📅 Published on: 2024-11-25 18:57:34

⏱ Duration: ( seconds)

👀 Views: | 👍 Likes: [vid_likes]

📝 Video Description:

Head Coach Kyle Whittingham discusses Saturday loss to Iowa State and their final game of the season, traveling to Orlando, Fla., …

🎙 Channel: University of Utah Athletics

🌍 Channel Country: [channel_country_name]

📂 Tags:

[vid_tags]

🕵️‍♂️ Transcript:

our chances uh Saturday night to to pull out the win but uh didn’t get it done uh took the lead in the game with what five minutes left and couldn’t get that last stop on defense that we needed and and unfortunately uh came up short again so disappointing um a lot of positive things in that game uh exceptionally uh pleased with the way the Special Teams played it was the best special teams performance uh of the Season uh made some impact plays uh recovering the the muffed punt uh return from the opponent uh set the offense up on the 17 yard line I believe it was and we blocked a punt uh for a touchdown and so some really impact plays that occurred uh special team wise uh was good to see because we had not uh done much of that this year um Luke barari thought he came in and um really provided a spark um Luke uh just like last year when he was called upon in the Colorado game I believe was last game of the season uh will be the starter this week um Isaac will not be available and so uh you know for a guy that started the season uh as the fifth string guy and really didn’t have a whole lot of of uh chance to play just continued to keep himself ready every single week in case and uh last week was the week that that he got his opportunity and and really did some good things came in and and uh really uh you know provided the spark for us and so that was that was good to see Luke uh do that and again he’ll get the opportunity this week to be the starter uh some other performances drien zipper came in and did a nice job we uh you know missing a couple three or four two or three receivers and so he uh had his opportunity and uh made the most of it had four catches uh big catch at the beginning of the game it was great catch on the Deep ball uh Keith Olsen uh our Right Guard again where I said after the prescotts we’re down to our fifth fifth Right Guard or or fifth guard overall and he came in and and really played well first opportunity to play as a youth and uh did some good things so a lot of positives in the game but again uh weren’t able to uh get the win and now we got Central Florida on the road Friday so a little bit of a short week um so today we’ll be back on the field and and practicing as if it was a Tuesday and proceed through our Paces during the week uh Central Florida really potent on offense leading the conference offensively uh running the ball exceptionally well as is uh the case with uh any Gus mson team you’re GNA you’re G to have a strong Run game they’re running it for over 250 a week um and another uh couple hundred throwing the ball so just over 450 a week uh of total L scoring points uh good on third down um good in the red zone so it’ll be a challenge for for our defense this week to to face that uh particularly that rushing attack so questions I got Justin’s question you the spokesperson okay yeah I gu so it’s a two-parter too two-parter wow uh it would seem that the old pack 12 schools not just Utah have had a difficult time adjusting to the Big 12 Conference do you have any thoughts as to why this is also and I think we all have this question any thoughts about completing your 21st year with the University of Utah okay well it’s my 20th year are you talking about next year oh next year okay uh okay let’s see first part Pack 12 well Colorado is having no problem adjusting as Arizona State isn’t either they’re they’re both uh seem to be fairing very well in fact I believe they’re two of the four teams that still have uh possibilities to play in the championship game if I if I got that right um you okay okay uh then there’s us who obviously is are uh have our own struggles uh who am I missing who else in Arizona Arizona uh is uh pretty much where we are I guess in the in the in the uh for the year and so um don’t have a good answer for it uh football’s cyclical in in a lot of ways and and uh you just got to do the best you can but but I know that uh like I said those two Colorado and Arizona State are uh seemingly making a a very strong transition uh second part my 21st year yeah I’ll I uh will you know obviously evaluate after the season’s over see what uh see what the situation is but my decision to be made on what’s best for the program not what’s best for me so it’ll be completely determined on how I feel uh this program is best served going forward and uh so yeah that’s where that is okay Kyle kind of piggybacking off of that decision you know you have an offensive coordinator hire that you have to make you have a transfer class that I’m sure you’re thinking about will you make that decision after all of those moves are done can’t tell you for sure you know it’s just uh like I said after the final games finished Friday you know four days from now five days from now uh sit down and and evaluate everything I can tell you right now that coach scall will be involved in decisions going forward because it’s it’s only only right that he he uh does that because he’s the coaching waiting and and when that time comes you know we need to make sure that uh you know he’s had uh input on on big decisions and so uh it’ll be a team effort in that respect going forward as far as hiring and recruiting and that type of thing given the quarterback situation this year how uh much of a priority is it to get a starter level quarterback out of the portal yeah well we got to we got to solve our quarterback problems I can tell you that and that that has been uh you know a difficult thing this year and we’re