How do you prepare to play a team that has a new coach, a decidedly new offensive philosophy, a new quarterback, new running backs and has yet to play a game this year? That has been the dilemma at the University of Utah this week as the Utes prepared for today's game against Oregon State in Corvallis.
Before he took over as Utah's head coach last year, Ron McBride faced OSU annually during his five years as an assisant coach at Arizona, but a lot of good that will do him. The 1991 OSU team is a mystery. No one knows quite what to expect. Last year's game films are useless, except to study the tendencies of some of the team's returning players. Otherwise, the Utes have had to improvise this week. To prepare for the Beavers, the Ute offense has studied films of Texas Christian University, and the defense has watched film of Air Force, among others teams."Oregon State's defensive coordinator was at TCU last year," says offensive tackle Mike DeHoog. "We're watching the TCU film to try to figure out his schemes."
"We've looked at films of Air Force, the Citadel and Northern Illinois because they're the best option teams," says defensive end Jimmy Bellamy.
This much the Utes know about the Beavers: new head coach Jerry Pettibone has converted their BYU-like pass offense into a combination wishbone/run and shoot that will rely heavily on a running game. Pettibone did the same thing as head coach at Northern Illinois the past six years, and the Huskies annually ranked among the top running teams in the country.
"Jerry Pettibone is one of the finer option coaches in the country," says McBride.
And that has him worried. After all, in their last outing against an option team, the Utes gave up 403 rushing yards to a mediocre Air Force team last season. Speaking of which, the Utes face Air Force next week, giving them option opponents back to back.
"I look forward to playing Oregon State to see how well we defend the option," says McBride, clearly hoping the Utes can work out the kinks in their option defense before meeting Air Force in an important conference game. "We have a package we put in a year ago for the option. Now we just have to refine it. You have to be real disciplined to defend the option."
Aside from the fact that the Utes aren't completely sure what they'll be up against today, they do appear to have an advantage over the Beavers heading into today's game. In one fell swoop, today's game will be the debut at OSU for a new coach, a new offense, a new starting quarterback, two new starting running backs, 10 freshmen in the two-deep, and a team that won only one game a year ago.
The vast majority of OSU's players were recruited for the passing game and have never played in an option offense, including quarterback Ed Browning, the former dropback passer.
Even Pettibone says, "At NIU, it took until the third year before the players were comfortable with the offense."
If all that isn't enough, Pettibone thinks the Utes have something else working in their favor: "It is a big advantage for Utah that they have played and won," says Pettibone. "The rule of thumb in football is that a team usually improves a great deal between the first and second game."
The Utes opened the season last week with a 12-7 win over Utah State in what was their best offensive showing in two years (458 yards), but there was one glaring problem. "One of my big goals last spring was to be good in goal line and short-yardage situations," says McBride. "I was very disappointed in that area."
The Utes were stopped twice at the 1-yard line and once at the 14-yard line, which left them with just two field goals.
"On one play Demere Smith (Utah's short-yardage fullback) was in the wrong position," says McBride. "On another play, we motioned the wrong way, which left us shy a blocker. On another play, the fullback missed a blocking assignment and we lost five yards."
That notwithstanding, the Ute offense should have its way again today against OSU, which totaled a mere 13 sacks last season and gave up an average of 392 yards per game.
The Utes will present a balanced attack for the Beavers. Quarterback Frank Dolce threw for 270 yards in his debut last week, and alternating tailbacks Charlie Brown and Keith Williams rushed for a combined 177 yards.
"We look to see if one guy's getting tired, and then we substitute," says McBride. "We want to keep them fresh."
The Ute defense also looked sharp a week ago, holding USU to 222 yards and claiming three sacks, all by Bellamy. Now for their next order of business: OSU and the option attack.