Episode 40 – A mixed week of results

09/19/07 • -1 min

This past weekend, the temperature for Utah sports was hot, cold, and lukewarm, all at the same time. The University of Utah football team was very hot, and looked virtually perfect as they trounced 11^th ranked UCLA 44-6. Real Salt Lake managed a lukewarm 0-0 draw against Toronto, but considering they were down a man for most of the game and playing in Canada, the effort was hot. BYU’s offensive statistics were hot (they got in the end zone seven times), but the rest of the team was lukewarm at best (they still lost by more than a touchdown), and the special teams were downright cold. Utah State, sorry to say, is neither hot, nor cold. Following a 54-3 drubbing at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners, the only word to describe them is: bad. Not bad that they lost to the #3 team in college football – bad that the overwhelming defeat was expected by everyone.

The question lurking in the midst of all this is: which of the many teams we have seen are the real ones? Is Utah the team that is capable of demolishing strong Pac-10 opponents? It wasn’t just a loss, either – Utah beat them in every possible way, and made UCLA hang their heads. Or are they the team that can’t manage more than one touchdown against a lesser-talented (but very hard-working) Air Force defense? Which BYU will take the field next Saturday – the team that worked over Arizona? Or will it be the team that racks up lots of offensive yards but also lots of penalties and turnovers? Even RSL has had flashes of brilliance in the midst of their dismal season. At least Utah State is consistent, even if it is consistently awful.

The upcoming games will provide interesting tests for the two biggest college programs. Utah’s game will not be as much a test of athletic ability as an indication of preparation and concentration. The same team that can wipe out a significant Pac-10 school should have no problems with a bottom-of-the-pack conference foe. If Utah does play well and beat UNLV in Las Vegas, then we have reason to hope they could recover from a shaky start and produce a good-if-not-great season. The injuries have been significant, but Utah has shown that they have enough talent to make up for the missing players.

The Cougars have a bit more significant of a test, hosting Air Force this Saturday. The Falcons are on a tear right now, having beaten the other two “elite” schools in the Mountain West Conference (Utah and TCU) in the past two games. If they could knock off BYU, that would complete the task and put Air Force as the standing favorites to win the conference. Among the problems BYU will face is that Air Force runs an unusual offense designed to keep opposing defenses off-balance. If that sounds familiar, consider this reminder: Tulsa 55, BYU 47. BYU’s defense has been questionable since the Arizona game, and their special teams are just bad. Field position is important when facing a ball-co...

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Episode 39 – The Triumphant Return of Football

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America’s true national pastime is back, and if I might speak for sports fans around the country, it’s about time. With college football kicking off last week and the National Football League about to start regular season play, it feels a bit like the cool end of a long, hot summer.

The teams followed by the Utah SportsCast played this last week, with Utah kicking off their season at Oregon State. This game was most noteworthy – from a Utah fan’s point of view – because of the significant injuries to Utah players. Starting quarterback Brian Johnson went down with a separated shoulder, which is expected to keep him off the playing field for 3-5 weeks. He did manage to play almost two whole quarters of football before returning to the injured list, so that was a nice treat for fans. With any luck, he may be able to start in a few games this year.

Also bitten by the injury bug was Matt Asiata, who was Utah’s big pickup among Juco transfers. He was going to be the featured running back this season, before a routine tackle broke both bones in his lower leg. It was one of those potential career-ending injuries, but fortunately, he is expected to recover. It won’t happen anytime soon, of course; but at some point, in the distant future, Asiata may play again.

With two star players out, and the Utah offense terrorized by a big, fast, talented Oregon State defense, they were lucky to escape with only a 24-7 beating. Brent Casteel scored their only touchdown, hauling in one of Johnson’s early passes. He was also about the only player in red who seemed to be able to match speed with Oregon State.

Two days later, the story was completely different for BYU. Not only did they manage an injury-free game, but they discovered another potential star running back, their brand new quarterback looked good, and their defense was smothering (to say the least). The visiting Arizona team managed a touchdown in the final quarter to avoid the shutout, but still went home on the wrong end of a 20-7 loss.

Cougar fans may have a lot to be excited about this year, as they seemed to have room for improvement, in spite of playing a solid game. If they can play a respectable game against a ranked UCLA team this week, it may be the start of another great season.

So to recap, injuries and lack of depth cripple Utah and they lose a winnable game. Yet another stud running back and an awesome defense drive BYU to an impressive win. If you switched jerseys on the teams you might wonder if it’s 1994 all over again.

There is much more to enjoy (we hope) in the podcast, so please listen! We welcome any and all feedback to [email protected]

Our Top 3 in Utah for this week:

3. Brent Casteel

2. Nick Rimando

1. Harvey Unga

Thanks again to our sponsor, ZAGG Inc., for their support!

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Episode 41 –The winner lost, and the losers won

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There is almost always something interesting going on around the Utah Sports Cast, with the possible exception of that slow, dull time in mid-summer when we half-heartedly cover baseball while waiting for a blockbuster Utah Jazz signing. The rest of the year is split between football and basketball seasons, so we don’t generally have a problem finding things to talk about.

At this time of the year (early fall) the primary teams/sports we follow are Real Salt Lake, The University of Utah football, and Brigham Young University football. I mention this because last week these three teams tallied one win (Utah) against three losses (BYU and RSL lost twice). This week the “Big Three” went 2 – 2, with RSL splitting two games, BYU winning, and Utah losing. The one team that won last week had their collective heads handed to them, and the teams that lost managed to find some victories.

So it is being a Utah sports fan. Our teams are often mediocre – enough so that flashes of real, legitimate success are remembered for a long time (what BYU fan doesn’t smile at the simple mention of the year 1984?). More often than not we have teams that look fine one week and shaky the next. In that sense, September has been a very typical month in Utah sports.

The ultimate expression of this inconsistency was displayed during the past two weeks by the University of Utah. They started with a significant, career-defining win over a nationally ranked opponent one week, followed by a pitiful shutout loss at the mercy of a team that was at the very bottom of division-one football last year. Utah went from looking like a great, underrated team with a potent offense and an iron-clad defense to being throttled by one of the conference cupcakes.

To give UNLV their due, they do seem better this year from last; and they were prepared, motivated, and eager for the game. All the same, the Utah team that kicked UCLA to the curb would have blown the Rebels all the way back to Dixie. Not that history has much to do with it, but this was the first time Utah had lost to UNLV since the Ford Administration. That provided motivation for the Rebels, and left Utah without excuses.

I suspect Utah will win another few games. In fact, they may have a winning streak sometime in the season that will bring their record to more respectable numbers. Then, like every other Utah Sports fan, I will be predicting brighter days and bigger victories to come. I will probably even write about it on this blog. Then, with another bottom-tier bowl in the books, I can look forward to 2008 with much more optimism than the situation deserves. Not that I mind -- that is the life of a Utah sports fan, after all.

In other news, BYU played well and looked pretty good. I’m not trying to ignore that, but the stuff we have in the podcast about them is very interesting and I wouldn’t want to spoil it.

Our Top 3 in U...