Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Runnin' Utes back in action tonight
After a disappointing home loss to Oral Roberts (2-3), the Utah basketball team (3-2) gets back in action tonight at 7 p.m. MT against Fresno State (1-3). Fresno State is another team the Runnin' Utes should beat, but I said the same thing about Oral Roberts. I think the Utes will take out their frustrations on them and win by at least ten. The game is not on TV but can be heard via kall700sports.com and on AM 700 in the Salt Lake City area. I'll be at the game and you can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/dpaysports for updates. Go Utes!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Utah 17 BYU 16
Pictured: Brandon Burton dives to block Mitch Payne's field goal attempt on the final play of the game and give the Utes a 17-16 win.
#23 Utah (10-2, 7-1 MWC) defeated BYU (6-6, 5-3 MWC) today at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City by a score of 17-16! The game was in question until the final play, when Brandon Burton blocked a Mitch Payne 42-yard field goal attempt to give the Utes the victory! This game had just about everything you could ask for in a college football game. I'm still reveling about the whole thing, it's just awesome to get a win like that against your rival!
I was among the many euphoric Utah fans who stormed the field after the game. When the kick was blocked my friends and I just started shaking each other with happy, amazed and euphoric expressions on our faces. My girlfriend even said "Derek, we're rushing the field!" It didn't take us long to get down there and soak it all up with the team and many, many other fans. What a way to end the regular season.
The special teams were great for the Utes. Not only was there the block to end the game, but also a key recovery of a punt that bounced off a BYU player to help set up Utah with a chance to take the lead. I also thought the Utah defense was just strong enough to get the win. BYU was in position to score a number of touchdowns, but the Utes were able to hold them to four field goal attempts (only three made of course) and a key turnover on downs in the third quarter.
The Cougars led 6-0 at halftime and had moved that lead to 13-0 at the end of the third quarter. Utah kicked a field goal and then recovered a fumble on BYU's next possession. A long touchdown pass on the next play made it 13-10. BYU led 16-10 when the Utes recovered punt return that took a bounce off of a BYU player. Jordan Wynn threw an interception, but the ball was fumbled on the return and recovered by Utah. BYU fans will claim that it wasn't a fumble, but I didn't think it was completely incontrovertible evidence to overrule the call on the field of a fumble. BYU still had their chances to win the game and didn't get the job done. Utah did. And give Utah credit for capitalizing on the fumble recoveries with a long pass that set up a Matt Asiata run to put Utah ahead 17-16.
True freshman quarterback Jake Heaps looked solid for the Cougars pretty much all day and appeared to have led the game-winning drive as BYU moved the ball to the Utah 25 yard line with 4 seconds left to set up a potential game winning field goal. Burton came in with little more than a small touch to get what may just be referred to as "The Block" and give the Utes the victory. What a relief for me. The Utes have been involved in a number of close losses to BYU the last few years and it feels great to come out on top at the end of a close rivalry game.
I thought Utah had blown any chance of winning when they had to use their final timeout to prevent a too many men on the field penalty before BYU's final third down of the game. There still would have been at least 35 seconds left and at least a faint Utah chance to win if BYU had made the field goal. But the lack of timeout allowed the Cougars to run down the clock to four seconds before the fateful kick that was blocked.
Jordan Wynn struggled some, especially in the first half where the Utes did not score, although he didn't look nearly as bad to me as he did in the TCU game (thankfully). I don't blame Coach Kyle Whittingham for trying Terrance Cain at quarterback to try and jump start things. I thought he should have tried that against TCU, frankly. Cain looked terrible, though, and threw two interceptions in the two drives he was in the game. Both gave the Cougars great field position, but fortunately they were only able to get points out of one of their ensuing drives with a Heaps touchdown pass. Wynn didn't play great by any stretch of the imagination, but he was better than Cain and played better in the second half than he did in the first. He made enough throws to put the Utes in position to win.
I think BYU regrets going for it on fourth down when they were in field goal range early in the third quarter and leading 6-0. If you take the points you're ahead 9-0 at that point and then 16-0 after the ensuing touchdown set up by Cain's second interception in as many drives. And by that measure it could have been 19-10 instead of 16-10 late in the game. Of course who knows if the game would have played out differently with a field goal attempt there instead of going for it, but BYU Coach Bronco Mendenhall has to deal with a lot of difficult what-ifs right now. I can't say I feel bad for him at all because I've never really liked the guy and it always makes me happy when he has to suffer a loss.
Again the theme for me is Utah made enough plays to win and that's the bottom line. You can point to the coaching decision mentioned above or the controversial fumble call, but the point is Utah made the plays they had to in order to come out on top. The scoreboard says it all and it read Utah 17 BYU 16 when the game was over. A favorite quote of mine for sports is from former Ohio State football Coach Woody Hayes who said "The best team always wins: everything else is excuses." I cannot write down my feelings better than that.
#23 Utah (10-2, 7-1 MWC) defeated BYU (6-6, 5-3 MWC) today at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City by a score of 17-16! The game was in question until the final play, when Brandon Burton blocked a Mitch Payne 42-yard field goal attempt to give the Utes the victory! This game had just about everything you could ask for in a college football game. I'm still reveling about the whole thing, it's just awesome to get a win like that against your rival!
I was among the many euphoric Utah fans who stormed the field after the game. When the kick was blocked my friends and I just started shaking each other with happy, amazed and euphoric expressions on our faces. My girlfriend even said "Derek, we're rushing the field!" It didn't take us long to get down there and soak it all up with the team and many, many other fans. What a way to end the regular season.
The special teams were great for the Utes. Not only was there the block to end the game, but also a key recovery of a punt that bounced off a BYU player to help set up Utah with a chance to take the lead. I also thought the Utah defense was just strong enough to get the win. BYU was in position to score a number of touchdowns, but the Utes were able to hold them to four field goal attempts (only three made of course) and a key turnover on downs in the third quarter.
The Cougars led 6-0 at halftime and had moved that lead to 13-0 at the end of the third quarter. Utah kicked a field goal and then recovered a fumble on BYU's next possession. A long touchdown pass on the next play made it 13-10. BYU led 16-10 when the Utes recovered punt return that took a bounce off of a BYU player. Jordan Wynn threw an interception, but the ball was fumbled on the return and recovered by Utah. BYU fans will claim that it wasn't a fumble, but I didn't think it was completely incontrovertible evidence to overrule the call on the field of a fumble. BYU still had their chances to win the game and didn't get the job done. Utah did. And give Utah credit for capitalizing on the fumble recoveries with a long pass that set up a Matt Asiata run to put Utah ahead 17-16.
True freshman quarterback Jake Heaps looked solid for the Cougars pretty much all day and appeared to have led the game-winning drive as BYU moved the ball to the Utah 25 yard line with 4 seconds left to set up a potential game winning field goal. Burton came in with little more than a small touch to get what may just be referred to as "The Block" and give the Utes the victory. What a relief for me. The Utes have been involved in a number of close losses to BYU the last few years and it feels great to come out on top at the end of a close rivalry game.
I thought Utah had blown any chance of winning when they had to use their final timeout to prevent a too many men on the field penalty before BYU's final third down of the game. There still would have been at least 35 seconds left and at least a faint Utah chance to win if BYU had made the field goal. But the lack of timeout allowed the Cougars to run down the clock to four seconds before the fateful kick that was blocked.
