Ute Insiders Dirk Facer, Mike Sorensen and Joe Coles break down the Utah Utes’ Alamo Bowl matchup with the Texas Longhorns. What are the most intriguing storylines? Who or what might be the X-factor? And after the Utes’ disappointing Pac-12 championship game defeat to the Oregon Ducks, will they be toting any emotional baggage with them to San Antonio? That and more on this week’s special Alamo Bowl edition of the Ute Insiders podcast.
Dirk Facer: On this edition of the Deseret News Ute Insiders podcast is all about the Alamo Bowl and more. Whoa, how could there be more? Hey, stay tuned and listen to this edition of the Ute Insiders podcast.
Welcome to the Deseret News Ute insiders podcast, Alamo Bowl edition. I’m Dirk Facer here with Joe Coles and Mike Sorensen and we’re going to talk about this week’s bowl game between the Utes and the Texas Longhorns at the Alamo dome in San Antonio. Mike, do you think the Utes can bounce back from the disappointment of not making the college football playoff and that loss to Oregon and even losing the Rose Bowl? I mean, the Alamo Bowl is the consolation prize.
Mike Sorensen: Yeah, it’s kind of funny. You know, a couple years ago you’d say this would be a great prize to have at the end of the year, because it’s one of the better bowls. It’s the top bowl for the Pac-12 aside from the Rose Bowl. But the fact that they had a chance to go to the playoff, a chance for the Rose Bowl, this is a bowl game where you kind of think it’s a bit of a downer, especially for Ute fans. But I think they can bounce back. I mean, this is a big deal. If they lose this game, it’s like the rest of season just didn’t even hardly exist. With an 11 win season, it’s kinda weird isn’t it? They’d fall to maybe 20 in the nation, and all the things they built up early in the year would just kind of go for naught. So it’s really a big deal because they can finish in the top 10 if they win. It’s against a name program. Texas has been a name program for years. So I think they’ve got motivation to do it.
DF: I think one of the big signs that this game is important is that every senior is coming back. Not one of them has opted out for the NFL to prepare for that. They’re going to get drafted — a lot of them will be drafted, a lot will end up in camps, but the fact that the seniors have come back show that winning that 12th game is important. Do you agree with that?
Joe Coles: Yeah, exactly. I don’t think the fans would be mad if the seniors sat out to prepare for the NFL, but the fact that they came back shows a lot about their character, shows that they’re taking this game very seriously, and shows that they want to win. They want to end their career on a high note and they don’t want the last game they played in to be a loss.
DF: Speaking of which, last year, Mike, a disappointing loss for the Utes in the Holiday Bowl against Northwestern. They take bowls serious. Do you think that’s another motivation is they don’t like to end their season with a loss?
MS: Yeah. Kyle Whittingham has a remarkable record. Is it 11-2 now? I’ve lost track but he only lost two games — to Boise and then last year. And that was such a disappointing loss to Ute fans. I know some that still can’t get over that. They’re up 20-3 at halftime and they get beat 31-20. That was kind of an anomaly for Whittingham, but you know they didn’t have their starting quarterback, didn’t have their starting running back. But yeah, bowl games are a big deal for Utah. I think that if you look compared to the rest of the country, they have as good a record as anybody, if not better.
DF: Hey guys remember a few years ago, ’08, I think it was January of ’09, actually, Utah defeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, which some say is the biggest win in Utah history. Joe was just a baby back then. But guys, Alabama was a little disappointed to be there that year and it kind of showed on the field. Is Utah going to face a similar fate? Do you think there’s a chance that they’re just going to get out there and look around the Alamodome, even though there will probably be a crowd in excess of 60,000, and a lot of them wearing burnt orange, do you think there’s a chance that they’re going to get in there and just like, boy, this is the Rose Bowl. This isn’t the College Football Playoff. And maybe not be there mentally, emotionally. What do you think, Joe?
JC: I don’t think so. I think they were probably disappointed. I mean, they probably still are disappointed. But I think the initial disappointment was that selection Sunday. I think they were disappointed then and Whittingham is just going to have them ready to go. I think they may have been disappointed to be in the Holiday Bowl last year and that might be why we saw that lack of focus in the third quarter. I think Whittingham is just going to harp on that third quarter all week and have them really ready to go.
DF: Mike, you and I have carried this team for a long time and we’ve seen the ups and downs of Utah football. Do you see them rising up for this game?
MS: I think there’s a chance that they might be kind of down. But I think I mentioned this maybe last week, but the fact that it’s been over three weeks since they had that tough loss to Oregon. That’s plenty of time to recover and to kind of get refocused. I think that the coaches will have these guys ready to go and kind of put that in the rearview mirror, because they do have a lot to play for.
DF: Well, let’s move on to the key matchups. But before we do, let’s talk about the one guy who’s definitely not going to play by choice was Jaylon Johnson. Junior cornerback, obviously a very skilled guy, getting ready for the NFL. And then the injuries to the safeties, Julian Blackmon and R.J. Hubert. Just missing Jaylon Johnson, let’s just stick to him for just a second. How big is it to lose your cover corner when you’re going against the Texas team that just happens to have the leading receiver in the country?
