I attended the Utah-Northern Colorado game last Thursday evening. The Utes (1-0) won 41-0. Northern Colorado (0-1) isn't a very good team at all. Not only are they an FCS (formerly I-AA) team, they went 0-11 last year. So, there isn't too much that can be gleaned from the game.
That being said, there were a few things that I noticed. Junior Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn didn't look all that impressive. Most of the pass patterns looked pretty basic and I'm sure that was largely due to the opponent and not wanting to put too many complex plays on film for future opponents to study. Wynn made most of those throws, but again they were pretty basic plays. Wynn's interception on a deep ball was pretty concerning; I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering about his ability to throw it deep.
For now, though, I think the Utes need to give Wynn the shot to prove he can make the plays necessary to win. If he can't after a few games, then I think the coaches can re-evaluate.
Senior John White looked solid again at running back and the defense looked stifling. It's tough to read too much into one game against a very poor opponent. However, I think White and the defense will again each be very good. Those will be keys to the season.
The kicker position looks anything but certain at this point. Senior Coleman Petersen is the returning starter after a shaky finish to last season. Petersen missed three field goals (including one that would have tied the game with mere seconds to play) in an embarrassing 17-14 home loss to Colorado to end the regular season. He also barely snuck in the tying extra point late in the 4th quarter against Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl -- a play that nearly gave me a heart attack (thankfully he made it and the Utes went on to win in overtime).
Petersen did not look extremely impressive on Thursday. He missed an extra point and a chip shot 27 yard field goal. Right now he simply can't be relied on late in a close game. I hope he looks better as the season goes on, but at this point I hope the game doesn't come down to his foot.
The competition gets a lot tougher for the Utah this week. The Utes travel north to Logan to face in-state rival Utah State (1-0) this Friday night. The start time for that one is 6 p.m. MT. The game can be seen on ESPN2. The Utes have won 12 straight over the Aggies, but this appears to be a different Utah State program than in past years. I expect it will be a competitive game, but the pick here is that the Utes win this one by 7 in what will likely be their last trip to Logan for the foreseeable future.
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