Utah Utes tight finish Dalton Kincaid (86) will get tackled by UCLA Bruins defensive again William Nimmo Jr. (32) on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Laura Seitz, Deseret Information
Six weeks into the school soccer season, Utah, which had its sights on back-to-back Pac-12 championships and a berth within the School Soccer Playoff, finds itself with a 4-2 general report.
It’s the similar report the Utes had final 12 months after six video games.
Following a 42-32 loss at UCLA, Utah dropped 9 spots Sunday to No. 20 within the Related Press ballot. The Bruins supplanted the Utes at No. 11.
So with such excessive expectations going into the season, how do the Utes keep collectively as they host No. 7 USC Saturday (6 p.m. MDT, Fox)?
“You’ve simply bought to have unwavering perception and just remember to’re there on your guys it doesn't matter what,” stated quarterback Cam Rising. “I nonetheless assume that we've got our greatest soccer forward of us. We’ve bought to make it possible for we put it collectively and actually execute all through the week in order that we’re flying round come Saturdays.”
Whittingham stated the 4-2 report means his group is “eerily in a really related state of affairs as we have been final 12 months at about this time.”
Nevertheless, there’s no less than one massive distinction — a 12 months in the past, the Utes have been 3-0 in Pac-12 play. Now, they’re 2-1.
With the Trojans, a top-10 opponent, coming to city.
However Whittingham emphasised that the season is way from over.
“I’d be prepared to guess some huge cash that no person goes by means of this convention undefeated. There’s too many good groups,” he stated. “We’re not at all out of competition. The important thing now's for us to choose ourselves up and return to work on Monday, tackle our deficiencies, and change into a greater soccer group subsequent week.
“As a result of it doesn’t get any simpler subsequent week, I can inform you that for sure. We’ve bought a very good group coming into Rice-Eccles subsequent week. We’ve bought to be able to play our ‘A’ recreation. We shall be. Our guys will bounce again and so they’ll play effectively subsequent week.”
After the sport, Whittingham stated he talked to his gamers concerning the 2021 marketing campaign — which ended on the Rose Bowl with a loss to Ohio State — and reminded them that the Utes received 9 of 10 video games to finish the common season.
Utah is hoping for the same end this time.
“That is very paying homage to final 12 months. We picked ourselves off the mat final 12 months and regrouped. We got here again centered and performed some actually good soccer,” Whittingham stated. “That’s what we’ve bought to do that 12 months. It’s the way you reply. Everybody would like to go undefeated.
“However on the finish of the day, there’s most likely possibly one undefeated group on the finish of the common season. You’ve gotta reply. Everybody has to reply from losses at one level or one other. You simply hope it’s not too usually.”
Cornerback Clark Phillips, who scored on a pick-six Saturday for the second consecutive recreation, bristled when it was advised that this Utah group isn’t as hungry, or doesn’t have the identical mojo, because it did final season.
“Personally, I've all the boldness on the earth in my guys. I ain’t misplaced no confidence in them since Recreation 1,” he stated. “These are the identical group of fellows I’d go battle with each single day. I be ok with the vibe, personally. I be ok with it. We simply gotta make extra performs, gotta play our assignments and when performs come our means, we’ve bought to make them.”
Phillips added that, as a group chief, preserving the locker room centered and united is “tremendous necessary” heading into subsequent weekend’s showdown towards USC.
“It’s by no means nearly as good or as dangerous because it appears. As a group, we’re going to look at the movie and get again within the lab and nothing can break us,” Phillips stated. “We’ve been by means of the wringer; so I really feel very assured about these dudes and I’m able to go play.”
No. 7 USC (6-0, 4-0) at No. 20 Utah (4-2, 2-1)
Saturday, 6 p.m. MDT
Rice-Eccles Stadium
TV: Fox
Radio: ESPN 700