Kyle Whittingham Weekly Press Convention: UCLA

SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah head soccer coach Kyle Whittingham held his weekly press convention on Monday with members of the media contained in the Spence and Cleone Eccles Football Center.

Selected quotes from Coach Whittingham might be seen under. Click here for the total press convention video.

Opening Statement…

The season is right here. Going right down to the Rose Bowl in 5 days for a sport in opposition to the Bruins. [Their] program could be very acquainted to us, though I’d enterprise to say in all probability 90% of the gamers are completely different from after we performed them two years in the past the final time, and so, although we’re very conversant in the venue and this system, it’s going to be very new so far as personnel and the blokes we’ll face. We know they’ve a brand new offensive coordinator who got here from Indiana, so a whole lot of movie examine on the Indiana scheme final 12 months. [Their] defensive coordinator is again, new particular groups coordinator, massive, sturdy, athletic quarterback, [who] transferred from Tennessee. Like any opener, there’s a whole lot of unknowns. Even once you’re enjoying a crew that has had little or no turnover, there’s nonetheless a whole lot of unknowns and issues that you will have to regulate for in-game and never at halftime. There could also be some changes we’ve to make and really seemingly within the first quarter and sometimes in an opener groups that do one of the best job of which have one of the best likelihood of profitable. Hopefully we’re on our sport so far as that goes.

On what he thinks this crew’s identification can be…

Well, there’s a whole lot of new faces, I can inform you that. 50% of the blokes we bought weren’t a part of what went on final 12 months, however we’re enthusiastic about issues we’re doing on offense. It’s a brand new scheme and a brand new quarterback and I feel there will be, hopefully, some good things there. [The] protection has been very stable all by way of fall camp, though they’ve had some issue stopping the offense at instances. Hopefully, that is an excellent indicator for an offense, however you by no means know what you are going to get till you line up and play any individual else. You can solely be taught a lot enjoying in opposition to yourselves. I do know our guys that have been right here final 12 months and went by way of that debacle, I assume, for lack of a greater phrase, are excited to get again on the sector and get going and attempt to make a greater displaying.

On the significance of creating an offensive identification in week one…

We know who we wish to be and what the scheme entails and what the emphasis is, nevertheless it’ll even be an evolution. That’s simply how it’s when you could have once more, half a brand new crew. You do not know a complete lot about a whole lot of the blokes and it’s important to see how they react within the sport state of affairs and who begins to return on and make performs. Every 12 months, it appears to be a pair, two or three guys will actually shock you and a pair guys that you thought have been going to have the ability to rely on do not produce as properly.

On what offers him confidence in Tobias Merriweather…

What we have seen in observe offers us confidence. He’s bought an enormous catch radius, 6 foot 5 or near it, 200 kilos. [He’s] a really clean athletic man, runs actual properly, and has an actual knack for enjoying the contested ball, as you’d anticipate with a man with that body. What we have seen in observe has been very encouraging, however once more, it’s important to do it on sport day.

On UCLA’s defensive entrance…

They’re good up entrance. No. 58, I imagine is the quantity, is their greatest man, an inside man. He’s a very good d[efensive] sort out and UCLA, you realize they’ll have massive, sturdy, athletic guys. They at all times do. They at all times have ever since we joined the Pac-12. They by no means have a scarcity of athletes or physicality, so it’s going to be an enormous problem for our guys, however once more, I stand by that, on paper, that is one of the best offensive line we have had. We’ve bought to exit and show it, however you could have two guys which might be hopefully excessive draft selections and three seniors inside. There’s no cause why we should not be very stable up entrance and that is actually the place to begin for the offense this 12 months is leaning on that offensive line.