It's almost time MUSS. The last play we saw of Utah Football was John White diving across the goal line on December 31st, 2011 to clinch a come from behind victory in the Sun Bowl over Georgia Tech. We've patiently waited for eight months and now were just one week away from Utah's kickoff to the 2012 season on Thursday, August 30th at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The Utes have been hard at work addressing weaknesses to improve on their inaugural season in the Pac-12. They brought in a stellar class of new recruits, resigned coaches and improved depth across the board with months of hard work and practice.
Expect a better season from the Utes this year, improving on their (8-5) Pac-12 debut. Jordan Wynn is healthy and the Utes return 18 starters from last season, leading the Pac-12 in players returning. They face a favorable schedule with USC, BYU and Cal at home, plus dodging Oregon and Stanford until next season.
Utah's passing game must improve to compete with the top tier of the Pac-12 and it should with the return of Jordan Wynn and added depth at the quarterback position. Last season Utah had the worst passing offense in the Pac-12 with just 173.2 yards per game, largely due to inexperience and lack of depth when Wynn went down in the fourth week against Washington. Wynn will be the starting QB in 2012, followed by Jon Hays and true freshman standout Travis Wilson on the depth chart.
Wynn will have plenty of targets to throw to with nearly all receivers returning, including DeVonte Christopher, Dres Anderson and Luke Matthews. Christopher led the team in receptions and yards with 42 receptions for 663 yards. He played best in big games, with 136 yards receiving against USC and a game tying touchdown against Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl forcing overtime.
Look for John White to build on last year's record setting season with a great senior year. White carried the offense after Wynn went down, finishing the year with 1,519 yards and 15 touchdowns. White ranked 4th in the country with 316 carries last season and likely wont get as many touches with an improved passing attack, but he'll play a huge role on the team as the top returning back in the Pac-12.
Defense once again will be the Utes' strength and it starts in the trenches with preseason All-American Star Lotulelei. Star is projected by many to be a top pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and will continue to disrupt opposing teams' offensive along with the Kruger brothers. The Utes ranked No. 1 in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 20.2 points per game. Expect the defense to be even better with starters returning at every position but linebacker.
The biggest concern for The Utes looks to be the offensive line as they replace their two all-conference tackles John Cullen and Tony Bergstrom. They will likely be replaced by Miles Mason and Percy Taumoelau. With Jordan Wynn's history of shoulder injuries, protecting the QB will be critical this season.
The 2012 season just around the corner and Utes have their sights set on the Pac-12 Championship. In order to do so they must get past No. 1 USC in a home game that every Ute fan has circled on their calendar. But for now, the Utes have their eyes set on Northern Colorado. Kickoff is at 5:15 p.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, August 30th.
What are your predictions for the season? Let us know in the comments section below.
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If Wynn stays healthy I think the Utes will go (10-2), losing to USC and UW. The rest of the difficult games like Cal will be at home where they should come out on top.
ReplyDeleteI see that but I also can see Utah beating USC. In the past USC has fallen on the road in their past when predicted to be extremely good. For example: 2009 Oregon 47 USC 20.
ReplyDeleteOregon State vs USC in 2008 is another example. That was a Thursday night on the road as well.
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