Takeaways: Be Grateful and Good Times are Ahead for the Utes
The University of Utah is headed to the Alamo Bowl to take on the Texas Longhorns at 5:30pm MST on December 31st. The reality is that it’s not what the program wanted, but they’ll have to make due, as they play a 7-5 Longhorns squad who finished tied for third in the Big 12.
As we always do after the football games, we give our takeaways. There was an article written after the Utes’ crushing loss to Oregon, but Ute Nation publisher Alex Markham called an audible, to look at some positives.
Here are our takeaways after the Pac-12 Championship Game:
A championship will come when not expected
When the level of competition increases like it does being in a P5 conference, highly-anticipated dream seasons are never a near-certainty. This isn’t the Mountain West Conference, anymore. The Utes learned this on Friday’s night. The point of this isn’t to give excuses. Let’s be honest, the loss was made worse after the College Football Playoff selection show came and everything fell into place for the desired outcome, other than Utah’s end of the deal.
The Utes will have their time in the Rose Bowl, or an even better outcome than that. The thing is, it’s likely to come when the target isn’t on the program’s back. These guys thrive as the underdog and the majority of teams heaped with all of the same preseason praise, probably wouldn’t have even found themselves in the position that the Utes did.
The Utes will win the Pac-12 Championship Game, within the next 1-3 years and it won’t be a year that they’re favored to do so. The stability of this program is strong enough that they’ll always be competitive in the Pac-12. That’s not something everyone wants to hear right now, but it’s the truth and it’s something that everyone associated with the Utes should be proud of.
A winning foundation has been laid
This senior class may not have gotten the final result they wanted, but will leave a legacy of success in their wake as they move on to future endeavors in the NFL and other fields. What they have been able to accomplish this year has drawn eyes to the Utes from all around the country, and that's something that the team will be able to build off of in the future.
Next year will almost certainly mean a step back with so many key losses on the defense, along with Huntley and Moss moving on from the offense. However, this season has drawn the interest of really all but one high-level local recruits—which most in the past, likely would have looked out of state for their collegiate playing careers.
Of course, the coaching staff still needs to close the deal with those guys, but if they are able to, it will go a long way towards lessening the blow of losing so many NFL-caliber players from the 2019 squad.
Trust in Ludwig, Utah has a stable offense
The 2019 season welcomed back Andy Ludwig as the offensive coordinator, which brought a level of offensive efficiency that has not graced Salt Lake City for quite some time, as well as consistent production from different aspects of the offense. Sure, the offense heavily relied on the services of Zack Moss, but similar to when Norm Chow ran the offense, the Utes cashed in on Ludwig’s years of experience as an OC around the country nearly maximizing the offense to its full potential. This included a near 3,000 yard passing season from Tyler Huntley and a QBR of 84, Utah averaged 34 points and over 440 yards per game. There is always something that can be improved, but Ute Nation should be encouraged in Ludwig’s first season back at Utah.
The offensive line should improve next year, and the skill positions should reload as they also return Britain Covey after giving his knee time to build strength. We saw the improvement the offense made with a second year in Troy Taylor’s system, so year two of Andy Ludwig should feel promising, despite key graduations and new additions.
Remember the 2019 defense for how historically great it was
Okay, so Friday night went the completely opposite as expected and especially from the defensive side of the ball. Instead of dwelling on the one game, over time fans needs to remember them for the complete and utter dominance over, as well as several storied careers. Everyone who started at least one game defense for the 2019 Utes, will at least have a shot at the NFL. Let that sink in for a minute. What Ute Nation was treated to this season, was truly legendary.
The beauty of it is, even with all of the defensive graduations, this side of the ball is rarely a worry under Whittingham coached teams, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon.
Thank the players
Social Media is a nasty thing. Keyboard bullies can destroy souls, but plenty of people just post away—even linking a player—as their emotions explode. So here’s a challenge, spend the next week to thank at treats three Ute players each day. Feeling negative? We get it, but do what you can to change your thoughts. Your team needs that right know because believe us, for as disappointed as the fans are, the team is devastated.
They need to remember they’re cherished and that they’ll always be remembered as Ute legends.