Jordan Wynn struggled some, especially in the first half where the Utes did not score, although he didn't look nearly as bad to me as he did in the TCU game (thankfully). I don't blame Coach Kyle Whittingham for trying Terrance Cain at quarterback to try and jump start things. I thought he should have tried that against TCU, frankly. Cain looked terrible, though, and threw two interceptions in the two drives he was in the game. Both gave the Cougars great field position, but fortunately they were only able to get points out of one of their ensuing drives with a Heaps touchdown pass. Wynn didn't play great by any stretch of the imagination, but he was better than Cain and played better in the second half than he did in the first. He made enough throws to put the Utes in position to win.
I think BYU regrets going for it on fourth down when they were in field goal range early in the third quarter and leading 6-0. If you take the points you're ahead 9-0 at that point and then 16-0 after the ensuing touchdown set up by Cain's second interception in as many drives. And by that measure it could have been 19-10 instead of 16-10 late in the game. Of course who knows if the game would have played out differently with a field goal attempt there instead of going for it, but BYU Coach Bronco Mendenhall has to deal with a lot of difficult what-ifs right now. I can't say I feel bad for him at all because I've never really liked the guy and it always makes me happy when he has to suffer a loss.
Again the theme for me is Utah made enough plays to win and that's the bottom line. You can point to the coaching decision mentioned above or the controversial fumble call, but the point is Utah made the plays they had to in order to come out on top. The scoreboard says it all and it read Utah 17 BYU 16 when the game was over. A favorite quote of mine for sports is from former Ohio State football Coach Woody Hayes who said "The best team always wins: everything else is excuses." I cannot write down my feelings better than that.
Runnin' Utes suffer bad home loss
The Utah Runnin' Utes (3-2) lost at home tonight to Oral Roberts (2-3) by a score of 78-70. The Utes trailed 34-18 late in the first half, before going on an 11-0 run bridging the halves to cut the deficit to five. I thought they were going to take over and win, but that's not what happened. Utah actually took the lead at 52-50 with about 11 minutes to go, but couldn't hold it and the Golden Eagles prevailed. It's a bad loss for the Runnin' Utes, just a real bad loss. I could mope about it more right now, but I'm not going to let anything dampen my enthusiasm after a big win in football today that I'm going to discuss here shortly. I'll have more thoughts on the basketball team at a later time because I don't want to bring myself down right now. The Runnin' Utes host Fresno State (1-3) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. MT.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Utah-BYU
Well the day has arrived. It's BYU (6-5, 5-2 MWC) at #23 Utah (9-2, 6-1 MWC). The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. MT and can be seen on the Mtn. as well as CBS College Sports. As for me, I'll be there and you can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/dpaysports for updates and so forth during the game. I'll also be back blogging sometime tomorrow night with my thoughts and analysis of the game.
There's nothing quite like Utah vs. BYU. You remember for the next year who won this game. So for my sake I hope that the Utes pull it off so I don't have to be subject to ridicule, teasing and reminders from family and friends for the next year about the result. I think Utah has the better team and should win being at home. I'll pick the Utes by 10. That being said, it's a rivalry game and who knows what will happen. It was big for Utah to pick up that win last week at San Diego State so that they have some form of momentum heading into the big game. BYU looks much improved from earlier this season and I think they will give a competitive effort. I'm looking forward to it and I need some sleep so that I can be ready. Go Utes!
There's nothing quite like Utah vs. BYU. You remember for the next year who won this game. So for my sake I hope that the Utes pull it off so I don't have to be subject to ridicule, teasing and reminders from family and friends for the next year about the result. I think Utah has the better team and should win being at home. I'll pick the Utes by 10. That being said, it's a rivalry game and who knows what will happen. It was big for Utah to pick up that win last week at San Diego State so that they have some form of momentum heading into the big game. BYU looks much improved from earlier this season and I think they will give a competitive effort. I'm looking forward to it and I need some sleep so that I can be ready. Go Utes!
Runnin' Utes lose to Utah State; host Oral Roberts tonight
The Utah Runnin' Utes (3-1) lost at Utah State (3-1) by a score of 79-62 on Wednesday night. Don't be too deceived by the score as that was the Aggies' biggest lead of the night and came when Tai Wesley made a 3-pointer with under 10 seconds to go in the game. The Utes trailed throughout, but stayed within striking distance for most of the game. I was particularly impressed with an early second half run that cut the Aggies' lead to one. This run, however, was short-lived and Utah State was able to push the lead back up. The Utes looked competitive, but I wasn't really surprised that they dropped this game on the road to a good Utah State team. I was encouraged that Utah showed some heart and managed to stay in the game, however.
It was fun to be at The Spectrum in person to see an in-state rivalry like this, even though my team lost. I think it would be a shame if this rivalry were to be discontinued, as is the rumor. I know Utah is moving to the Pac-10, but this rivalry goes way back and I think they should find a way to keep it going. The Spectrum is a very hostile environment to play in, but I had fun being there even so and would love to be at a game there someday when the Utes beat the Aggies. Who knows when I might have that chance again. I think rivalries are good for college basketball and hope the two schools find a way to continue this one.
Utah hosts Oral Roberts (1-3) tonight at 7 p.m. MT at the Huntsman Center. The game will not be televised, but can heard via the internet at kall700sports.com and in Utah on AM 700. The Golden Eagles don't appear to be a very good team and the Utes should handle them. I'd like to see them bounce back from the loss Wednesday with a comfortable win.
It was fun to be at The Spectrum in person to see an in-state rivalry like this, even though my team lost. I think it would be a shame if this rivalry were to be discontinued, as is the rumor. I know Utah is moving to the Pac-10, but this rivalry goes way back and I think they should find a way to keep it going. The Spectrum is a very hostile environment to play in, but I had fun being there even so and would love to be at a game there someday when the Utes beat the Aggies. Who knows when I might have that chance again. I think rivalries are good for college basketball and hope the two schools find a way to continue this one.
Utah hosts Oral Roberts (1-3) tonight at 7 p.m. MT at the Huntsman Center. The game will not be televised, but can heard via the internet at kall700sports.com and in Utah on AM 700. The Golden Eagles don't appear to be a very good team and the Utes should handle them. I'd like to see them bounce back from the loss Wednesday with a comfortable win.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Utes win in football and basketball
The Utah Utes (9-2, 6-1 MWC) defeated the San Diego State Aztecs (7-4, 4-3 MWC) in football Saturday night by a score of 38-34. The Utes badly needed this win after getting embarrassed the past two weeks with the eyes of the nation on them. Jordan Wynn played quite a bit better tonight and I'm glad for him. I'll cheer for him when he's in there even though I did think Terrance Cain should have been given more of a look the past two weeks. But anyway, Wynn and the Utes came back to get this win after trailing 20-3 early in the second quarter. Wynn threw a 47-yard touchdown pass on a hail mary to Kendrick Moeai on a tipped ball on the last play of the half to put the Utes in the locker room trailing just 27-24.
San Diego State got a lucky touchdown on a pass that was deflected, caught and run in for a score on a ridiculous play that Utah should never have allowed to happen, but Utah responded with a score. The key play was a blocked punt that Utah recovered inside the five yard line early in the fourth quarter with the Aztecs leading 34-31. Utah was able to score a touchdown on an Eddie Wide run on fourth down that gave them their first lead of the night and also ended up being the final score at 38-34. I would have just kicked the field goal there and taken the tie, but Coach Kyle Whittingham always seems to go for it in those close type of situations and it often works out as it did tonight. And I'm not going to complain about the win.
SDSU quarterback Ryan Lindley threw for over 500 yards, but also threw 3 interceptions on the night, all three in Utah territory (two in the fourth quarter) that ended scoring chances. I credit the Utes with making some adjustments for the second half after looking completely helpless against the pass in the first half. It's never good when the opposing quarterback throws for over 500 yards, but the Utes were able to get some timely interceptions and stiffen up enough on defense in the second half.
