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Football
vs Idaho
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The University of Utah Athletics
Quotes from Kyle Whittingham's Weekly Press Conference
11/3/2008 12:00 AM | Football
Nov. 3, 2008
Opening statement:
We anticipated the New Mexico game to be hard fought and physical and it was all that. It is typically no different than that. We played a very good defense - they were well coached. It was senior night and their last home game. Nothing transpired as far as physicality that we didn't anticipate. In breaking the game down, we did not do a bad job of moving the ball, but what we did have was untimely penalties and a turnover in the red zone. Each team had 11 possessions and penalties are drive killers. That was our issue on Saturday and we've got to get that cleaned up. The defense played well, we held New Mexico to half their usual total and held (Rodney) Ferguson to 34 yards. I was very pleased with our defensive effort. Louie Sakoda was player of the week, he made two field goals and pinned the opponent inside the 10 three times. The play of the game was his punt at the 1-yard line with a few minutes left. The odds aren't good for anyone against our defense in that situation. The coverage unit did a great job of downing it. It was positive that we got the victory, that's a tough place to play.
We have to turn our attention rapidly to TCU for a short turnaround. We are using the same model for previous short turnarounds. Today is a Tuesday/Wednesday practice and tomorrow will be a Wednesday/Thursday practice. TCU has no weaknesses and they are playing exceptional football in all three phases of the game. They are leading the conference in several categories and doing a lot of good things. They are a confident football team and are playing well. We have our work cut out for us, but we will be ready. We played with great effort on Saturday and that saved our bacon, because we didn't play poised or intelligently. This week, effort won't be enough. The guys are looking forward to it. We have to play poised, we have to play smart, and it will be a great crowd - what more can you ask for?
On injuries:
We did come out of the game pretty good. We didn't lose anyone, but there is a lot of wear and tear. The run game is a lot more physical than the throw game. We will get some guys back that we didn't have last week - Deshawn Richard and Kepa Gaison.
On punt returns:
We dropped one last week, which was one of two turnovers. We turned the ball over twice. We are looking to get the ball in the hands of our playmakers as much as possible. Brent Casteel and David Reed are two playmakers and we can get them a few more touches each this way - that was our reason for that.. We will continue to work Brent and David back there and will see both in the punt return game.
Key to the game:
Field position will be huge in a game like this. Both offenses are in the top third of the league in just about every category. In my opinion, special teams and turnover margin will play a big role in this game. We haven't done a great job in turnover margin this year.
On TCU:
I have seen a great deal of change from last year to this year in Andy Dalton (quarterback). He did a nice job as a redshirt freshman but didn't have the same command of the offense last year. He is playing well, making good decisions and he runs the option and play action game very well. His confidence level is up.
They have a great end (Jerry Hughes) who is a converted running back and having a tremendous year. He is a game changer and we have to account for him. We have to devise a plan to handle him. They have great speed on defense, they are similar to an SEC defense, speed wise. Every aspect of their defensive core is strong. Pretty impressive.
On Aiona Key:
Special teams is not as involved schematically as the offense. There isn't as much to learn. You can plug guys in much more quickly, and offensively he is increasing his role. The simplicity of special teams lends itself to get guys involved more rapidly. His vertical leap helps. He has a tremendous vertical leap. When we win by three points and he blocks a field goal, that is a vital part of our win.
On Paul Kruger and Koa Misi:
Having a set of bookends is a big advantage for our defense. Coach (Gary) Anderson uses those guys very well. They are both athletic enough to drop back in coverage. They are both having productive years. We have the guys up front to generate a pass rush so we don't have to blitz as much.
On similarities between Utah and TCU:
I see a lot of similarities. We both have speed, offensively we mix the spread in, and there are schematic similarities. We both run the ball very well, there are a lot of similarities between the two offenses. The bottom line is that both teams are having good seasons and each is trying to stay in the (conference) title hunt. It's an important game like any other conference game.
On a short week:
Being at home is a huge advantage for us whether we are in a short week or not. We have a great fan base and it will be standing room only. That place will be packed. We both had away night games this weekend, so there is no big advantage there.
On big games:
Everything is on the line every week of the season. We have to approach this game with the same work ethic and mentality. It's exciting to get our players in the national spotlight, but we have to approach it as business as usual.
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