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Show JTHE Monday, December 15, 2008 DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE How to navigate the bayou on a college budget didn't think it was worth it. A week ago, I figured a trip to the griminess of New Orleans to see Utah get fried like a crawdad by an SEC team wasn't worth a $500 coach ticket, likely next to the largest man on the plane, and a $135 bowl ticket among hostile Southerners. Then the snow came. The valley was blanketed with the white stuff that causes Utahns to lose control of their motor functions behind the wheel. SUVs seem invincible until a patch of black ice proves otherwise. Mustang owners face the painful realization that they made a stupid purchase as they careen to the side of the road. It's also damn cold. I live in a basement apartment that feels as though it's insulated by rice paper, and now seems as good a time as any to get away. New Orleans isn't a tropical paradise, but it is warmer than Salt Lake City in January and once the inversion rolls in, amazingly less polluted. It's also the place where history will be made in Utah football. I've never been to New Orleans. Any suggestions I offer to you would just be a regurgitation of the top hits on Google—"A stop in New Orleans is not complete without a trip to the historic French Quarter!" You get it,'I'm sure. As a Utah fan and fellow poor college student, you're not going to New Orleans to get an education. You don't want to immerse yourself in the beauty of the Garden District. You don't want to hear about the finest restaurants because, let's face it, they don't serve hobos. So, instead, here is a bowl guide to New Orleans for those whose wallets are as empty as Plaxico.Burress' noggin. I How to get there This is the biggest challenge. The Fiesta Bowl would have been a casual drive in a beat-up Camry for me, but New Orleans is 28 hours away on the road. If I take my green monster to the Big Easy, I'll find myself stranded on a flat stretch in Texas next to the smoking beast. , So, it comes down toflyingor renting. There are many travel sites that offer good deals—www.ka.yak. com is the best. It searches multiple airlines and discount sites and comes back with the best results. Depending on the travel dates, I've found flights between $400 and $600. Too rich? Rent an RV from Pappy's Motorhome Rentals in Midvale. If you can round up six or more Utes, the cost will be $300 to $400 a person. Remember, open beverage containers are legal in Texas. Once you cross the border, the passengers can pop open their beer cans and play a game of quarters at 70 mph. SMITH ^-__ U.S.NAVAL >; SOPTOHTACTlVmr ^ p E S E R V A T I 0 N Personally, I'm going to beg my parents for their frequent flyer miles. The cheapest option is groveling to old people who are far more traveled than you. I'll repay them with spoilable grandkids someday. How to sleep there - *The Sugar Bowl had to be right after the New Year, didn't it? If you're going down for New Year's Eve, be prepared for a hefty inflation. Hotels know the price college students will pay to have a bed to fall in after their beads are given away. There are also a lot of sites online that offer good deals, but we're still talking in the range of $150 to $200 a night. The best option is the roadtrip special—pile as many people as you can into one hotel room. Have That is, until now. As Smith and the Utes ran the continued from Page 1 tables en route to a 12-0 record and second BCS berth in five half that made the nearly empty years, a monster from the south War Memorial Stadium collapse awaits. And it's not the Alabama in awe. The highlight of the pick Crimson Tide. was dubbed "LEGENDary" on More precisely, true freshYoutube. The video shows Smith man wide receiver Julio Jones, fighting the sun and cocked back last year's most-highly recruitas if he were going to throw down ed player in the nation, will be a dunk. He reached as far back as Smith's primary concern. he could and literally snagged "He runs nice routes, has nice the pass out of the air with one hands," Smith said. "He's a freshhand in Utah's end zone. The man, there's some things he play earned Smith the No. 3 spot needs to work in the off-season. on SportCenter's Top 10 Plays of After watchingfilm,he has some the night. tendencies to give away what "That's how I play. I believe routes he's going to run." that we are athletes, but at the Tendencies or not, the 6-footsame time, we're entertainers," 4-inch, 210-pounder out of Foley, Smith said. "There's thousands Ala., has been Tide quarterback of fans that come watch us. By John Parker Wilson's esteemed knowing that, I just love to hear go-to receiver this year, as Jones the fans cheer for me." leads Alabama with 51 recepIt's no secret that Smith has the tions, 847 yards and four touchability to be a shutdown corner downs. But as always, numbers at times. As the season progres- are inconsequential to Smith. sively wore on, the task got more "We're about the same size," difficult for Utah's No. 4. Smith said. "I'm a little faster and Against TCU, Smith was with the experience, I should matched up against one of the come out on top." MWC's most talented