This win showed to me that Utah has not given up on their season as they showed a lot of fight when they could have just folded the tent after falling behind by 17 early. I'm glad the offense showed up tonight. This gives me encouragement heading into the big rivalry game against BYU (6-5, 5-2 MWC) next Saturday in Salt Lake City.
As for basketball, the Runnin' Utes (3-0) defeated in-state foe Weber State (1-2) in Salt Lake City by a score of 90-75. Will Clyburn once again led Utah in scoring, pouring in 27 points. There were a lot of guys who got into the scoring act today and I was really encouraged by that. The Utes were playing from ahead the entire game and started both halves on 7-0 runs that just made things that much more comfortable. It just seemed like a good overall team effort today. One thing that I didn't like was that there were so many foul calls on both sides. It just felt like someone was shooting free throws the entire game from one team or the other, just let them play basketball, a little contact is a part of the game. I don't think that Utah would have lost or anything, it's just more fun to watch basketball when the game isn't being officiated too strictly. I usually don't like to say anything about the referees, but I thought they were just very whistle happy today, which is in stark contrast to last year's Utah-Weber State game in Ogden where there wasn't a stoppage of play for at least the first 8 or 9 minutes of the game (which I don't remember having a problem with). Fortunately, most referees don't seem to have this extreme of a problem of being too strict.
A really cool thing happened to me today. Utah forward Jay Watkins made eye contact with me during warm-ups, well before the game tipped off when there weren't very many fans there and then came over and stuck his fist up to the guard rail where I gave him a fist bump. It was really cool. Jay Wat is really cool and he had a pretty good game himself, as did a lot of guys today for the Runnin' Utes who next play at in-state rival Utah State (2-1) on Wednesday night.
San Diego State got a lucky touchdown on a pass that was deflected, caught and run in for a score on a ridiculous play that Utah should never have allowed to happen, but Utah responded with a score. The key play was a blocked punt that Utah recovered inside the five yard line early in the fourth quarter with the Aztecs leading 34-31. Utah was able to score a touchdown on an Eddie Wide run on fourth down that gave them their first lead of the night and also ended up being the final score at 38-34. I would have just kicked the field goal there and taken the tie, but Coach Kyle Whittingham always seems to go for it in those close type of situations and it often works out as it did tonight. And I'm not going to complain about the win.
SDSU quarterback Ryan Lindley threw for over 500 yards, but also threw 3 interceptions on the night, all three in Utah territory (two in the fourth quarter) that ended scoring chances. I credit the Utes with making some adjustments for the second half after looking completely helpless against the pass in the first half. It's never good when the opposing quarterback throws for over 500 yards, but the Utes were able to get some timely interceptions and stiffen up enough on defense in the second half.
This win showed to me that Utah has not given up on their season as they showed a lot of fight when they could have just folded the tent after falling behind by 17 early. I'm glad the offense showed up tonight. This gives me encouragement heading into the big rivalry game against BYU (6-5, 5-2 MWC) next Saturday in Salt Lake City.
As for basketball, the Runnin' Utes (3-0) defeated in-state foe Weber State (1-2) in Salt Lake City by a score of 90-75. Will Clyburn once again led Utah in scoring, pouring in 27 points. There were a lot of guys who got into the scoring act today and I was really encouraged by that. The Utes were playing from ahead the entire game and started both halves on 7-0 runs that just made things that much more comfortable. It just seemed like a good overall team effort today. One thing that I didn't like was that there were so many foul calls on both sides. It just felt like someone was shooting free throws the entire game from one team or the other, just let them play basketball, a little contact is a part of the game. I don't think that Utah would have lost or anything, it's just more fun to watch basketball when the game isn't being officiated too strictly. I usually don't like to say anything about the referees, but I thought they were just very whistle happy today, which is in stark contrast to last year's Utah-Weber State game in Ogden where there wasn't a stoppage of play for at least the first 8 or 9 minutes of the game (which I don't remember having a problem with). Fortunately, most referees don't seem to have this extreme of a problem of being too strict.
A really cool thing happened to me today. Utah forward Jay Watkins made eye contact with me during warm-ups, well before the game tipped off when there weren't very many fans there and then came over and stuck his fist up to the guard rail where I gave him a fist bump. It was really cool. Jay Wat is really cool and he had a pretty good game himself, as did a lot of guys today for the Runnin' Utes who next play at in-state rival Utah State (2-1) on Wednesday night.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Utes in action in basketball and football today
The Utah Utes will play in both basketball and football today. First, the basketball team (2-0) hosts Weber State (1-1) at 4 p.m. MT. That game will unfortunately not be on television, but will be on the radio in the Salt Lake City area on AM 700 and can also be heard online at kall700sports.com. Same radio information for the football game where the #25 Utes (8-2, 5-1 MWC) are at San Diego State (7-3, 4-2 MWC) at 8 p.m. MT. That game will be on TV and will be broadcast on the Mtn.
I've been encouraged by the play of the basketball team to this point in wins over Grand Canyon and Montana, but I think today's game will provide the stiffest challenge they have faced all season. Weber State was picked ahead of Montana in the Big Sky Conference and beat the Runnin' Utes last season in Ogden. However, the new mix of Utah players has looked pretty good so far and I think the Runnin' Utes will remain undefeated with a win over Weber State today.
The football team I am less encouraged by. At the very least it is safe to say that momentum is not on their side. They fell at home two weeks ago to TCU 47-7 and last week at Notre Dame 28-3. Both games were in the national spotlight and both games resulted in embarrassing losses. San Diego State has had a very solid season and only lost by five at TCU (which is still undefeated) last week. In fact, their three losses this year have come by one possession in each of them. They are unbeaten this year at home. I think San Diego State will be looking at this game as an opportunity to get a signature win for their program and I think they will win the game by a touchdown.
In order for Utah to stop this losing skid, the offense really needs to get in gear. Jordan Wynn has looked absolutely terrible at quarterback the last two weeks. He looks to me as though he has lost all self confidence, misfiring on even the most routine of throws. Word is he will get the start tonight despite his performance the last two weeks and I think if that is the case he needs to have a very short leash. If Wynn doesn't start out well tonight, the Utes have to go to back-up Terrance Cain in order to salvage a good finish to their season that started with such promise.
I will be at the basketball game against Weber State and watching the football game against San Diego State. I'll be on Twitter with updates from both of those games, you can follow me at twitter.com/dpaysports. After the games I will be back on here with my thoughts and analysis. Go Utes!
I've been encouraged by the play of the basketball team to this point in wins over Grand Canyon and Montana, but I think today's game will provide the stiffest challenge they have faced all season. Weber State was picked ahead of Montana in the Big Sky Conference and beat the Runnin' Utes last season in Ogden. However, the new mix of Utah players has looked pretty good so far and I think the Runnin' Utes will remain undefeated with a win over Weber State today.
The football team I am less encouraged by. At the very least it is safe to say that momentum is not on their side. They fell at home two weeks ago to TCU 47-7 and last week at Notre Dame 28-3. Both games were in the national spotlight and both games resulted in embarrassing losses. San Diego State has had a very solid season and only lost by five at TCU (which is still undefeated) last week. In fact, their three losses this year have come by one possession in each of them. They are unbeaten this year at home. I think San Diego State will be looking at this game as an opportunity to get a signature win for their program and I think they will win the game by a touchdown.
