This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Hey everybody. We're cranking up to Saturday's big game as the Utes take on Fresno State. Here's what you need to know with the Bulldogs in town:
Time, Place and [radio waves in] Space • 1 p.m. MT, Rice-Eccles Stadium. Televised on Pac-12 Networks and broadcasted on ESPN700. May not be televised in certain states due to simultaneous games with Cal and Washington, but will be on the national Pac-12 Network feed.
The Set-Up • Let's see if Utah is for real. After a big opening win against Idaho State, the Utes face last year's Mountain West champion Fresno State. Although the Bulldogs were stomped last week against USC, Utah is looking to improve in a few areas, namely running the ball and stopping the run.
Fans Need To Know • This is Crimson Club Hall of Fame weekend. The Utes will be honoring new inductees football standout Kevin Dyson, former women's basketball coach Elaine Elliott, soccer scorer Amy Kofoed, longtime NBAer Andre Miller, volleyball All-American Kim Turner, four-time All-American gymnast Sandy Woolsey, and the 1964 Liberty Bowl team. Look for a halftime ceremony.
Opposing Coach • Tim DeRuyter, 20-7 record at Fresno State. Has won Mountain West titles in each of his previous two seasons leading the Bulldogs.
Utah Ties • It's "Return of the Schramm." Dave Schramm, the former Utah offensive coordinator who spent seven years overall at the school, leads Fresno State's high-octane offense — or at least it was high-octane last year. Schramm averaged 33.1 points per game as sole coordinator in 2009, and 29.1 as co-coordinator with Aaron Roderick in 2010. Also, remember Josh Quezada? He's traded BYU blue for Bulldog red, and is in his senior year at running back for Fresno State. He's played Utah before, but has accumulated only 37 yards in two games, including the 2011 54-10 blowout.
Pregame Quotable • Fresno State has a nice little trend under DeRuyter: The 'Dogs haven't lost games back-to-back in the same season. But DeRuyter's a realist: "Just because we've never lost two games in a row (during the same season) doesn't mean it'll automatically happen again. Nothing's for free. We've got to respond."
Telling Stat • Want to know how good USC was (or how bad Fresno State was)? Fresno State did not force the Trojans to punt. Not even once. If Tom Hackett trots out for Utah, it will be the first punt the Bulldogs receive this year — as long as Hackett doesn't tuck and run.
Bulldogs Offensive Outlook • The headliner is the "situation" at quarterback. After a disastrous outing last week where both Brian Burrell and Brandon Connette, DeRuyter decided to give the quarterback carousel another spin. If one stands out, he'll play longer. But between the two of them, they combined for four interceptions. Quarterback pressure will be key for the Utes, because if Fresno is able to pass, they have a pretty decent receivers, particularly returner Josh Harper who was overshadowed by two wideouts last year who are now in the NFL. Marteze Waller came on late as a runner last week, and in theory, Fresno State should be able to get some push up front behind a wall of experienced linemen.
Bulldogs Defensive Outlook • Playing an aggressive 3-4 scheme, Fresno State is all about sacks. That's why it's surprising they didn't get one last week after finishing in the top 10 in that category in each of the last two seasons. The linebackers are the most experienced unit, returning four starters, and the one Travis Wilson will have to keep an eye on is Ejiro Ederaine, who had 10 sacks last year. Tyeler Davison is one of the most versatile linemen in the country, with inside and outside ability, and he might require two blockers at times. For all that experience, however, USC put up 277 rushing yards, so Devontae Booker and Bubba Poole have to be licking their chops. So should Kenneth Scott and Dres Anderson, who go up against a secondary that surrendered more than 400 yards last week. But Wilson can't sleep on potential All-American safety Derron Smith, who is a pick machine.
Special Teams • The Bulldogs could be at a big disadvantage here with Colin McGuire leaving the team this week for personal reasons. Instead, enter freshman walk-on kicker Kody Kroenig — what's that? Does Eric Rowe feel another blocked kick coming on? Punter Garrett Swanson is considerably more experienced, handling kickoffs as well, and USC didn't get much chance to return against him last week. None of the players in the mix at returner have ever brought back a kick or a punt for a touchdown in a college game.
Required Reading
Injury report • Linebacker Gionni Paul was hopeful to play in this game, but Kyle Whittingham confirmed he'll be out this week. But there's plenty of good news: Starting cornerback Justin Thomas is back after healing his knee, and starting center Saiosi Aiono is back after sitting out a week for unexplained reasons.
Three Big Questions
1. Can Utah stop the run? It's funny to have to ask that — it's usually taken for granted. But giving up more than 170 yards on the ground to an FCS team at least gave the Utes some notice that they have work to do. Fresno State has Waller ready and is hoping Quezada is healthy. The duo make a pretty good set of runners between the tackles. The Utes have to know their assignments and gaps better than they did last week.
2. Will the defense grab a turnover? Utah has been struggling now for a while to generate turnovers, especially interceptions. It was a lowlight of a game with many highlights against Idaho State. Against the Bulldogs, turnovers could be critical to erode the confidence of a team hoping to break in a quarterback. Key to the Trojans win last week was four interceptions by their defense. Secondary guys are on alert: Eric Rowe, Dominique Hatfield, Brian Blechen, Tevin Carter and Justin Thomas need to be on the hunt for making game-changing plays.
3. What will the full-fledged version of Dave Christensen's offense look like? DeRuyter commented this week that the new Utah OC had a "watered down" look to his offense from his attacks at Wyoming and Missouri. That's not a slight: The Utes didn't put all their cards on the table against Idaho State. Expect a few more cards to slip out. One of Utah's biggest advantages on paper is at wideout, where Kenneth Scott and Dres Anderson will get a look against some inexperienced corners who were torched last week.
Got a prediction? Drop it in the comments section below. Tomorrow's forecast is sunny, with temperatures in the 80s. We'll see you there.
— Kyle Goon and Matthew Piper
Twitter: @kylegoon and @matthew_piper