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Quotes From Kyle Whittingham's Weekly Press Conference
11/20/2017 1:36 PM | Football
Opening Statement…
"A lot of positives coming out of the game on Saturday, but unfortunately the most important one that matters didn't happen. I thought our offense performed well. They put up 30 points, which is tied for the most points against that defense. It was a very stingy and talented defense. I thought Tyler Huntley played his best game overall as a Ute, especially when you talk about relative to the competition, I thought he was outstanding. Special teams made some impact plays, we did some really good things there. Defense played well for 58 minutes, but you have to play the full 60. We had a lapse the last two and a half minutes of the game. It was a tough place to play and you have to give Washington credit. They are a good football team. Their quarterback rose up and made the plays they needed him to at the end. We had several chances to make a play in that second to last drive when we had the seven-point lead. We had him wrapped up in a sack and he found a way to get the ball away, but those are plays you have to make, and we didn't make them at the end there. We move on, we have Colorado this week. Both teams have found themselves in very similar situations. They didn't play this week because they are coming off a bye, but they had a tough loss against USC the week before. We are both fighting for a bowl game obviously. We have them at our place. It is good to be in front of that Rice-Eccles crowd one more time. It is senior night, so we will recognize our seniors who have meant so much to this program and have been such a huge part of success over the last few years. I am sorry to see those guys go, but it is a good way to honor them. We thank the fans for their support all year long. The Rice-Eccles fans have been great, phenomenal and we hope they come out again to see these seniors off on Saturday night."
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On his senior class…
"Fortunately, just about every one of them has their degree, which is the main reason they come to the University of Utah. They have been involved in a lot of wins. They have made a huge impact in the transition time into the Pac-12. That transition time is over now and we feel fully entrenched in the Pac-12, but back in that time when they got here as freshman, it was still new. We appreciate the efforts they made and the hard work and dedication they gave us for four or five cases. I am really proud of them. They did a great job leading this football team this year and even though things didn't turn out nearly the way we would have hoped, they never let things go sideways internally. The camaraderie and unity never faltered and I am very proud of them and will miss them all."
Â
On the decision to call the late timeout…
"First of all, we had been aggressive the entire game. The M.O. for the entire game was to be aggressive. So, when they got the ball back, there was around 30 seconds left in the game and we had good field position. They were inside their 30-yard-line and I was anxious to see how they would come out. Because if they came out and took a knee there would be nothing we could do about it because we only had two timeouts and they could just flush the rest of the time and go to overtime. They ran the ball, it was a signification that they were going to be aggressive. So I thought great, because I was betting on our defense was going to make a play and they had to go 60 something yards. Their kicker only had a 42-yarder was his max kick all year long, so essentially they had to get to the 25-yard-line. So, I figured with the field position they had, I was betting on our defense to make a play and we have a kicker that can kick on 60, if we were able to get the ball back on a 3-and-out. The ball was still really in their court because after we called a timeout after the first down, they could have still just taken a knee and just killed it, but they were aggressive like we hoped, hoped for an incompletion or an interception on the next down. But we still had the one timeout and we still couldn't control completely the clock unless they had an incomplete pass or something like that. So, that was the gamble, to try and win it in regulation because going into overtime doesn't mean your chances are any better than trying to win it in regulation. Like I said, we had good field position and I would have bet my house that they would not have gone the distance on our defense in that amount of time and to maneuver into field goal range. But they did and credit to them, we weren't able to make the play. It was about field position, aggressiveness, betting on our defense to make a play, having the superior kicker and that is what went into it. I would do it again, but knowing how it played out I wouldn't because it didn't work. But going into it without any knowledge of how it was going to play out, I would have chosen the aggressive play again and bet in our defense. I have a lot of confidence in those guys. Agree with it or disagree with it, that is your choice, but we were aggressive the entire night."
