The Story of Robert Johnson

A good life: Ute football player shares good fortune with family

Looking through the Deseret News I found this article worth posting here. It's a great read and reminds us that there is much more to life than football. It's the story Utah WR/RB Shaky Smithson and his escape from the rough neighborhoods of Baltimore, all-the-while having custody of his 15 year old brother. For a 22 year old full-time student athlete, life stays pretty busy and hard to handle. Add taking care of a 15 year old high school student as well and that's a tall task for anyone. Here is the intro to the story with a link to the full article beneath:

"Growing up in one of Baltimore's roughest neighborhoods, Antoine "Shaky" Smithson wanted only to avoid it and then to escape it. He spent his youth lying low, seeking refuge in the safety of the gym or his own living room. When he was finally able to put the city in his rearview mirror, he went to Los Angeles first and then the University of Utah.

It was as if Shaky couldn't put enough distance between himself and the old neighborhood. The drugs and violence and pointlessness of the street life. His father's lost job and incarceration. His parents' split. A lost year of school. The months of helping care for siblings in his father's absence.

So here he is, sitting in his apartment in the foothills above Salt Lake City, of all places, and it's as if he has landed on another planet. He can walk outside and not feel threatened. There are no gangs hanging out on street corners, no one offering drugs or menacing violence. He has broken the hold that the old neighborhood has on so many like him." - Doug Robinson, Deseret News

A good life: Ute football player shares good fortune with family

Photos: Michael Brandy, Deseret News

Week 4 Rankings

AP Top 25

1	Florida (55)	4-0	1490
2	Texas (1)	4-0	1420
3	Alabama (4)	4-0	1400
4	LSU	4-0	1225
5	Boise State	4-0	1203
6	Virginia Tech	3-1	1190
7	USC	3-1	998
8	Oklahoma	2-1	979
9	Ohio State	3-1	957
10	Cincinnati	4-0	946
11	TCU	3-0	896
12	Houston	3-0	844
13	Iowa	4-0	788
14	Oklahoma State	3-1	591
15	Penn State	3-1	470
16	Oregon	3-1	462
17	Miami (FL)	2-1	452
18	Kansas	4-0	418
18	Georgia	3-1	418
20	Brigham Young	3-1	349
21	Mississippi	2-1	340
22	Michigan	4-0	271
23	Nebraska	3-1	256
24	California	3-1	206
25	Georgia Tech	3-1	185

Dropped from rankings: Florida State 18, North Carolina 22

Others receiving votes: Missouri 175, Auburn 171, South Carolina 154, South Florida 145, UCLA 41, Utah 25, Wisconsin 20, Notre Dame 7, Arizona State 4, Stanford 2, North Carolina 2

USA Today Top 25

1	Florida (58)	4-0	1474
2	Texas (1)	4-0	1410
3	Alabama	4-0	1364
4	LSU	4-0	1226
5	Boise State	4-0	1144
6	Virginia Tech	3-1	1091
7	USC	3-1	1081
8	Oklahoma	2-1	1055
9	Ohio State	3-1	1036
10	TCU	3-0	928
11	Cincinnati	4-0	848
12	Oklahoma State	3-1	665
13	Penn State	3-1	627
14	Georgia	3-1	616
15	Houston	3-0	539
16	Kansas	4-0	508
17	Iowa	4-0	462
18	Mississippi	2-1	424
19	California	3-1	356
20	Michigan	4-0	304
21	Miami (FL)	2-1	298
21	Brigham Young	3-1	298
23	Missouri	4-0	295
24	Nebraska	3-1	242
25	Oregon	3-1	198

Dropped from rankings: North Carolina 18, Florida State 25

Others receiving votes: Georgia Tech 186, South Florida 117, Auburn 103, South Carolina 92, Wisconsin 53, Utah 40, UCLA 27, Notre Dame 23, Stanford 20, North Carolina State 8, North Carolina 7, Florida State 4, Minnesota 2, Arizona 2, Rutgers 1, Texas A&M 1

Bye Week

Last week was really busy with school and the Oregon trip, but by now the Oregon and Louisville games are old news. Because this a bye week, the normal schedule will be a little different. I do have a lot going on this week but I will get some updates and posts throughout the next several days. Next week I will resume the normal schedule.

Catching Up

I went to the Oregon game this weekend and have been really busy with some tests and work. I will have everything caught up in time for the game this Saturday.

