2007 Utah Utes Football Preview

2007 Utah Utes season preview from Maddux Sports. Below you can find our official Utah Utes football preview as well as the 2007 Utah Utes Football Schedule. If you are college football betting against the college football odds consider Maddux's winning NCAA football picks.

Coach: Kyle Whittingham (3rd year at Utah)
Team Name: Utes
2006 Overall Record: 8-5
Returning Starters: 16

The Utah Utes (8- 5 overall, 5- 3 MWC) are coached by Kyle Whittingham (15- 10), who is now starting his third year. Last season, the club tied for 3rd in the Mountain West Conference and advanced to its fourth bowl game in as many years. As usual, the Utes won their post-season contest; this time it was in the Armed Forces Bowl, defeating Tulsa 25- 13.

The Utes scoring unit was rated 33rd overall, averaging a total of 27.9 PPG. Junior QB Brian Johnson returns after a medical redshirt sidelined him for the entire 2006 season. He got talent and soaked up a lot of knowledge by watching replacement QB Brett Ratliff. The receiving unit has three topnotch performers in senior WR Derrek Richards (60 REC, 717 YDs, 6 TDs) junior WR Brian Hernandez and junior Brent Casteel offer a lot of experience. Senior RB Darryl Poston (145 CAR, 553 YDs, 5 TDs) must do better than 3.8 YPC. There's hope that he'll average more per run as most of the offensive line returns.

The offensive squad features senior DE Martail Burnett, who returns having posted 5.5 sacks in 2006. Free safety Steve Tate comes back as the best tackler, having earned 102 tackles with 58 being solo. The line-backing unit is both tough and fast with seniors Joe Jiannoni at MLB and Malakai Mokofisi at SLB looking to attack ball carriers. Watch for corner Brice McCain to use his athleticism to become one of the best in the conference. Junior college guys arrive to help out.

This team has won six straight bowl contests. This season, their defense will be hard-pressed to stop the pass despite improvements. The Utes have four tough games versus Oregon State, UCLA, Louisville and BYU. Pulling an upset in any one of those games could be the difference between first, second and third place.

Utah Utes Football Schedule

Date	Opponent	Home/Away
Aug 30	Oregon St	Away
Sep 8	Air Force	Home
Sep 15	UCLA	Home
Sep 22	UNLV	Away
Sep 29	Utah St	Home
Oct 5	Louisville	Away
Oct 13	San Diego St	Home
Oct 18	TCU	Away
Oct 27	Colorado St	Away
Nov 10	Wyoming	Home
Nov 17	New Mexico	Home
Nov 24	BYU	Away

 

For more info on the 2007 Utah Utes football program, view the Utes website or read up on the rest of the non BCS ncaa football teams below.