingham thinks this has made him one of the strongest players on the team.
“Travis has a lot of guts and toughness,” Whittingham said. “He’s been through more ups and downs than anyone on the senior class.”
Wilson never lost faith in himself because of the guys around him and is happy they still have about a month left with each other.
“I feel like we had a special season and couldn’t thank my teammates more,” Wilson said. “Just got to keep on making sure we’re ready. Still got one more game, and Utah teams win bowl games, so we got to make sure we’re prepared.”
That’s exactly what Whittingham will do. He’ll prepare his team to end the year with another bowl victory and hopes that this season sets a precedent for next year.
As for all the coaching rumors, several that involve Whittingham getting a call from USC, Whittingham is ignoring all of it. He’s got other things to worry about, and just as the team’s motto says, “All in or in the way,” he is more than focused on closing out the season with one more win.
“Nine highs and three lows,” Whittingham said. “It’s a step forward. It’s a process and we want to keep on an upward trajectory. There’s a big coaching carousel, who knows what’s going on, but I don’t pay attention to that.”
@kbrenneisen