now in our fifth QB and we got one left after that we have six total in the program so so D ingan will be backing up Luke barari in this game and that’s all she wrote after those two uh I don’t have a good answer so we hope it doesn’t come to beyond that but but quarterback as I’ve said over and over the most important position in football in team sports period and you better be uh good there if you want to have a chance to win and so we’ve got to evaluate just like I’ve got to evaluate my situation we’ve got to evaluate the quarterback’s situation and and make sure we have ourselves covered for next year I guess that’s the best answer I can give PK will uh Isaac be ready for Spring ball yes we think that is uh going to be the case uh there’s still a few more evaluations that need to take place but but it’s looking like uh Spring ball is in play yeah and then with the transfers obviously they’ve already been through the recruiting process I’m wondering where do they place as priority as far as nil uh incoming portal transfers for us yes uh generally well the top priority is is uh being able to uh retain your own roster and and the you know the players on your roster that are particularly the key guys and then uh you’ll also have uh key roles that need to be filled uh through the portal via the portal and so that will be uh right there at the at the top of the list and so we’ve already begun the process of of having conversations with our own players and making sure that we got uh you know everything in order there and uh then we move on to the next phase which is which is the portal and then of course your incoming freshman we will be uh involved in that as well but portal will be a priority for us we’re going to I I foresee being 10 to 15 players from the portal roughly and uh you know that could change by a guy or two but that’s about the projection Kyle last year you said was the worst for injuries that you’ve ever been a part of is this year worse and is there anything that can be done to avoid this happening again well uh that’s a good question which one is worse um they’re both both been uh challenging uh we did make a lot of adjustments in our fall camp and uh our ramp up to the season which did pay dividends we had like I said way back when 70% fewer soft tissue injuries but the injuries that we incurring now I don’t I don’t know I don’t know if you can do anything about that through training and and all that stuff but but uh we certainly made a huge step forward in the uh soft tissue which last year was was a problem uh big time and so um I’m not a a doctor or a physical therapist but but uh we feel like we’re doing everything we can we have a great strength program that our guys get bigger and stronger and it’s just uh I really have no great answer other than we looked at it from every angle this year and we’ll do it again after the season and and try to continue to make progress in that regard and then not to nail you down to a specific date but how soon is it for or important is it for you to make a decision as soon as possible to for recruits and players uh well with the coaching waiting in place we all we already have that discussion with recruits that when that time comes here’s what the plan is and and so it’s not like uh you know the recruits and our own guys don’t know what the succession plan is and so that that takes some of the edge off it and uh it would be a whole lot different if we didn’t have that plan in place because then if I you know when that time comes it would be anybody’s guess you know what what’s going to happen and who’s it going to be but they know exactly what the what the plan is and that that again was the real reason for for laying down that plan uh several months ago when when it was announced Kyle so many coaches I mean Nick Sabin Virginia’s men’s basketball coach recently they’ve all sort of not been driven out of the game but it played a factor nil played a factor and in their decision you know the game wasn’t what what it was for them you know 20 years some ago whenever they became head coach right does that impact your decision at all the way the games changed um and evolved I think everything impacts that decision and uh nil is certainly the biggest game changer of them all uh with the portal they’re kind of Link together in a way and and uh players uh just the challenge of so much turnover in your roster and and uh the you know Playing For the Love of the Game now is that’s kind of a thing of the past I mean there obviously there’s players that love football and and would play if there wasn’t nil I mean that’s that’s not I’m not saying that but but uh that seems to have taken a back seat to uh as far as their decision- making anyway where am I going to play it’s uh you know who’s got the the best financial opportunity and I guess you you know you can’t blame them this is lifechanging money for a lot of these guys that their families uh and everybody will benefit from and so even you know it’s here to stay if you don’t like it get out because uh it’s not going to change and so adap or or go a different direction I guess to kind of follow up on that cam was seen on the sideline for the first time in a while in a boot you know what I guess have you picked up on in terms of his decision and how early or soon do you you expect him to make a decision on his future you know we I talked to cam after the game uh Saturday and we are going to visit this week and and catch up and and uh touch on that as well you know what what his plans are and we uh have no inside scoop or anything right now as to what he’s thinking he’s just you know having just try to give him some space and let him sort things out and decide uh which direction he wants to go and so have a better answer after this week uh but again that’s on time Cam’s timeline