Week 3 Rankings

AP Top 25

1	Florida (55)	3-0	1488	1
2	Texas (2)	3-0	1428	2
3	Alabama (3)	3-0	1390	4
4	Mississippi	2-0	1213	5
5	Penn State	3-0	1212	5
6	California	3-0	1169	8
7	LSU	3-0	1120	9
8	Boise State	3-0	1038	10
9	Miami (FL)	2-0	920	20
10	Oklahoma	2-1	862	12
11	Virginia Tech	2-1	852	13
12	USC	2-1	825	3
13	Ohio State	2-1	810	11
14	Cincinnati	3-0	739	17
15	TCU	2-0	674	15
16	Oklahoma State	2-1	478	16
17	Houston	2-0	455	21
18	Florida State	2-1	363	NR
19	Brigham Young	2-1	349	7
20	Kansas	3-0	347	22
21	Georgia	2-1	318	23
22	North Carolina	3-0	271	24
23	Michigan	3-0	247	25
24	Washington	2-1	194	NR
25	Nebraska	2-1	132	19

Dropped from rankings: Georgia Tech 14, Utah 18

Others receiving votes: Missouri 115, Georgia Tech 102, Auburn 100, Pittsburgh 91, UCLA 62, Iowa 39, Oregon 30, Texas Tech 19, Notre Dame 16, Utah 12, Clemson 11, Colorado State 4, Oregon State 4, South Florida 1

USA Today Top 25

1	Florida (59)	3-0	1475	1
2	Texas	3-0	1412	2
3	Alabama	3-0	1355	4
4	Penn State	3-0	1274	5
5	Mississippi	2-0	1182	6
6	California	3-0	1149	7
7	LSU	3-0	1122	7
8	Boise State	3-0	976	10
9	Oklahoma	2-1	917	12
10	USC	2-1	905	3
11	Ohio State	2-1	900	11
12	Virginia Tech	2-1	853	14
13	Miami (FL)	2-0	724	22
14	TCU	2-0	701	15
15	Cincinnati	3-0	580	21
16	Oklahoma State	2-1	576	17
17	Georgia	2-1	457	20
18	North Carolina	3-0	445	19
19	Kansas	3-0	381	23
20	Brigham Young	2-1	279	9
21	Missouri	3-0	214	25
22	Michigan	3-0	205	NR
23	Houston	2-0	160	NR
24	Nebraska	2-1	158	18
25	Florida State	2-1	154	NR

Dropped from rankings: Georgia Tech 13, Utah 16, Oregon St. 24

Others receiving votes: Georgia Tech 148, Pittsburgh 68, Utah 63, Auburn 62, Iowa 58, Washington 42, Notre Dame 38, UCLA 38, Oregon 34, Texas Tech 22, Kentucky 16, South Florida 12, South Carolina 7, Oregon State 6, Colorado State 4, Wisconsin 2, Minnesota 1,

Game Preview

On Saturday, the 18/16th ranked Utes travel to Eugene to take on the Ducks of Oregon. Utah (2-0) will put their national leading 16 game winning streak and current 9 game road winning streak on the line at hostile Autzen Stadium. After opening the season with wins against two WAC opponents, the Utes will face a stiffer test against one of the traditional PAC-10 elite. Oregon (1-1), who started the season with much controversy after the Boise State fiasco, rebounded with a narrow win last week over Purdue. Both Utah and Oregon have showed potential, but costly mistakes and some poor play in their first two games have caused some frustration. This may very well be the week in which one, or both, of these teams put together a solid game and position themselves for a great season.

Storylines

- The rushing attack: Going into the 2009 season, both the Utes and Ducks had their running games solidified with great g0-to backs. One of those backs won't be playing, and the possibility exists that both might be out. Oregon's LeGarrette Blount has been suspended for the season for punching a Boise State player so he absolutely won't play - and Utah's Matt Asiata is listed as questionable and is a game-time decision. Oregon will use a 3 running back committee involving LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, and Andre Crenshaw. If Asiata is not available for the Utes, Eddie Wide will take the majority of carries while freshman Sausan Shakerin (questionable as well) might get a few more attempts. Also, expect Duck's QB Jeremiah Masoli and Utes QB Terrance Cain to run the ball frequently.

- Autzen Stadium: Notorious as one of the most intimidating venues in all of sports, Autzen Stadium provides Oregon with a dominant home-field advantage. Since 1997, the Ducks have compiled an overwhelming 32-4 record at home. In a 2007 Oregon defeat of USC, crowd noise was measured at a record deafening 127.2 decibels (The same as a jet engine while taking off). The Utes have been preparing for the environment by piping in crowd noise while practicing within their indoor facility. The Utes have played, and won, in some big environments recently including the Big house in Michigan and the Sugar Bowl so it will be interesting to see how they are affected. Autzen expects its 61st straight sellout Saturday with a roaring crowd in excess of 55,000.

- Offensive Consistency: If there is one thing the Utes and Ducks share, it is their consistent inconsistencies on the offensive side of the ball. It took Oregon nearly their entire first game to get a first down but they showed some moderate improvement last week against Purdue. The Utes have been killed by penalties and turnovers and need to finish long drives with points. This could be the week that both teams put together a solid offensive performance.

