This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As coordinating producer of "The Drive," Michael Tolajian told The Tribune that Season Three would feature an Oregon State staff trying to "build something from scratch," and a Utah team "on the verge of breaking through."
Turns out, he knew his stuff.
The documentary series, which airs across all seven regional Pac-12 Networks channels each Wednesday night at 8 p.m. MT, centers on those themes from each episode's opening moments.
Between guitar flourishes, Kyle Whittingham explains that at 6-1 Utah, "You're either in, or you're in the way," before Gary Andersen tells viewers "I'm a builder. I like to build things. That's me."
Viewers are then treated to 30 minutes of team meetings, locker room speeches, highlights and sideline reactions.
The scope is limited. There's only so much they can cram into 30 minutes. But after Boobie Hobbs made his game-saving pass deflection against Cal, Whittingham let out a series of hollers that may have been more telling than his postgame comments. The next week, during a film session, receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield jabbed at true freshman receiver Britain Covey: "Do you not like touchdowns? Do you not like big plays?"
You see Hunter Dimick's parents, teary-eyed with pride, and you even see Travis Wilson's kitchen, with a fridge-perspective shot of Wilson grabbing a milk jug.
Utah's half of the narrative has been a crash course in Utah's fight song — sung triumphantly after each victory — and Whittingham-speak: "The hay is never in the barn," "One heartbeat," and "Family on three!"
Tolajian describes Whittingham as "somewhat old-school" but thinks he benefits from having been the subject of an all-access program during the Sugar Bowl season and has been generous with access and soundbites.
"Having cameras around and all that probably doesn't come natural, but he's been a completely stand-up guy with us," he said.
Andersen, meanwhile, has had to balance positivity and accountability, telling his players frequently that he loves them, but that he expects better.
He's a little more profane than Whittingham, though he often catches himself in true Salt Laker fashion with a "frick."
On the occasions that he can't, "our audio editors have to be sharp to make sure the show is kosher for all the viewers," Tolajian laughs.
Neither coach laid out any special priorities or restrictions, Tolajian said. They were aware of the "overall positive view" "The Drive" usually fosters, and, "to be honest, these are competitive guys, and they want the show to be a winner just like they want their teams to be a winner. They want great content. They don't want a crummy show."
Said Andersen: "A lot of people know Kyle. They know Utah's program. They know many of the assistant coaches. But for us, to be able to get out there and people to be able to understand who we are, what we're about — we're not going to change. We want to be built on toughness, we want to be aggressive, we want to hold kids accountable. All of the things that we talk about, and I think it shows through on that show very, very well."
Season One of "The Drive" was similar thematically. Having gone 5-4 in conference play in 2012, Todd Graham's Sun Devils finished 8-1 and first in the Pac-12 South, while Sonny Dykes' Golden Bears failed to win a single conference game.
Dykes said coaches and players chose to ignore the cameras. They had their hands full just trying to become competitive. But afterward, they received a wealth of positive feedback from recruits and their families, he said.
"'Hey, we watched 'The Drive' this week and we saw that you guys lost the game, but we felt comfortable with the way that you guys, as a program, handled it,'" he said. "... We felt like we came out looking as good as you can come out looking going 1-11."
Part of the attraction for producers was the relationship between Whittingham and Andersen, which dates to the early '90s at Idaho State, and the crossover between the two coaching staffs. That will constitute a meaty portion of next week's episode, Tolajian confirmed.
But Whittingham has praised the show for its non-invasiveness, and said this week that the collision of "The Drive's" two worlds has resulted in "nothing out of the ordinary," for him or his players.
If the result is in an ordinary episode, that will be good news for Whittingham and the Utes.
Twitter: @matthew_piper