Red, Blue And Pigskin - 4

Just a couple quick updates.

First this week's article will be up next week.

Secondly the podcast is finally available in iTunes, so please subscribe.

Well if you live in Logan you were probably celebrating at the airport around Midnight Sunday Morning when your team flew in. The rest of the state however was feeling pretty terrible. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigskin"

Sorry this was so delayed, but please enjoy the third quarter podcast here.

The last time we did a podcast, we finished a mere hour before the Utah State game in which Utes lost, Wynn was forced to retire, and Wolfman and Eric Rowe both ended up missing some time.

Now I'm thinking that wasn't a fluke, as once again we do a podcast and multiple jinxes come to be. Utes get embarrassed in Seattle, and then later lose out on Bowl Eligibility, BYU ended up laying an egg against SJSU, we help the '72 Dolphins pop the champagne cork, Joey jinxed the crap out of Big Ben and the Steelers, twice, and I'm not sure if we jinxed the Rams or Jinxed the Niners. Was that a double jinx, or do they cancel each other out?

When not jinxing plenty of talk about the first three quarters of the season and the tough road to hoe.

This edition though has some extra reading that goes along with it, that I highly recommend:

New York Times writeup of Jordan Wynn

Why the NFL needs Chip Kelly, or Why you should root for an Oregon National Championship.

I look forward to hearing from the listeners.

Well we got the answer if the Utes had managed to turn their season around. It wasn't a pretty answer, as the Utes take a giant step back after a couple of forward steps. Now they are on the edge of the cliff with a mean looking cat nipping at their heels.

Meanwhile the battle to face BYU in the Poinsettia Bowl is down to three, and things are going to be messy. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigksin"

We weren't ever going to learn a whole lot positive about the Utes with this week's game against Washington State. But we could have learned a whole lot of negative, had the Utes not gone out and taken care of business. Instead a 49-06 blowout for the Utes, has them continuing with upward momentum as they prepare for a two game stretch that will save or sink their remaining season.

Of course, in typical Utah fashion this season, they manage to shutout their opponent for 60 minutes and still not end up with a shutout.

BYU continues preparation for the Poinsettia Bowl, but there was some intrigue in the competition to be their opponent. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigskin"

For the first time all season, both Utah and BYU won on the same Saturday, it was only the second time all season, they had both manage to win during the same week (The previous being the opening Thursday), and the first time all season they both beat a division 1-A opponent during the same week.

After combining for an 0-4 record the previous two weeks, Utah and BYU both decided to open up a couple of cans on their opponents as they both notched wins and accumulated a combined score of 90-44. Which of course makes everyone wonder how these two teams managed 90 points?

For one of the teams, the win was a possible season saver, and could mark a turnaround. For the other, it's a season clincher, as their season has now been determined. Since BYU had the early game on Saturday we'll start with them. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigskin"

This past week the Utes and the Cougars took their combined 6-7 record to play two teams who were a combined 11-0, and ranked 8th, and 5th in the nation respectively. Not surprising the win totals for one group of teams stayed static at 6, while the loss total for the other group remained a goose egg.

What's of more concern for both teams is how the games unfolded. One team saw the story of their season play out the same as it has all year, while the other team flipped the script on what had been ailing them. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigskin"

You know it wasn't that long ago, that teams in this state were fielding Heisman trophy winners, or candidates (Ty Detmer '90, Alex Smith '04), All-Americans (Smith, Sarkisian), and #1 Overall picks (Smith) at the quarterback position. Now we're relegated to fullbacks who can't throw (Riley), QB's better suited for the option game (Riley, Hill), Division 2 castoffs (Hays), or True Freshmen who are tentative, indecisive, and clearly overwhelmed by the game (Wilson).

What makes the situation all that worse is that for both Utah and BYU, the QB who most led each program to their most recent highest points, are the offensive coordinators, and neither one seems to have a full grasp on their own job.

This past weekend the program whose struggles are least because of the quarterback punted on the present to focus on the future, while the the program whose struggles are mostly because of the QB stubbornly grasps onto a broken present. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigskin"

Last week, all three teams had a chance to define their seasons. What did we learn about any of them? What will it mean going forward for the rest of the season? And can someone, anyone, please find a freaking kicker?

Also, the weekend, when BYU wasn't playing, was far more interesting for them, than the snooze fest of a game the Aggies and Cougars treated us to. But then again that's what happens when news comes out of a colossal coaching blunder that costs a kid at least a season.

Finally we have an instance of when sports and religion do belong in the same conference. You could even say that the Lord actually did help both Utah and BYU this weekend. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigskin"

This week is arguably the most important week of the 2012 season for all three teams collectively. Utah has a serious gut check game against one of College Football's royalty, even if the bloom has fallen off the rose from pre-season expectations of the game. Meanwhile, in Provo, the Beehive Boot is up for grabs for the Aggies when they travel to play BYU.

All three teams will also be done with their week before the weekend even gets here. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigskin"

Wow, this week was ugly. Utah and BYU did two things this week. They both played games their fan bases would rather forget, including one game that no human being should ever be forced to watch. They also continued to prove that right now the Aggies of Utah State are the best team in this state. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigskin"

Wow, this week was ugly. Utah and BYU did two things this week. They both played games their fan bases would rather forget, including one game that no human being should ever be forced to watch. They also continued to prove that right now the Aggies of Utah State are the best team in this state. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigskin"

Only in the Holy War could an ending like the one we saw last Saturday just be considered part of the norm. But hey at least Utah fans got to go through the enjoyment of winning the game, three times. BYU fans, meanwhile had to suffer the loss three times. Continue reading "Red, Blue And Pigskin"

The 2nd episode of the podcast is now available.

Download it here. We are currently working on some issues with iTunes, since they've changed their server requirements recently.

Errata

This is what happens when timing requires you to record a podcast before all events are completed. Shortly after completion of the podcast, the Utes got trampled by the Aggies, and in the process, Jordan Wynn suffered a career ending injury. This is all addressed in this week's article.

Also I made the complete brain fart of thinking Reggie Dunn had graduated.

As usual reader/listener interaction is encouraged. Please leave comments with feedback, suggestions, or anything else.