and obviously we’ve got to you know at some point uh you know make our own decisions on what what’s going to happen if we if there’s still indecisiveness but but I think that should be cleared up uh in the next week to 10 days was Isaac hurt when he was taken to the ground or was he hurt on the ground when he was roll I think it was the the rolled over yeah I think but there was no penalty he was already down on the ground and player safy you’re talking to the wrong guy about referees and penalties and and what’s going on there uh I just don’t I don’t even want to get into it but uh no the initial tackle was not what uh caused it was the the finish of the tackle or what do you want to what however you want to term it and uh yeah that’s what it was so piggy backing off of Cam’s future there’s are there are a couple of other guys who have been out for the season with injuries mainly Canon Johnson and um Leon deun have you heard heard anything from the two of them regarding their Futures yeah they both would like to come back uh as of our rec most recent conversations now that again is just like everything is subject to change but leavon has been rehabbing and and uh doing very well and and if he decides to come back he’ll be ready to roll in January with offseason conditioning and and jump right into it uh Canon’s a different story he was very significant injury and and uh uh doctors you know I’ve heard some opinions that uh uh maybe all the way up until fall Camp before he’d be ready to try and maybe not even quite at the beginning of fall Camp so so that’s a lot more extensive and a lot more to it than Lani but they both have indicated that uh they would love to come back to for another year at least as of our last conversation which has been been a while with those two guys following up on sort of the the change in in college football it seems like you have a lot of buyin still on the defense side of the ball and that’s probably a credit to Morgan scall and that staff and their personable uh you know uh personalities how much more important is it for your culture to the way you build your culture to come from coaches rather than players just given kind of the the way that players have that freedom to leave yeah we do have good uh culture in buy and on D but I feel like we have it on o as well I don’t think there’s a a division there I think that uh we we are in pretty good shape overall in that regard but the coaches you know it’s constant uh teaching uh just uh indoctrinating new guys to our culture and how we do things and and more so than before because like I said the numbers are what they are you don’t have 80% of your team returning teaching 20% you got just over half of your team returning teaching just under half of the of the new guys and so coaches need to jump in and be a big part of that and uh it’s more so uh than ever and uh I’m sure it’ll continue to be uh exactly that way that’s how it is Kyle at the beginning of the Season you said you had more energy than you think you might have had at any point in your career the way the season has gone where do you kind of gauge where your Energy’s at looking forward and and kind of in the belief of your energy do you feel like if you were to come back next year that you would still have a chance to maybe go out on top or or go out on a winning season yeah you know like I said uh it’s what’s best for the program will be dictated well my my decision will be dictated based on and uh uh you know to time it just right so you go out at just the right time I mean that they’re very very small percentage of of people are able to do that and so again I’m not I’m not saying well this was a bad year so for me I got to come back and have a better year I mean everyone wants to have a better year next year regardless of who the coach is and and uh like I said it’s just a an evaluation process from me and my family to decide uh you know what’s best and and again I just I continue to emphasize put the program first and whatever the program you know what what puts the program in the best situation that’s the decision I’ll make as far as energy I feel great I I don’t have any it’s not like I’m beat down The Season’s been a beat down mentally but physically and and just dayto day got plenty of plenty of gas left in the tank Final question coach you’ve always valued uh those extra practices preparing for a bowl game how much does it hurt especially for the younger guys not to have that yeah it’s a it’s a downer uh particularly for the young guys but not as much as before because we’ll have half a new team next year and so they won’t be here anyway to benefit from those practices so it’s nowhere near as impactful or beneficial as it has been but it still is I don’t want to downplay it because it’s it’s better than uh you know that half your guys get get more opportunity than and uh you know with the outgoing it might even be more than half but but uh or less than half that would benefit but but uh we don’t have it so you know there’s nothing we can do about that and just got to you know jump into the uh offseason strength program sooner because of no bowl game and and uh you know pretty soon I believe you won’t have Spring ball either I think that’s going to be a thing in the past within not too long of a time frame and so uh but that’ll be our next opportunity to uh to work him on the field did you say that was it dang dang okay all right guys thank you

🔗 Watch on YouTube

🚀 Related Hashtags: #Coach #Kyle #Whittingham #Utah #Football #Press #Conference #11.25.24

Disclaimer: This video is embedded directly from YouTube. All rights to the video and content belong to the original creator, University of Utah Athletics. For more details, please visit the original source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQZ0R7akz1w.