OCR Text |
Show Season Stats flushing 1CU-Brown JCU-James Utah-Pcrstcn Utah RatMtr Ulah-Ui Passing TCUBallard Ulah-Ratlitl Receiving TCU-Harmon TCU-Brown TCU-Hassev Utah-Richards Utah-Wilson Iftah-Casleel Punting fltt. 56 37 47 29 Zl Yds. 256 157 204 163 128 Avg. I ) -5.3 3 42 0 A3 1 5.6 0 58 1 Long 21 19 18 34 45 Cmp-Att-Int Yds. TD Effic. M-109-2 (.587)672 3 1680 65-131-4(496)830 S 166.0 Catches 2\ 14 10 20 14 1? Yds. Avg.TO Long ?44 l i e 1 33 ?7! 1621 84 8/ 8.70 26 131 119 3 38 221 15 6 2 34 I M 1371 26 Ho. Avg. Long Blocked 19 389 58 3 11 44 5 75 D TCU-Cottriev UlatvSakoda FlHd goals ICIJ-Manlredim Utah-SafcKta THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 4,2006 Game Guide 4 FG made/Att Long Blocked 78 47 0 6-6 44 0 UTES REFOCUS FOR TCU continued from Game Guide I another Thursday-night tilt. The TCU ballgame could set the tone for the rest of conference play—but Whittingham emphasizes that it's important they get the Frogs out of the way first and wash the foul taste of Boise State out of their mouths. "This is conference. We're i-o in the conference. Our goal each and every year is to win the Mountain West Conference," Whittingham said. "(The BSU loss) has nothing—from a standings standpoint (to do with the MWC standings)—psychologically, we've got to overcome it. The way to refocus the team is that everything is right in front of us. Everything that we want to accomplish is right in front of us." The Frogs derailed the Utes last season in the third game of the season, as they overcame a io-point deficit to prevail in overtime in Fort Worth. That not only snapped Utah's winning streak, but put the Utes in an early hole in the conference standings. And this year, Whittingham said, TCU may be even better—perhaps even better than Boise State. "It does not get any easier this week," Whittingham said. "TCU is every bit of the football team—in fact more so—than Boise State, as far as sheer speed. They're a very fast football team. We've got our work cut out for us." c.bellamy@ chronicle.utah.edu View from the side Johnson tries to take advantage ofredshirt campaign the nation in total offense (337 yards per game) when he went down with The Daily Utah Chronicle a torn ACL that required surgery in Suddenly, last year's alleged sav- December. Even though the firsttime starter missed the two most iors are this year's saboteurs. Criticism of quarterbacks Brett important games of the season, Ratliff and Tommy Grady has run he was still named second-team amok since the U's critical loss to All-Mountain West Conference, Boise State last Saturday. Though throwing 18 touchdowns and just Ratliff was hailed as the solution seven interceptions. Still, Johnson to the U's offensive inconsisten- replaced the venerable Alex Smith, cies after his fearless performance and many were quick to denounce in last year's two season-salvaging Johnson after Ratliff rallied the U wins—and Grady has long piqued against BYU. the interests of Ute fans—the two "You try not to worry about what have combined for just nine touch- everybody else thinks," Johnson downs and seven interceptions in said of the public's reaction to his leading a decidedly mediocre pass- injury. "It's a production-oriented ing attack that has averaged just 186 business. It's kind of like, 'What yards through the air. have you done for me lately?'" Does Johnson think the team's Suddenly, the past isn't looking so success with Ratliff in thefinaltwo bad. As an 18-year-old sophomore in games was the result of the team as 2005, Brian Johnson was fourth in a whole finally coming together? Matthew Piper Redshirt quarterback Brian Johnson listens in on a headset from the sideline, doing what he can to assist his teammates during the Utes' 38-7 win against SDSU on Sept. 23. PIZZA UPSET ABOUT STATE OF THE UTES cess in just two short years. It was Meyer's intensity and expectations, not just his ingenious offensive scheme, that made him a great coach. continued from Game Guide 3 Meyer would have been thus far. simply irate if he had opened It is true that fans' grum- the season up the way the blings fluctuate by the foot- Utes did this year. He would ball quarter, but the way have gone absolutely balcoach Whittingham noncha- listic in the second half had lantly responded to the U's his Utes played the way they worst home loss in 17 years did against BSU. has left a nasty taste in my Not only was coach Whitmouth that has failed to dis- tingham's reaction to • the sipate days after the fact. team's loss to BSU dismayAs a relevant side note, ing, but he didn't look the Boise State was that "other" least bit shocked that his non-BCS team that went un- team got dismantled six defeated in the 2004 regular ways to Sunday. season. It has experienced Meyer came to Utah exthree coaching changes in pecting to win, and that is the past five years, and has exactly what he demanded yet to experience a fall from out of his players. Meyer grace. Its worst stumble was was the type of guy that a 9-4 season last year, and made good players better. though the Broncos play in a He sapped every ounce of weaker conference, they are talent and effort out of his a perfect example of a new players, and that got him recoach picking up the reigns sults. When he lost, he took of a top non-BCS program it personally, and you can and taking over where the bet the players developed previous coach