JC: Devin Duvernay is one of the best receivers in the country. He has nearly 1,300 yards this season. I think they would have definitely put Jaylon on him. And Jaylon has done really well this season at sort of locking down those top receivers. So I think Utah’s secondary will have a real challenge on their hands when facing him.
DF: Mike, what do you think? I mean, that’s just right up Jaylon Johnson’s alley to cover a guy like this. Is that huge?
MS: Yeah, I think it really is. I think that could be maybe a deciding factor if it goes bad for Utah, because, you know, Josh Nurse and Tareke Lewis haven’t been the greatest. I mean, they’ve had their problems this year, and one of those guys has got to cover him. So I think one of the keys will be just if the defensive line really needs to put some pressure on their quarterback and just not letting him build a fire all day long out there. Because if they’re one-on-one with this guy it’s going to be a problem. They’ve had success against a lot of good teams. So it could be a problem. I think that if there’s one thing that’s going to hurt Utah, that could be it.
DF: Yeah, you know, and looking at the key matchups, I really think it’s Utah’s secondary against Texas’s passing game. And I just think that there’s gonna be a lot of challenges there as Utah shuffles some pieces around. Nephi Sewell, you’ve had a chance to talk to him this week. Joe, is he up for the challenge of starting at safety in Blackmon’s place? And then how do you see the secondary as a whole? Do you think they can move Tareke Lewis, Josh Nurse and Javelin Guidry around and get the job done?
JC: Yeah, I talked to Nephi Sewell and his story is really interesting. He broke his neck in high school and then transferred to Nevada with his brother. Played there. He was pretty good at Nevada and then good enough to transfer to Utah. He had his challenges in the Pac-12 championship game but he just continues to learn and grow. I think that he’ll be up for the challenge. I think the entire secondary will be up for the challenge. Will they do as well as if they had Jaylon Johnson and Julian Blackmon? No, I don’t think so. But I think they’re there for a reason. They were recruited to Utah for a reason. They have to just step up.
DF: Mike, in the Pac-12 championship game Tyler Huntley was sacked six times. Another key matchup could be Utah’s ability to provide adequate protection up front. It could be the D-line of Texas against the O-line of Utah, simply because they proved to be quite porous against Oregon. How do you see that?
MS: I think that’s another big issue for Utah is that the offensive line has had its ups and downs all year. Young guys, they’ve got mostly underclassmen. And at times, even against some of the not so great teams, they have their problems in not getting third-and-1s and fourth-and-1s sometimes. And then I think that Huntley would have had a lot more sacks this year if he wasn’t such a good runner and escape artist, because a lot of times he was running for his life back there and he got away. But that last game against Oregon he couldn’t get out of there. And I think he got a little bit nervous and happy feet and just kind of ran around — he just didn’t know what to do.
DF: Do you think the weather and the wet turf also played into it?
MS: It could have, because he didn’t seem like himself that day. Other times he was he was always able to get away. And so yeah, that line, if anything they’ve just got to be better at protecting the quarterback.
DF: Either one of you guys see another matchup that’s kind of critical?
MS: Well let’s see, we talked about the secondary is a big one, and the offensive line. Those are the two biggest ones. I think otherwise Utah is pretty solid, but those are the two biggest ones that I can see.
DF: And you know, Utah’s defensive line, it’s kind of a minor one, but they need to make more of an impact than they did against Oregon. That was disappointing. They kind of disappeared in that game. I think the key, maybe, with the secondary beat up is that they need to get to that quarterback and put him under as much pressure as humanly possible.
MS: These guys have all been made All-Americans, at least a couple of them have, so now they need to go out and prove it.
DF: Joe did that surprise you in the Oregon game that they didn’t get the usual rush that they do?
JC: I was sort of waiting all game for them to wear down Oregon’s offensive line and break through and it never truly happened. You know, Oregon’s offensive line is one of the best in the country and you saw Penei Sewell won the award for top offensive lineman, so Oregon’s offensive line definitely presented a challenge for Utah. I think Texas, they have lots of big recruits, big offensive line, so it could be another challenge for the Utes. They need to really get that pressure and break through this game.
DF: This is the Texas team played two of the College Playoff teams to one-score games in Oklahoma and LSU. Joe and I were talking before the show, Texas is a lot like USC — the cupboard’s full of All-Americans and four-star guys. Mike, is there always a danger when you play a team, a storied program like Texas, that even though they’re 7-5 this year that they might play up to their ability a little bit. I know they’re banged up, but they have some very skilled players there.
MS: They do and if you go back five years they probably have higher recruits than Utah’s right now. So I mean, these kids out of high school, Texas usually gets better players than Utah does out of high school. So they’ve got the talent. And that’s the problem, as you saw with USC, that was a kind of a nightmare for Utah’s secondary. They had about three or four long passes and that was the difference in the game. If that happens this week it’s going to be a real problem for Utah.
DF: Let’s talk about X-factors in the game. I think one is Nephi Sewell. I think that’ll be an X-factor, how he plays and that.
