All eyes will be on the Utah Utes and Oregon Ducks Friday night in Santa Clara, California. Can Utah stretch its winning streak to nine games and earn one of two things: a berth in the College Football Playoff or its first Rose Bowl invitation? Dirk Facer and the rest of the Ute Insiders weigh in on the game and discuss the importance of style points, among other things. They also talk Utah men’s basketball (the Utes and Cougars meet Wednesday in the Huntsman Center) and women’s college volleyball (Utah faces Illinois in the NCAA first round in Provo on Friday). That and more on this week’s episode.
Dirk Facer: This edition of the Deseret News Ute Insiders podcast is brought to you by Mr. Mac. The crew talks about Utah’s trip to the Pac-12 championship game against Oregon, we talk a little Morgan Scalley, a little hoops, a little volleyball. That and more on the Deseret News Ute Insiders podcast.
Welcome to yet another edition of the Deseret News Ute Insiders podcast. I’m Dirk Facer, joined by three guys today. Joe Coles, Jody Genessy and Austin Facer. Good to have you here guys.
Austin Facer: Good to be here.
DF: All right, let’s talk. I understand there’s a little excitement going up on the hill right now. Just so you know, folks, we are taping this Tuesday afternoon before the latest College Football Playoff rankings come out. It’s anticipated with Alabama’s loss that Utah may move up to No. 5. But then there’s the conspiracy theory that Oklahoma might jump them. We’ll find out later today. But regardless, Utah is really in a good position right now. And one thing they do need to do is beat Oregon. Jody, that’s what it comes down to. They have to keep winning, don’t they?
Jody Genessy: Oh, yeah, I mean, that’s it. Ever since they lost to USC that’s been the mantra this year. They just had no room for error. Turns out they had to run the table. And if they want to be in it, now you have to win not only to stay alive for the College Football Playoff, but also to earn your first trip ever to the Rose Bowl.
DF: Yeah. And Joe, you know, a lot of people are talking about the playoff, but the Rose Bowl is a pretty nice consolation prize if that doesn’t materialize, don’t you think?
Joe Coles: Yeah, I think the No. 1 goal right now is to get to the playoff. But if that doesn’t work out, the first-ever trip to the Rose Bowl would be pretty nice.
DF: Austin, Utah’s been on a roll in these eight games. They’ve won handily. Do you think that USC game served as a wake-up call? I know Bradlee Anae this week said if they play them again, he knows they could take USC. The way they put up numbers, it’s hard to argue that.
AF: I totally agree with Bradlee Anae, for sure. And yeah, there’s no other way to categorize what they’ve been able to do since the USC game. They came out really slow against the Trojans, they let that third- or fourth-stringer, you know, really kind of punch them in the mouth. And since then, you know, the Utes have been dominant. And it’s been quite the ride.
DF: Jody, Kyle Whittingham says he’ll never buy into style points and that. But Utah is winning these games by large margins, but it’s not as if they’re really running up the score is it? They’re just winning the games.
JG: Well, I think running up the score is a natural event of what — they’re playing so well, that you know, they’re scoring. I don’t think they’re going out of their way to pack on the points. They’re not like pushing down hard on the gas pedal, but they’re not tapping on the brake, either. But yeah, I don’t blame them. Because their strength of schedule is not as strong as Oklahoma’s or Baylor’s or some of these other teams, they have to get some attention in one way or the other. That’s why that UCLA blowout was so — I think it was important that they won by such a big margin.
DF: Joe, a lot’s been said. You remember that UCLA-Washington State game? Literally anything’s possible too. Do you kind of buy into the theory that Utah has to create a good buffer zone there because of what happened in that UCLA-Washington State game? Kind of a reminder that no lead is safe?
JC: Yeah. In the Pac-12 no team is ever out of it. Especially a championship game when both teams are trying to get a Rose Bowl. In Utah’s case, trying to get to the playoff. You have to keep your foot on the gas pedal. And I think Kyle will do that.
DF: Austin, Oregon obviously learned a lesson with Arizona State about that, too. I mean, there’s a million examples out there. But why do you think Utah hasn’t really been in a situation like that? I mean, they’ve won these games handily.