My Analysis and Prediction

This is a big game for both teams. For Oregon, a loss could mean a 1-2 start and could destroy any confidence that the Ducks will be a contender in the PAC-10 this season. For the Utes, a win on the road at Oregon could give this team the swagger they need to make a run at another excellent season.

For the Utes to win they need to accomplish several things on the field:

The first and most important key to winning is to win the turnover battle. Through two games the Utes have yet to do this. Not only does the offense need to do a better job of protecting the ball, the defense has to do their part and force more turnovers. The defense has only forced two turnovers through two games, leaving the turnover margin at -3 for the Utes. They were able to get away with that the first two games, but if this discrepancy repeats itself in Oregon, the Utes will have a hard time winning.

The second key is to contain the run. Oregon's three back committee will try to establish themselves early and often. If Utah can force the Ducks to shy away from the run game and force QB Jeremiah Masoli to use his arm the Utes will be at an advantage. Masoli is only 25-48 for 284 yards and an INT on the season and has proven ineffective to beat teams through the air. Boise State provided a blueprint for the Utes when they effectively stopped the Ducks ground attack, holding Oregon to only 31 rushing yards and ultimately only allowing 8 points.

The third key plays off of the second. If the Utes are available to force the Ducks into more passing attempts, the Utah secondary must do a better job of covering the receivers. RJ Stanford had a tough time last week against San Jose State and might be tested often by Oregon. I trust Coach Whittingham has addressed the issues regarding last game and that the secondary should have a better showing. Also, the defensive line must get some pressure on the QB. If the line forces Masoli into some poor throws the defense might be able to capitalize with some turnovers.

The last key is for the kicking game to redeem itself. After years of Louie Sakoda we have been spoiled and have not had to worry about this. This game has the possibility of being very close and a missed field goal here or there might cost the Utes a win. Joe Philips has been given the nod on field goals, but if a long attempt is needed we might see Vroman since he has the stronger leg. Vroman must shake off last week's horrendous outing and be mentally prepared to make a big kick if he has to.

I believe this game will be close throughout but in the end, the Utes will prove a little too much for a struggling Oregon team. The Utes have an aptitude to play great in big games and I see the trend extending through this weekend. Terrance Cain will have a breakout performance and we will get to see his talent and capabilities showcased at a higher level. The defense will continue to stop the run and force the Ducks to bend away from what they want to do. There will be several tight moments but the Utes will prevail victorious.

Utah 35 - Oregon 27

Let's roast some duck!

Upcoming Conference Games Schedule

This weeks conference schedule features 3 teams vs. BCS opponents, 3 teams vs. WAC opponents, 1 team vs. an FCS opponent, and the first conference game of the season. The two marquee games this weekend are #7 BYU vs Florida State and #18 Utah @ Oregon. Wyoming will travel to Boulder in an attempt to emulate Colorado State and defeat the Colorado Buffaloes. The first conference game of the 2009 season features the Air Force Falcons heading to Albuquerque to take on the New Mexico Lobos.

*All times MST

1:30 PM	at
1:30 PM	at
3:00 PM	at	None
3:00 PM	at	None
5:00 PM	at
5:00 PM	at	None
5:30 PM	at
9:00 PM	at

Coach Kyle Whittingham's Weekly Press Conference and Official Release

Opening statement:

Link to Video

Looking at the San Jose State game, offensively we did a lot of good things. We moved the ball well. We did have a couple of turnovers in the first half and need to do a better job possessing the football. We did have three turnovers in week one and cut that down to two last week, so we are doing a better job. The red zone offense is a concern. We did not take advantage of some opportunities. But we are moving the ball well and doing good things. Terrance Cain had over 300 yards of total offense. We turned him loose a little more on Saturday night and that paid dividends. He did a nice job. Matt Asiata ran hard before he dinged his shoulder in the fourth quarter. Shak [Sausan Shakerin] and Eddie Wide did some good things for us. That was big for the running backs to come in and pick up the slack. David Reed was 5-for-5 in catches, and Jereme Brooks had a good night. Jereme might have been our offensive MVP, he ran a slant route that was caught for a touchdown. On defense, we held them to 22 yards on 22 rushes. We had some obvious deficiencies in pass defense. We did not play the deep ball well and that was a glaring area of weakness on Saturday. The special teams did not kick the ball well. The return game was good. There were two difficult field goal attempts of over 50 yards, but we have to do a better job of kicking the ball like we did in week one.

For Oregon, we have to elevate our level of play to have a chance to win. We have our work cut out for us; they are a talented Pac-10 team and their stadium presents a hostile environment. They have great home field advantage. Their strength on the offense is the quarterback. He is a capable runner and loves to run the football. He is built like a running back. He is also a capable thrower but has not been as efficient the first two games. Their tailbacks are very quick. They are playing three of them by committee and they run very fast and very loose. We have to work on what we're not doing so well, and our guys will be ready to go.

