Houston • As the game-winning field goal crossed through the goalposts in TDECU Stadium, a defeated Kyle Whittingham dropped his headset to the turf.
Few people in college football today have won as much and as consistently as Utah’s head coach.
But after the Utes' fourth straight defeat, this one a 17-14 loss to a Big 12 bottom dweller on Saturday night, even Whittingham is short on answers.
“We seem to keep finding the same blueprint to lose,” he said. “It just seems to be a pattern of not getting it done each week. And, obviously, as coaches we have to be better and it starts with me. Every issue that we have in the program is on my shoulders.
“We’re just in a funk of sorts that we can’t seem to break out of.”
Once the preseason favorite to win the Big 12, Utah is now 4-4 and 1-4 in conference play.
Many of Utah’s struggles start on the offensive side of the ball. Freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson was benched in place of backup quarterback Brandon Rose in the third quarter.
Rose finished the contest 7 of 15 with 45 passing yards and a lone interception that came in the fourth quarter.
Whittingham said the move to bench Wilson was because Utah was in search of a spark. The move ultimately backfired, as Rose’s lone turnover left the Cougars in prime position to win the game.
The freshman quarterback was almost benched last week before he tossed a 71-yard touchdown to Money Parks in the 13-7 loss against TCU last weekend.
“We were trying to create something,” Whittingham said. “We had only scored one touchdown, and just didn’t seem to be getting any momentum offensively. So we figured it was time to give Brandon an opportunity. He came in, and we scored a touchdown.
“But, yeah, it was to create a spark.”
Utah‘s offense finished the contest 4 of 16 on third downs. In the passing game, Wilson and Rose completed 20 of their 37 pass attempts from the pocket. The Utes’ rushing attack, which was led by senior running back Micah Bernard’s 54 yards, averaged only 3.5 yards per carry.
Clearly, not much has changed since Andy Ludwig’s resignation last weekend.
Interim offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian wasn’t an immediate antidote.
“He did some good things,” Whittingham said of Bajakian’s playcalling. “He was put in a tough spot. If anybody thinks he was going to create a miracle in five days on the job, that’s not going to happen. … I think that there were some good added elements to the offense. We still came away with about 300 yards and only 12 first downs. But it was the same end result and still not what we needed it to be.”
Utah would have to win two of its final four games to become eligible for a bowl game. And there are many questions the Utes will have to answer if they’re going to do that.
The first to many of those questions might have to come at the quarterback position.
For now, Utah will have to figure out who will be the starter in two weeks.
“Isaac has a much bigger body of work in the season,” Whittingham said. “But, we’ll see how Rose did with his reads and what he did with the opportunities that he had, and then make a decision on which one we’re going to go with. I’m not saying Isaac has lost his job, but everybody’s got to play up to a certain standard. The quarterback position is no different.
“So, we’ll take a long hard look at where we are.”
Utah quarterback Brandon Rose looks to pass against Houston during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
What is the root of Utah’s problems?
Ute captain Micah Bernard says he knows what Utah’s issues are, but he wasn’t willing to share his perspective after the game.
“I’m not going to answer that,” Bernard said. “I know what it is, but I’m not going to answer that.”
The senior running back says Utah’s issues aren’t a result of a fractured locker room.
“I haven’t seen that,” Bernard said. “I love the boys on the defensive side. They love us on the offensive side. We just got to put it together. No, I’ve seen no divide. … There’s no split. There’s no divide. We have good love for each other all through the locker room on both sides of the ball.”
Whittingham says he hasn’t sensed any issues with the coaching staff either.
“I haven’t noticed anything of that nature,” Whittingham said. “We have a process in the way that we handle our business and how we practice in our work week and what our expectations and demands are. That has not been changed or compromised.
“You obviously question everything you’re doing because you want to find the answers to what’s going on. But, you don’t just panic and make a wholesale change with everything you’ve done. For (so many) years it’s worked so well.”
If Whittingham’s decision to pull Wilson out of the game provides any perspective, then the struggles at the quarterback position might very well be the answer.
Houston quarterback Zeon Chriss (2) comes up short as he reaches to get the ball over the goal line after picking up a fumble against Utah during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Utah’s chances of becoming bowl-eligible dwindle
At the start of the season, Utah was projected as one of the top contenders to make the College Football Playoff.
Now the Utes will have an uphill climb to become bowl-eligible. The magic number is six wins for a postseason berth, and Utah’s November slate is anything short of easy.
After next week’s bye, Utah will take on BYU, Colorado, Iowa State and UCF to end the season. Both the Cougars and Cyclones are currently tied atop the Big 12 standings with a clear shot of making it to the Big 12 title game.
Colorado is having a resurgent season under head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders after struggling in 2023. The Buffaloes are also led by two-way star Travis Hunter, a projected Heisman finalist and one of the best cornerbacks in the entire country.
UCF might be the most winnable game on the schedule. But Utah’s rush defense has struggled mightily during its the four-game losing skid. On Saturday, the Utes gave up 228 rushing yards to Houston’s offense which ranks dead-last in the Big 12.
The Knights currently have the No. 1 ranked rushing attack in the conference and No. 2 best in the nation.
It isn’t going to be easy.
But, as Bernard said, the only way left is up.
“We’ve lost, what, now four straight (games),” Utah’s senior running back said. “But, where do we go now? We have to keep going and keep trying to get a win.
“We have to figure something out, and we have to put, like I’ve been saying that, Ws in the win column. That’s the only the only way we can go.”
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