Â
On the player and person that Salesi Uhatafe has become…
"I am very proud of him. Leka has overcome a lot of emotional strife. I hate to even talk about it, it was so devastating. He showed his resiliency and toughness and he was able to come to terms with it and ended up having an outstanding career. He has his degree and I am just so proud of what he has done and how he was able to persevere. It is a great success story."
Â
On what might have been the cause for the problems this season…
"Like I've said before, you either win or you lose, nobody cares why. There is nothing that we feel where we are like 'we completely missed the boat, we blew this, we blew that,' I don't think there is any of that going on. There were definitely some circumstances that led to not being able to get as many wins as you want, but like I said, nobody cares. It is about winning and losing and you are what your record says you are. In college it is a little more relative than in the NFL. That statement came from Bill Parcells in the NFL because in college, your schedule has such a bigger impact where in the NFL your schedule is pretty similar. In college, we could schedule 11 games and be 11-0, but being in the Pac-12 and the circumstances we are, it is tough sledding."
Â
On how he felt the aggressive play calling against Washington affected the players and if it is something they will carry into the game against Colorado…
"Intelligence and making sound decisions trumps aggressiveness, but you want to be aggressive when you think it is in your best interest or when you think it is going to have a positive effect or circumstances based on who you are playing warrant you to be more aggressive. Conversely, if you don't get the surprise onside and you don't make the fake punt, then all of the sudden it is 'oh you guys are idiots.' Either way, you can't please everybody. First of all, they were prepared for that game, they were excited and had a great week of practice. We talked to special teams about being aggressive and having the plays up our sleeves that we wanted to use when we got the opportunity, and they were excited. Offense, we got confidence in them because we went for three or four fourth downs and converted them all. So I think it had a very positive effect on that game, but it doesn't always work in your favor, being aggressive. In that particular game, it did, except for the end. Again, calling the timeout there, you can debate that either way and most people would have played the safer route and let the time expire, but that is not what I was about in that game and in that situation."
Â
On if he has become more aggressive on fourth downs throughout the years…
"I think so. I don't think there is a question about that and I think the numbers will bear that out. I think if you look at the number of fourth downs we went through in the first half of my coaching career as opposed to the last half, particularly the last few years, I feel like we are getting more aggressive."
Â
On if he is worried about getting the team excited for the Colorado game after a tough loss…
"Nope, because we have done it before. We have been in tough, emotional straits before after tough, emotional losses and you have to pick yourself back up. That is football and that is life, that is how it is. I have full confidence in this senior class and our leaders that they won't let that happen. We are playing for a lot this week, we are playing for a bowl bid and that is a pretty good carrot to play for. It takes its toll, but like I said, you have to put it behind you and be resilient."
Â
On Colorado's defense…
"They still have some talented players, they just aren't putting up the numbers they put up last year. Last year they were exceptional, but they took a big hit with graduation much like we did. It is still a very sound scheme, they are still playing hard and they are well coached. I have a lot of respect for coach MacIntyre and what they do over there. There are a lot of similarities between us and them with last year and this year with a lot of change."
Â
On if he has any interest in the UCLA job…
"I have a ton of interest in the Utah job and that is where my interest lies and that is what I focus on. I am one of those guys that doesn't pay one bit of attention to what is going on outside. Where I am is the most important thing to me and that is how I operate."
Â
On Weber State winning their first conference title…
"Great job by their head coach Jay Hill. He is a supremely intelligent guy, does things the right way, great motivator. He was just outstanding for us when he was here in his capacity. He played a lot of different roles for us. He coached on offense, defense, special teams and it doesn't surprise me one bit with the success he is having. He is an up-and-coming star in this profession and I think that he is going to go places. Not that he isn't in a good spot now, but he is a guy that has a lot of upward mobility."
Â
On if the early signing day changes how they recruit…
"It has. We have had more in-season visits this year than we have in the past, not a ton more, but the number has gone up. We seem to be on an inordinate number of mid-year guys, the guys that come in January. That has become more prevalent is not necessarily the mid-year signee, but the mid-year enrollee has become more abundant. Short answer, yes it has had an impact and I think it will continue to have more of an impact as you go through it in the future."