JC: I see Brank Kuithe being an X-factor. It seems like every time he has a big game, a good game, Utah ends up winning. I think if they can get him going early, if Huntley can find him early, get him established and involved in the passing game and even the running game as you’ve seen a couple of times, that jet sweep, I think that’ll be a big X-factor.
DF: And he’s a Texas guy too, so he’s going to be pumped to go back home and play. I think he’s from Katy, Texas, down the road a little ways. But I’m sure he’ll have a big following there. Do you think he’s arrived as a star? Is he going to be an integral part of this team the next two years?
JC: Oh, absolutely. I think when you add Britain Covey and him back, those are two huge receivers, explosive receivers, that will be a huge part. Whoever the quarterback is will look to them.
DF: Mike, what’s your X-factor in the game?
MS: Well, we kind of already talked about it, but I really think it’s the offensive line. Because if you think back to that Oregon game, if the offensive line had been able to open up some holes for Zack Moss on a couple of those key third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 situations it would have been a different ballgame. And also if they wouldn’t have had Huntley running for his life. So I just think that hopefully, for Utah’s sake, that Jim Harding’s got his boys in order this week and they really kind of fix this problem. Because I think if the offensive line comes to play, if they can protect Tyler Huntley, and if they can open up some holes on these short yardage situations, which has been a problem lately, that Utah’s offense is going to be a lot better. And I think that’s going to be the key to the game. Utah, they’re going to maybe give up three or four touchdowns defensively because they’re so good on offense — Texas. But Utah is gonna have to outscore them, so they may have to get 35 to 40 points. So the offensive line’s got to protect and open up some holes.
DF: So if the game’s close do you think that’s what it’s going to come down to?
MS: Yeah because the defensive line, you know, Utah has an edge and I think some of the skill players they have an edge, but the O-line has just been a little bit shaky off and on this year. They certainly were against Oregon. So if they don’t come to play this time, could be a tough night for Utah.
DF: Joe, if the game is close what do you think it’ll come down to? Do you agree with Mike?
JC: Yeah, I agree with him. Also, I think special teams will be a big factor. You saw in that Pac-12 championship game, the special teams weren’t as good as they could be. And Utah has not had a game come down to a last-second field goal or a clutch field goal and you still wonder, if there’s any pressure, if the field goal team can step up and hit a key field goal.
DF: We talked about it a little bit, but where do you think Texas can inflict the most damage? I think it’s obviously their passing game. Anybody see anything different on that?
MS: Nope. I think Sam Ehlinger’s one of the top quarterbacks in the country and he’s proven that, even though the team maybe hasn’t had the record it’s had. But I think that’s going to be the key factor in the game. Utah always wants to shut down the running game, which they have. And they should do that this week, but they just can’t let the Texas passing game get going, because if they give up 400 yards, it’s going to be a tough night for them.
DF: It’s kind of a fun matchup if you think about Urban Meyer and his legacy. Both of these guys worked as coordinators under Urban Meyer. Tom Herman, I guess, claimed he doesn’t know Kyle Whittingham all that well, other than the fact that he’s a great defensive coach. I’m sure Whittingham thinks the other way.
All right guys now it’s time to wrap this up with some predictions. Joe give us the score on the Alamo Bowl
JC: Gonna go Utah 35, Texas 28. I think that the defense is in for a challenge, especially the secondary, with Texas’s passing game. I think the offense can make up that slack. I think Zack Moss will get going a little more than he did in the Pac-12 Championship game, especially with it being his last game. I think he’s really going to have a big game.
DF: Are we going to see Cameron Rising at all?
JC: If it’s close, I don’t know. If Utah has a comfortable lead or they’re down by a lot I think they throw him in. I don’t think Whittingham throws him in late in the game. They might do it for a package just to see what they’re working with. But as far as him getting a lot of run, if it’s close, I don’t see it.
DF: Mike, give us the score.
MS: OK I’m going to go with 41-31. I think like Joe said, it’s going to be kind of a high-scoring game and I think Utah’s gonna be able to move the ball against Texas. But then on the other hand, they’re going to give up some points. Texas is very good an offense. So I think it’s the kind of game where Utah has got to get the lead early, and then just make sure that Texas doesn’t come back and out score them in the second half. But I would think that Utah’s offense is going to be able to move the ball, they’ll be motivated to do so, but the defense, especially missing a couple of key players, will struggle a little bit. But will still have enough to win.
DF: All right I’m gonna go with the 35-17 for Utah. I kind of feel the same way that there will be a lot of offense.
Now, before we wrap this up I gotta bring our guru in. Richie Steadman. Richie puts our show together for us each week and we appreciate that. He accurately called the Pac-12 Championship game, so he knows what he’s talking about.
Richie Steadman: OK, you want numbers. I’m going to say 42-36. And I’m going to go an extra measure. I’m going to say that the Utes will be down going into the fourth quarter. I don’t know by what, it could be a couple touchdowns or maybe just one, but I’m going to say 42-36, the Utes will win.
DF: OK, we’ll see how that goes. Folks that’ll wrap up this show. We hope everyone’s having Happy holidays and we wish you all a happy new year and thanks for listening and we will talk to you next year.
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