Some Final Thoughts As Utah Football Begins Game Week For First Time In 2024

Aug 25, 2024, 11:28 PM

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY – It is officially game week for Utah Football. The Utes wrapped up fall camp practices last week, and preparations for Week 1 opponent Southern Utah have already begun.

Though Monday will feel like the start of game week, the football program entered that mode on Saturday. This team is clearly ready to take the field and compete against someone else.

The 2024 season is long-awaited in Salt Lake City. In many ways, last season did not go as planned and turned out to be quite the grind. There is renewed optimism and excitement for this program.

Lots of little surprises here. Love the start WR trio. Based on the buzz in camp, those three were the top producers. QB, RB, TE, OL no surprise.

Paul Fitzgerald backing up COT is a good thing, Logan OR Van is incredible. Johnathan Hall making the move to LB. John Randle to CB.… pic.twitter.com/u01wDgBi1c

— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) August 24, 2024

Utah returns a good number of players that have contributed to a lot of winning in recent years. They’ve also added some notable pieces to bolster certain position groups as well.

There is a belief that this could be a special year for Whittingham’s squad. They were picked as the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 Conference. Many others have pegged Utah as a College Football Playoff contender as well.

At the same time, some doubt coach Whittingham and Utah’s chances for a special season. Discounting or even dismissing what a good portion of this team has accomplished in recent years.

Regardless, there are now months of work behind them. Players and coaches are ready to start working toward their goals. In the end, all that matters is Utah moves forward with a focus on the little details and takes care of its business week in, and week out.

Utah’s experience will matter

Few teams in the country boast as much experience as Utah does in 2024. In the two-deep, Utah has a combined 468 starts among the offensive and defensive units. That’s a lot of football experience in the two-deep and that will benefit Utah this season.

This group also features 20 layers who were on the roster for both of Utah’s Pac-12 Championship wins in ’21 and ’22. Those 20 players specifically, still have one big accomplishment on the table- a College Football Playoff birth, and that will certainly be a big motivation this season.

Not only that but a handful of those 20 come from valuable positions like quarterback, defensive tackle, and linebacker. So Utah not only has experience on the roster, they have it where it matters most.

Third-year guys primed for the next step

Having those experienced veterans is vital to Utah’s outlook this season. Some key players have joined the roster in very recent years, guys who will be hitting upperclassman status this season.

The next biggest element to the team’s potential this season are these third-year guys on the cusp of that next phase of their development.

That third year tends to be a significant one for collegiate players. They’ve had time in the program, the game has slowed down, they’re counted on to make plays, and others look to them for leadership.

Utah’s got a few really promising third-year guys on the roster- Lander Barton, Keanu Tanuvasa, Jaylon Glover, and Tao Johnson provide a few examples. Getting those new upperclassmen to follow through and take that next step will also be vital for Utah this season.

Prepare for more throw game

Yes, Kyle Whittingham is still the head coach, Yes, the running game will still be crucial to Utah’s offensive approach this season.

However, Utah’s Andy Ludwig has always stated that he tailors the offense to the best players. When looking at the best offensive players on the roster, a lot of things point in favor of the passing game.

This isn’t suddenly going to become an air raid offense. Utah will still be a ball-control offense first and foremost because that simply works in their favor offensively and defensively. It’s why the running back battle was such a big focus for Utah as well. But there is certainly room for more throwing while maintaining that emphasis on ball-control.

When it’s all said and done, it will be quite interesting to see what Utah’s (non-garbage time) run:pass ratio ends up being. This could be the first season where it ends up tilted, probably ever so slightly in favor of the passing game.

Is that business in the front, party in the back?

No, that’s not in reference to the greatest hairstyle ever created. That’s referring to the sort of vibe coming from this Utah team. There is definitely a sense of business-first but there’s still a looseness to the group as well.

It’s difficult to compete at a high level and maintain it for long periods of time. Expectations and pressure to perform can be crippling not only in sports but in life.

One key element to Utah’s big breakthrough in the ’21 and ’22 seasons was Rising at the helm. After Utah got off to a rough start in ’21, he took control and found a way to remind everyone that this sport is still just a game and that it’s fun.

Rising has a presence about him that is charismatic, confident, and lightening. He instilled confidence in everyone, brought swagger to an offense sorely missing it, and kept it fun and upbeat. It’s not the reason Utah earned their first conference title that season but it did play a contributing role.

That same sort of vibe has been present through fall camp this year. As this team gets set for 2024 opener on Thursday, it’s going to be important for Utah to maintain that element again this season.