AF: It just comes down to the all-around play on both sides of the ball. Tyler Huntley’s been great. The defense has been really good. Yeah, I think they’ve just really learned from seeing other teams in the Pac-12 lose leads and whatnot, how to play against these opponents and are doing a great job
DF: And you know, guys like Bradlee Anae, four or five guys, Zack Moss, that decided to come back for this opportunity. And you know, I asked Kyle Whittingham at the press conference yesterday, and he talked about it’s a long road to get back to the championship game. And it’s kind of ironic that they’re 11-1, but they needed to win eight straight games just to get to the Pac-12 Championship game in a supposed down year for the conference. Jody, did you find that unique or interesting?
JG: Yeah. I was going back to an earlier conversation we had in this podcast at the beginning of the season, none of us thought it would take this many wins to get the South Division title. But you know, they were fortunate that USC tripped up a couple of times. But losing that first game of the conference, that really put the Utes behind the eight ball. And I was wondering, I don’t think they’d be as good of a team if they hadn’t lost that game, because I think that lit a fire underneath them. And I think that they have just been raring to go ever since then, just to prove something.
DF: Yeah, I mean, that was such an uncharacteristic game, especially defensively, that USC was able to do what they did to Utah’s secondary and nothing even close has happened since. You know, Utah’s dominated. We’ve talked about the defense. Morgan Scalley, defensive coordinator, a finalist for the Broyles Award. Jody and I covered him back in his Highland High days. We’ve known Morgan for years and years. That kids a winner no matter what he does, isn’t he?
JG: Yeah. I jokingly say that I made him because I named him the first ever Deseret News Mr. Utah football. But he is a sensational player. In high school he was great in all three aspects. He’s a great special teams player, offensive player, great defensive player. But we were looking at his resume yesterday. And he is, I mean, he is just a smart guy. He’s a Utah man through and through. I think he’s well-deserved for this award. And I don’t know if he’s quite ready for a head coaching position. I think he would do well. I wouldn’t mind seeing him stay and get more experience underneath Kyle Whittingham, and maybe replace him eventually.
DF: Hey, Joe, do you think Morgan should be the next head coach of the Utes?
JC: I think it’s his job to lose, honestly. He’s sort of the next head coach-in-waiting. You never know with the national head coaching search, with a job as prestigious as Utah, but I think it’s his if he wants it.
DF: Austin, you’ve known Morgan for a long time too. And he’s been described as the Utah man, a Utah man. What do you think? It’s a natural fit, do you think, for him to step in when Kyle Whittingham is done?
AF: It makes too much sense for it to not become a reality at some point. You know, I think I wouldn’t even be surprised to see Morgan maybe step away from the program, see if he can learn something else in the head coaching role, but I have almost no doubt in my mind that he’s going to be the next head coach at Utah after Kyle’s days are done.
DF: Jody, how hot of a commodity is he? There’s openings regionally, like in New Mexico and UNLV and such, but I see him as a better fit, like you said, to stay at Utah. But do you think he’s gonna get approached by a lot of teams?
JG: I think he will. I mean, I think they would be silly not to. Look at what his defense is doing and how well he’s coached them over the years and the progression that these guys have made. He showed that he can help develop players. He got good schemes. He’s a guy that’s passionate and fired up. He’s young, he’s intelligent. I think he’s a very attractive — very attractive man. I’m looking at a very attractive man right now, Dirk Facer. And Joe and Austin, man what a crew we got in here today. But Morgan is a very attractive head coach. I mean he’s a good guy. He’s a solid citizen. I think he has everything you’d want in a head coach. So I think these other teams would be crazy if they didn’t look at him.
DF: But he is a Salt Lake City guy. Born and raised here, Highland High star, Mr. Football from the Deseret News, University of Utah All-American, assistant coach with the Utes, defensive coordinator. I mean everything. He’s a Utah guy. I mean, do you honestly see any reason for him to leave because it seems like he can have everything he wants here, unless he’s just itching to be a head coach right away.
JG: Well, I mean, if he gets an opportunity to be a head coach. Yeah, come home for Christmas. I guess not for Christmas because they’re busy then. No, but I think if he gets an attractive offer, you’d have to consider it. Having covered the Utah Jazz for a long time, this kind of reminds me of Dennis Lindsey. Dennis Lindsey was a complete Texas guy throughout his entire career. He played for Baylor, he coached with Houston and with San Antonio. He was in their management. And then all of a sudden the Jazz had a general manager opening and they snagged him out and now he’s a Utahn with a Texas accent. So I could see Morgan following a similar path if the right opportunity presents itself.
DF: And it usually has dollar signs attached to it a lot of times, too. We can all be bought, can’t we? I would like that problem. Hey Joe, Utah came in as the favorites win the Pac-12 South. Expectations were high coming in, but they lived up to those expectations. Can you expound on that a little bit?