In order for Utah to stop this losing skid, the offense really needs to get in gear. Jordan Wynn has looked absolutely terrible at quarterback the last two weeks. He looks to me as though he has lost all self confidence, misfiring on even the most routine of throws. Word is he will get the start tonight despite his performance the last two weeks and I think if that is the case he needs to have a very short leash. If Wynn doesn't start out well tonight, the Utes have to go to back-up Terrance Cain in order to salvage a good finish to their season that started with such promise.
I will be at the basketball game against Weber State and watching the football game against San Diego State. I'll be on Twitter with updates from both of those games, you can follow me at twitter.com/dpaysports. After the games I will be back on here with my thoughts and analysis. Go Utes!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Runnin' Utes top Montana 80-71
Pictured: Will Clyburn goes in for a dunk in the Runnin' Utes' 80-71 win over Montana Wednesday night.
The Utah Runnin' Utes (2-0) defeated the Montana Grizzlies (0-2) tonight in Salt Lake City by a score of 80-71. Will Clyburn led the Utes with 21 points, Josh Watkins had 20 and Jay Watkins had 18. Will Cherry led Montana with 21 points.
The Utes led most of the way and appeared to bust it open early in the second half when they stretched an 11-point halftime lead to 20, largely behind the play of Jay Watkins and Clyburn. However, the Grizzlies were able to cut into the lead by cashing in on some open 3s, being more aggressive, and grabbing more offensive rebounds. The lead got whittled down to as low as six before the Utes put the clamps on. I think Utah might have just lost some focus with such a big lead, but give Montana credit for not quitting either. The thing that stood out most to me was how quickly the Grizzlies were able to get back in the game; Utah needs to maintain focus even with a big lead.
The most important thing is that the Utes are now 2-0 which hasn't been the case the last couple of years at this time. Clyburn looks like he could be a star as he's looked really solid in the first two games. Another JC transfer, Josh Watkins, has also looked good so far at point guard. Sophomore starter Shawn Glover just didn't have it tonight, I don't know what the problem was exactly, but he just made a number of mental mistakes out there and didn't appear to be hustling as much as he should have been. Coach Jim Boylen adjusted accordingly and didn't have him out there much. We'll see if Glover can straighten it out. The Utes next play at home on Saturday against in-state rival Weber State (1-1) at 4 p.m. MT.
A word about some of the fans, in the student section in particular: At least one person at the Utah game tonight was chanting "Jimmer." I think it is stupid to degrade your rival when you aren't even playing them. Utah wasn't playing BYU tonight, there was no reason for that kind of chanting. In fact, the Utes aren't playing BYU for a couple of months. Tonight the focus should have been more on Montana. The "Jimmer" chant just seemed oddly out of place. Also out of place was a large cardboard cut-out of former BYU player Jonathan Tavernari making a funny face. Again Utah wasn't playing BYU and furthermore Tavernari has exhausted his eligibility and is no longer on the BYU team. Again, just very out of place. Utah fans would do well just to focus on the game at hand. To be fair most Utah fans are at least fairly knowledgeable about the team and what to cheer about, etc. and I enjoy associating with most of them at games. There were just a couple of things that irked me tonight, although not enough to ruin the overall experience of watching my team win.
Down the road a ways tonight, the #23 BYU Cougars (2-0) knocked off the Utah State Aggies (1-1) in Provo by a score of 78-72. I didn't watch the game but my understanding is that Jimmer Fredette was a big reason that BYU was able to come out on top, as well as a flagrant foul call late against the Aggies' Tai Wesley. This game sounds like it was tight the entire way; I thought BYU would win by 7-10 points but I didn't expect it to be a one possession game in the waning minutes. To me that shows that Utah State is a very capable team as they nearly pulled the upset in a hostile environment.
The Utah Runnin' Utes (2-0) defeated the Montana Grizzlies (0-2) tonight in Salt Lake City by a score of 80-71. Will Clyburn led the Utes with 21 points, Josh Watkins had 20 and Jay Watkins had 18. Will Cherry led Montana with 21 points.
The Utes led most of the way and appeared to bust it open early in the second half when they stretched an 11-point halftime lead to 20, largely behind the play of Jay Watkins and Clyburn. However, the Grizzlies were able to cut into the lead by cashing in on some open 3s, being more aggressive, and grabbing more offensive rebounds. The lead got whittled down to as low as six before the Utes put the clamps on. I think Utah might have just lost some focus with such a big lead, but give Montana credit for not quitting either. The thing that stood out most to me was how quickly the Grizzlies were able to get back in the game; Utah needs to maintain focus even with a big lead.
The most important thing is that the Utes are now 2-0 which hasn't been the case the last couple of years at this time. Clyburn looks like he could be a star as he's looked really solid in the first two games. Another JC transfer, Josh Watkins, has also looked good so far at point guard. Sophomore starter Shawn Glover just didn't have it tonight, I don't know what the problem was exactly, but he just made a number of mental mistakes out there and didn't appear to be hustling as much as he should have been. Coach Jim Boylen adjusted accordingly and didn't have him out there much. We'll see if Glover can straighten it out. The Utes next play at home on Saturday against in-state rival Weber State (1-1) at 4 p.m. MT.
A word about some of the fans, in the student section in particular: At least one person at the Utah game tonight was chanting "Jimmer." I think it is stupid to degrade your rival when you aren't even playing them. Utah wasn't playing BYU tonight, there was no reason for that kind of chanting. In fact, the Utes aren't playing BYU for a couple of months. Tonight the focus should have been more on Montana. The "Jimmer" chant just seemed oddly out of place. Also out of place was a large cardboard cut-out of former BYU player Jonathan Tavernari making a funny face. Again Utah wasn't playing BYU and furthermore Tavernari has exhausted his eligibility and is no longer on the BYU team. Again, just very out of place. Utah fans would do well just to focus on the game at hand. To be fair most Utah fans are at least fairly knowledgeable about the team and what to cheer about, etc. and I enjoy associating with most of them at games. There were just a couple of things that irked me tonight, although not enough to ruin the overall experience of watching my team win.
Down the road a ways tonight, the #23 BYU Cougars (2-0) knocked off the Utah State Aggies (1-1) in Provo by a score of 78-72. I didn't watch the game but my understanding is that Jimmer Fredette was a big reason that BYU was able to come out on top, as well as a flagrant foul call late against the Aggies' Tai Wesley. This game sounds like it was tight the entire way; I thought BYU would win by 7-10 points but I didn't expect it to be a one possession game in the waning minutes. To me that shows that Utah State is a very capable team as they nearly pulled the upset in a hostile environment.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Runnin' Utes host Montana tomorrow night
The Utah Runnin' Utes (1-0) host the Montana Grizzlies (0-1) in basketball tomorrow night at the Huntsman Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. MT. The Utes defeated Grand Canyon 72-48 last Friday night, but this will be their first game against a Division I school. Montana dropped their season opener at Nevada. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Utes handle playing against a team that should provide some tougher competition. Junior Will Clyburn led the Utes with 14 points in his first game with Utah last Friday. The game will not be televised, so if you want to see it, join me at the Huntsman Center. The game will be available on the radio in Salt Lake City on AM 700 and the radio feed will also be broadcast online at kall700sports.com. I think the Utes should be able to handle the Grizzlies, but we'll see. There are so many unknowns this time of year. I'll be tweeting updates during the game and you can follow those at twitter.com/dpaysports. I will be back on here after the game for some analysis.
