Utah kicker Jadon Redding kicks off throughout sport in opposition to Arizona State, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Tempe, Ariz. Rick Scuteri, Related Press
Utah’s lack of a constant kicking sport has harm the offense at occasions this season, in keeping with coach Kyle Whittingham.
In the Utes’ 20-17 loss at Oregon, placekicker Jadon Redding missed a 38-yard discipline objective within the first quarter earlier than making a 45-yarder later within the interval.
Within the fourth quarter, Utah went for it on fourth-and-2 in Oregon territory as an alternative of making an attempt to tie the sport with a discipline objective. The fourth-down try failed on an incomplete go.
What went into that call?
“Analytics; watching discipline objectives in apply,” Whittingham mentioned. “It’s the advantage of making the primary down at that time limit. Every thing goes into it.”
Whittingham admitted this week that the shortage of an efficient kicking sport has negatively affected the red-zone offense “4 to 6 occasions this season.”
That’s most likely a difficulty Whittingham and his workers will handle through the offseason.
In the meantime, Utah’s punt group got here up massive on a fourth down earlier this month.
Within the Utes’ 42-7 win over Stanford on Nov. 12, punter Jack Bouwmeester transformed a fourth down in Utes territory on the primary drive of the sport. On fourth-and-5, Bouwmeester rolled out, noticed a gap and rushed 14 yards for a primary down.
“It’s constructed into the system. After we rugby punt, we roll out, if the punter feels that there’s no person forcing the problem with no person to comprise the play, he has the inexperienced mild to, anytime he needs, pull it down,” Whittingham defined. “So he did that on his personal but it surely’s coached and it’s a part of the system.
“When you bear in mind Mitch Wishnowsky, he did it a number of occasions when he was a participant right here. Jack’s an excellent athlete and he noticed it. We noticed it on movie examine that generally they don’t play this appropriately. He was precisely proper in his determination and acquired the primary down.”
Utes on the air
No. 10 Utah (8-3, 6-2)
at Colorado (1-7, 1-10)
Saturday, 2 p.m. MST
Folsom Discipline
TV: Pac-12 Community
Radio: ESPN 700