Recent Posts
Home >Unlabelled > Keys to the game: Utah vs. Oregon State on Astini News
Keys to the game: Utah vs. Oregon State on Astini News
Posted on Saturday, October 29, 2011 by astini
SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah faces a must-win game Saturday against Oregon State, a desperate team trying to salvage something from a season that has not gone according to plan — and a plan that was derailed with a season-opening loss to Sacramento State.
With a loss to BYU at home, the Beavers' shot at becoming bowl eligible were basically eliminated, since it now requires winning out to get to six wins. With Stanford and Oregon on the schedule, that's just not going to happen.
Utah can still get there, and can do so even with losing this game.
But if you can't beat the Beavers at home — and Utah is a 5- point favorite to do so — then who can you beat? Hence, the significance of this game, both from a W-L perspective as well as from a team morale view.
On to the three keys to the game:
Utah must win time of possession. Generally speaking, this is a statistic that can go both ways. Teams with a low number in this statistic either score so quickly, so often, that they don't have the ball for very long. Oregon is a great example of this, as the Ducks rank dead last in TOP. Or, they are so inept they can't control the ball and give it up with 3-and-outs or turnovers.
Utah was most decidedly in the latter category against Cal with four turnovers and as many 3-and-outs. Even with possessions in which they don't score, Utah must gain some first downs and flip field position on the Beavers. It seems highly unlikely that Utah can hold the ball for just 25 minutes as they did against Cal and come out with a victory.
Utah must get in Sean Mannion's face. The redshirt freshman is coming off his best game in his young career, a 376-yard, four-touchdown effort against Washington State in a 44-21 victory. Mannion has yet to throw for fewer than 267 yards in any of his four starts, and has three 300-yard passing games to his credit.
Add it all up, and he's a respectable 62nd in passer rating. Not great by any means, but pretty good for a redshirt freshman on a below-average team. It's too much to ask Jon Hays to elevate his game to Mannion's level, so it's up to the Utah defense to knock Mannion down several pegs.
Devonte Christopher must make big plays. The junior wide receiver was out for the Pittsburgh and Cal games with an ankle injury but is expected back against Oregon State. He is Utah's best big-play option in the passing game, and has to make teams pay for playing single-coverage on him.
Opposing defenses have shown no respect for Utah's passing game with Hays, often rushing five or more men on every play, and having a safety come up in run support. That usually leaves a receiver one-on-one with a cornerback, and OSU is ranked 106th nationally in pass efficiency defense.
This game could serve well for Utah against future opponents, four of whom rank 100th or worse in this statistic, and UCLA being the best at 96th nationally. Of course, all of those teams have played outstanding quarterbacks multiple times, so this week will also be a good indicator as to whether OSU's pass defense is that bad, or Hays is that inept.
Patrick Sheltra is sports editor of the Twin Falls (Idaho) Times-News and the author of "100 Things Utes Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die." Read more of his thoughts on Utah sports at scriptutah.blogspot.com or on Twitter @100ThingsUtah.
Blog Archive
-
▼
2011
(2934)
-
▼
October
(681)
- Planet of the Apes: The unique diversity of man's ...
- Libya: NATO's black hole - English pravda.ru on As...
- Jay-Z, Kanye Watch The Throne Tour: Reviews Are In...
- The Bullying Academy, a Web-based Program for Scho...
- Raphael Enrique Amoroso, Oregon Man With Sniper Bo...
- The American Reporter Vol. 16, No. 4,321 on Astini...
- Metta World Peace gets acting gig on BET show on A...
- Zachery Tims Toxicology Report Delayedâ¦AGAIN - B...
- Twenty20 international: India v England - as it ha...
- Medscape: Medscape Access on Astini News
- Miranda Kerr battles Heidi Klum for Halloween supr...
- Peaceful bonobos may have something to teach human...
- Childhood Bipolar Disorder- what it is, signs and ...
- Zappos and the Rise of Corporate Neo-Urbanism on A...
- Sullivan County sticks with United Healthcare- Kin...
- Wayne Rooney 'punched taxi that got late to pick h...
- 'Heat Rises' elevates suspense in series on Astini...
- HD subscriber base to double; touch 2.5 lakh in FY...
- French Revolution Timeline: STORMING of the BASTIL...
- Dress up prepared pimiento cheese and potato salad...
- The Grace Foundation to 'Pay It Forward' on Astini...
- Theo Walcott: Arsenal belief is back on Astini News
- The American Reporter Vol. 16, No. 4,321 on Astini...
- Microsoft Security Essentials 2.1 Gets a New Home ...
- NFL: Houston Texans rely on defense to beat Jackso...