Monday, November 15, 2010
My 2010-2011 MWC Basketball picks
Alright, a few days after the official season opener, but I don't think there have been many games that we can learn much from, so I think it's still valid to give my 2010-2011 Mountain West Conference Basketball picks:
1. BYU
2. San Diego State
3. UNLV
4. New Mexico
5. Utah
6. TCU
7. Wyoming
8. Colorado State
9. Air Force
I know that a lot of people are picking #25 San Diego State to win the league and I almost did myself. They have all five starters returning from last year including Kawhi Leonard and Malcolm Thomas. I think the Aztecs are the most athletic team in the league and probably have the most talent. But they always seem to manage to lose a game or two in the MWC that they shouldn't and I think that will happen again this year. I think they will have a good year and make the NCAA Tournament and probably beat BYU in San Diego, but I still think they finish second. The Aztecs get a good non-conference test tomorrow night at #11 Gonzaga at 9 p.m. MT on ESPN2. That could give us a gauge on just how good this team is.
#23 BYU gets my pick to win the MWC for a number of reasons, chief among those being Jimmer Fredette. Fredette is in my opinion the best player in the Conference and when he gets going it can be lights out. He can single-handedly win games for his team when he is going right. I think Dave Rose is a great coach and manages to get more out of his teams than what is on paper and he always seems to manage to recruit great shooters. BYU enjoys a tremendous home court advantage as well and is very, very difficult to defeat there. I think any team in the country would have a tough time in that environment. That being said, it's not impossible to win there and teams can go in there and get a win. It just takes a great effort from a really good team. I think San Diego State will give them a game in Provo and UNLV may as well. But I think the thing that separates BYU from the rest of the league this year (aside from Fredette) is that they win the games they are supposed to win. I don't see them dropping games to TCU, Colorado State or Wyoming, etc. I'm not predicting the other contenders to drop games to those teams per se, but I think it's more likely to happen.
New Mexico is "only" losing Roman Martinez and Darington Hobson from last year's surprising MWC Championship team. But those are two big losses. Hobson was the player of the year and Martinez had a knack for knocking down clutch shots. However, the Lobos have a number of solid players back as well as a good coach in Steve Alford and I think will be right in the thick of the race and finish just behind UNLV in fourth place. I just don't know if they have what it takes to push them over the top.
UNLV is athletic and tough at home and should have another good year. This is all contingent on if Tre'Von Willis plays following his offseason arrest stemming from a domestic incident. Word is Willis will miss at least one regular season game, presumably before Conference play. If Willis is back and a team player, the Rebels can be right in the race. If Willis is out, then I would think New Mexico would easily pass them for 3rd place and they would be fighting Utah for 4th. With Willis in I think they are likely to be well ahead of the Utes in the standings.
Speaking of Utah, that's my team. The Runnin' Utes have made wholesale changes since last year's disappointing 14-17 campaign and Head Coach Jim Boylen has to be feeling pressure to perform this year. Fans like me aren't happy with the beating the Utes took at home to rival BYU in the regular season finale, it wasn't just that the Utes lost, it was that they looked worse than I've ever seen them in doing so. So hopefully the new changes to the roster foster a culture of more winning and competition on an every game type basis. I'm optimistic about this season and excited to see how things work out. I think if everyone gels, the Runnin' Utes could surprise some people this season. However, I'm trying to pick based on what's likely to happen and I have to temper my enthusiasm and pick the Utes fifth.
TCU I think is sixth this year, they always seem to have a few good players who can help them win a few games that maybe they shouldn't, particularly at home. I know the media picked Colorado State fifth, but I'm just not sold on the Rams. They don't inspire any confidence in me in being to win on the road except against the lowest of competition and I don't exactly see them having a clean slate at home either. So I picked TCU and Wyoming (and Utah) to finish ahead of them. The Horned Frogs and Cowboys I think have more potential to sneak up on people than does CSU.
Air Force gets picked to finish in last again. The Falcons have a unique, Princeton-style offense that can be difficult to defend and generally are a disciplined team. For this reason, they can stay in a lot of games that they otherwise wouldn't be able to. However, I don't think they are talented enough to finish somewhere that isn't in last, particularly offensively where they can go into prolonged dry spells.
So there you have it. Those are my picks and I'm sticking to them. I hope the Utes perform better than what I have them picked to do. We'll see. For the record I think BYU, San Diego State, UNLV and New Mexico all make the NCAA Tournament and that Utah just makes the NIT with TCU missing out on this and being relegated to the CBI. I don't see anyone else making postseason play. I'm really excited to see how this college basketball season plays out. I think college basketball is my second favorite sport to Major League Baseball so it's exciting that it is getting under way. The Mountain West has been a fun league to watch over the years so I'm going to enjoy this last season of it with Utah getting a chance to compete with its traditional rivals.
1. BYU
2. San Diego State
3. UNLV
4. New Mexico
5. Utah
6. TCU
7. Wyoming
8. Colorado State
9. Air Force
I know that a lot of people are picking #25 San Diego State to win the league and I almost did myself. They have all five starters returning from last year including Kawhi Leonard and Malcolm Thomas. I think the Aztecs are the most athletic team in the league and probably have the most talent. But they always seem to manage to lose a game or two in the MWC that they shouldn't and I think that will happen again this year. I think they will have a good year and make the NCAA Tournament and probably beat BYU in San Diego, but I still think they finish second. The Aztecs get a good non-conference test tomorrow night at #11 Gonzaga at 9 p.m. MT on ESPN2. That could give us a gauge on just how good this team is.
#23 BYU gets my pick to win the MWC for a number of reasons, chief among those being Jimmer Fredette. Fredette is in my opinion the best player in the Conference and when he gets going it can be lights out. He can single-handedly win games for his team when he is going right. I think Dave Rose is a great coach and manages to get more out of his teams than what is on paper and he always seems to manage to recruit great shooters. BYU enjoys a tremendous home court advantage as well and is very, very difficult to defeat there. I think any team in the country would have a tough time in that environment. That being said, it's not impossible to win there and teams can go in there and get a win. It just takes a great effort from a really good team. I think San Diego State will give them a game in Provo and UNLV may as well. But I think the thing that separates BYU from the rest of the league this year (aside from Fredette) is that they win the games they are supposed to win. I don't see them dropping games to TCU, Colorado State or Wyoming, etc. I'm not predicting the other contenders to drop games to those teams per se, but I think it's more likely to happen.
New Mexico is "only" losing Roman Martinez and Darington Hobson from last year's surprising MWC Championship team. But those are two big losses. Hobson was the player of the year and Martinez had a knack for knocking down clutch shots. However, the Lobos have a number of solid players back as well as a good coach in Steve Alford and I think will be right in the thick of the race and finish just behind UNLV in fourth place. I just don't know if they have what it takes to push them over the top.
UNLV is athletic and tough at home and should have another good year. This is all contingent on if Tre'Von Willis plays following his offseason arrest stemming from a domestic incident. Word is Willis will miss at least one regular season game, presumably before Conference play. If Willis is back and a team player, the Rebels can be right in the race. If Willis is out, then I would think New Mexico would easily pass them for 3rd place and they would be fighting Utah for 4th. With Willis in I think they are likely to be well ahead of the Utes in the standings.
Speaking of Utah, that's my team. The Runnin' Utes have made wholesale changes since last year's disappointing 14-17 campaign and Head Coach Jim Boylen has to be feeling pressure to perform this year. Fans like me aren't happy with the beating the Utes took at home to rival BYU in the regular season finale, it wasn't just that the Utes lost, it was that they looked worse than I've ever seen them in doing so. So hopefully the new changes to the roster foster a culture of more winning and competition on an every game type basis. I'm optimistic about this season and excited to see how things work out. I think if everyone gels, the Runnin' Utes could surprise some people this season. However, I'm trying to pick based on what's likely to happen and I have to temper my enthusiasm and pick the Utes fifth.