On injuries:
We had very few injuries after San Jose State. Matt Asiata is questionable for Saturday with a shoulder injury and Caleb Schlauderaff is questionable with a knee injury. Last week Latu Heimuli broke his foot and is out for the year. He will redshirt.

On the running game:
If Matt Asiata is not available, Shak and Eddie Wide will have to pick up load there. Cain will also with the quarterback run game, and we have the fly-sweep series with Reed and Brooks. Matt is our lead guy, but Shak and Eddie ran well. We have faith and confidence in those guys, but we have to get our receivers and Terrance involved, too.

If Matt is ready it will be a game time decision. We will know more as the week progresses. Same with Caleb.

On the kicking game:
We will have a competition this week between Ben Vroman and Joe Phillips. We may go to a two kicker system. Ben's leg is significantly stronger than Joe's.

On Jereme Brooks:
He is a very confident and competitive kid. We talked to him after the first game and told him we knew what his capabilities were and we were going to get him involved. He came through. He blocked very well, and as you know that's something that we emphasize.

On Terrance Cain:
I thought he played well. He only made one or two throws that weren't very good. We saw growth between game one and two in different areas. We turned him loose in the run game more often this week and capitalized. If he continues to make those jumps, he is going to end up being a very good quarterback.

On short yardage offense:
We are always looking to make it better. Matt has it built in that if Terrance is uncovered he can flip the ball out. Last week, Terrance was wide open and Matt put too much on it. There are times in short situations where we have tried to run and just haven't been physical enough.

Press Release
Click here for Complete Version (.PDF)

> No. 18/16 Utah (2-0, 0-0 MWC) plays Oregon (1-1, 0-0 Pacific-10) in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday, Sept. 19. Game time is 12:30 p.m. PT (1:30 p.m. MT) in Autzen Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPN. Radio is KALL 700 AM (kall700sports.com).

> In the latest rankings, Utah moved up a place in the coaches' poll to No. 16 and fell one spot to No. 18 in the Associated Press rankings. The Utes were ranked No. 17 in both polls the previous week.

> Utah owns the longest current win streak (16 games) and bowl win streak (eight games) in the nation.

> Utah's 16-game win streak is tied for the second-longest in school history and dates back to a victory over Navy in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl. The school record is 18 consecutive games from Nov. 1, 2003-Sept. 10, 2005.

> With last week's victory at San Jose State, Utah matched the second-longest road/neutral win streak in school history and now has nine straight wins away from home dating back to Dec. 20, 2007. The school record is 11 straight road/neutral wins, set from Sept. 27, 2003-Jan. 1, 2005.

> Since 2003, Utah is 6-2 against the Pac-10 with wins over California (2003), No. 19 Oregon (2003), Arizona (2004, 2005), No. 11 UCLA (2007) and Oregon State (2008). Losses were to UCLA (2006) and Oregon State (2007). Kyle Whittingham is 3-2 against the Pac-10 as Utah's head coach.

> Whittingham is 7-3 against BCS teams. Wins came against No. 4 Alabama (2009/2008 season), Michigan (2008), Oregon State (2008), UCLA (2007), Louisville (2007), No. 24 Georgia Tech (2005) and Arizona (2005). Losses were to Oregon State (2007), UCLA (2006) and North Carolina (2005).

> Utah beat Oregon the last time out in 2003, but trails the series 17-8. Utah's last win in Autzen Stadium was in 1994.

UtahUtes.com

Get to Know the Enemy

This week's opponent: The University of Oregon

• Location: Eugene, Oregon
• Established: 1876
• Enrollment: 20,393

Interesting facts about the University

• First graduating class had 5 students.
• During its early years, the University of Oregon faced numerous financial struggles. The residents of Eugene held fund-raising events such as festivals, church socials, and selling produce to make ends meet. In 1881, the University was so far in debt that the doors were nearly closed, but renowned journalist/railroad executive Henry Villard donated money to pay for the debt and the University lived on.
• In 1932 it was proposed that the University of Oregon and Oregon State College (Now University) be merged into one University. The bill lost in a landslide vote of over 6 to 1.
• In 1974, the University of Oregon Medical School became a separate institution known as Oregon Health Sciences University.

