After Sitting On A Loss For Two Weeks, Utah Football Eager To Get Back To Work

Oct 9, 2024, 1:08 PM | Updated: 1:11 pm

Utah Utes Kansas State Football Kyle Whittingham...

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 4: Kyle Whittingham head coach of the Utah Utes talks to the team during warmups before their game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Rice Eccles Stadium on November 4, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

BY STEVE BARTLE

Utah Insider

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Football will return to action in a Friday night contest against the Arizona State Sun Devils. This is an important game for the Utes to get back on track in the Big 12 Conference title race.

After speaking with assistant coaches and players on both sides of the ball, Kyle Whittingham’s squad seems eager to get back on the field.

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Kyle Whittingham seeing good indications for Utah

After suffering a painful home loss before their bye week, Whittingham, his assistant coaches, and players need a strong response against the Sun Devils. Moving on from the loss hasn’t been the easiest but it does sound like Utah has turned the page.

“The thing I hate about these byes where you’re coming off a loss because you’re sitting on the loss for two weeks,” Kyle Whittingham said at his Tuesday availability. “Hopefully we’ll play well, we’ve practiced well, which is usually a good indication, so we’ll see.”

The Utes own a 13-6 record in the games following that break under Whittingham. With a program built on the qualities of toughness, resiliency, and discipline, all three will be needed on Friday night.

Utah’s player leadership rising to the occasion

Junior Tafuna, a veteran defensive tackle, is one of the leaders of the team. He acknowledged the ‘hangover effect’ but he’s determined to move forward with a positive attitude.

“It’s been a huge focus, a lot of guys were still feeling the hangover from the loss,” Tafuna shared. “It’s time to look forward, move forward, and being positive, working positive is the best way to move forward.”

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Losing is not a fun experience for anyone involved in sports, particularly the players. Tafuna shed some light on how he’s gone about helping the team move forward.

“It’s just loving up on everyone, no one likes to lose, so it’s just making sure everyone is in the right head space,” he shared. “Coming out here and working with a purpose, you know, we lost, and so the purpose was to work to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Tight end Brant Kuithe has been through a lot of ups and downs in his time with the program. He knows that work is often the best remedy coming off of a loss.

“If we sit around and do nothing, you kind of get complacent, and kind of allow the loss to dwell on you a little too much,” Kuithe shared. “But if we go out here and work, kind of get it off our minds a little bit, it feels good. After a couple of days you don’t even think about it, it’s just onto the next. We’ve just got to keep working, we’ve got a lot of games to look forward to- ASU this week and we’ve got to come out with a win.”

Utah coaches are seeing the positives this week

“You hate to drop one and have to sit on it, that’s the worst,” cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah shared. “The only good thing about it is that you’re able to analyze it, go over it with your players, recognize what went wrong, and make the corrections quickly.”

The loss also provided an opportunity to reflect, which gave coaches and players time to come together as a team.

“It’s not just about football and we have to remind ourselves of that,” Shah shared. “As a coach, we always want to think about those X’s and O’s but it’s so much more than that. In that respect, this loss allowed us to maybe grow a little closer in ways that we couldn’t recognize, so hopefully that will manifest itself on Friday.”

On the other side of the ball, receivers coach Alvis Whitted has seen good indications from the squad this week.

“We had to get back to the drawing board, got to find a way to get this win, 1-0, that’s all that matters,” he stated. “I think they’re starting with a great mindset, they’re putting the work in, great day of practice and just got to keep rolling.”