TCU I think is sixth this year, they always seem to have a few good players who can help them win a few games that maybe they shouldn't, particularly at home. I know the media picked Colorado State fifth, but I'm just not sold on the Rams. They don't inspire any confidence in me in being to win on the road except against the lowest of competition and I don't exactly see them having a clean slate at home either. So I picked TCU and Wyoming (and Utah) to finish ahead of them. The Horned Frogs and Cowboys I think have more potential to sneak up on people than does CSU.
Air Force gets picked to finish in last again. The Falcons have a unique, Princeton-style offense that can be difficult to defend and generally are a disciplined team. For this reason, they can stay in a lot of games that they otherwise wouldn't be able to. However, I don't think they are talented enough to finish somewhere that isn't in last, particularly offensively where they can go into prolonged dry spells.
So there you have it. Those are my picks and I'm sticking to them. I hope the Utes perform better than what I have them picked to do. We'll see. For the record I think BYU, San Diego State, UNLV and New Mexico all make the NCAA Tournament and that Utah just makes the NIT with TCU missing out on this and being relegated to the CBI. I don't see anyone else making postseason play. I'm really excited to see how this college basketball season plays out. I think college basketball is my second favorite sport to Major League Baseball so it's exciting that it is getting under way. The Mountain West has been a fun league to watch over the years so I'm going to enjoy this last season of it with Utah getting a chance to compete with its traditional rivals.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Utes embarrassed again
The #15 Utah Utes (8-2, 5-1 MWC) were completely embarrassed today by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-5) by a score of 28-3 in South Bend, Indiana. The Utes led 3-0 early, but then had a punt blocked deep in their own territory and returned for a touchdown and the Irish never looked back, taking a 14-3 lead into halftime. Shaky Smithson fumbled the opening kick off of the second half and the Irish quickly converted that into another score and later tacked on another touchdown.
Jordan Wynn was 24-39 passing with no touchdowns and an interception. He looked terrible for the second consecutive week, often missing open receivers and making poor decisions. He should have had at least one more interception. I can't fathom why Coach Whittingham again left Wynn in despite so many struggles. Wynn looked to me like a guy who had lost his confidence. Terrance Cain got in for two plays while Wynn got a bit banged up, but was promptly re-inserted into the game. I think you seriously have to consider starting Cain next week and if Wynn does start, he has to have a short leash.
I don't know what is wrong with the Utes. They just looked completely inept on offense and didn't seem to be able to do much for a while after Notre Dame took the lead on the blocked punt. The Utes had a couple of drives end with failures to convert on fourth downs in the red zone late in the game. I guess it's good that they moved the ball, but the failure to score is disconcerting. I didn't think the defense looked too bad, in reality they only deserved to have 14 points pinned on them. It was just a bad way to look on national television.
Utah plays at San Diego State (7-3, 4-2 MWC) next Saturday night at 8 p.m. MT. The Aztecs lost on the road today to #3 TCU (11-0, 7-0 MWC) by a score of 40-35. That'ws the closest game TCU has played all year. That doesn't bode well for next week and I think I'll have to pick SDSU to win that one.
In basketball, the Utah Runnin' Utes (1-0) opened their season last night with a 72-48 win over Grand Canyon (0-1), a Division II school. It's tough to gauge how much the win really means since it was against a Division II school, but I did enjoy getting to see the new faces of the Runnin' Utes. Will Clyburn in particular looked good and looks to have a good shot, going 2-4 on 3 pointers and scoring 14 points to lead all scorers. The Utes defense looked good as well in the win. I think we'll know more after Wednesday when the Utes take on Montana (0-1) at home at 7 p.m. MT. The Grizzlies are a Division I school that made the NCAA Tournament last season by winning the NCAA Tournament so they should provide a bit more competition.
Jordan Wynn was 24-39 passing with no touchdowns and an interception. He looked terrible for the second consecutive week, often missing open receivers and making poor decisions. He should have had at least one more interception. I can't fathom why Coach Whittingham again left Wynn in despite so many struggles. Wynn looked to me like a guy who had lost his confidence. Terrance Cain got in for two plays while Wynn got a bit banged up, but was promptly re-inserted into the game. I think you seriously have to consider starting Cain next week and if Wynn does start, he has to have a short leash.
I don't know what is wrong with the Utes. They just looked completely inept on offense and didn't seem to be able to do much for a while after Notre Dame took the lead on the blocked punt. The Utes had a couple of drives end with failures to convert on fourth downs in the red zone late in the game. I guess it's good that they moved the ball, but the failure to score is disconcerting. I didn't think the defense looked too bad, in reality they only deserved to have 14 points pinned on them. It was just a bad way to look on national television.
Utah plays at San Diego State (7-3, 4-2 MWC) next Saturday night at 8 p.m. MT. The Aztecs lost on the road today to #3 TCU (11-0, 7-0 MWC) by a score of 40-35. That'ws the closest game TCU has played all year. That doesn't bode well for next week and I think I'll have to pick SDSU to win that one.
In basketball, the Utah Runnin' Utes (1-0) opened their season last night with a 72-48 win over Grand Canyon (0-1), a Division II school. It's tough to gauge how much the win really means since it was against a Division II school, but I did enjoy getting to see the new faces of the Runnin' Utes. Will Clyburn in particular looked good and looks to have a good shot, going 2-4 on 3 pointers and scoring 14 points to lead all scorers. The Utes defense looked good as well in the win. I think we'll know more after Wednesday when the Utes take on Montana (0-1) at home at 7 p.m. MT. The Grizzlies are a Division I school that made the NCAA Tournament last season by winning the NCAA Tournament so they should provide a bit more competition.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
TCU delivers beat down
#4 TCU beat #6 Utah 47-7 this afternoon in Salt Lake City. It was a beat down in just about every way possible. The Horned Frogs were simply better on both sides of the ball and demonstrated superior focus and discipline as well. Quarterback Andy Dalton was lights out and put on a clinic in efficiently moving the TCU offense up and down the field all day. He looks like he will be ready for the NFL next year if you ask me. TCU's defense shut down the Utah offense all day as well and looked really stingy. The Horned Frogs jumped out to a 20-0 lead after the first quarter and led 23-0 at halftime. The Frogs were hardly done and led 40-0 before the Utes scored in the 4th quarter.
I think TCU was clearly the better team. However, I think Utah did not help themselves. Jordan Wynn had a terrible game at quarterback, missing several open receivers, losing a fumble and throwing two interceptions, all on bad decisions/throws. I don't know why Utah Coach Kyle Whittingham left Wynn in instead of going to Terrance Cain, but I don't think there is a good reason. Wynn didn't have it today and that was evident before halftime. Utah probably would not have won the game anyway, but you never know what could have happened with a little spark from a different quarterback. Cain could hardly have been worse than Wynn was today if he tried and I think he was worth giving a look at. TCU probably still would have won by a couple of scores anyway, but I think Utah definitely shouldn't have lost by 40 at home and could have played a lot better. And of course a lot of why Utah played poorly was due to TCU, let's not forget that, but there were also a number of what looked to me like unforced errors that could have been prevented.
TCU looks like the real deal and will likely be in National Title discussions. I'll be interested to see if they or Boise State can get there. TCU is now 10-0 and 6-0 in Mountain West Conference play. Utah drops to 8-1 and 5-1 in the MWC. It's hard to believe this team was 8-0 before the game the way they played, but again let's not forget that TCU is really good. However, it was a very humiliating and embarrassing loss for the Utes.
