LOS ANGELES — ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit has followed Utah’s football program for decades, dating back to the Utes’ Mountain West Conference days, and will be on the call Monday (3 p.m. MST, ESPN) when No. 8 Utah faces No. 11 Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
Now that Utah has captured back-to-back Pac-12 championships and Rose Bowl berths, Herbstreit said the Utes have enhanced their national brand, particularly in the eyes of those that weren’t familiar with the program before.
“We go back to covering them when they were in the Mountain West, and even when Urban (Meyer) was there, I used to do ‘Thursday Night Football’ out there, so I’ve known about the brand of football that they’ve played for almost 20 years,” Herbstreit said during a teleconference with reporters earlier this week. “I’ve tried to stand on mountaintops and tried to explain to people their brand of football and how consistent it’s been over the years. I feel really good that they’ve been able to get to the Rose Bowl the last couple years and show who they are. And I don’t think it’s the last two years. I think it’s the last 20 years or longer of who they’ve been.
“And I’m just happy for that program that they go into the Pac-12, and I don’t know how many people looked at Utah joining the Pac-12 and thought, ‘Wow, wow, the Pac-12 really upgraded now. Now they’re really going to get serious.’ I don’t think a lot of people did that,” he continued. “In fact, I think it was the opposite. And to see this team get out of the South and then win the Pac-12 back-to-back years, especially this year with USC being looked at as a playoff team if they won, again, it just says a lot about the program.
“And think about what they lost from last year, especially the leadership that they lost. So yeah, I love the program. I love (coach) Kyle (Whittingham). I love (quarterback) Cam Rising. I’m a fan, have been for a long time.”
Herbstreit has been impressed with Rising and how he’s engineering a Utah offense that has put up big numbers the past two seasons.
“(Until this week) I didn’t realize they had averaged 40 points a game and I don’t know how many times in school history that that’s been the case, because they’ve always been the old style of defense, running the football and physicality,” he said. “You wonder how that’s going to affect this program moving forward and the doors that maybe open for them at that position, because they’ve always had linemen and receivers and defense and running backs, but quarterback’s been more of a game manager with the exception of Alex Smith and maybe a few others.
“But yeah, I think Cam, his toughness, his style of play, the way he’s played the game, not just the numbers that he put up, definitely would make you think that the future is much brighter at quarterback after what he’s been able to do in Salt Lake.”
What makes Rising so difficult for opposing defenses, particularly for Penn State?
“Well, I think what makes him a threat is his competitive spirit and his ability to create when there’s pressure,” he said. “And I think, go back to the Rose Bowl game last year, or the Pac-12 championship game this year, people get to him and yet he’s slippery and he’s able to keep his eyes down field.
“Sometimes he scrambles for first down with his legs and other times he just, he’s able to find time and keep his vision down field and find an open receiver,” Herbstreit continued. “But I would say at 6-2 and 220 pounds, competitive spirit and his ability to create are probably the two greatest assets that he has. And if I’m Penn State, I’ve got to somehow affect his rhythm and what he does and force the ball downfield.
“A lot of his throws, unless he finds a tight end on a seam, a lot of his throws are underneath coverage and then force the defense to try to make tackles on some of these shorter throws,” he added. “Penn State’s got to try to take away some of the easier throws, and especially with (tight end Dalton) Kincaid out, they’ve got to make him find other receivers downfield.
“You’ve got to eliminate the Utah tight ends, which is a staple of their offense. Make them throw the ball out on the perimeter. I’m sure that’s what Penn State will try to do, that and try to corral Cam Rising because like I said, his ability to create will be, I think one of Penn State’s biggest challenges.”
Rose Bowl on the air
No. 8 Utah (10-3)
vs. No. 11 Penn State (10-2)
Jan. 2, 3 p.m. MST
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
TV: ESPN
Radio: ESPN 700