A difficult season has come to a dud of an end. The University of Utah was defeated by Northwestern on Saturday night in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl, 14-7. Aside from another solid defensive performance, this game is one that the program and fans will want to forget.
Here are the takeaways from the game:
A threat of a pass game was really needed
Few teams can be expected to run the ball 51 out of 65 plays and be effective offensively, especially against good competition. With everyone in the stadium expecting some form of a run, opponents are able to crash down with little concern of getting beat over the top. When Utah can threaten to pass, it opens just enough space for big running lanes. Utah excels with a balanced offense, but it was non-existent in the game.
Ludwig and co. will need to go back to the drawing board this offseason, but having star quarterback Cam Rising back should help immensely.
This game was a reflection of the season
In many ways, this game looked like Utah's season all in one game. Injuries and big names out before the game even started meant this was going to be a real test of the depth chart.
The offense struggled to move the ball on the ground, but especially through the air, amid two Bryson Barnes interceptions. Yet, in the 4th quarter, the offense found a spark to tie the game with momentum on Utah's side. The defense played extremely well for most of the game, but short fields and a couple of pass plays by Northwestern broke the man coverage for touchdowns.
This was a season of “what-ifs” regarding injuries and a struggling offense, where the team fought valiantly but just couldn't quite put everything together.
The defense didn’t deserve this outcome, just like they carried the team all season long.
After Jackson’s injury, there wasn’t much hope
Finally healthy, Jackson looked like he could be on the verge of a big game, as he had eight carries for 55 yards and he was averaging 6.9 yards per carry. He was knocked out of the game after a blow to the head and wouldn’t return.
From there, Utah was without their punishing force. Jaylon Glover had 16 carries and couldn’t get much going. Micah Bernard knocked off the rust, playing in his first game since the season opener. He tied the game up with 12:38 to play in the game, but it would prove to be not enough. It was the only time the Utah offense saw the endzone.
Is it easier to place the offensive blame on the line and not focus it on one person?
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham placed the blame of the offensive struggles primarily on the offensive line. The group had shuffled around and was replacing two starters.
Was it them or was it easier to place the bulk of the blame on them rather than Barnes? The outgoing quarterback who had a 5.6 QBR, completed 8-13 passes for 55 yards, and tossed two bad interceptions.
The former walk-on gave a valiant effort throughout the season — that can’t be ignored. However, he missed reading the field and seeing wide open receivers with regularity. Instead, he was getting sacked or opting to run for minimal gains. The most glaring one was not seeing a deep and wide open Landen King on third down during Utah’s final drive.
That was one of the more frustrating Utah quarterback performances in recent memory. What was unfortunate was that it was the perfect opportunity for a showcase game for Barnes as he’s set to hit the NCAA Transfer Portal.
