Thursday, September 24, 2009

From the sounds of it, Saturday's game against Louisville will hinge on both teams' run games. Louisville has a strong back in 5-10, 190-pound Victor Anderson, who has rushed 33 times for 203 yards and three touchdowns in the Cardinals' first two games.

Anderson was the Rookie of the Year for the Big East in 2008.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham anticipates the Cardinals will use the run game to set up the play action pass.

He also noted that when the Utes played coach Steve Kragthorpe's Tulsa team in the Armed Forces Bowl in 2006(a 25-13 Utah win) they used 23 screens, so he expects quite a few on Saturday too.

The Utes, meanwhile, hope to get running back Matt Asiata more involved than he was against Oregon. The Utes hope that Asiata, now that his shoulder is feeling a little better, can help the Utes avoid the many third-and-long situations they were in against Oregon.

Asiata said he was all for that plan.

"You love to hear coaches say they rely on the running backs," he said. "But whatever coaches put down on the play call, you just have to do it and see."

Asiata, who said Oregon's defensive line was the best he has faced while at Utah, is feeling better than he did against the Ducks.

"You have to go all out and you can't think about any injuries," he said.

During practice yesterday, the Utah baseball team was enlisted to help hang a black cloth around the newly installed fence at the practice fields. (First the football team uses the baseball field as a practice field then makes the players hang their fence, you can see where the baseball team ranks!)

So now about the only way you can see practice is by climbing a tree or getting on top of the Smith Fieldhouse, unless you are allowed on the field itself.

Hopefully the media still will be allowed in, Whittingham said it wasn't designed to keep the media out but others who aren't given the privilege to see practice.

However, it is another example of the level of secrecy the Utes seem intent to keep this season.

It didn't take long for some of the radio guys to dub the screening the "Wall of Whitt"

Link to today's Utah stories, notes and a look at the defense.