2003 UTAH FOOTBALL Jon M. Huntsman Center Assistant AD/Sports Information Dir.: Liz Abel 1825 E. South Campus Dr. • Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0900 Associate SID: Mike Lageschulte Phone 801.581.3510 • Fax 801.581.4358 Assistant SID: Hope Wagner Office Manager: Nicole Forrest Publications Coordinator: Melissa Hall UTAH VS. AIR FORCE GAME NOTES 2003 UTAH SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time/Result TV Released Oct. 27, 2003 8-28+ Utah State W, 40-20 Contact: Liz Abel (801) 581-3511; [email protected] 9-6 at Texas A&M L, 26-28 KJZZ 9-11 California W, 31-24 ESPN 9-27 at Colorado State* W, 28-21 KJZZ Game 9 Utah (6-2, 3-1 MWC) vs. Air Force (6-2, 3-1) 10-3^ Oregon W, 17-13 ESPN2 Date Saturday, Nov. 1 10-11 San Diego State* (HC) W, 27-6 KJZZ Kickoff 10:00 a.m. MST 10-18 at UNLV* W, 28-10 ESPN+Plus Site Colorado Springs, Colo. [Falcon Stadium/52,480/Grass] 10-25 New Mexico* L, 35-47 ESPN+Plus TV ESPN2 11-1 at Air Force* 10:00 a.m. MT ESPN2 Radio KALL 700 AM 11-8 open 11-15 Wyoming* tba 11-22 at Brigham Young* 1:00 p.m. MT ESPN+Plus HC-Homecoming; *MWC game > Utah (6-2, 3-1 MWC) will play Air Force (6-2, 3-1 MWC) in Colorado Springs, Saturday, Nov. 1, in an ESPN2 televised contest starting at 10:00 a.m. MST. TELEVISION Station: ESPN2. Talent: Pam Ward (play by play), Chris Spielman > Utah and Air Force are tied for first in the Mountain West Confer- (analyst). Satellite Coordinates: none. ence standings with 3-1 league records. Other teams with one MWC RADIO loss are Colorado State and New Mexico, both 2-1 against league All Ute football games are broadcast live on the Utah Sports Network and on schools. the Internet (www.kall700.com): KALL 700 AM (Salt Lake City), KUTA (Blanding), KOAL (Price), KSVC (Richfield), KVEL (Vernal). Talent: Play- > Utah dropped out of the national rankings after a 47-35 loss to New by-play Bill Marcroft; analyst Frank Dolce; sidelines Sharrieff Shah. Brad Mexico last week. The Utes were ranked No. 24 in the Associated Stone hosts the pre-game and post-game shows. Press poll and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll on Oct. 19. MWC TELECONFERENCE Tuesdays from Aug. 26-Nov. 18, Utah coach Urban Meyer will participate in the MWC teleconference at 10:32 a.m. (MT). The call-in number is (801) 303- 7410. Replay is (402) 220-0148. INTERVIEW REQUESTS Player and coach interviews are conducted at the conclusion of WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE practice. There are no interviews the day prior to the game or game Urban Meyer and select players will participate in a weekly press day (until after the game). Most practices are held at the McCarthey conference every Monday through Nov. 17 from 1-2 p.m. in the Smith Center. Practice Fields. To arrange for phone interviews and to check on practice times or location, please contact assistant athletics director Liz KJZZ COACH'S TELEVISION SHOW Abel at 801-581-3511. The Coach's Show with Urban Meyer is televised by KJZZ-TV every Sunday at 5 p.m. during the football season. PRACTICE POLICIES Practices are closed to the public but open to the media unless KALL RADIO RED ZONE & COACH'S SHOW otherwise specified. Television cameras may video the first 30 minutes The Red Zone, a daily sports show covering University of Utah sports, will of practice and then return for post-practice interviews. feature head coach Urban Meyer every Monday from 9:05-9:15 a.m. (Aug. 25-Nov. 17). The KALL 700 Coach's Show with Urban Meyer is every Tentative Practice Schedule Oct. 27-Oct. 31 Thursday from 7-8 p.m. Host for both is Brad Stone. Monday 4:00-5:15 p.m. (McCarthey Practice Fields) Tuesday 3:25-5:15 p.m. (McCarthey Practice Fields) MWC WEEKLY SATELLITE FEED Wednesday 5:00-6:45 (Rice-Eccles Stadium) Satellite highlights of MWC football games will be available every Wednes- Thursday 3:30-5:00 p.m. (McCarthey Practice Fields) day from 3:30-4:00 p.m. MT from Sept. 3-Nov. 19. Coordinates for the feed: Friday closed walk-through in SLC Galaxy 11, Transponder K12, Downlink Frequency 11940 V. www.UtahUtes.com 1 2003 UTAH FOOTBALL NOTES WARFIELD OUT Utah General Information Senior running back Brandon Warfield, who led the conference in Location: Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 rushing by averaging 118.4 yards per game through the first seven President: Dr. Bernie Machen games, was injured in the first quarter of last Saturday’s game after just 2 Athletics Director: Dr. Chris Hill rushes for 6 yards. Warfield sprained his left knee against the Lobos and Conference: Mountain