Oregon Athletics

• Nickname: Ducks
• Colors: Green and Yellow
• Mascot: The Oregon Duck
• Song: Mighty Oregon
• Conference: PAC-10

• Eugene is known as "Track Town" because of their prestigious Track and Field program.
• Rivals are Oregon State (The Civil War) and Washington
• Oregon has won 16 National Championships (15 involve the Cross Country and Track and Field teams, the other is Men's Basketball in 1939)
• The winner of the Civil War Series between Oregon and Oregon State, which involves 9 sports and is 9 years running, receives the Platypus Trophy and bragging rights in the state for the following year. The series is currently tied 4-4-1.
• Some consider the Oregon/Washington rivalry to be as fierce, if not more fierce, than the Civil War Rivalry.
• Phil Knight, founder of Nike, ran track and field at Oregon. He graduated from Oregon in 1959 with a degree in accounting and since founding Nike has been an enormous contributor and donor to both academics and athletics at Oregon. Such donations include:

-Manufacturing of all athletic uniforms, equipment and apparel
-Research prototypes
-Knight Library
-Knight Law Center
-Numerous endowed chairs
-Support for the track and field program
-Autzen Stadium expansion
-$100 million to create the Oregon Athletics Legacy Fund

Oregon Football

• Stadium: Autzen Stadium. Built: 1967. Capacity: 54,000
  
• Head Coach: Chip Kelly
• First team fielded in 1894
• 7 Conference Championships
• 0 National Championships
• Rivals: Oregon State (56-46-10) and Washington (37-58-5)
• All-Time Record: 552-467-47
• Bowl Record: 9-13
• Because of their partnership with Nike, Oregon Football is famous for their ever-changing and state of the art uniforms. This season they feature a combination of green, yellow, black, white, and silver pants, jerseys, and helmets totaling a possible 80 different combinations.
  

Week 2 State of the Conference

The Mountain West Conference followed Week 1 with a decent performance in Week 2, going 5-3 overall against non-conference opponents. The weak spot was the conference’s inability to capitalize on winning against three very beatable BCS teams. Overall the conference went 1-3 against the BCS, the lone win courtesy of TCU defeating Virginia. Air Force and UNLV had strong showings and had chances to win their games while Wyoming put together a strong first half before falling to Texas. Here is the Week 2 wrap-up:

Air Force (1-1) - 13
Minnesota (2-0) - 20

Much to the disappointment of the Falcons, Minnesota opened their new stadium with a win over a tough and disciplined Air Force team. The Falcons arguably outplayed the Gophers throughout the night, but Minnesota made big plays in the 4th quarter to win the game. Trailing 10-3 through 3 quarters, Minnesota used a 7 yard touchdown run and a 52 yard fumble return to move past the Falcons and hold onto the lead for the win. This was a squandered opportunity for Air Force and the MWC to make another statement against the BCS

#9 BYU (2-0) - 54
Tulane (0-2) - 3

There would be no letdown for the ninth ranked Cougars against Tulane. The game started off surprisingly slow and BYU only led 6-3 halfway through the 2nd quarter until they kicked into gear and didn’t look back. BYU went on to score 48 unanswered and make the final score laughable against a severely overmatched Green Wave team. Nothing more to say here other than BYU avoided a trap game before this weekend’s home showdown vs. the Seminoles of Florida State.

Weber St. (0-2) - 23
Colorado St. (2-0) - 24

Colorado State dodged a bullet after their big win against Colorado last week. Are the Rams really that good or are the Colorado Buffaloes really that bad? After this poor effort and a big loss for Colorado again this week, I would tend to assume the latter. Weber State actually led this game until a Ram touchdown with 8 minutes left gave Colorado St. the one point win. Consider these numbers: First Downs: WSU - 25, CSU - 12. 3rd Down Efficiency: WSU (11-21) - CSU (0-8). Time of Possession: WSU 38:04 - CSU 21:56. The Rams better clean some things up or this season might make a turn for the worse.

Oregon St. (2-0) - 23
UNLV (1-1) - 21

Perhaps Oregon State had thoughts of Utah and a little revenge against the Mountain West on their mind going into this showdown with the Rebels. After trailing most of the game, a late push by UNLV had them leading by one point late in the 4th quarter. Oregon State answered the call by capping a 12 play, 87 yard drive with a field goal giving the Beavers the lead and leaving only 8 seconds left for UNLV. After those 8 second ran out, the Rebels were only left to wonder what could have been. This would have been a big win not only for the conference against a BCS team, but also a marquee win the Rebels needed.

#2 Texas (2-0) - 41
Wyoming (1-1) - 10

Fans of the Wyoming Cowboys have had this date circled for a long time. A sold out crowd in Laramie witnessed the biggest game in the state’s history against the #2 Texas Longhorns, and if this game would have ended a few minutes before halftime, they would have left in utter disbelief. Wyoming held a 10-6 lead late in the second quarter and had their minds set on shocking the country. Then Texas started playing like Texas. 35 straight points later and Wyoming had to settle for a strong first half showing and nothing more. If the Cowboys can continue to play the way they did to start this game they could make some noise in conference play.

