A Disappointing Season for the Utes Continues to Get Worse | Josh Furlong

[@magnashield8604]

The problem with the hold: after this call was made the db's started playing off the recievers, knowing they would get beat if they played up and tried to jam them without holding. The call moved BYU from the 9 to the 19. This didn't put BYU in scoring position. But now, the recievers suddenly were able to get open and Jake hit 2 to rush the ball down field. Why couldn't the U get pressure on Retzlaf? Because their db's were forced to play back since they couldn't hold anymore. All Game Jake is running for his life while his elite recievers couldn't seem to get open. Now the U is saying, "But they let us get away with this the entire game." Who should really be pissed is BYU. The U was getting away with holds all game long. If forced to play by the rules, BYU would have rolled the U.

[@mrp4242]

BYU’s DBs were 100% just as “handsy”, especially on Dorian Singer. BYU fans are infamous for hyperbole and self-righteousness. You’ve pulled off both. Congrats.

[@magnashield8604]

@mrp4242 rather than setting up a straw man, tell me how I was wrong. After that call why was it suddenly possible for BYU's receivers to get open? If the same thing was happening to the U's receivers, why were they able to look open to the U's quarterback, only to have BYU's db's to close at the last second to shut down the pass? Or are we supposed to just name call each other and ignore the argument? Nothing like a holier than thou, my team can not lose, U fan trying to make excuses for why you are the worst in the conference. You know the PAC 6 is looking for teams to fill their roster. There, did that make you feel better?

[@brettallen1440]

​@mrp4242 I'd rather be labeled self-righteous as opposed to being a colossal douche like the vocal minority of Ute fans. If Utah was the better team they would have found a way to stop BYU after the hold was called. That Utah defense is crazy good but they fell apart after "the call".

[@cr3070]

@@mrp4242 Utah fans are more Anti-BYU than they are pro-Utes. Success has always been measured relative to BYU. Ute fans would rather never make a college football playoff if it meant never losing to BYU. Rather than admitting BYU is the better team this year and having a good season they adopt loser mentalities and blame the officiating. That is the bottom of the barrel as far as fandom goes.

[@mrp4242]

My comment must have really struck a chord with you. Allow me to elaborate. Mine was not a strawman, as you claim; it opposed yours by providing a direct counter example, as detailed below. You can claim ‘whataboutism’ maybe, but it directly related to your comment. Worth noting that I never said that the ‘hold’ called on the 4th and 10 from the 9 couldn’t be construed as a valid call. I’ve never claimed the game was stolen. That was Utah’s AD and I found him embarrassing. The whole premise of your argument was summed up by this quote: “if forced to play by the rules, BYU would have rolled the U.” The claim here is that Utah must have been cheating the entire game before that point (since THEY weren’t playing by the rules), and they just couldn’t get away with it after 1:30 left in the game. Much of your argument stems on the latter--see, once they couldn’t cheat anymore, BYU had no problems moving the ball with their “Elite” (your word, not mine) receivers. It is easy to infer by your comment, then, that UTAH didn’t play by the rules up to that point in the game but that BYU did (that’s the self-righteousness I was talking about--like when BYU fans says ‘we’d never throw trash on the field to blame the refs;…ahem 2013’, but I digress). To combat this central part of your argument, I mentioned that BYU’s DBs were also “handsy.” This isn’t hard to find clips, highlights, etc, of DBs on both sides playing physical against the receivers. I brought up Dorian Singer because there were definitely some calls that could have gone the “PI” direction for him, but didn’t. For the most part, the refs were “letting them play” for most of the game. Need a neutral source? Check out Joel Klatt’s take on the subject from a couple days ago--he likened it to a ‘strike zone’ when establishing what can be done. He’s an excellent broadcaster and analyzer. If you need other specific examples in the game where BYU players got “away” with things that ‘could have been called as penalties’, then review the kickoff return for a TD. #22 on BYU clearly grabs the facemask of a nearby would-be tackler…it was missed. Of course we all know about the phantom facemask that went Utah’s way-how can we forget when BYU fans were moaning about that call all game in the live-steams until the ‘miracle’ that allowed them to comeback and win. Now they share tidbit all over to show “bad officiating happens got both teams, you got to move on from that”; which I agree with. But your comments clearly indicate that you think BYU plays clean and Utah plays dirty. And that BYU “rolls” Utah in a fairly called game. So I stand by the claim: Hyperbole and Self-Righteous. BYU won by 1 point in a VERY fortuitous manner. The fact that you can’t acknowledge that is a clear indication that I’m not wrong. Lastly, I cheer for BYU when not playing the Utes or Hawkeyes, my two Alma Maters. But you’ll have to excuse me when I go to church (I don’t live in Utah) and the BYU fans talk about how the righteous team won because, you know Helaman 12:5; it makes me a little eye-rolly. Fortunately, there are many that aren’t that way. But there are plenty that are. Thus, you calling my “Holier than Thou” gives me hope that I van blend in with those types of BYU fans.

