The 2017 season for the University of Utah football team gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 31 as it hosts North Dakota. To gain insight into the game, The Daily Utah Chronicle spoke to Allyson Bento, sports editor of the Dakota Student.
Q: How did North Dakota’s offseason go?
AB: Seeing as how the offseason workouts are optional, there was a very high turnout, it just shows the dedication of these athletes to be their best self. They worked really hard and the incoming members of the team spent the workouts to get comfortable with the new surroundings.
Q: Last season, the Fighting Hawks went undefeated in the Big Sky Conference (8-0) and 9-3 overall to clinch the conference title before falling in the second round of the playoffs. How do they plan to use last year’s results as motivation this season?
AB: Instead of the triumphs as Big Sky champions getting to their head, they are using their fall in the second round as motivation. They’re seeing where they went wrong and what needs to be stronger.
Q: What was the key to success for North Dakota last year?
AB: North Dakota’s success last season came from their ability to play to the final whistle. Their style of play was fluid start to finish, they know what it’s like to be the underdog and they learned last season how it felt to work from underdog to being on top.
Q: What kind of impact will being on the road to open up its season against Utah have on North Dakota?
AB: It’s not unusual for UND to open up on the road, they have opened up the last two seasons on the road where they lost last season and won the season before, so I don’ think it has an effect on their play.
Q: What Hawks do you think might cause Utah trouble?
AB: Some of UND’s frontrunners to watch out for would be John Santiago, running back, who’s coming off of back-to-back star seasons and has no intentions of slowing down. Cole Reyes has also shown his abilities in the last season as DB, he was also named to the Athlon Sports Pre-season All-American Team to begin this season.
Q: What is North Dakota’s strongest position group and why?
AB: Like the frontrunners who will cause troubles, so will their position groups. Santiago’s understudy, Brady Oliviera, spent a lot of time on the field last season and showed he has the ability to stand up when called upon. The defensive line is also a force to be reckoned with. They are an older group, comprised of mainly upperclassmen, so they have the combined experience UND needs to overcome tough competitors.
Q: Who do you think will win? And why?
AB: UND, I believe they have the head and the heart to succeed. If this offseason is an indicator. They put in the time and the effort they need to see a successful season.
@allysonbento