SALT LAKE CITY — You have watched the University of Utah play three football games.
The Utes bludgeoned UCLA at the Rose Bowl, but it has since become clear the Bruins may be the worst Power Four team in the country. Utah then did what it was supposed to do against Cal Poly, before playing with its food a little bit too much in winning at Wyoming.
The Big 12 opener against Texas Tech now arrives, a top-20 matchup on FOX, complete with "Big Noon Kickoff" in town, and, well, you're not quite sure what to make of these Utes.
That's understandable, because Utah has not played enough competition to offer us a full picture of what they are and what they can become.
On the far end of that fan spectrum, you might be concerned by what you've seen, what you haven't seen, and what may lie ahead as conference play opens Saturday morning in Salt Lake City.
We'll start this Utes mailbag right there.
Q: "We're all thinking it, I'll say it. Are we maybe not good?" - @Uhcrossthegreen
I don't think this is the case, but based on the admittedly limited body of work available to us at the moment, I am certainly willing to listen to arguments for the "we might not be good" crowd.
Utah was never going to lose at Wyoming, but it certainly did not acquit itself well in the first half in Laramie. Before that, Kyle Whittingham was less than thrilled with some of the offense's execution against Cal Poly.
The Utes are probably good, probably an above-average Big 12 team, and probably have enough to be playing meaningful, big-stakes football deep into November.
Probably.
I have to use "probably" because, well, I'm waiting for a defense to force Devon Dampier to stay in the pocket and throw. I have no idea what happens then.
Ryan Davis leads Utah with 19 receptions. No other wide receiver has more than five. That's a problem.
To that end, the Utes do not appear to have a receiver capable of blowing the top off a defense. That's a lesser problem, but still a bit of a problem.
Brass tacks: I think Utah is good, but we're going to get a much clearer answer to this topic on Saturday morning.
Q: "What would need to happen this weekend for us to be able to decide 'Ok, Utah is good'"? - @andrewbill1312
First of all, win the game.
I think we can agree on that, right?
Winning on Saturday against another top-20 opponent, which, like Utah, has not yet met a stern test, would be a good start in terms of labeling the Utes as "good."
I am generally not one for style points, and this is not the game to start. Win, that's the first thing.
Beyond winning, don't get penalized 10 times for 100 yards, don't miss two field goals and have a third blocked, and I'm not entirely sure Whittingham wants Dampier throwing 41 passes. Utah ran 85 plays at Wyoming, the majority of them on the ground, but my point stands.
But seriously, win the game, and Utah is going to have that "good" label attached to it, if it didn't already.
Do that, and we can dissect the particulars later.
Q: "I don't foresee Utah going undefeated. Not a chance, but I don't see one 'unwinnable' game. Do you see anything that is a 'scheduled loss?'" - @TanMart03
In doing a handful of radio and podcast hits in August as the opener approached, I was asked for a record prediction, which I've always hated doing.
I looked at the schedule pretty hard, and I decided Utah would start 9-0, but finish 10-2. In my head, a trip to Baylor would be too much (maybe still true), and a visit from Kansas State is a lot to ask of Utah (no longer true).
Frankly, the way the first three weeks of the season have played out across the Big 12 has only strengthened my conviction that a 9-0 start is reasonable.
Texas Tech and Arizona State, arguably the two toughest Big 12 teams on Utah's schedule, both have to play at Rice-Eccles.
A trip to West Virginia next weekend could be gnarly, but Utah is a lot better on paper.
Going to BYU is never a gimmie.
If the Utes get out of Provo at 7-0, they will be significant home betting favorites against Colorado and Cincinnati.
I, too, do not believe Utah is going undefeated. The Big 12 is wonky and full of potholes, but seriously, go look at the schedule.
If Utah turns out to be "good," and remains healthy, and Dampier keeps playing well, tell me why the Utes cannot be 9-0 when they head to Waco on Nov. 15 with everything — everything — still to play for.
Q: "How concerned should we be that there hasn't really been an offensive player who has taken the spotlight in the first three games not named Devon Dampier or who also plays defense?" - @bigdondoo
I might argue that Ryan Davis has grabbed a little spotlight, especially after 10 catches for 91 yards at Wyoming, but your point is well taken.
I've already noted that no wide receiver other than Davis has more than five catches, and there does not appear to be a deep threat. I also think Devon Dampier being your leading rusher is not great, but again, the sample size is still just too small to get too worked up.
