Utah Utes Eye Improvement
Utah Utes Eye Improvement
The University of Utah beat Utah State over the weekend, and given that USU had already beaten Air Force, it’s perhaps time to take a closer look at whether the Utes are making a comeback.
Captain Logan Hawes said the 38-29 win was the result of a number of factors.
“It was a great game against a very stout Utah State side,” Hawes told GRR. “I am really happy with the boys and feel like everyone is doing their job and allowing the team to succeed.”
With center Karsten Siedel exerting defensive pressure and making open-field tackles, and No. 8 Ian Wormer also defending smartly and making key positive carries, they were able to keep the Aggies’ offense in check.
Siedel also scored a crucial try to start the second half, chasing the kickoff, stealing the ball, and galloping on to the tryline. Kade Clark, Wormer, Owen Burnside, and Marin Grover also scored tries, with flyhalf Wyatt Lunz going a perfect 5-for-5 on conversions and adding a penalty, as well.
Hawes said the team’s kicking game has been a strength, as has their ability to disrupt opposing lineouts.
“We’re getting lots of steals off the top and poaches within one or two phases and that allowed us to keep the pressure on and keep play in their half and take advantage of scoring opportunities.”
All of that addresses the specific game, but not the broader issues of how the team operates.
Utah used to be a national title contender, but a series of difficulties, including an on-campus suspension several years ago, and a series of coaching changes, made sustaining that more and more difficult. But Utah is still a desirable college for talented rugby players. The Utes have worked on recruiting and the recruiting is starting to pay off.
Success in the earlier part of the 2000s was due to talent and athleticism, but also to culture. Players who had succeeded at Highland HS and other high schools wanted to prepare and train to win. Now, that desire is there but there needs to be that coaching consistency and that financial support, too.
(Photos: @qphotofolder)
“We just take things week by week, stay disciplined, and play our game,” said Hawes. “We have plenty of talent in our upperclassmen as well as our freshmen and sophomores, as well as a phenomenal coaching staff developing our athletes, so there’s a lot of competition for spots. I get the boys focused on competing with each other and earning their spot for that weekend, working our way game-by-game through the season.”
The unglamorous stuff is what makes it happen, said Hawes, who is also the club vice president. The player leadership board does a ton of work on scheduling and fundraising as well as working with coaches on the team’s direction.
“Our coaches value our feedback and change the play style based on that,” Hawes said. “It gives us a sense of responsibility and pride in the our club and University of Utah that we represent. We try to instill this pride and responsibility into our players. It helps us, especially the underclassmen, take responsibility for their growth as a player and their positional responsibility on the field. This leads to them developing creativity in play and a smooth team dynamic that helps us play cohesively as a unit.”
These are words of maturity from a program that will only get better with that approach. Instead of lamenting the obstacles, this new Utah Utes rugby team has formulated a process and a plan to overcome them. Big surprise, it’s showing in the results already.