West Conference will be out for the next 2-3 weeks. Prior to the injury, Warfield was ranked Enrollment: 28,300 No. 8 in the nation in rushing yards per game and was second in the Nickname: Utes MWC in scoring at 8.6 points per game. He had accounted for 68% of Colors: Crimson, White Stadium: Rice-Eccles (45,017/FieldTurf) Utah’s total rushing yards. Warfield was a preseason all-conference pick after making the all-MWC second team as a junior last year. Utah Sports Information Contact Assistant Athletics Director/SID: Liz Abel YOU GO BO! O: (801) 581-3511 Junior returner Bo H: (801) 596-1650 Nagahi was named email: [email protected] Mountain West Confer- ence Special Teams UTAH-AIR FORCE SERIES AT A GLANCE Series Record: Air Force leads 13-6 Player of the Week after UTAH FOOTBALL COACH URBAN MEYER First Game with AFA: 1957 (Utah 34-0) setting a conference Series Streak: Air Force 3 Record record for kick return Last Utah Win: 1999 (21-15) Year School Overall Conference yards against New Last AFA Win: 2002 (30-26) 2001 Bowling Green 8-3 5-3 Mexico. Nagahi returned In Colorado Springs: Air Force leads 7-2 2002 Bowling Green 9-3 6-2 seven kickoffs for 193 Last Ute Win in C. Springs: 1999 (21-15) 2003 Utah 6-2 3-1 yards, which is tied for Last Falcon Win in C. Springs: 2001 (38-37) Totals 23-8 14-6 the second-best mark in Utah history and the Education best by a Ute kick returner since 1986. For the season, Nagahi has 17 Cincinnati, 1986 Bachelor’s kickoff returns for 455 yards, an average of 26.8, with a long return of 53 in psychology yards (vs. UNM). He is currently ranked No. 19 in the country in kick Ohio State, 1988 return average. Nagahi’s MWC honor is marks the seventh time this Master’s in season that a Ute has won player of the week. sports administration MARKING MEYER Urban Meyer is 6-2 at Utah and 23-8 in his third year as a head coach. He is 7-1 against BCS teams with his only loss a 28-26 setback to Texas Head Coach Urban Meyer A&M. Widely considered one of the up-and-comers in the college coaching ranks, Meyer, 39, was hired by Utah on Dec. 12, 2002 after leading Bowling Green to a two-year record of 17-6. Under Meyer, BGSU cracked the AP Top 20 after starting the 2002 season with eight straight wins. Named the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year as a first- year head coach in 2001, Meyer went 8-3 and 9-3 in his two years at BG. COACHES’ GAME DAY LOCATIONS His previous coaching stops included assistantships at Ohio State On The Field (graduate assistant), Illinois State, Colorado State and Notre Dame. Urban Meyer (Head Coach) Meyer is 0-0 against Air Force. Kyle Whittingham (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers) Brent Myers (Offensive Guards/Centers) LAST WEEK Billy Gonzales (Wide Receivers) Utah suffered a meltdown against New Mexico, losing its first home game Dan Mullen (Quarterbacks) of the year by a 47-35 score. It was the most points allowed by a Ute team Mike Tuiasosopo (Defensive Tackles) since Rice scored 51 points against the 1996 Utes. The Utes lost the Jay Hill (Graduate Assistant-Cornerbacks) MWC’s best running back just six plays into the game when Brandon In the Press Box Warfield sprained his knee. True freshman Mike Liti rushed for a career- Mike Sanford (Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs) best 81 yards and his first collegiate TD as Warfield’s replacement. Alex Kurt Barber (Defensive Ends) Smith, under constant blitzing pressure, passed for 220 yards and 4 Bill Busch (Defensive Backs) touchdowns, two to freshman Steve Savoy. Linebacker Ray Holdcraft’s John Hevesy (Offensive Tackles/Tight Ends) career-high 13 tackles led the defense. Freshman DB Eric Weddle had 9 Tim Ridder (Graduate Assistant-Offensive Line) tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and an interception. 2 www.UtahUtes.com 2003 UTAH FOOTBALL NOTES SERIES HISTORY MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE STANDINGS Air Force leads the series 13-6 and has won the last three. The Utes have won just twice in Falcon Stadium (1992, 1999), where AFA Team MWC Overall leads 7-2. Utah ................................ 3-1 .............. 6-2 Air Force ......................... 3-1 .............. 6-2 UTAH VS. THE MWC Colorado State ................ 2-1 .............. 5-3 Utah’s all-time record against current MWC teams is 195-122-10. New Mexico ................... 2-1 .............. 5-3 Brigham Young ................ 3-3 .............. 4-5 Here’s how Utah has fared against its MWC rivals: Air Force 6-13, Wyoming .......................