- Oh, the joys of goat cheese - Scranton Places & Fa...
- Interim dean of students addresses GSB on Astini News
- iOS 5 Now Available for Download on Astini News
- Outlaws from the final frontier on Astini News
- Your Job, Career and Workplace Impacted by Wearing...
- Church of Scientology Cuts Ribbon on Twin Cities L...
- Kurt Warner, Nelly, fans congratulate Cardinals on...
- Roger Clemens trying to get government to pay for ...
- Ja Rule Delays "Pain Is Love 2" To 2012 | Get The ...
- 15th Annual Success By 6 Children's Book Drive Kic...
- Police stations to get facelift on Astini News
- Could S.978 land artists like Justin Bieber in jai...
- 'Bachelor Pad 2' Premiere: It's the Jake and Vienn...
- Breaking News - "The Dr. Oz Show" Kicks Off Novemb...
- Report: Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke 04 - German Bun...
- PPL Prepped for Pocono Snow on Astini News
- Enya - The River Sings - Enya on Astini News
- Michelle Obama and âthe Few at the Topâ - By V...
- Belen Music and Art Festival to rock Eagle Park on...
- Albert Finney Joins the Cast of the New James Bond...
- Ron Paul Easily Defeats Republican Primary Competi...
- Star Wars: The Old Republicâs New âGlobalâ R...
- ISU football: Cyclones best Texas Tech, 41-7 | The...
- Scarface (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray + Digital Copy...
- Lymphoma Survivor Outruns Cancer with Team in Trai...
- William Shatner admits he hadn't heard Queen's 'Bo...
- A Worrying Look At Food Inflation In The Coming Ye...
- Civil rights leader Fred Shuttlesworth laid to res...
- Cooking Mama 4 | games industry on Astini News
- A Kenny Powers Party In Myrtle Beach on Astini News
- Coveo 7.0 With Multi-Channel Text Analytics Uncove...
- Notes, Quotes - MLB - CBSSports.com Baseball on As...
- Portugal wants U.S. help in euro crisis: source - ...
- Steampunk exhibit kicks off in Anaheim - Local New...
- Myrtle Beach volleyball advances in Class AAA play...
- VIDEO: Observer Business Leader Awards honours dia...
- Keys to the game: Utah vs. Oregon State on Astini ...
- Hughes or GSP: Who is Greatest UFC Welterweight of...
- Ernst & Young honors San Antonio woman as leading ...
- Group: Iran frees actress, waives lashing sentence...
- Pepper Rabbit â âMurder Roomâ « Consequence...
- Perry: AWOL from Future Debates? - Rebecca Kaplan ...
- House of Brides Releases Date For Halloween Midnig...
- Get Ready for Higher Restaurant Prices on Astini News
- Names of Casey Anthony jurors released in Florida ...
- Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson Betting Previe...
- Page Not Found - Yahoo! on Astini News
- Facebook gets 'hacky' in its new home on Astini News
- 'Between Two Ferns' with Zach Galifianakis (Video)...
- Shock Rocker Alice Cooper Joins Johnny Depp in 'Da...
- COLUMN-Ebbing oil prices point to market shift: Jo...
- Survey of Top Doctors Finds Widespread Support for...
- Hoboken man admits he stole Picasso work worth $27...
- NYPD Ticket-Fixing Scandal: 16 NYPD Cops, Supervis...
- No Siri For Next iPhone?, Christian News on Astini...
- NCR Spikes On Big Q3 on Astini News
- Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Issu...
- Andy Kaufman Still Alive? Did he Fake his Own Deat...
- Blu-ray Review: âTransformers: Dark of the Moonâ...
- Choose Your Preferred Ring with Pandora Jewelry - ...
- Maple Leafs spoil Rangers' home opener - NHL - Wir...
- Falcons DT Peters making progress - NFL on Astini ...
- Hughes or GSP: Who is Greatest UFC Welterweight of...
- Alta Vista Jungolf Challenge tees off on Astini News
- Miami (FL) Hurricanes vs Virginia Cavaliers live o...
- Santa Rosa approves new economic incentives | Pens...
- Music & nightlife | Iceland has a cultural volcano...
- Amish investment broker declines to enter plea to ...
- Senators hope bill will help Hollywood stardust ru...
- Not The Way To A Healthy Future : 13.7: Cosmos And...
- The Outlawz Talk Tupac, New Album | Get The Latest...
- Baddour: North Carolina imposed 'responsible' pena...
- Peter King's 'Hard Evidence' That Iranian Diplomat...
- Boys should get HPV vaccine given to girls on Asti...
- Zac Efron And Vanessa Hudgens Getting Back Togethe...
-
▼
October
(681)