Has Utah Hit Rock Bottom?

Much like most Americans are wondering if we’ve yet hit the bottom of the real estate bust, many a Utah fan is wondering if their football team has hit rock bottom as well. You really have to feel for the Utah fan base. The Utes are getting embarrassed and a Pac-12 malaise is spreading over Salt Lake much like a December inversion blankets the valley. What’s sad is Utah is nowhere near as bad as they are playing, or their record indicates. They have a very good defense. They simply have no offense and are getting exposed.

I guess you pin that on the coaching staff. Utah knew Jordan Wynn, even if healthy, would only be serviceable, and they knew he probably could not stay healthy. Not only were they correct on him being only serviceable, they were also correct in guessing he could not stay on the field. Utah really should have had a better option. I know you don’t just go find an All American quarterback hanging around campus taking summer school. However, the Utes really should have had a better plan B. It’s inexcusable that a division 1 football program can be in the position Utah is.

Utah is playing offense with absolutely zero passing threat.  It’s almost like they have the back-up catcher or utility infielder on the mound in mop-up duty of a baseball game because they’ve run out of pitchers. It’s just sad to watch. They honestly could lose the rest of their games if they don’t figure something out. And again, it’s not really Jon Hays’ fault. The guy was thrust into a spot he
was not properly prepared for.

Not only is it highly likely that Utah won’t even make a bowl game, but the last decade of respect and credibility they’ve earned is being eroded. You can guarantee fans in the other Pac-12 cities are thinking, “That’s right Utah, it’s a little different than playing Wyoming and Colorado State every weekend.”  And that’s a bummer because Utah really is good enough to compete. They
have very good athletes. They’ve just completely lost any ability to move the ball on offense. Consequently, their defense is fighting an uphill battle every game.

In terms of salvaging the season, I really don’t know what they can do. Run the ball every down, try another QB, hope Hays settles down a bit and can hang on to the ball?

And what about next year? They’ve got a big time recruit that’s committed out of Utah County but he will likely serve an LDS mission prior to enrolling.  Chase Hansen   Is Jordan Wynn’s shoulder going to magically heal over the spring? It din’t last Spring so I wouldn’t count on it again.

Norm Chow is running the risk of absolutely flaming out in his last two stops and potentially tarnishing his legacy. He really did not get it done at UCLA and his time at Utah is unfolding in much the same fashion. His fault or lack of talent at the quarterback position? Probably more of the latter but fans don’t want to hear that. They want points on the board.

Whittingham is still a great head coach but what he needs more than anything is a big-time QB recruit. He’s a defensive minded guy who had his best years when he had a very good QB in Brian Johnson. They need to get another winner like Johnson to Salt Lake.

Utah’s other option is of course to send a carrier pigeon down to Provo and convince Jake Heaps he has no business sitting on the bench for the Cougars. Of course Heaps would have to sit out the 2012 season due to transfer rules. Again though, he’s a big time talent that you would think Norm Chow could work with – if he’s around that long. I first mentioned this possibility a few weeks ago on this site:

“Cougar Fans – don’t fall out of your chairs but there’s a school about 40 miles north of Provo that would love to develop a talent likes Heaps into their starting quarterback. How are you are going to let an NFL arm sit on the bench while Riley Nelson carelessly tosses the ball all over the field?”

Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune did a piece on this idea last week:

Jake Heaps should transfer to Utah

 

We’ll see what Utah does going forward. We can only hope they’ve really have hit rock bottom and only go up from here. I’m aftraid that’s not the case.