Â
On the importance of getting to a bowl game and getting the extra practices…
"As I've said many times it is like getting a second spring ball. You get your spring ball and then you get your second spring bowl in bowl prep. It is invaluable for the young players and a great reward for the veterans. We prepare hard and we work hard, but at the same time, you want to make it a good experience for them. It can't be all drudgery and no fun, so we try to strike a balance there. The biggest positive with those practices is that we can get those young guys out for an extra hour and go to work with those guys one-on-one."
Â
On if the current state of the program internally and externally is everything they need to be successful at the Pac-12 level…
"We feel like we have a lot of resources and we feel that our administrators give us everything they can. It is not a case where it is unlimited and holding back, I think they do exactly what they can for us. We have a great facility and have a lot of positives going for us. I don't know anybody that has every single thing they need, maybe Alabama or something like that, but I believe that our administration is squarely behind us and does what they can do."
Â
On his take on seniors headed to the NFL sitting out of bowl games…
"I am old school, and I wouldn't have even considered that coming out, but times have changed and you have to respect the decision of the individual. It is a case-by-case basis and if a guy feels strongly that it is in his best interest not to play then that is what you have to go with. I am not going to bad mouth him or ridicule him, but my own personal opinion is that wouldn't even be a debate in my mind. To just say to your teammates, 'thanks, I am out and I am not going to play with you anymore,' that seems strange to me, but again times have changed dramatically."
Â
On how he thinks Tyler Huntley has improved over the season…
"Everything. He is playing with a lot of confidence. He has always had confidence, but he is doing a great job making decisions during the course of the game. The way he is running the offense, his decisions in the run/pass game, the RPO game, and the decisions he is making on reads in the throw game just keep getting better and better. I think he nearly had 300 yards against Washington and he just seems to be picking up momentum and understands exactly the nuances and details of this offense. I am excited for the future because I think it is really starting to get some traction."
Â
"A lot of positives coming out of the game on Saturday, but unfortunately the most important one that matters didn't happen. I thought our offense performed well. They put up 30 points, which is tied for the most points against that defense. It was a very stingy and talented defense. I thought Tyler Huntley played his best game overall as a Ute, especially when you talk about relative to the competition, I thought he was outstanding. Special teams made some impact plays, we did some really good things there. Defense played well for 58 minutes, but you have to play the full 60. We had a lapse the last two and a half minutes of the game. It was a tough place to play and you have to give Washington credit. They are a good football team. Their quarterback rose up and made the plays they needed him to at the end. We had several chances to make a play in that second to last drive when we had the seven-point lead. We had him wrapped up in a sack and he found a way to get the ball away, but those are plays you have to make, and we didn't make them at the end there. We move on, we have Colorado this week. Both teams have found themselves in very similar situations. They didn't play this week because they are coming off a bye, but they had a tough loss against USC the week before. We are both fighting for a bowl game obviously. We have them at our place. It is good to be in front of that Rice-Eccles crowd one more time. It is senior night, so we will recognize our seniors who have meant so much to this program and have been such a huge part of success over the last few years. I am sorry to see those guys go, but it is a good way to honor them. We thank the fans for their support all year long. The Rice-Eccles fans have been great, phenomenal and we hope they come out again to see these seniors off on Saturday night."
Â
On his senior class…
"Fortunately, just about every one of them has their degree, which is the main reason they come to the University of Utah. They have been involved in a lot of wins. They have made a huge impact in the transition time into the Pac-12. That transition time is over now and we feel fully entrenched in the Pac-12, but back in that time when they got here as freshman, it was still new. We appreciate the efforts they made and the hard work and dedication they gave us for four or five cases. I am really proud of them. They did a great job leading this football team this year and even though things didn't turn out nearly the way we would have hoped, they never let things go sideways internally. The camaraderie and unity never faltered and I am very proud of them and will miss them all."
