Locke - Take on Utah's win at Fort Collins
The passion of Locked on Sports is back home on 1320, K-Fan
I just finished watching the game via the DVD that my Locked on Sports Loyalist provided me since I don't have the Mountain and the Mountain West Conference decided to punt me and my interest as a Direct TV house so they could get Joe New Jersey at some later date. Anyways ....
Wins are good. Road wins are better. Easy wins are best. You decide where this one fits for Utah. However, Colorado State is awful. They may be the best 1-6 team in the country, now 1-7, but 1-7 teams suck. That was obvious.
It was fantastic to see the Utes physically manhandle an opponent. How did this team evolve from the group that was getting crushed to this team that dictates the tempo and physical confrontations of the game. My answer is one man, Darrell Mack.
I really believe that Mack has changed the entire team offensively and defensively with the way he plays the game. He is butt kicker. He administers pain. Ray Stowers looked different on Saturday, because of Mack. I think the defense has added a new element of its approach from watching Mack.
Huge kudos to Martell Burnett. That was a game changing individual defensive performance. The pure pass rush on the end altered how CSU had to block him for the rest of the game which opened up the blitzing and the other numerous athletic plays were fantastic. Burnett was far and away the best player on the field.
My only concern is the complete lack of a passing game. I can't speak for the first drive (because the Mountain didn't bring it to us -- here we go again) but their were only three pass plays in the game that had any value and two of them were broken scrambles. The only legit pass play was a 3rd and 7 on the second drive where BJ hit Richards for 9 yards and a first down. BJ hit Wilson for two plays but both were scrambles where he got to the line and decided not to run and lofted them up.
From that point on the passing game was nothing. It was WR screens and drop offs. My concern would be if someone is able to slow the running game can the Utes drop back set the right foot and throw. The coaching staff pulled the plug on the passing game early for some reason.
Wins are good. Road wins are better. Easy wins are best. You decide where this one fits for Utah. However, Colorado State is awful. They may be the best 1-6 team in the country, now 1-7, but 1-7 teams suck. That was obvious.
It was fantastic to see the Utes physically manhandle an opponent. How did this team evolve from the group that was getting crushed to this team that dictates the tempo and physical confrontations of the game. My answer is one man, Darrell Mack.
I really believe that Mack has changed the entire team offensively and defensively with the way he plays the game. He is butt kicker. He administers pain. Ray Stowers looked different on Saturday, because of Mack. I think the defense has added a new element of its approach from watching Mack.
Huge kudos to Martell Burnett. That was a game changing individual defensive performance. The pure pass rush on the end altered how CSU had to block him for the rest of the game which opened up the blitzing and the other numerous athletic plays were fantastic. Burnett was far and away the best player on the field.
My only concern is the complete lack of a passing game. I can't speak for the first drive (because the Mountain didn't bring it to us -- here we go again) but their were only three pass plays in the game that had any value and two of them were broken scrambles. The only legit pass play was a 3rd and 7 on the second drive where BJ hit Richards for 9 yards and a first down. BJ hit Wilson for two plays but both were scrambles where he got to the line and decided not to run and lofted them up.
From that point on the passing game was nothing. It was WR screens and drop offs. My concern would be if someone is able to slow the running game can the Utes drop back set the right foot and throw. The coaching staff pulled the plug on the passing game early for some reason.
Comments
Re: Locke - Take on Utah's win at Fort Collins
The Utes still lost to Air Force at home, and a poor UNLV team on the road. The UCLA win at home was nice, but UCLA is very poor on the road this year, so that takes some of the luster of that win. Louisville is average, that so win was a very good one, but not great.
Truth is, this team is 6-3, and ought to be 7-2 at worst. They have underachieved in conference, but are now hitting a nice stride. They beat who they should have. The real tests are still ahed. Wyoming, New Mexico and BYU. Win 2 of those 3, and 8-4 is pretty good this considering the 2 bad losses.
Truth is, this team is 6-3, and ought to be 7-2 at worst. They have underachieved in conference, but are now hitting a nice stride. They beat who they should have. The real tests are still ahed. Wyoming, New Mexico and BYU. Win 2 of those 3, and 8-4 is pretty good this considering the 2 bad losses.
Posted by lawboy on October 29, 2007 at 9:19 AM
Post a comment (login required)