and fastest As teammates say, Smith simwideouts. Jimmy Young got 97 ply wouldn't be Smith if he didn't yards, but no touchdown. Smith's play with the, emotion and swaginterception on Andy Dalton late ger that he has brought to Utah. in the second quarter would Believe it or not, Smith isn't prove to be the ultimate deciding content just shutting down refactor in Utah's 13-10 win over ceivers either. He still wouldn't the Horned Frogs. mind seeing time as one. He has Against Ail-American BYU constantly hounded wide receivwide receiver Austin Collie, ers coach Aaron Roderick and Smith was content with giv- offensive coordinator Andy Luding up 104 yards, but alas, there wig all season to get a few plays in on offense. would be six for Collie. "(Collie) is a very good receiv"I bother them all the time," er," ,Smith said. "I don't think he Smith said. "But I think my days got the credit that he deserves. are done on offense." He Was my toughest challenge." Even in practice, Smith's exu- NICK PAPPAS three people sleeping on the floor, one guy in the bathtub, and another passed out in the hallway. Hotels will post capacity limits, but they're rarely enforced. Make sure to fill socks with bars of soap to pummel the guy who snores the loudest. Personally, I will wear Alabama gear and try to look dashing. If I can't get invited back to a few rooms, I'm sure New Orleans is used to drunkards sleeping on the park benches anyway. berance and vocals are heard everywhere. As he waited for interviews after practice, Smith was yelling tips to the scout team defensive backs, telling them where How to eat there New Orleans is known for the food. Imagine the cuisine of France mixed with the spice of Spain. There are more than 500 restaurants in the French Quarter alone. All of them are overpriced. Sugar Bowl week will be full of yahoos dressed in red with their tongues lolling at restaurant windows. . A friend of mine went to New Orleans as an insurance adjustor after Hurricane Katrina and suggested a few restaurants for those on a budget. I assume they're still standing, but you never know in that region of the country. Juan's Flying Burrito: This is a place where you can build your own burrito. The burrito the place was named after isfilledheavy with steak, chicken, shrimp and fixings— to go, where to break and how to get into the receiver's head. Seems like Smith has found where he belongs. c.kamrani@chronicle.utah.edu Sean Smith plays the game with his own brand of emotion and swagger. Smith is often the most exuberant and vocal player on the field. the perfect meal for hangover recovery. Clover Grill: Right on Bourbon Street, the Clover Grill is open 24 hours a day for late-night celebration feasts. The burgers are cooked under domed hubcaps and griddlebaked. As important as a budget is, I'll be spending the majority of my money on food. It would be a shame to travel so far and not get caught up in bowls of gumbo, Po-Boy sandwiches and fresh fish caught just hours before it's cooked. Consider it an investment in your future. After college, you'll be in debt a long, long time. The only thing that lasts longer than the debt, though, is memories. Start saving them up. n.pappas@chronicle.utah.edu PREP continued from Page 3 still have film on them and the bigger edge we can get from the film room the better." But what is it that the Utah coaches and players look for in film to get their edge? It's one thing to watch film, but it is a completely different thing to be able to understand and break down tape the way Utah has during the past decade or so. "We look for weak links and fundamentals and how we can exploit them," ScaLley said. "You find the guys that don't like to hit, you find the guys that struggle with their fundamentals and you take advantage of that. You also look at their goto guys and find out how they run their routes, how they block." The importance of film study is not only stressed by the coaches, but also seems to be something that trickles down from the coaching staff, to the veterans on the team, to the freshmen, creating a culture that makes film study a top priority. A lot of work goes into film study, from the graduate assistants who compile the footage, to the players and coaches who break down the tape as well as draw up game plans. "We just try to get an overall read on the offense," Kruger said. "The offensive guys are doing the same thing for the defense, but we just try to get a feel for what kind of team they are and what they like to do in certain situations, when they like to run, when they like to pass and everything like that." With the Sugar Bowl still 19 days away, Utah already has a good idea of what the Crimson Tide will try to do. But the Utes will continue to break down footage between now and Jan. 2 to seek out every little nuance of the Alabama game plan. "From what we've seen, they are a very fundamental team," Kruger said. "They do a lot of the same.things, they haven't changed their game plan all year. They have obviously been successful with it, so I think they are going to come out and be doing a lot of the same things. We're going to have an excellent read on they want to do." b.chouinard@ chronicle.utah.edu |
