TCU at Utah: College Football Zoom-In Game of the Week
Tomorrow, the Utah Utes will host Mountain West foe TCU in a battle of two unbeaten BCS busters.
Both teams have been rolling through opponents and solidifying themselves as legitimate contenders on the national scene this season. The Utes and Horned Frogs are ranked top 10 nationally in both total offense and total defense.
Tomorrow’s contest looks to be a a winner-takes-all affair with the loser, in all likelihood, knocked out of the national title picture.
The boys from Salt Lake are surely still agitated over the 55-28 beat down TCU handed them last season in Fort Worth.
You can be sure that Utah will definitely have revenge on their minds on Saturday. And as we've seen in the past, thoughts of revenge can motivate a team to do some crazy things.
Let's take a look at some of the storylines and key details associated with this big matchup.
Spotlight Player: Utah QB Jordan Wynn
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Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn could be the most pivotal player in this game.
How well Wynn handles TCU’s stout defense will determine how successful the Utah offense can move the ball throughout the game.
If the sophomore starter performs well, it gives the Utes a great shot at getting the win.
Through the first eight games of the season, Wynn has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country. After missing two games with an injury after the big opening season win against Pitt, Wynn has bounced back to guide his team to five straight victories with the offense averaging nearly 50 points a game in those contests.
On the season, Wynn has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for over 1,400 yards with 13 passing touchdowns to his credit.
BCS And Mountain West Implications
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This one not only has the Mountain West title on the line, it’s got some serious BCS implications as well.
Both TCU and Utah currently sit in the top five of the latest BCS Rankings, and the winner of this game will likely be stationed in the No. 3 position when the rankings are released on Sunday.
If TCU were to come away victorious, they would move to 10-0 on the season with games against San Diego State and New Mexico still remaining.
If Utah wins, they will move to 9-0 with trips to Notre Dame and San Diego State as well as a home game against rival BYU still on tap.
Both squads have victories over BCS schools this year, and if the winner of this game finishes the season undefeated, they would have a legitimate case for a berth in the national championship.
Two Best Non-BCS Programs?
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Chris Petersen’s Boise State Broncos might want a little piece of the conversation, but there’s no doubt the football programs that TCU and Utah are currently running are just a step above every non-BCS school out there.
These two teams have combined for 46 wins over the last two seasons, and each has made an appearance in a BCS bowl game during that time, with Utah coming away victorious over Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.
Utah’s Kyle Whittingham and TCU’s Gary Patterson are two of the fastest rising coaching names in college football, and all you have to do is look at their recent success to see why.
Utah and TCU are both stacked with talent that just seems to be a cut above the rest and the consistency of the two teams over the last few seasons has been quite remarkable.
TCU has put up a double-digit win season in six out of the nine years that Coach Patterson has been in charge, while the Utes have won nine straight bowl games (five under Whittingham), the longest streak in college football.
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Utah's Home Field Advantage
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The confines of Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City haven’t turned out to be a very friendly environment for visiting opponents recently.
Utah is 17-1 over the last three seasons when playing at home.
The capacity crowd of 45,000 isn’t all that scary, but the Utes fans certainly know how to get rowdy, and the high altitude is a definitive advantage for the home team.
TCU has never won in three trips to Rice-Eccles.
The Best Game Nobody Will See
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Since the Mountain West doesn’t have a television contract with a major sports network like ESPN, this game will be broadcast on the CBS College Sports Channel.
No, not regular CBS, it’s their baby station—CBSCS.
There’s a good chance you’re not going to be able to watch it, which is a shame, but if you happen to be one of the lucky 40 million viewers who receive the channel, then make sure to tune in at 3:30 ET.
If you happen to be near a computer on Saturday, the channel’s website (http://www.cbscollegesports.com) seems to be offering a free preview of the game, so check it out if you have the chance.
Utah Offense Vs. TCU Defense
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TCU has the best scoring defense in the country through the first nine weeks of play, allowing an average of less than nine points per game.
Utah, on the other hand, is one the top scoring offenses in the country, scoring an average of 43 points per game.
It makes for an interesting battle because something is going to have to give, one way or another.
Utah’s offense is fairly balanced. They’ve run the ball 290 times and dialed up 228 passing plays this season.
The running attack is led by a two-headed backfield consisting of seniors Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata. The two split carries pretty evenly with both averaging about 13 touches per game.
Asiata is the bigger and stronger of the two, while Wide is a the faster compliment.
The two backs usually have plenty of room to run behind a big, experienced line that returned four starters from a year ago.
