2008 Utah Utes Football Preview

2008 Utah Utes season preview from Maddux Sports. Below you can find our official Utah Utes football preview as well as the 2008 Utah Utes Football Schedule. Get Free football predictions against the sportsbooks college football betting line.

Coach: Kyle Whittingham (4th year at Utah)
Team Name: Utes
2007 Overall Record: 9-4
Returning Starters: 14

Last year, the Utah Utes (9-4 overall, 5-3 MWC) finished third in the conference. The team traveled to the Poinsettia Bowl where they beat Navy in a close one 35-32. The last time Utah earned conference honors was in 2004. It’s doubtful they’ll take the top spot in 2008.

Senior quarterback Brian Johnson (272 ATT, 181 COMP, 1,847 YDS, 11 TDs, 10 INT) suffered through an injury filled season but showed guts and wile as he continued to lead his team through 2007. Shoulder surgery during the off-season should help him regain his old form. The receiving group includes the athletic Brent Casteel, who sat out last season with an injury. Senior wideout Brandon Godfrey (50 REC, 524 YDS, 3 TDS) is a good pass catcher. RB Darrell Mack (253 CAR, 1,204 YDS, 12 TDS), a senior, is a dynamic and capable rusher. The O-line is composed of quality talent.

In 2007 during the first two games, the Utes played the run horribly. After making some changes, the defenses line played exceptionally well for the rest of the season. Junior DE Koa Misi and sophomore DE Paul Kruger offer solid play and leadership upfront. Senior OLB Stevenson Sylvester (86 tackles, 45 solo), who posted 10 tackles for a loss, leads the linebacking unit. There are 10 D-backs returning; all have solid experience.

The team opens on August 30 against Michigan. That is considered to be a loss. But if the Utes can pull an upset, they’ll be well on their way to re-establishing themselves as a premiere team. The November 6 game against TCU and the November 22 contest versus BYU are both tossups.

Since coach Kyle Whittingham (24-14 in three years) took over, the Utes have not been able to capture the conference title. In fact, they’ve been prone to losing winnable and important games that would have defined them as one of the nation’s best. They’d love to get that monkey off their back in 2008.

Utah Utes Football Schedule

Date	Opponent	Home/Away
Aug 30	Michigan	Away
Sep 6	UNLV	Home
Sep 13	Utah St	Away
Sep 20	Air Force	Away
Sep 27	Weber St	Home
Oct 2	Oregon St	Home
Oct 11	Wyoming	Away
Oct 18	Colorado St	Home
Nov 1	New Mexico	Away
Nov 6	TCU	Home
Nov 15	San Diego St	Away
Nov 22	BYU	Home

 

For more info on the 2008 Utah Utes football program, view the Utes website or read up on the rest of the non BCS ncaa football teams below.