[@CougarFan827]

The problem for Utah is that when the pac12 invited them to join, they suddenly thought they were academically "elite" because they were sitting at the same lunch table as Cal, Stanford, and UW. They also thought they were suddenly a "blue blood athletic powerhouse because they were playing teams like UCLA and USC, and beating them on occasion. (Ute fans forget that BYU beat USC the last 2 times they played them, too, and now USC is getting beat by the likes of Minnesota and Maryland). SLC media jock sniffers like the current guest suddenly thought they THEMSELVES were big time because they were now reporting on games in the Coloseum and the Rose Bowl, and Husky Stadium instead of facilities in Laramie, Fort Collins and Albuquerque. Salt Lake County suddenly became a huge echo chamber where media members, fans, coaches, players, administrators, and academians were all patting themselves and each other on the back and confirming to each other how great they were. Now, the pac12 has dispersed, and the teams are not faring as well in their new leagues as expected. BYU athletics is more than holding their own against Utah, despite being at a strategic disadvantage in the WCC and Indy for 12 years. Add to the equation that BYU recently announced the creation of a new Med School and reclassification as R1 (things Utah apologists had held over BYU for years), and Utah is suddenly having a real identity crisis. The actions of the AD and HC after the game demonstrate these facts.

[@danjohnson8556]

Going out like this would hard. Compare Lavell having a final miracle and having the stadium named after him vs Kyle’s loss and tantrum with the chair.

[@dallenawesomeolsen]

This is Utah's most talented team ever vs BYU in a rebuilding year. 22-21. Go Cougars!!

[@blackreign487]

This is the reason Utah shouldn't have been added. Oregon State was a better fit To bad we didn't take them over Utah.

[@zone2Ironman]

Josh, that line of argument has been debunked already.

[@zplapplap]

“No, it's not debunked, it's totally bunk.”

[@Snoobysnack]

@@zone2Ironman watch the ua and asu game again

[@tarheel7406]

Whether by design or a windfall, this noise has brought far more national attention to this rivalry than there would have been.

[@Goobersnobber47]

Utah Sucks. Hopefully they can win out for the rest of the games but Wilson against Sanders this week is not looking great.

[@daveadams8005]

I think the tide has turned between BYU and U of U. Wouldn’t be surprised by a 9-1 stretch going BYUs direction.

[@brettallen1440]

It's definitely trending back to the middle but don't expect a 9-1 run.

[@Snoobysnack]

it’s been one year chill

[@brettallen1440]

@Snoobysnack Uh that's two in a row mate.

[@John-ne4fq]

@@daveadams8005 the rivalry is way too intense for 9-1. I think 7-3 MAYBE is more realistic

[@emwa3600]

"Why throw in the Pac-12 Big-12 comments?" It's his level of intelligence, and Utah loves that dumbness - that's why they support him. As for the Big12, I'm wondering how many other programs have volunteered to hold that door open, or even put their feet to Utah's backside to give them a good kick/headstart to flee to the Pac-xx. I'm sure Utah would be great there.

[@curtisjasper8684]

Utah should be gone from the B12. Mostly because after almost a week we have heard NOTHING, nada, zero, zilch, from the u of u Administration. WHY? Is It because they agree with both coach Whit and the athletic director.. they can’t be gone fast enough. Have we even heard anything from the admin about the Ute fan that threw a water bottle and hit a BYU cheer person in the head knocking her out ?? Good riddance in my opinion.

[@lukeslc-xd8ds]

Talking heads.