It should be interesting to see if Utah’s O-line can maintain control of the line of scrimmage against TCU’s super-strong front four led by 300 lb. tackle Cory Grant and athletic defensive end Wayne Daniels.
If Utah can get the ground game going, it should open things up through the air and give Jordan Wynn a chance to challenge a TCU secondary that is currently the best in the nation against the pass.
TCU’s unconventional 4-2-5 look may take some time to adjust to, so it wouldn’t be out of the question to see Wynn take the short underneath throws early on in the game and control the pace with short passes to receivers like Jereme Brooks.
This TCU defense is a very talented bunch, but the fact that they don’t cause many turnovers, only 13 on the season, could come back to bite them against a quality offense like Utah’s.
If the Utes play smart, efficient football, they’ve got a good chance to be one of the few teams that does some real damage to this TCU defense.
Utah Offensive Lineup
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Quarterback: Jordan Wynn (3)
Running Back: Eddie Wide (36)
Wide Receiver: Jereme Brooks (85)
Wide Receiver: Shaky Smithson (1)
Wide Receiver: DeVonte Christopher (10)
Tight End: Kendrick Moeai (81)
Offensive Lineman: John Cullen (75)
Offensive Lineman: Caleb Schlauderaff (72)
Offensive Lineman: Zane Taylor (77)
Offensive Lineman: Tevita Stevens (54)
Offensive Lineman: Tony Bergstrom (70)
TCU Defensive Lineup
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Defensive Tackle: Cory Grant (57)
Defensive Tackle: D.J. Yendrey (94)
Defensive End: Stansly Maponga (90)
Defensive End: Wayne Daniels (96)
Linebacker: Tanner Brock (35)
Linebacker: Tank Carder (43)
Cornerback: Greg McCoy (7)
Cornerback: Jason Teague (27)
Safety: Alex Ibiloye (9)
Safety: Tejay Johnson (3)
Safety: Colin Jones (28)
TCU Offense Vs. Utah Defense
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This matchup between TCU’s offense and Utah’s defense is one that will also likely come down to which line can control things up front.
The Horned Frogs have an offensive line that is ridiculously big and ridiculously strong. The showpiece is 6‘5", 350 lb. tackle Marcus Cannon, who has an NFL future ahead of him, but the other four lineman are just as effective at pushing people around.
Luckily for Utah, they have a deep defensive line rotation that throws fresh faces in the mix on every single snap. That should give the Utes the edge from an endurance standpoint.
Guys like Derrick Shelby and Christian Cox need to get in the face of TCU quarterback Andy Dalton and make him feel uneasy in the pocket.
The senior signal caller is cool under pressure and doesn’t get rattled easily, but if Utah can bring consistent heat, it might start to affect him as the game wears on.
Utah will have to contain running back Ed Wesley, who has already rushed for over 900 yards and 10 TDs this season, if they have any hope of slowing down TCU’s offense.
Wesley, along with fellow sophomore Matthew Tucker, offer up a tough one-two punch that has proved too overwhelming for opposing defenses this season.
The difference maker in the Utah secondary could be cornerback Brandon Burton, one of the most unheralded players in the country. Burton will likely draw the task of slowing down speedy receivers like Jeremy Kerley and Josh Boyce throughout the game.
TCU Offensive Lineup
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Quarterback: Andy Dalton (14)
Running Back: Ed Wesley (34)
Wide Receiver: Jeremy Kerley (85)
Wide Receiver: Josh Boyce (82)
Wide Receiver: Jimmy Young (88)
Wide Receiver: Bart Johnson (6)
Offensive Lineman: Marcus Cannon (61)
Offensive Lineman: Josh Vernon (78)
Offensive Lineman: Jake Kirkpatrick (76)
Offensive Lineman: Kyle Dooley (55)
Offensive Lineman: Zack Roth (70)
Utah Defensive Lineup
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Defensive Tackle: Dave Kruger (44)
Defensive Tackle: Sealver Siliga (98)
Defensive End: Christian Cox (94)
Defensive End: Junior Tui’one (96)
Linebacker: Chad Manis (18)
Linebacker: Chaz Walker (32)
Linebacker: Matt Martinez (52)
Cornerback: Brandon Burton (27)
Cornerback: Lamar Chapman (21)
Safety: Brian Blechen (2)
Safety: Justin Taplin-Ross (33)
Prediction: Utah 36, TCU 31
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This one is a real tough game to call.
Let's say Utah gets their revenge at home and leaps over the Frogs!
Little Jereme Brooks comes up big and hauls in the game winning touchdown grab.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
