Finishing drives and better tackling are among the things coach Kyle Whittingham wants to see get better
When you think of a college football bye week, you might picture a chance to unwind and recharge before diving back into the season’s routine.
While Utah will definitely give its players that downtime during their first bye week, following last week’s 23-10 defeat to Arizona—which exposed some lingering challenges—the team will engage in some intense practices and film sessions this week.
Red-zone performance is a significant focus for the Utes over the next two weeks, especially after their recent struggles.
“We know what needs to improve. We have to be better strategically and put our players in more favorable situations. We’ll adjust our practice approach accordingly. We have it all planned out,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.
“We won’t reveal our strategies to Arizona State. We’ve identified issues and are confident we can improve in these areas.”
In the game against Arizona, Utah managed just one touchdown and one field goal out of four red-zone chances, scoring a mere three points on their first three trips to the 20-yard line due to two failed fourth-down attempts.
With an 81.8% scoring rate in the red zone, ranking 87th in FBS, the Utes need to increase their touchdown success rate, currently at just 50%, as they prepare for the second half of the season.
Whittingham acknowledged the need for improvement in offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s play-calling in the red zone. After six consecutive runs during their first red-zone visit, the Arizona defense anticipated the plays and halted Mike Mitchell, resulting in a turnover on downs.
“It starts with me. We need a more effective red-zone strategy. The responsibility lies with me, and if our execution isn’t up to par, we need to reassess,” Whittingham stated.
Execution also faltered at times.
“I won’t place all the blame on the players, but sometimes the timing or execution can be slightly off,” he noted.
Beyond red-zone challenges, the Utes must address their lack of physical play in the trenches and missed tackles during the bye week.
While Utah had moments of success in the run game, pass protection struggled, leading to two sacks on quarterback Isaac Wilson and eight pressures.
“We weren’t physical enough; Arizona came prepared while we were not at the same level,” Whittingham remarked.
Despite pressuring Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita 13 times without securing a sack, the Utes failed to capitalize.
“We had opportunities to take him down but couldn’t finish. We need to improve our control in those situations,” Whittingham said.
Additionally, Arizona outperformed Utah on the ground, rushing for 161 yards compared to Utah’s 84.
“We were essentially outrushed two to one, which is not how we usually win games. It was disappointing to see,” Whittingham said.
Utah also registered 15 missed tackles against Arizona, sustaining a concerning trend that began in the Baylor game. Though there was progress against Utah State (only six missed tackles), the Utes reverted to double digits against Oklahoma State (11) and Arizona.
“Our tackling has historically been a strength, but we’ve struggled these last two weeks,” Whittingham observed.
To address the missed tackles issue, he’s incorporating live tackling sessions in practice this week. The Utes will have “physical practices” on Tuesday and Wednesday before allowing players some time to rest and recover.
“It’s important to get back to playing physically, but we also need to allow them some recovery time,” Whittingham said.
“They’ve been playing football consistently for two months since fall camp began in early August. So, this bye week is well-timed to help them heal from bumps and bruises, regain their legs, and refresh for the second half of the season.”
In case you missed it, quarterback Cam Rising has been absent for the last 3.5 games due to a finger injury.
As Utah takes a break, here’s an update on Rising, who reportedly suffered a dislocated finger and a laceration during the Baylor game in Week 2, and his eagerness to return and lead the Utes.
From the archives:
- What Kyle Whittingham communicated to Utah players after their disappointing loss to Arizona.
- Notable changes and fresh faces for the Runnin’ Utes.
- Is Caleb Lohner still set to play both football and basketball at Utah?
Extra points:
- Big 12 power rankings: A new No. 1 emerges as BYU rises amid conference chaos (Deseret News).
- ‘Awful, awful’: No. 10 Utah’s struggles in the red zone and second-half offensive issues contribute to a 23-10 loss to Arizona (Deseret News).
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