Tulsa (2-0) - 44
New Mexico (0-2) - 10

This is not what Coach Mike Locksley wanted to endure during the Lobos' home opener. Not much to say here except New Mexico looked flat out bad as Tulsa came in and dismantled them. The Lobos had 4 turnovers, were 1-15 on third down, and only put up 171 yards of offense while giving up 489 yards to Tulsa. This could be a long season for New Mexico and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them contend for the bottom of the conference.

Southern Utah (1-1) - 19
San Diego St. (1-1) - 35

The Aztecs used big 2nd and 3rd quarters to get on the winning track against Southern Utah. Ryan Lindley threw for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns and Brandon Sullivan rushed 24 times for 111 yards for the Aztecs. Giving up 19 points to a weak Thunderbird team was a low point for San Diego State and their defense could be a problem for them against better opponents. For now the taste of victory is sweet for the Aztecs as wins might be hard to come by this season.

#16 TCU (1-0) - 30
Virginia (0-2) - 14

TCU got the season started off right in Charlottesville, VA by knocking off the reeling Cavaliers. The vaunted Horned Frog defense was back in full force as they only allowed 177 total yards (83 of those came late in the game), 7 first downs (3 late in the game), and never allowed Virginia inside the TCU red zone. Two late touchdowns made the score look much more respectable than this game really was. The TCU offense wasn’t overly spectacular, but did more than enough to secure an opening game win for the Frogs on the road against a BCS opponent.

Utah/San Jose State Grades

Offense: C

The Offense got off to a hot start, scoring on their first drive of the game, but would need nearly 40 minutes to return to the end zone. The Utes deceptively gained a lot of yards and were quite productive with the ball, however their inability to turn yards into points caused a lot of frustration and worry throughout most of this game. The Utes gained a more than respectable 499 yards, controlled Time of Possession by about 5 minutes, and were 8-15 on third down. Inopportune turnovers in the first quarter, missed field goals, a continued inability to score on the goal line, and stalled drives led to such a low score for Utah.

Terrance Cain looked good in his first road test. He completed 56% of his passes (18-32) for 248 yards and a TD as well as rushing 10 times for 76 yards. He still has a tendency to throw the ball high and missed several targets downfield. His short passing game continued to be effective but he needs to improve his touch on longer passes. Cain was very impressive running the ball and showed elusiveness in the pocket as well as some speed and agility running up field. He had a big 30 yard scamper on a critical 3rd down during the Utes opening touchdown drive.

The Utes once again moved the ball well on the ground. As a team the Utes averaged 6.3 yards per carry on 40 attempts for a total of 251 yards. Matt Asiata had 94 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, Eddie Wide had 44 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries, and redshirt freshman Sausan Shakerin made his debut with a huge 46 yard run late in the game that helped seal the win. Matt Asiata suffered what coaches called a "ding" to his shoulder and more will be know later as to the extent of his injury. Overall the run game looked solid and depending on the health of Asiata we may see some more Wide and Shakerin throughout the season.

One last note about the offense's goal line struggles. On the first scoring drive it took the Utes 4 plays to punch the ball in and on a later drive a 4th and 1 failed as Matt Asiata overthrew Cain in the endzone. The Utes have some serious goal line problems if they are failing to effectively move the ball against San Jose State and Utah State. I'm not sure exactly who is to blame. It could be the backs inability to hit the correct hole or Cain's inability to make the right read, the line's inability to create a hole, or Offensive Coordinator Dave Schramm's inability to make the correct play call. Whatever the problem is it needs to be fixed soon are this will come back to cost the Utes a game.

Defense: C+

The main concern after last week for the defense was stopping big plays. Although there weren't any plays like last week, the secondary did allow some big pass plays (4 over 30 yards). Brandon Burton and RJ Stanford need to really improve or this could be a major issue for the Utes this season. San Jose State receiver Kevin Jurovich repeatedly outplayed the corners and totaled 7 catches for 113 yards. Before this game the Spartans employed a 2 quarterback rotation, but they stuck with QB Jordan La Secla as he dissected the Utes for 242 yards on 21-33 passing. This should not happen and has to be fixed.

After a near spotless opening game, the Utes committed a lot of penalties on defense allowing the Spartans to keep drives alive and score points. Of the Spartans' 18 first downs in the game, 7 were a result of a Utah penalty. There were a handful of pass interference penalties (albeit some questionable) that could be avoided if the defensive backs would turn their head and play the ball instead of the receiver. This is unacceptable and needs some serious work as well.

A bright spot for the defense was stopping the run. San Jose State is an extremely poor running team but the Utes didn't allow them to do much of anything on the ground. They held the Spartans to 22 rushing yards on 22 carries for the game and didn't allow a run of more than 8 yards. The line still needs to do a better job of getting pressure on the quarterback, however, as they only recorded one sack against an offensive line they should have dominated. The defense continued to excel on 3rd downs holding San Jose State to only 3-12 and caused a lot of potential Spartan scoring drives to end prematurely. Although there were some obvious deficiencies, the defense only allowed 14 points and made plays when they had to.