I think TCU was clearly the better team. However, I think Utah did not help themselves. Jordan Wynn had a terrible game at quarterback, missing several open receivers, losing a fumble and throwing two interceptions, all on bad decisions/throws. I don't know why Utah Coach Kyle Whittingham left Wynn in instead of going to Terrance Cain, but I don't think there is a good reason. Wynn didn't have it today and that was evident before halftime. Utah probably would not have won the game anyway, but you never know what could have happened with a little spark from a different quarterback. Cain could hardly have been worse than Wynn was today if he tried and I think he was worth giving a look at. TCU probably still would have won by a couple of scores anyway, but I think Utah definitely shouldn't have lost by 40 at home and could have played a lot better. And of course a lot of why Utah played poorly was due to TCU, let's not forget that, but there were also a number of what looked to me like unforced errors that could have been prevented.
TCU looks like the real deal and will likely be in National Title discussions. I'll be interested to see if they or Boise State can get there. TCU is now 10-0 and 6-0 in Mountain West Conference play. Utah drops to 8-1 and 5-1 in the MWC. It's hard to believe this team was 8-0 before the game the way they played, but again let's not forget that TCU is really good. However, it was a very humiliating and embarrassing loss for the Utes.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Utah-TCU
#5 in the BCS Standings Utah hosts #3 in the BCS Standings TCU tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 p.m. MT at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The game will unfortunately be broadcast on CBS College Sports as opposed to a more prevalent channel that people are actually more inclined to watch. In good news, though, ESPN's College GameDay will be here. GameDay starts at 7 a.m. MT on ESPNU and the big GameDay begins at 8 a.m. on ESPN, i.e. a channel most people actually have. It's a big deal for the U. to get so much national attention from ESPN and I'm really excited about it. I'll be getting up early and attending it so maybe if you are really lucky you can catch me on TV.
As for the game, it will be the two highest ranked teams to ever go at it at Rice-Eccles Stadium. I picked the Utes to win the Mountain West before the season on the strength of having this game at home and I will stick to that pick. I think the Utes will win in a close one behind a raucous crowd that I will be a part of. Utah's defense has been stingy all year and I think they will step up big tomorrow.
As you have probably heard, tomorrow is the camo-blackout game and the Utes will wear black jerseys with camo type numbers and highlights on the shoulder pads. It's for the Wounded Warrior project. I think it's great that the Utes are helping out this project and I know a lot of people think it looks cool when the Utes wear black, but I'm kind of bummed that with GameDay here we won't be encouraged to show our real school colors of red and white. I'll support it but I don't think it's nearly as exciting as wearing the traditional red.
However, the real focus should be more on the game and that's the way I'm going to be looking at it. TCU is a really good football team, but Utah is good too and I think will significantly benefit from playing at home in front of a packed house.
Oh and I'm still reveling in my San Francisco Giants winning the World Series! How awesome is that!? Good stuff. Oh and if you feel so inclined, follow me on Twitter tomorrow for updates, etc. about the Utes at twitter.com/dpaysports. And in conclusion: Go Utes!
As for the game, it will be the two highest ranked teams to ever go at it at Rice-Eccles Stadium. I picked the Utes to win the Mountain West before the season on the strength of having this game at home and I will stick to that pick. I think the Utes will win in a close one behind a raucous crowd that I will be a part of. Utah's defense has been stingy all year and I think they will step up big tomorrow.
As you have probably heard, tomorrow is the camo-blackout game and the Utes will wear black jerseys with camo type numbers and highlights on the shoulder pads. It's for the Wounded Warrior project. I think it's great that the Utes are helping out this project and I know a lot of people think it looks cool when the Utes wear black, but I'm kind of bummed that with GameDay here we won't be encouraged to show our real school colors of red and white. I'll support it but I don't think it's nearly as exciting as wearing the traditional red.
However, the real focus should be more on the game and that's the way I'm going to be looking at it. TCU is a really good football team, but Utah is good too and I think will significantly benefit from playing at home in front of a packed house.
Oh and I'm still reveling in my San Francisco Giants winning the World Series! How awesome is that!? Good stuff. Oh and if you feel so inclined, follow me on Twitter tomorrow for updates, etc. about the Utes at twitter.com/dpaysports. And in conclusion: Go Utes!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Victory parade today for World Champion Giants!
Pictured: The 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants celebrate winning the World Series in Texas Monday.
The 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants will have their victory parade today in San Francisco. Coverage can be seen on MLB Network and mlb.com I believe starting at noon MT. Some other stations may pick up some of the coverage as well. It still sounds so wonderful that my Giants were able to win it all. It truly is our time. I'm so happy that the 56 year drought between championships is over and that the Orange and Black were able to win their first World Series since moving west to San Francisco in 1958.
From what I've heard people are already lining the streets and it's already starting to get really crazy along the parade route. I would expect nothing less. How awesome is this? Too, too cool.
This championship helps ease the bad memories that so many of us Giants fans still had lingering from the 2002 World Series when the Giants lost to the Anaheim Angels in absolutely heartbreaking fashion. This one is one to remember, one for the ages. It's funny, I don't think anybody ever used the term powerhouse with this Giants team like they may have with some of the teams that featured guys like Barry Bonds, Willy McCovey, Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Jeff Kent and Juan Marichal. But this is the group that got it done. This year's edition of the Giants was a team in every sense of the word. To me they seemed like a throwback to other generations in a way because they were such a tight-knit group the way teams in earlier eras were.
You might say this team was greater than the sum of its parts but I don't want to discount the talent either. People haven't realized what a great pitching staff this Giants team has -- there is none better in baseball in my book. The offense didn't have a lot of superstars, but this group always seemed to get the big hit when the big hit was needed most.
A turning point in this wonderful playoff run is Game 3 of the NLDS in Atlanta where the Giants trailed the Braves 2-1 in the top of the ninth inning. Travis Ishikawa worked a walk but was still on first with two outs and two strikes on Freddy Sanchez. The Giants literally were one strike away from being down 2 games to 1 in the series with the Braves having the possibility of clinching the following night at home. But Sanchez singled. And then Aubrey Huff got a huge hit that drove in Sanchez to tie the game. An error by Brooks Conrad on a ball hit by Buster Posey put the Giants on top and they went on to win 3-2. They won the next night to clinch the series. That's just one moment, but it's one that really sticks out to me as it defines how resilient this team was.
I have really grown fond of the guys on this team and hope that most of them will be able to be back next year. But right now, it's not about next year, it's about celebrating the season that was. The San Francisco Giants are World Champions!
The 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants will have their victory parade today in San Francisco. Coverage can be seen on MLB Network and mlb.com I believe starting at noon MT. Some other stations may pick up some of the coverage as well. It still sounds so wonderful that my Giants were able to win it all. It truly is our time. I'm so happy that the 56 year drought between championships is over and that the Orange and Black were able to win their first World Series since moving west to San Francisco in 1958.
From what I've heard people are already lining the streets and it's already starting to get really crazy along the parade route. I would expect nothing less. How awesome is this? Too, too cool.
This championship helps ease the bad memories that so many of us Giants fans still had lingering from the 2002 World Series when the Giants lost to the Anaheim Angels in absolutely heartbreaking fashion. This one is one to remember, one for the ages. It's funny, I don't think anybody ever used the term powerhouse with this Giants team like they may have with some of the teams that featured guys like Barry Bonds, Willy McCovey, Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Jeff Kent and Juan Marichal. But this is the group that got it done. This year's edition of the Giants was a team in every sense of the word. To me they seemed like a throwback to other generations in a way because they were such a tight-knit group the way teams in earlier eras were.