JC: I think Whittingham did a good job of keeping the team grounded this year. I mean, every time he was asked about the College Football Playoff poll he basically said it has no effect on the team. I think in years past when Utah has had a high ranking, like 2015 against USC, they’ve sort of crashed and burned. But I think this year he’s done a good job of shutting out all the outside noise and keeping them focused one game at a time.
DF: Austin, there’s a lot of good players on this team. There’s rumors that there could be eight or nine draft picks and maybe even a dozen guys that are in NFL camps and such. Who gets credit for that? Is that Kyle Whittingham?
AF: I think the whole staff does. I mean, you look at what’s happened on the offensive side of the ball where Tyler Huntley is now considered to be like an NFL prospect. I think you have to give the credit to Andy Ludwig. I think the guys on the defensive side of the ball like, you know, that entire defensive line I think you look at guys like Morgan Scalley and you say, OK, they’re responsible for that as much as anybody. I mean, it’s just an amazing coaching staff they have that’s just as talented as the players.
DF: It still comes down to the guy in charge though because he made the decisions and hires.
AF: He did a good job. Yeah.
DF: And, you know, he’s talked often about the jump from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 was like scaling the Grand Canyon. And I asked him this week if, you know, he felt like he was safely on the other side and of course, you know, the usual coach thing, he likes where they’re at. But you know, they’re not completely over the Grand Canyon, so to speak. They always have to keep working to stay where they are. Jody, can they sustain this success even though a lot of guys are going to leave after this season?
JG: Well, yeah, I mean, I look at last year when Moss and Huntley both went down, they had a couple guys step in and they finished the season nicely with some backups. And you look at this year, Brant Kuithe is all of a sudden this offensive star. He’s a sophomore out of nowhere. I think that they’ve embraced that mantra that the strength of the Pac-12 and the p five conferences is the depth. So I believe that they have a good stable of good players. I don’t think they’ll be this competitive next year. This is an amazing senior class, you just can’t replace them. But I do think that they’re not going to go from from one or two down to 11 or 12. I think they vaulted up into the upper echelon. We want to see this be consistent for a few years, but I think they’re up there now. Especially now, you know, you see that shocking news out of Washington. I mean, they’ve got that consistency with the coaching staff. Now who knows what, without Chris Petersen, what’s gonna happen with the Huskies?
DF: Joe, the league’s kind of crazy if you think about it. I mean, Los Angeles, the two teams down there, you know, what’s gonna happen with Clay Helton? Is Chip Kelly gonna stay at UCLA? And why hasn’t Chip Kelly won more? I mean, then we got Herm Edwards at Arizona State who seems to be doing some good things but had a young team this year. How do you see the Pac-12, maybe more specifically the Pac-12 South in the coming year?
JC: I think Arizona State is going to take a big jump. I think Jayden Daniels did a good job this year as a true freshmen. I think they’re only going to get better. I think Herm Edwards, you know, some people laughed at him when he was announced as head coach. I think he’s done a good job. I think they’ll be the main challenger for Utah next year. USC is always good. They always have good recruiting. UCLA hasn’t impressed me as much as I thought when they hired Chip Kelly. I mean, I knew it was gonna be a slow process, but I thought they’d be ahead of where they are now.
DF: Austin, how big of a loss is it to lose a Chris Petersen in the Pac-12?
AF: It’s a huge loss for everybody except Kyle Whittingham, because he had a really bad record against Chris Petersen. So I’m sure he’s happy to see him go. He does have a one game winning streak against Chris Petersen, but other than that he hadn’t fared very well against him his entire career, so I’m sure he’s excited to not have to prepare against him.
DF: Speaking of which, it was a year ago when Utah lost that heartbreaking 10-3 game in the Pac-12 championship on that fluky touchdown. So I’m sure it’s a good riddance. But you know Whittingham did express his respect for Chris Petersen and you know they’ve had some good battles over the years.
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DF: Let’s jump to basketball guys. How about those Utes? Utes picked up a win after kind of a sluggish tournament, obviously back east, came home and beat UC Davis. Jody, tell us about the Utes. You’ve seen them.
JG: They’re an interesting team. I mean, speaking of growing into themselves, right now this is a really young team. Their oldest guys, the most experienced guys are sophomores. And they play like it. But they’re talented so sometimes they’re just going on these great runs. But we’ve seen in the last two home games just that inconsistency, where they’ll go on big runs, but then they’ve let their opponents come back. And eventually they need to get past that. So I think this is a really big challenge for them against BYU. They are going to be at home. I expect the MUSS will be fired up and whatnot. But the Cougars are going to have Yoeli Childs. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cougars get this one. But that would be a huge win for Utah if they could get it.
