SALT LAKE CITY — Call it an identity crisis or failing to live up to expectations, but Utah football was not living up to the standards it had set for itself prior to the season start.
And that’s not just locker room talk about lofty expectations with little actual chance of the goals becoming a reality. No, Utah entered the season as a strong contender in the Pac-12 and was slated to have a big season. Talk about a Pac-12 Championship appearance, albeit a difficult road, was not out of the realm of possibility this season.
But after devastating losses to Washington and Washington State, two losses that were not out of Utah’s possibility of winning, the program was desperate for a reboot; an opportunity to finally showcase the hard work the players have put into the season since January.