left off. that same attitude. Unfortunately for the U, This year, the Utes clearly since Urban Meyer went to have a lot of talent, but the Florida, it doesn't seem that way they are underachievthe Utes have that same kind ing is the all too familiar way of coach. Meyer revolution- Ron McBride's teams used ized U football, and it is not to play. unreasonable for fans to That is what is so disapexpect similar things from pointing about the way the a coach who saw the types Utes have played thus far. of things Meyer did to make The team has grade-A steaks the U a raging football sue- on the grill, and instead of 1320 E. 200 S. 582-57(10 "Definitely," he said. "We started clicking in the (UNLV) game last year on offense. I feel like I was really starting to hit my stride right before I got hurt. Everything was slowing down for me. You eould feel the change happen. Unfortunately I got hurt, but when Rat came in we didn't miss a beat. Everybody rallied around him and we got Travis LaTendresse back, and you got the end product." This spring, there was talk of Johnson taking the reins of the offense again. Debate raged over who should start: Grady, Ratliff or Johnson. Yet even though there was a consensus feeling that Johnson outperformed his counterparts in spring practices, coaches asked him to redshirt anyway. "I wasn't surprised at all," he said. "I knew the situation came down to how healthy my knee was, and at bun day thru serving filet mignon, the coaches are grinding them up and serving Hamburger Helper. This might "make a great meal" for other MWC teams, but the Utes have tasted filet mignon and nobody wants less. Still, coach Whittingham claims that non-conference games don't matter. Excuse me, but I beg to differ. It is a nationally televised game against a ranked opponent that helps with name recognition, program stature and, above all, recruiting. Show me an uncommitted recruit who didn't start leaning toward a non-BCS team who is going somewhere and I will show you a replay of 40,000 fans that just got up and walked out of Rice-Eccles Stadium more upset than Whittingham could fake. Since Whittingham is the head coach, it also might not hurt if he were to have a little meeting with the offensive coordinator, coach Ludwig, and help show him how to open up the playbook to page two. I know it is tough when the quarterbacks throw as many completions to the other team as they do to their own receivers, but the offense is becoming as easy to predict as the plot to the next season of "24." t.pizza@ chronicle.utah.edu that time, it wasn't where it needed to be." Johnson says his knee feels much better now, but that he "can still tiy to get it better." :• Many fans found themselves hopping that Johnson's knee would have felt better in the second half of the UCLA game, and many more vocal; ized those thoughts at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday. "(For) the first couple weeks of the season, obviously it was tough," Johnson said of watching the Utes struggle from the sidelines. "But I've been progressing, and I've had a lot of stuff to try to work at. I'd really like to get on the field as soon as I can." Johnson's time on the sidelines also makes him privy to the workings of a coaching staff that has come under fire for the offensive struggles. "The play-calling has nothing to do with it," he said. "It's not so much about the plays, it's more the players. It comes down to execution and making plays." Although it's unclear if the U would still consider playing Johnson and "wasting" his redshirt year—especially with talented freshman Kevin Dunn as a potential future option under center for 2008—Johnson keeps busy these days by focusing on improving his game with the scout team. "(The scout team) has been a different experience," Johnson said. "It allows me to get a lot of reps, and the good thing about it is I play against the 'one' defense every day. It gives me the opportunity to learn the game of football and sit back and become a student of the game. Hopefully it pays huge dividends." One other advantage of playing for the scout team is the opportunity to play with senior Eric Weddle, whom Johnson regrets missing out on the chance to play with in regular season action this season. "Eric is one of my best friends on the team," Johnson said. "It's tough watching him play, but I feel real proud that somebody on our team is (really) battling. He had that position switch, and he moved back to corner and had five picks in the last two games." Johnson particularly enjoys competing against his friend, the silver lining to his scout team reps. "I enjoy being on the scout team because I get to challenge him and throw at him every day. It's definitely making me a better player, and I know it's making him a better player as well." m.piper@chronicle.utah.edu Around the MWC SDSU (0-4) @ BYU (3-2) Navy (4-1) @ Air Force (2-1) UNLV (1-3) @ CSU (3-1) Oct. 7. 2006 LaVell Edwards Stadium Noon Oct. 7,2006 Colorado Springs, Colo. Noon Oct. 7,2006 Fort Collins. Colo 3:30 p.m. Wyoming (1-4) @ New Mexico (2-3) Oct. 7, 2006 Albuquerque. H.M. 6 p.m. H: rLJ H. r4 Mountain West Sports Network & ESPN Game Plan OCTOBER 5 TCU at Utah 5O<t JUMBO BUFFALO WINGS From one hour before kick-off to one hour after the Utah football game. Dine in only. 1063 E 2 1 0 0 S • fiddlersclbowslc.com - 8 0 1 . 4 6 3 . 9 3 9 3 turday |