DF: Speaking of the MUSS, our big expert here, Joe. Fans are going to be riled up for this game with the Cougars. It’s been since what 2015 since BYU was in the Huntsman Center. How do you see things going? Do you think the Yoeli Childs thing is going to be the thing that’s sways the outcome?
JC: I see the game going similar to how it played out last year. I think with Yoeli coming off of suspension, I think he’s gonna be fired up. I think he there might be a little bit of rust to start, but given how he dominated Utah last season, I think it’ll be more of the same. BYU wins.
DF: Austin, do you see any punches being thrown this year?
AF: No because a certain player on the BYU side has left the program. So no, I think it’ll be clean. I don’t know the relationship that Larry Krystkowiak and Mark Pope have, but I’m sure they’re civil. I’m sure they’re nice to each other. Sure they want a good clean game. I totally agree with Joe. I think it’s going to be all BYU. But you know, I’m sure it’ll be civil.
JG: Here’s what I like about this Utah basketball team. So they go back in South Carolina at Myrtle Beach and they go 1-2, and that was disappointing. But one of the things that coach K had told his team was like, hey, I need you guys to share the ball more. I need more passing, more team camaraderie on the court. And then they came out against UC Davis and had 19 assists on 26 baskets, which is terrific. I mean, they listened to their coach. So that’s a really good sign that these guys you know, have a weakness, they get coached and they immediately implement it. So I think that kind of bodes well for the future for this club.
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DF: Hey, let’s jump over to volleyball a little bit. Utah got an NCAA bid. They were a little disappointed. I know they thought they had a chance to host. But they end up going down the road to BYU to play. Jody, you were at the press conference. What do you think about Utah volleyball? Are they just going to make the best of a situation that’s about as good as you can get if you’re not hosting. At least you’re 40 miles down the road.
JG: Exactly. Smith Fieldhouse, if anybody has not been there for a volleyball match, this would be a good opportunity because that place, whether you’re a guest or a home fan, it is a rocking place. It’s kind of an interesting shape and it is just a fun place for volleyball. It’s not ideal for the Utes, of course, because they’re in Cougar land. But it’s much better than having to travel somewhere else. Would have been fun for them to host a match. They’ve never finished as high as third in the Pac-12. This is a really good year for them. They swept the Southern California teams, which they had never done before. Beth Launiere’s the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, just a lot of good things are going on for the Utes. So it’s a tough matchup against Illinois, but I think that they could get to that second-round matchup. BYU is really good, though. So that’ll be a fun one if they get there.
DF: Yeah. You know, the way the bracketing worked out, Utah was kind of in a situation where they’re playing almost an equally talented team in the first round. No. 16 seed against the 17 or something like that? Obviously, the higher you’re seeded, the better but they’ll make the best of the situation. Joe, do you think they’re good enough to win a match or two in the tournament?
JC: I think they are. I think Brianna Doehrmann and Dani Drews sort of anchor that team. I think it will be a competitive match with Illinois and then that BYU matchup, anything can happen.
DF: Well, it’ll be a fun atmosphere like Jody said. And if you go down there and watch a volleyball match it really is kind of a wild atmosphere for Provo.
JG: Here’s the good thing is their first match is at 4 p.m. on Friday. So you can watch the volleyball match and you know, get home or wherever you’re going to go watch the football game at 6 in time. So it’s a win win. Maybe I’ll be a fun Friday afternoon for the Utes.
DF: Hey, gotta like it. Hey, let’s wrap this thing up guys. Let’s do some predictions. Austin how do you see the Pac-12 Championship game going between Utah and Oregon?
AF: I think it’s going to be a Utah blowout. I’m going to say 35-13 for the Utes.
DF: Will Bradlee Anae get to Justin Herbert and get that sack record?
AF: I think he will. I think he’ll get to him twice.
DF: Oh, wow. Joe, what are your thoughts on the game?
JC: I’d say 28-14 Utah.
DF: What do you think, Zack Moss. Is he going to get the 100 yards rushing? How many? Let’s put you on the spot and maybe come up with the number.
JC: I think it’s 120.
JG: I like the Utes in this one. And I think they are fired up and they’re playing so well. I just think they’re head and shoulders above everybody else in the Pac-12 this year. So I’m going to go 35 to 14 for the Utes.