Special Teams: D

And so ends the field goal dependability of Ben Vroman. I know two of his attempts were from over 50 yards, but they were just awful kicks. Awful. Both kicks were hooked to the left and would have been lucky to reach the height of the crossbar. When he had a chance to redeem himself with a routine 36 yarder, he once again hooked the ball severely left. Kyle Whittingham expressed his displeasure with Vroman when he reached the sideline after the third miss, and concluded it with having Junior Joe Philips kick the following 2 extra points and 25 yard field goal (All of which were good). Asked after the game if the Utes faced a kicking controversy, Whittingham replied with a resounding "Yes."

Sean Sellwood continued to punt well. He had a 56 yarder downed inside the 20 as well as a 38 yarder that reached the endzone for a touchback. Through two games he is averaging an exceptional 46.8 yards per punt.

The kickoff and punt return games looked solid. There were no fumbles by the returners which is a positive as that has been a previous issue. Despite his field goal woes, Ben Vroman continued to kickoff well and the coverage didn't allow a big return.

Overall: C-

The win extends the current winning streak to 16 games, tying the 2nd best streak in school history (1928-1930). Two more wins will tie the school record of 18 straight wins set back in 2005. There are a lot of lessons to be learned and a lot of improvements to be made, but the bottom line is a win is a win. The game was sloppy and sometimes downright boring. During the offense's struggles the defense kept the game under control. Heading into next week's showdown at Oregon, the Utes need to clean up a lot of areas or it could be a long trip home from Eugene.

Player of the Game: Terrance Cain (Passing: 18-31, 248 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 10 rushes, 76 yards)
Play of the Game: Jereme Brooks 51 yard touchdown catch from Cain to break a 7-7 tie in the 4th quarter.
Attendance: 23,684
Game Time: 3:24

Recap
Stats

Photos: AP

Week 2 Rankings

The Utes dropped one spot to #18 in the AP Poll and moved up one spot to #16 in the USA Today Poll as a result of their underwhelming performance against San Jose State. Even though their win was more difficult then expected, it is surprising to see them drop in the AP Poll as a result of winning. It seems like Cincinnati garnered enough attention with their 70-3 win over FCS Southeast Missouri State to move past the Utes into the #17 Spot.

With their win over ACC opponent Virginia, TCU moved up one spot in both polls to #15. Heading into next week's showdown with Florida State, BYU will be ranked #7 in the AP and #9 in the USA Today.

AP Top 25

1	Florida (56)	2-0	1491
2	Texas (1)	2-0	1404
3	USC (1)	2-0	1396
4	Alabama (2)	2-0	1328
5	Mississippi	1-0	1145
5	Penn State	2-0	1145
7	Brigham Young	2-0	1122
8	California	2-0	1058
9	LSU	2-0	951
10	Boise State	2-0	945
11	Ohio State	1-1	840
12	Oklahoma	1-1	835
13	Virginia Tech	1-1	749
14	Georgia Tech	2-0	683
15	TCU	1-0	609
16	Oklahoma State	1-1	445
17	Cincinnati	2-0	407
18	Utah	2-0	405
19	Nebraska	2-0	365
20	Miami (FL)	1-0	364
21	Houston	2-0	341
22	Kansas	2-0	271
23	Georgia	1-1	260
24	North Carolina	2-0	250
25	Michigan	2-0	169

Dropped from rankings: Notre Dame 18, Missouri 25

Others receiving votes: Missouri 93, Pittsburgh 87, Oregon State 64, Texas Tech 54, UCLA 44, Notre Dame 40, West Virginia 30, Auburn 26, Iowa 23, Boston College 19, Baylor 15, Clemson 10, Oregon 5, Arizona 4, Arkansas 3, Colorado State 2, Florida State 1, Minnesota 1, South Florida 1

USA Today Top 25

1	Florida (56)	2-0	1472
2	Texas	2-0	1399
3	USC (3)	2-0	1368
4	Alabama	2-0	1277
5	Penn State	2-0	1216
6	Mississippi	1-0	1060
7	LSU	2-0	1051
7	California	2-0	1051
9	Brigham Young	2-0	941
10	Boise State	2-0	913
11	Ohio State	1-1	855
12	Oklahoma	1-1	794
13	Georgia Tech	2-0	771
14	Virginia Tech	1-1	709
15	TCU	1-0	648
16	Utah	2-0	533
17	Oklahoma State	1-1	485
18	Nebraska	2-0	471
19	North Carolina	2-0	341
20	Georgia	1-1	333
21	Cincinnati	2-0	328
22	Miami (FL)	1-0	291
23	Kansas	2-0	195
24	Oregon State	2-0	118
25	Missouri	2-0	104