Â
On the decision to call the late timeout…
"First of all, we had been aggressive the entire game. The M.O. for the entire game was to be aggressive. So, when they got the ball back, there was around 30 seconds left in the game and we had good field position. They were inside their 30-yard-line and I was anxious to see how they would come out. Because if they came out and took a knee there would be nothing we could do about it because we only had two timeouts and they could just flush the rest of the time and go to overtime. They ran the ball, it was a signification that they were going to be aggressive. So I thought great, because I was betting on our defense was going to make a play and they had to go 60 something yards. Their kicker only had a 42-yarder was his max kick all year long, so essentially they had to get to the 25-yard-line. So, I figured with the field position they had, I was betting on our defense to make a play and we have a kicker that can kick on 60, if we were able to get the ball back on a 3-and-out. The ball was still really in their court because after we called a timeout after the first down, they could have still just taken a knee and just killed it, but they were aggressive like we hoped, hoped for an incompletion or an interception on the next down. But we still had the one timeout and we still couldn't control completely the clock unless they had an incomplete pass or something like that. So, that was the gamble, to try and win it in regulation because going into overtime doesn't mean your chances are any better than trying to win it in regulation. Like I said, we had good field position and I would have bet my house that they would not have gone the distance on our defense in that amount of time and to maneuver into field goal range. But they did and credit to them, we weren't able to make the play. It was about field position, aggressiveness, betting on our defense to make a play, having the superior kicker and that is what went into it. I would do it again, but knowing how it played out I wouldn't because it didn't work. But going into it without any knowledge of how it was going to play out, I would have chosen the aggressive play again and bet in our defense. I have a lot of confidence in those guys. Agree with it or disagree with it, that is your choice, but we were aggressive the entire night."
Â
On the player and person that Salesi Uhatafe has become…
"I am very proud of him. Leka has overcome a lot of emotional strife. I hate to even talk about it, it was so devastating. He showed his resiliency and toughness and he was able to come to terms with it and ended up having an outstanding career. He has his degree and I am just so proud of what he has done and how he was able to persevere. It is a great success story."
Â
On what might have been the cause for the problems this season…
"Like I've said before, you either win or you lose, nobody cares why. There is nothing that we feel where we are like 'we completely missed the boat, we blew this, we blew that,' I don't think there is any of that going on. There were definitely some circumstances that led to not being able to get as many wins as you want, but like I said, nobody cares. It is about winning and losing and you are what your record says you are. In college it is a little more relative than in the NFL. That statement came from Bill Parcells in the NFL because in college, your schedule has such a bigger impact where in the NFL your schedule is pretty similar. In college, we could schedule 11 games and be 11-0, but being in the Pac-12 and the circumstances we are, it is tough sledding."
Â
On how he felt the aggressive play calling against Washington affected the players and if it is something they will carry into the game against Colorado…
"Intelligence and making sound decisions trumps aggressiveness, but you want to be aggressive when you think it is in your best interest or when you think it is going to have a positive effect or circumstances based on who you are playing warrant you to be more aggressive. Conversely, if you don't get the surprise onside and you don't make the fake punt, then all of the sudden it is 'oh you guys are idiots.' Either way, you can't please everybody. First of all, they were prepared for that game, they were excited and had a great week of practice. We talked to special teams about being aggressive and having the plays up our sleeves that we wanted to use when we got the opportunity, and they were excited. Offense, we got confidence in them because we went for three or four fourth downs and converted them all. So I think it had a very positive effect on that game, but it doesn't always work in your favor, being aggressive. In that particular game, it did, except for the end. Again, calling the timeout there, you can debate that either way and most people would have played the safer route and let the time expire, but that is not what I was about in that game and in that situation."
Â
On if he has become more aggressive on fourth downs throughout the years…
"I think so. I don't think there is a question about that and I think the numbers will bear that out. I think if you look at the number of fourth downs we went through in the first half of my coaching career as opposed to the last half, particularly the last few years, I feel like we are getting more aggressive."
