A Tale of Two Seasons: Part V of XIII

I thought the Utes were going to lose to Air Force. I thought the Utes were going to lose to TCU. I thought the Utes were going to lose to Alabama. And this year, I was sure the Utes were going to lose to Colorado State.

I need to stop assuming the worst.
Every year I walk into the stadium carrying enough camera equipment to make a football player struggle, and at some point during the game the same line pops into my head, "We're fuckin' going to lose."

By the 3rd quarter I had watched the Utes fumble the ball multiple times. Colorado State was ahead 14 points. Just like the Little Engine that could, I thought the Utes had it in them to make a come back, but they needed something. That something arrived later in the 3rd quarter when the quarterback threw the first of 3 interceptions to Robert Johnson.

But that stuff happens every year. The Utes are always surprising me. Just when I think I know what the team will do, I'm reminded that anything can happen, including amazing wins against TCU and Alabama.

And at the same time, they've also had some lackluster wins. Like last year, the Utes faced Weber State—a Division II school, which means we should have kicked their asses back to last week but instead won with a 16-point margin.
A homecoming win over Ron McBride and the Wildcats was good because as any coach will tell you, a win is a win. Put into context, that win looked like a loss.
I was actually more worried about Oregon State. Two nights before the Weber State game, I watched as the Beavers beat No.1 USC. It made me wonder what would happen to the Utes when they entered Rice-Eccles Stadium next week.

To ease my mind, I was looking forward to a beat down of Weber State to show that our beloved team was who we knew (hoped) they were. They were able to put together a good half before giving up late touchdowns that left us with the opposite feeling.
This year, we had grim hopes as Colorado State seemed to be treating their alum to a homecoming win. But on that frigid October night, Utes fans got to see just how good Robert Johnson could be.
Despite being down 14 points, it felt that Utah was close to getting back in the game. They just needed that spark to get them going. That's when Johnson stepped up and got a pick. The offence went on to score, and then Johnson helped them seal the win with two more.
At the end of the game I went to get shots of RoJo. He was exchanging words with some Ram fans and said one of the best lines I have ever heard. He told the fans, “Go home. Just go home. You're going home with the L because No. 17 said so.” Then he ran off to celebrate with the team.
The team then prepared to go to Vegas the next week where the temperatures are sure to be at least 50 to 60 degrees warmer then the 24 it was in Fort Collins. Woohoo for LV!