Utah coach Kyle Whittingham defended his fourth-down decisions during Tuesday’s press conference, two days after the Utes fell 24-21 to BYU in their rivalry matchup.
“Obviously a tough, tough loss in the rivalry game this past weekend. I thought our guys fought hard, extremely hard, and I’m proud of the way they hung in there till the bitter end. Did some really good things in the game… but lost some key battles — turnover margin first and foremost, and red-zone production. Those were the two biggest keys to the game. That was the difference.”
The Utes controlled most statistical categories but couldn’t convert in crucial situations.
“We outrushed them, outthrew them, got more first downs than them. There were a lot of positives. But we lost some key battles. That was the difference in the game. Disappointing, like I said, but we’ve got a lot of season left.”
Junior quarterback Devon Dampier completed 20 of 36 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His 79.0 QBR showed steady play despite the loss.
“He actually didn’t have a bad game overall. He rushed the ball effectively. Right now, our forte is running the football. We’re in the top five or six in the nation. Devin’s been a great quarterback for us. I think he’s number ten in the country in QBR.”
Analytics Drive Fourth-Down Calls
Whittingham pushed back when asked about his decision to go for it on fourth down instead of attempting field goals.
“Analytics takes all that into consideration as well. If you think you’re smart in analytics, you’re not. Anybody out there, if you think you got a better grasp of the game and strategy than the analytics do, you don’t.”
The coach explained his approach relies on data rather than gut feelings.
“In that particular situation you were talking about, it was a full-on go all the way up to fourth-and-five or less. So at fourth-and-one, it’s a no-brainer. I don’t know anyone in the country that subscribes to analytics, and I’d say 90 percent, maybe 100 percent of Power Four teams do, who wouldn’t have gone for it in that situation.”
When pressed about the unsuccessful attempts, Whittingham remained firm in his reasoning.
“Touchdowns are so much more valuable than field goals. A field goal is actually a loss in the red zone. That means you’ve moved the ball and got within striking distance, but you bogged down. We try to do everything we can to score touchdowns, as does everyone in the country.”
He rejected the idea that poor results automatically mean poor decisions.
“Bad result doesn’t necessarily mean it was a bad decision going into it. People that say, ‘If you’d have kicked a field goal, add three points to the score’ — that’s entirely false. The score changes, people’s tactics change, play-calling changes. You can’t just say, ‘Well, if he’d done this or that, this would’ve been the score.’ That’s ludicrous.”
Colorado Presents Different Challenge
Utah shifts focus to Saturday’s matchup with Colorado and coach Deion Sanders. Whittingham warned against looking at the Buffaloes’ 3-4 record as an indicator of their talent level.
“I mean, I know they’re three and four, but the combined record of those four losses of the teams they played is 25 and three. They’ve played some really good teams. They’re a much better football team than their record indicates. I can tell you that for certain.”
The Utah coach praised Sanders’ impact on the program.
“They’re well coached. Coach Sanders has done a great job there. He’s charismatic and highly energetic. He’s got a ton of juice.”
Colorado’s mobile quarterback creates specific challenges for Utah’s defense, which has struggled against dual-threat quarterbacks this season.
“They’ve got a quarterback who’s really a good runner. That’s one of the reasons our run defense this year is not as good as it typically is. We’ve seen so much quarterback run game in the first seven games of the year, and this is another guy that runs the ball exceptionally well.”
The Buffaloes excel in red-zone situations, converting touchdowns at a 72 percent rate.
“They’ve got a 72-percent red-zone touchdown percentage, which is outstanding. They’re doing a lot of good things.”
Whittingham emphasized the importance of preparation for Colorado’s visit.
“We’ve got to be at our best and be ready. We’ve got to have a great week of preparation like always and just continue our process….They’re much better than their record shows…We’ve got to be ready.”
Despite the frustrating loss to BYU, the coach stressed there’s plenty of season remaining.
“We’re just over the halfway point. A lot of football left to play.”
