Instant Takeaways: Utah Loses Third-Straight In 13-7 Loss To TCU

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Football has now dropped three consecutive games as the TCU Horned Frogs came into Rice-Eccles Stadium and got the 13-7 victory.

This was about as ugly as it could get for the Utes. This is a significant fall from the expectations the program held coming into the season.

#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/pdGPuqmP1t

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 20, 2024

Here are the instant takeaways from tonight’s game.

Utah’s offensive struggles speak to bigger issues

Despite the second-half flash in the pan, the offensive performance was putrid. Offensive production was non-existent for the majority of this game. Utah had nine straight punts before their touchdown score.

Tonight’s struggles seemed to highlight the obvious; Utah built their offense around Cam Rising. The other obvious element tonight was that Rising was not quarterbacking this team.

Despite the time to work on a game plan around their young quarterback, Utah’s game plan did not seem tailored to Wilson’s strengths. It wasn’t until Utah went to a more spread offensive attack that Wilson found a rhythm.

There are so many numbers that highlight the offensive struggles. However, the feel of tonight’s performance was that of a discombobulated mess. It was one without any idea of the strengths of the unit or how to utilize its personnel and that is alarming.

Compared to nearly every other offense in college football, it just feels like Utah has to work so much harder for even minimal production. It may not be here yet, but ‘change’ seems imminent.

The defense, fans all deserve better

It wasn’t the most dominant defensive performance but Utah got stops and limited scoring. The offense was non-existent for most of the game. It also put the defense in tough situations way too often. Time and time again, Utah’s defense answered the bell.

The crowd was desperate for moments to ignite. With all the offensive struggles, the crowd used any and every offensive success to cheer on that unit. The crowd came to life in the second half after the 71-yard touchdown throw to Money Parks. That was the spark the crowd needed to fuel the defense in the later quarters.

The defense forced five consecutive punts between the 3rd and 4th quarters, all while the crowd that remained in RES held tough and was there til the very end.

The defense has played with tremendous effort all year and the offense continues to fail them, they deserve better.

Fans pay their hard-earned money for these games, they absolutely deserve better. This cannot be the product that Utah puts on the field, it has to improve.

Coaches have had three weeks to fix these issues, which means they are struggling to find answers. When a coaching staff gets to that point, it’s usually time for significant changes.

Don’t blame Micah Bernard

The heart and soul of the team, Bernard gave all that he had tonight. He finished the night with 15 touches for 58 yards and earned every single one of them.

No other play summed up his night than the broken play all for naught. After a defender met Wilson and Bernard at the handoff, Bernard gained control of the ball, broke loose, weaved through traffic, fought through tackles, and created a huge chunk play. Unfortunately, it was negated by an illegal block in the back.

Bernard has meant everything to this team, unfortunately, he’s getting little help. That’s not to blame the players around him at all, this is all on the coaches.

Utah Football 2024 Season Results:

• Utes defeat Southern Utah, 49-0
• Utes defeat Baylor, 23-12
• Utes defeat Utah State, 38-21
• Utes defeat Oklahoma State, 22-19
• Utes fall to Arizona, 23-10
• Utes fall to Arizona State, 27-19

The Rest Of The Utes’ 2024 Schedule:

• Utah Football vs. TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, October 19
• Utah Football @ Houston Cougars on Saturday, October 26
• Utah Football vs. BYU Cougars on Saturday, November, 9
• Utah Football @ Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday, November 16
• Utah Football vs. Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday, November 23
• Utah Football @ UCF Knights on Friday, November 29

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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