Kyle Whittingham clapped his hands, as the chorus of the Ute band echoed through the night air.
He looked down at the green turf beneath his feet. Then he rubbed his chin briefly and surveyed the players around him before soaking in the reality of a seventh-straight loss.
Moments before, Utah kicker Cole Becker’s 53-yard game-tying field goal attempt sailed right of the upright for another stunning 31-28 defeat to No. 22 Iowa State during Utah’s senior night. It was another game where the hopes of Utah’s season fell short. This time it just so happened to be the death of the Utes’ aspirations for bowl eligibility.
“They (the seniors) deserved better this season,” Whittingham said after the game. “Tough loss. The team battled from start to finish. Kind of the story of the season. Couldn’t get enough offense generated. Only found the end zone once offensively.
“It just wasn’t enough again tonight.”
Once the preseason favorite to win the conference, 2024 has been far from what Utah had imagined.
“It’s life,” Utah senior defensive end Connor O’Toole said, as tears welled from his eyes. “Things haven’t fallen our way this year. We haven’t got the results that we wanted, but that’s life, and that happens. And you get back up tomorrow, the sun still rises, and you go to work.”
Whether it be the season-ending injuries to some of the Utes‘ most important playmakers, the controversial calls made in late game drives or, maybe, the lack of a consistent offense Utah has had all season, each loss has been a reminder of the reality O’Toole mentioned.
This will be the first time the Utes have missed out on a bowl game since the 2013 season.
Utah’s offense falls short again, Wilson injured
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes staff help Utah Utes quarterback Isaac Wilson (11) off the field after an injury during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
Once again, Utah’s offense was the main culprit for another loss.
True freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson struggled in his seventh consecutive start. He finished 8 of 8 with 74 passing yards and a fumble before injuring his left leg while scrambling.
The injury bug had struck again. First it was Cam Rising, then Brandon Rose and Sam Huard. Now it’s Wilson who is on the injury report.
But, even before his injury, the freshman quarterback was plagued with the same issues that have held him back in 2024.
He turned the ball over once, held onto the ball too long in the pocket and was sacked twice.
“I think there’s probably a combination of things,” Whittingham said of Wilson’s struggles. “Not wanting to make a mistake is on the top of the list. We’ve turned over the ball excessively this year, and in order to have a chance you can’t do that. We didn’t turn the ball over excessively, so that was one of the reasons why we were in this ball game.”
After Wilson went down with an injury, senior quarterback Luke Bottari was forced to step in to try to win the game. In stints, he breathed new life into Utah’s offense, particularly with its rushing attack.
Bottari finished with a team-high 47 rushing yards, including one 40-yard run that ultimately allowed senior running back Micah Bernard to score a one-yard touchdown. His play gave Utah a 28-24 lead with 5:51 remaining in the game before the Cyclones went down and sealed the game.
“I just told the boys no flinch,” Bottari said. “It doesn’t matter who’s in there, we play as one on offense and defense.”
It’s likely, according to Whittingham, that Bottari will finish off Utah’s season finale as the starter due to Wilson’s injury.
“I’m proud of Luke, and (he‘ll) probably be our quarterback next week,” Whittingham said. “We won’t know for a day or two but hope Isaac is going to be OK. I don’t think it’s real serious but again [I’ll] reserve judgment until we get the final doctor results.”
If that’s the case, the Utes and Whittingham must now survey what’s next at the quarterback position. Rising is still mulling a potential return for an eighth season. Wilson has disappointed in his seven starts. Rose looked promising in his lone start against BYU.
Still, the Utes may look toward a veteran quarterback in the transfer portal. Whether or not Wilson is included in Utah’s future plans is yet to be seen.
“We need to be better as coaches,” Whittingham said. “We’re not pinning this on Isaac Wilson by any means. But, we’ll evaluate the whole body of work at the end of the season. At the end of the year we’ll look at what he was able to do and look at what the numbers were because statistics matter. They matter a lot.
“It’s one of the positions that are statistically driven. And, so, we’ll make those decisions when we get that game complete next week.”
OC search heats up
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Luke Bottari (15) throws the ball during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
With one game left on the schedule, Utah’s shopping season will begin very soon.
The first order of business: hiring a new offensive coordinator to replace Andy Ludwig, who resigned from the Utes in October.
“Taking a look at everybody,” Whittingham said of Utah’s OC search. “Everybody in the country essentially. (We‘re) looking at who’s done what and who’s done what where and with what personnel. I mean there’s a lot that goes into it.
“It’s not just whichever team scores the most. ... We’re doing a thorough search, and it’s important that we get someone in place sooner rather than later.”
For Whittingham, that means getting someone on board before early signing day on Wednesday, Dec. 4 through Friday, Dec. 6.
In the meantime, Utah will have to focus on their final game vs. UCF at 6 p.m. MT next Friday in Orlando, Florida.
That contest provides the Utes one last opportunity to end their season with a win.
“I have no doubt we’ll come out fighting,” Bottari said. “Every game’s been close, that just speaks to the character of our team. I have no doubt we’ll come out fighting and try to end on a high note.”