Â
On if he is worried about getting the team excited for the Colorado game after a tough loss…
"Nope, because we have done it before. We have been in tough, emotional straits before after tough, emotional losses and you have to pick yourself back up. That is football and that is life, that is how it is. I have full confidence in this senior class and our leaders that they won't let that happen. We are playing for a lot this week, we are playing for a bowl bid and that is a pretty good carrot to play for. It takes its toll, but like I said, you have to put it behind you and be resilient."
Â
On Colorado's defense…
"They still have some talented players, they just aren't putting up the numbers they put up last year. Last year they were exceptional, but they took a big hit with graduation much like we did. It is still a very sound scheme, they are still playing hard and they are well coached. I have a lot of respect for coach MacIntyre and what they do over there. There are a lot of similarities between us and them with last year and this year with a lot of change."
Â
On if he has any interest in the UCLA job…
"I have a ton of interest in the Utah job and that is where my interest lies and that is what I focus on. I am one of those guys that doesn't pay one bit of attention to what is going on outside. Where I am is the most important thing to me and that is how I operate."
Â
On Weber State winning their first conference title…
"Great job by their head coach Jay Hill. He is a supremely intelligent guy, does things the right way, great motivator. He was just outstanding for us when he was here in his capacity. He played a lot of different roles for us. He coached on offense, defense, special teams and it doesn't surprise me one bit with the success he is having. He is an up-and-coming star in this profession and I think that he is going to go places. Not that he isn't in a good spot now, but he is a guy that has a lot of upward mobility."
Â
On if the early signing day changes how they recruit…
"It has. We have had more in-season visits this year than we have in the past, not a ton more, but the number has gone up. We seem to be on an inordinate number of mid-year guys, the guys that come in January. That has become more prevalent is not necessarily the mid-year signee, but the mid-year enrollee has become more abundant. Short answer, yes it has had an impact and I think it will continue to have more of an impact as you go through it in the future."
Â
On the importance of getting to a bowl game and getting the extra practices…
"As I've said many times it is like getting a second spring ball. You get your spring ball and then you get your second spring bowl in bowl prep. It is invaluable for the young players and a great reward for the veterans. We prepare hard and we work hard, but at the same time, you want to make it a good experience for them. It can't be all drudgery and no fun, so we try to strike a balance there. The biggest positive with those practices is that we can get those young guys out for an extra hour and go to work with those guys one-on-one."
Â
On if the current state of the program internally and externally is everything they need to be successful at the Pac-12 level…
"We feel like we have a lot of resources and we feel that our administrators give us everything they can. It is not a case where it is unlimited and holding back, I think they do exactly what they can for us. We have a great facility and have a lot of positives going for us. I don't know anybody that has every single thing they need, maybe Alabama or something like that, but I believe that our administration is squarely behind us and does what they can do."
Â
On his take on seniors headed to the NFL sitting out of bowl games…
"I am old school, and I wouldn't have even considered that coming out, but times have changed and you have to respect the decision of the individual. It is a case-by-case basis and if a guy feels strongly that it is in his best interest not to play then that is what you have to go with. I am not going to bad mouth him or ridicule him, but my own personal opinion is that wouldn't even be a debate in my mind. To just say to your teammates, 'thanks, I am out and I am not going to play with you anymore,' that seems strange to me, but again times have changed dramatically."
Â
On how he thinks Tyler Huntley has improved over the season…
"Everything. He is playing with a lot of confidence. He has always had confidence, but he is doing a great job making decisions during the course of the game. The way he is running the offense, his decisions in the run/pass game, the RPO game, and the decisions he is making on reads in the throw game just keep getting better and better. I think he nearly had 300 yards against Washington and he just seems to be picking up momentum and understands exactly the nuances and details of this offense. I am excited for the future because I think it is really starting to get some traction."
Â
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