AF: Oh, you “Price is Right”-ed me out? All right.
DF: Yeah, it’s the people that do the $1 more than the other bid. That’s the ones that drive me nuts. Just a matter of editorial comment there. But no, I kind of agree with you guys. I think Utah is playing so well and at a high level. And you know, I thought the Arizona State game took a lot of wind out of Oregon’s sails. And you know, I know the Civil War last week with Oregon State’s always an emotional game and all that but Oregon just didn’t seem to have it. And I don’t know what the it factor is. But I think Utah has it, whatever it is. Was that confusing enough? But I’m going to take Utah, possibly like 42-28, somewhere along those lines. Herbert is going to present some challenges that they haven’t faced, you know, as far as a really good drop-back quarterback that’s a senior with all the experience that he has. And I think that might make a difference. Kyle Whittingham said the big key to this game is going to be watching Utah’s defensive line go against Oregon’s offensive line. You know, arguably they’re both the best in the nation. Jody, you watch a lot of football. An experienced offensive line can make things difficult.
JG: Yeah, I mean, it really can because that can open up the run game and gives your quarterback some time to find his receivers. I don’t know. Because the Utes defense, their defensive line, they’re all NFL guys. And then you go back and their linebackers have been terrific. And their defensive backfield has been amazing. I mean, there’s just not a weakness on this Utah defense. So I just like to Utes chances. You’re giving them 28 points? Wow.
DF: Well, I’m thinking that they’ll get things locked away and maybe let the reserves in. That’s what I’m thinking.
JG: They’re fighting for their football playoff. I think this is another area where the style points could help.
DF: I could go 42-14 just as easy because I could see Utah shutting it down. But I just don’t see style points as the big issue here, It’s getting the win and they’ll do whatever it takes. And, you know, it remains to be seen if Oregon saw something from the USC film against Utah about throwing the ball and throwing it over coverage and stuff. There’s a lot of factors here. Joe, do you think it’s going to come down to the trenches? The O-line and the D-line?
JC: Yeah, I think that’s the matchup to watch. You got Pene Sewell over there, one of the best offensive linemen in the country for Oregon, and I think Utah’s defensive line is going to have a handful with him. But I think it really should be a really good matchup.
DF: Austin, do you think there’s a one pivotal part of the game or do you think it’s the whole ball of wax? And is there a lot of pressure on the Utes going into this?
AF: There should be some pressure. They should be feeling it. And we kind of alluded to the fact that they take it one game at a time. But we also saw Kyle Whittingham, after the last game, say hey, Alabama lost and the place went crazy in the locker room. So they are keeping an eye on everybody else at the same time. So I’m sure they feel some pressure there. But as far as the Oregon game itself, I think, yeah, it’s going to be a wholistic matchup. Just everything coming together.
JG: I laughed when I saw that video of Kyle saying, Yeah, Alabama lost and the locker room goes crazy. As Joe had mentioned earlier, I mean, Kyle is always saying, Yeah, we’re not paying attention. You know, we’re just focused on this week’s game. That’s OK, we want to keep focused and outside the locker room that’s the message. But inside the locker room, of course they’re paying attention.
DF: I usually am the lucky guy that asks the question every week, what he thinks about what’s going on outside the Pac-12. So we’ll see what he has to say Tuesday afternoon. I think we know what he’s going to say when the rankings come out. But it still comes down to what Tyler Huntley said all along, they have to keep winning and a lot of the players think things will just take care of itself if they take care of business on the field. And that’s probably the plain, simple, short answer to everything.
JG: I like how Kyle — you asked him what was stuck in his craw and he’s like, what does that even mean? What is a craw?
DF: For some reason, my East High education, I know a lot of that stuff. Or I think I do anyway. All right guys, I guess we’ll wrap this up. Hey, Jody, let’s just remind everyone to subscribe to the newsletter. What do you got this week?
JG: Yeah, this week we have five interesting statistics that fans are going to want to check out. Every Wednesday the newsletter drops into your email box conveniently, just go to deseret.com and subscribe to the Ute Insiders newsletter. You won’t regret it.
DF: Jody does a great job with that. We encourage you to do that. Guys, thanks for joining us this week. And I want to thank our listeners. And just a reminder that the podcast is sponsored by Mr. Mac. We appreciate them, giving us this opportunity to talk Utah sports with you, and until next time, folks, we’ll talk to you later.
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