You might say this team was greater than the sum of its parts but I don't want to discount the talent either. People haven't realized what a great pitching staff this Giants team has -- there is none better in baseball in my book. The offense didn't have a lot of superstars, but this group always seemed to get the big hit when the big hit was needed most.
A turning point in this wonderful playoff run is Game 3 of the NLDS in Atlanta where the Giants trailed the Braves 2-1 in the top of the ninth inning. Travis Ishikawa worked a walk but was still on first with two outs and two strikes on Freddy Sanchez. The Giants literally were one strike away from being down 2 games to 1 in the series with the Braves having the possibility of clinching the following night at home. But Sanchez singled. And then Aubrey Huff got a huge hit that drove in Sanchez to tie the game. An error by Brooks Conrad on a ball hit by Buster Posey put the Giants on top and they went on to win 3-2. They won the next night to clinch the series. That's just one moment, but it's one that really sticks out to me as it defines how resilient this team was.
I have really grown fond of the guys on this team and hope that most of them will be able to be back next year. But right now, it's not about next year, it's about celebrating the season that was. The San Francisco Giants are World Champions!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Giants win the World Series!
Pictured: The 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants.
The San Francisco Giants won the World Series tonight, beating the Texas Rangers by a score of 3-1! The Giants won the series 4 games to 1. What an awesome feeling this is! It's great to have my favorite team win its first World Series since 1954. I'm so happy about all this right now. It's still pretty surreal.
Edgar Renteria was named World Series MVP and for good reason. Renteria hit a three-run home run off of Cliff Lee in the seventh inning tonight to break a scoreless tie and put the Giants ahead for good. I sort of screamed I was so excited when that ball went out. Renteria further solidified his reputation as a clutch player. And let's not forget that he hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth against the Braves to tie the game in the Giants' home opener this year (which they won in extra innings). So in a way it's kind of full circle. Renteria didn't have the best year of his career and didn't really even play that much down the stretch. But what a World Series he had. I'm glad he was in the lineup and I'm glad he was on my team.
Not to be lost in all this was how well Tim Lincecum pitched tonight, throwing eight innings of 1-run baseball and recording ten strikeouts. It was a masterful performance on the biggest of stages. Lincecum showed why he has won the last two Cy Young Awards and why he is the ace of the staff. Brian Wilson continued his excellent postseason with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to officially clinch the championship.
The Giants' pitching was really a big story this series. You heard a lot about the Rangers offense and how potent it was and for good reason, but people overlooked how good this pitching staff really is. The rotation is great and what really set this group apart from other playoff teams was its dynamic bullpen. The old baseball saying is that good pitching beats good hitting and you saw that in this World Series.
Well, that's all for now, but I'll leave you with this thought: The San Francisco Giants are World Champions! Yes!
The San Francisco Giants won the World Series tonight, beating the Texas Rangers by a score of 3-1! The Giants won the series 4 games to 1. What an awesome feeling this is! It's great to have my favorite team win its first World Series since 1954. I'm so happy about all this right now. It's still pretty surreal.
Edgar Renteria was named World Series MVP and for good reason. Renteria hit a three-run home run off of Cliff Lee in the seventh inning tonight to break a scoreless tie and put the Giants ahead for good. I sort of screamed I was so excited when that ball went out. Renteria further solidified his reputation as a clutch player. And let's not forget that he hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth against the Braves to tie the game in the Giants' home opener this year (which they won in extra innings). So in a way it's kind of full circle. Renteria didn't have the best year of his career and didn't really even play that much down the stretch. But what a World Series he had. I'm glad he was in the lineup and I'm glad he was on my team.
Not to be lost in all this was how well Tim Lincecum pitched tonight, throwing eight innings of 1-run baseball and recording ten strikeouts. It was a masterful performance on the biggest of stages. Lincecum showed why he has won the last two Cy Young Awards and why he is the ace of the staff. Brian Wilson continued his excellent postseason with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to officially clinch the championship.
The Giants' pitching was really a big story this series. You heard a lot about the Rangers offense and how potent it was and for good reason, but people overlooked how good this pitching staff really is. The rotation is great and what really set this group apart from other playoff teams was its dynamic bullpen. The old baseball saying is that good pitching beats good hitting and you saw that in this World Series.
Well, that's all for now, but I'll leave you with this thought: The San Francisco Giants are World Champions! Yes!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Giants one win away from glory
Pictured: Giants rookie pitcher Madison Bumgarner delivers a pitch during Game 4 of the World Series Sunday night in Texas. Bumgarner threw eight scoreless innings.
The San Francisco Giants defeated the Texas Rangers 4-0 last night in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series in Arlington, TX. The Giants now lead the Series 3 games to 1. Rookie pitcher Madison Bumgarner was the story and pitched eight shutout innings in his World Series debut. Bumgarner was in complete control throughout and seemed completely unfazed that he was pitching in the World Series. I, like just about everyone else, was impressed that he shut down such a potent offense in what is considered a hitter-friendly ballpark. It's nice to think that the Giants don't have to worry about him or any of their other starters becoming free agents anytime soon.
Aubrey Huff supplied the first of the offense with a towering two-run home run in the third inning off Rangers starter Tommy Hunter. Andres Torres had an RBI double in the seventh and Buster Posey added a solo home run in the eighth. Brian Wilson worked a scoreless ninth in relief of Bumgarner. Edgar Renteria had another solid night, playing good defense at short stop and going 3 for 4 at the plate. He's having quite a World Series and is further solidifying his reputation as a clutch player.
Game 5 of the World Series is tonight in Arlington at 5:57 p.m. MT on FOX. The Giants will start their ace, Tim Lincecum, and the Rangers will go with theirs in Cliff Lee. We'll see if we get that dynamic pitching matchup everyone thought we would get in Game 1. Both guys are very, very good.
I'm pretty excited because the Giants are only one win away from winning their first World Series since 1954 when they were the New York Giants. They moved to San Francisco in 1958. It would be cool to win it at home but the way I see it is you have to go for it starting tonight on the road. You don't want to give the Rangers anymore chances than you have to. I'll be watching tonight. You should be too.
The San Francisco Giants defeated the Texas Rangers 4-0 last night in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series in Arlington, TX. The Giants now lead the Series 3 games to 1. Rookie pitcher Madison Bumgarner was the story and pitched eight shutout innings in his World Series debut. Bumgarner was in complete control throughout and seemed completely unfazed that he was pitching in the World Series. I, like just about everyone else, was impressed that he shut down such a potent offense in what is considered a hitter-friendly ballpark. It's nice to think that the Giants don't have to worry about him or any of their other starters becoming free agents anytime soon.
Aubrey Huff supplied the first of the offense with a towering two-run home run in the third inning off Rangers starter Tommy Hunter. Andres Torres had an RBI double in the seventh and Buster Posey added a solo home run in the eighth. Brian Wilson worked a scoreless ninth in relief of Bumgarner. Edgar Renteria had another solid night, playing good defense at short stop and going 3 for 4 at the plate. He's having quite a World Series and is further solidifying his reputation as a clutch player.
Game 5 of the World Series is tonight in Arlington at 5:57 p.m. MT on FOX. The Giants will start their ace, Tim Lincecum, and the Rangers will go with theirs in Cliff Lee. We'll see if we get that dynamic pitching matchup everyone thought we would get in Game 1. Both guys are very, very good.
I'm pretty excited because the Giants are only one win away from winning their first World Series since 1954 when they were the New York Giants. They moved to San Francisco in 1958. It would be cool to win it at home but the way I see it is you have to go for it starting tonight on the road. You don't want to give the Rangers anymore chances than you have to. I'll be watching tonight. You should be too.
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