Remember, UCLA and Cal Poly were one-sided bludgeonings, so you were not getting the full first-team offense for four quarters, nor were you getting offensive coordinator Jason Beck going too deep into the playbook.
If we get through Arizona State on Oct. 11, at which point Utah will have played half its regular-season schedule, and I still have to field questions like this, yes, then it's a problem and we're going to have to have a real conversation.
Q: "I'd be curious to get your thoughts on if having Big Noon Kickoff on campus this weekend is a good or bad thing for the Utes. Having flashbacks of GameDay coming a couple years back against Oregon, where it did not go well. Is it an unnecessary distraction?" - @JeepingUte
Utah didn't get trucked by Oregon a couple of years ago because "College GameDay" showed up and caused a distraction. It got trucked because the Ducks were elite, the Utes couldn't run the ball, and a season-long QB circus started catching up with them.
Anyway, when "Big Noon Kickoff" and/or "College GameDay" show up on a campus, that's not for the team; that's for the fans.
You're not going to see an active Utah player anywhere near the BNK set. Major college football programs operate inside their own bubble, away from the outside world, especially once you get to Friday and it's really time to get ready to play a game.
As for the pregame shows being an unnecessary distraction, even if that were true, it doesn't matter.
Let's remember one thing. Utah football is not an every-season, inevitable powerhouse. BNK and GameDay are not showing up in Salt Lake City often, so when they do, you have to wrap your arms around them and embrace everything that comes with it.
Believe me, this athletic department and administration are ecstatic to be hosting "Big Noon Kickoff" and playing the Noon ET game on FOX.
Q: "Is the lack of explosive or deep throws something to be panicked about?" - @abelopezz
We basically covered this above, but I wanted to take this time to offer a related thought.
We've been here before.
Remember in 2021, when Britain Covey had 52 catches, but no other wide receiver had more than 23? Fans got a little worked up throughout that fall, but there was a big difference with that team.
Brant Kuithe was a multi-dimensional talent, and Dalton Kincaid was a budding star, and Micah Bernard was terrific catching the ball out of the backfield, so it almost didn't matter that those Utes were hardly taking any downfield chances.
Part of that was Cam Rising's surgically-repaired throwing shoulder was not at 100% of its capabilities, but I digress.
This Utah team does not have pass-catching safety nets that the '21 team had, and that needs to get figured out.
Sorry, but Ryan Davis, Smith Snowden, and some Dallen Bentley sprinkled in is not going to be enough.
Q: "NaQuari Rogers got gator rolled by a Wyoming defender. What should the punishment be for players who intentionally try to injure other players in that way?" - @dan_barn
Yeah, I saw that. Not great.
If I remember correctly, a gator roll/hip-drop tackle is already a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct?
I don't know that there's much more to do unless you're going to start ejecting players, which I would absolutely be in favor of in this case.
Now that I'm really thinking about this, if a targeting call is good for a 15-yard penalty, an ejection, and a suspension for a half, why should illegal, intentional, dangerous tackling techniques not produce the same sort of result?
Targeting is often unintentional, a gator roll tackle is not. The punishment should fit the crime.
Q: "If you could liken this Utah team to a Jets team of yesteryear, does this Utah team resemble one? Started off hot, but had a couple of glaring holes that you just hope someone doesn't exploit." - @lisadancefit
Thanks for this, making me dive deep into the great sports traumas of my youth.
The 2000 Jets started 6-1, which included a wild late win at Tampa Bay, and a famous Monday Night Football come-from-behind OT win over the Dolphins at the Meadowlands.
Reality then set in.
Off a ruptured Achilles the year before, Vinny Testaverde threw 25 interceptions, their two leading receivers wound up being a fullback and a running back, and a 9-4 record was followed by anemic losses to the Raiders and the Lions.
The capper was a must-win Week 17 game at the Ravens. Testaverde threw for 481 yards, but also two interceptions, one of which went the other way for a touchdown in a 34-20 loss.
Rookie head coach Al Groh resigned to take over at the University of Virginia, Bill Parcells resigned as GM.
That Jets team did not have enough of a downfield passing threat.
Sound familiar?
Q: "Do you participate in Pumpkin Spice Season?" - @MrSmokinUte
I had long been on a crusade to rid the world of pumpkin-flavored things, but somewhere along the line, my palate matured.
Pumpkin beers, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin bread are all things I now enjoy. I'll do a pumpkin-flavored coffee every now and again, but I've never ordered a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, and have no plans to start.
Related: If you overhear someone call a pumpkin spice latte a PSL, you have my permission to kick them in the shin.
