Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Utes Have Rebounded While Buffs Floundered
November 21, 2011 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - Eight games ago, Utah was 0-3 in its debut Pac-12 Conference season and seemed headed on a path similar to another first-year league member. But while Colorado continued to plummet, the Utes, despite entering November 1-4 in the league, righted themselves and now are in what once seemed the highly improbable position of winning the South Division.
For that to happen, Utah first must defeat CU on Friday (1:30 p.m. MST, Rice-Eccles Stadium) then get an assist from Southern California and California. The Utes need California to defeat slumping Arizona State later Friday, then must have a USC win against UCLA on Saturday, thus earning Utah a spot in the first Pac-12 championship game.
Given that scenario and the Utes celebrating Senior Day, CU coach Jon Embree knows the Buffs will encounter an emotionally charged situation similar to what they faced last weekend against UCLA.
And that didn't turn out so well; CU fell behind 21-0 and left Pasadena thoroughly embarrassed (45-6). Embree said Utah will be playing with a "heightened sense of urgency . . . it'll be their best game."
Whether the Buffs can match the Utes' fervor - which CU didn't do against UCLA - isn't up for discussion: "We'll have to do it, we don't have a choice," Embree said. "We'll have to play with urgency. As I said at the Rose Bowl, we have to understand that the first quarter, it's going to be a whole different sense of urgency, energy, passion, whatever the word is, from the other team. And if you don't match it, you're down just like 21-0."
Embree tipped his hat to Utah for showing resiliency after losing starting quarterback Jordan Wynn in early October and dropping its first three conference games.
"They went through a lot of adversity," Embree said. "You look at how they win - a goal line stand last week and a fake punt for a touchdown. That's the difference against Washington State (a 30-27 win in overtime). You look at UCLA - that was a tight one for a while, then they were able to put them away (31-6). They've done a good job of competing and fighting all the way through it and finding a way to make good things happen for them."
Utah demolished UCLA two weekends ago in Salt Lake City to claim that head-to-head tiebreaker if both schools finish 5-4 in league play. UCLA is 5-3, while Utah and ASU are 4-4. The Sun Devils - losers of three straight and four of their past five games - own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Utes, but not the Bruins.
Utah is 7-4 overall and one of seven bowl-eligible Pac-12 teams. The Utes' fourth consecutive victory might have been their most difficult; they outlasted the Cougars in overtime on Saturday after squandering a pair of 10-point leads in regulation.
But that type of resiliency is what coach Kyle Whittingham has come to expect from his team. "We dropped four games in a row and could have said that was it," he said. "We fought back, and the guys continued to battle and work hard. It's a process that went on, and we never panicked and stayed the course. We're 4-4, it's still not where we want to be, but we've made a lot of progress."
On the other hand, CU's progress has been minimal, with a lack of confidence and overall consistency the biggest stumbling blocks, according to Embree. "I feel like they've been motivated," he said. "I think it's getting them to believe they can go do it. Consistency - that's been the biggest issue with us."
BUFFS GO BOWLING IN THE ROSE BOWL: After their 39-point loss to UCLA, several CU players said they opened the game "flat" - which puzzled Embree. He said he and his staff are "trying to create as much enthusiasm and energy as we can as coaches . . . I'm getting accused of being too over the top."
The CU coaches attempted to create a different atmosphere for their night in the Rose Bowl, telling the players it was their bowl game. "So how do you get flat for your own bowl game?" Embree asked. "To me that's just an excuse. So I don't know how to explain (some of the Buffs saying they were flat).
"The locker room felt like it did before Arizona, like it did before Washington State, Cal . . . a lot of games. At some point, you have to be excited to go play. No one can make you be excited. If it's important to you, no one is going to make you have that sense of urgency. If you come out flat, then it's not important enough to you."
Embree said adversity in some form is to be expected in every game, so he discounted the notion that his players would become deflated if they give up an early score or two - which nonetheless has happened with regularity this season.
He said it was hard for him to address what past CU teams' mindsets might have been, but added, "To me that's just an excuse. Every game you're going to have something happen . . . Against SC everything went right in the first quarter (the Buffs and Trojans were tied 7-7 after one), so what was their excuse then?
"You can't blame it on being flat . . . you have to play for four quarters. And if you're going to play for four quarters, you're not going to be at a certain emotional level the whole game. It's not possible. At some point, the passion and the energy wears off and then you have to make plays. You have to trust your technique and be assignment sound.
"If you think you're going to be magically amped up like you've just run behind Ralphie for four quarters . . . it don't work that way."
LAST CALL FOR A STAIN REMOVAL: CU's final chance in 2011 to end its 23-game out-of-state losing streak is Friday. Embree calls the streak "a stain we have to get off the program. It's something we've challenged the seniors with as part of their legacy . . . it's their opportunity. It was one of the reasons we made last week like a bowl game for them, because they haven't been to a bowl.
"Eventually we'll win on the road. Like I told the seniors, this is your last chance. You don't get next year to make it right. When you look back on your time, what are you going to say? We didn't go to a bowl, we didn't win on the road? Only they can answer that question.
"We're going to do all we can to get them excited and see what happens (Friday)."
BUFF BITS: Embree said UCLA didn't spring any first-quarter surprises on his team last weekend: "It was what we had talked about; it makes it more disappointing." . . . . Nick Kasa's move from defensive end/tackle to tight end is permanent, Embree said, adding, "He''s coming along, showing some things in the run game. He has some work to do as a pass catcher, but that's to be understood. He's been on defense . . . but he shows good athleticism, runs well. He's pretty good at the point of attack." However, with the number of tight ends CU expects to recruit, Embree said spring ball will be "huge" for Kasa and Kyle Slavin . . . . The final Pac-12 standings could feature a handful of 6-6 teams, reinforcing Embree's contention that parity reigns in the "Conference of Champions." "There are opportunities for you if you go take them," he said. "If you handle your business at home . . . certain teams when they play on the road are different teams. We just haven't gotten a full grasp of that as a team. That's something we've been preaching to them . . . but we have to take it. We haven't done a good job, and that starts with me. I've got to somehow get them to see it and understand it for the future that there's going to be opportunities." . . . . CU is last in the league in scoring offense (20.0 points a game) and scoring defense (38.4) . . . . The Buffs are 11th in total offense (344.1 yards a game) and total defense (453.1).
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