Dropped from rankings: Notre Dame 20

Others receiving votes: Michigan 84, Houston 69, Texas Tech 68, Pittsburgh 40, Notre Dame 32, Auburn 30, Iowa 27, Florida State 19, Oregon 16, West Virginia 16, UCLA 13, South Florida 13, Kentucky 9, Arizona 4, Central Michigan 2, Colorado State 2, Minnesota 2, Northwestern 2, Arkansas 1, Tulsa 1, South Carolina 1

Game Day Information & Game Preview

The 17th ranked Utes head to San Jose to take on the Spartans of San Jose State at 8:30 PM Saturday Night. The Utes look to add to their current 15 game overall winning streak and 8 game road winning streak while the Spartans look to rebound from last week's disaster vs. USC. For the second straight week the Utes will face a WAC opponent and for the first time they will play on the road. Utah leads the all-time series 4-1, with San Jose State's lone win coming in 1974.

Storylines

1. Battle of the Brothers: Utah senior defensive tackle Kenape Eliapo faces off against his younger brother, San Jose State guard Ailao Eliapo. Both brothers played high school football together at South San Francisco High.
2. Utah's Offense vs. San Jose State's Defense: After putting up over 500 yards of offense last week vs. Utah State, the Utes face a stiffer test against the Spartan's defense. Although the Spartans gave up 53 points to USC last week, they did hold the mighty Trojans scoreless for about the first 20 minutes of the game. Will Terrance Cain continue to manage the game effectively and limit turnovers in his first hostile environment? How many touches will Matt Asiata get after a whopping 38 last week? Does the Spartan Defense have the depth to stay with Utah or will they wear down throughout the game?
3. San Jose State's 2 Quarterback Attack: Will Spartan coach Dick Tomey continue to employ two quarterbacks throughout the game or will he settle on one go-to guy? Snaps so far have been split between Kyle Reed and Jordan La Secla.
4. The Utes Defense vs. Big Plays: Will the Utes tighten up on defense and prevent the big plays that happened against Utah State from repeating themselves?

My Analysis and Prediction

This game features two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions. The Utes have not lost a game in nearly 21 months, maintaining the nation's longest current win streak of 15 games. San Jose State has not won a game in nearly 11 months, losing their last 4 games while being collectively outscored 142-30. In their last 3 games, the Utes have looked impressive beating Alabama, BYU, and Utah State. The Spartans have totaled -19 rushing yards in their last 4 games combined.

Get the point?

Now obviously this is a new year with new players and new possibilities. The Utes are still young and still have some growing pains they surely will endure throughout the season. San Jose State has some talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball, that will be able to hang with the Utes for a considerable amount of time. However, like last week, Utah's depth and talent of the 2's and 3's will eventually take over and a seemingly close game could get out of hand.

I expect the Ute offense to continue their consistency and be able to effectively move the ball downfield. There will be some hiccups and 3-and-outs here and there as expected, but I just don't foresee the Spartans having enough depth and talent to control Utah's numerous weapons. I expect to see Terrance Cain continuing to employ the short passing game like last week, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him air it out a bit more. Matt Asiata will once again be a big factor in the offense's success. If he can consistently get about 4-5 yards a carry, that will allow Cain to relax and do his thing at a higher level. I don't expect Asiata to get as many touches as last week and maybe we'll get to see a little more Eddie Wide, and possibly Sausan Shakerin.

The Ute defense should have little trouble containing the Spartan offense. If the Utes can prevent the big plays I don't see San Jose State being very effective at all. Koa Misi's return will only bolster an already stiff defensive line. Don't expect the Spartans to get many rushing yards (It took them 31 carries to get 9 whole yards against USC) and I can't see the quarterbacks being much more successful. Also, if the Utes can contain their pristine 3rd down defense, they will be unbeatable no matter how poorly the Utes offense performs.

• Utah's offense will put more than enough points on the board to secure the victory although the game might stay close for a quarter or two.
  
• Utah's defense will do the bulk of the damage by stifling the Spartan rushing attack and providing ample pressure on the QBs.
• Utah's defense will be directly responsible for at least 7-10 points.
• Special Teams will continue to impress and we might see a big game-changing play on a kickoff or punt return

My prediction: Utes 38 - Spartans 10

Upcoming Conference Games Schedule

This week's games feature MWC teams against 4 BCS teams, including #2 Texas heading into Laramie to play the Wyoming Cowboys. TCU's game against ACC opponent Virginia was supposed to be a marquee game for the Frogs, but Virginia suffered an embarrassing loss to FCS William and Mary 26-14 causing this weekend's game to lose its luster. Air Force will play Minnesota of the Big 10 in brand new TCF Bank Stadium's inaugural game. Oregon State travels to Vegas where the Rebels look to maintain their winning ways after last week's win.

*All times MST

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