Player Leadership On Display For Utah Football Following Loss To BYU

Nov 11, 2024, 4:06 PM | Updated: 4:21 pm

Utah Football Team Huddle, PHOTO by Steve Bartle

Utah Insider

SALT LAKE CITY—In Utah’s stunning 22-21 loss to BYU, victory was snatched from their grasp in the game’s final moments.

A loss like that can be difficult for all involved to stomach, as evidenced by Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan’s post-game commentary

However, in the immediate aftermath, Utah players showed a lot of leadership.

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Utah Player Leadership On Display After BYU Rivalry Game

In the immediate aftermath, the young men who had just spent the previous 60 minutes putting everything on the line for Utah showed grace and restraint. There were certainly instances of frustration on their part, but for the most part, the players showed humility and leadership.

Utah fan Brady Pett posted a video of tight end Landen King picking up trash thrown onto the field.

Classy move by Landen King picking up trash that the fans threw on the field.

Pathetic display of sportsmanship to end the game by the fans. pic.twitter.com/k8dalTVmlx

— Brady (@brady_2025) November 10, 2024

“What the video doesn’t show is that this was Landen’s third trip of handfuls of trash to the garbage can,” Brady Pett told KSL Sports. “I felt it was an extremely classy move by Landen, and I was really impressed by his example. To be like that after a tough loss speaks volumes to his character and epitomizes what it means to be a Utah Man.”

Utah players gave this contest everything they had. This display sets a powerful example for teammates and, hopefully, for the greater community. This is a group of young men that program leaders and the fanbase should be proud represent them.

This is just one instance of that leadership, and there will continue to be displays of leadership from Utah players because that’s the sort of character they possess.

Kyle Whittingham Defends Players, Praises Them For Effort, Leadership

“Tough way to lose a ball game, unfortunate way to lose a ball game,” Kyle Whittingham said in his postgame presser on Saturday night. “Proud of our guys, proud of our players, they battled, they should hold their heads high. It’s not on them, it’s not on them. They did everything they could from start to finish and I’m proud of them.”

Whittingham will always protect his players; that’s his M.O. as a head coach. That is reflected throughout his staff and program as well. Coaches will take the blame before players do. It’s part of the family culture that Whittingham has built over the years because he and his staff are invested in developing good players and people.

Developing player leadership is an incredibly important process at Utah. It’s often cited when teams achieve success, but it can also manifest itself in difficult circumstances.

“Love our guys, love our players, love coaching this team,” Whittingham said on Monday. “We’ve got a lot of high-character players on this football team. They’ve continued to battle every week.”

The results have not been fun this season, as Utah has struggled to find the answers to secure more success. This loss was particularly tough, and there were many poor reactions to it, yet the players revealed their high-character.

“To see how they’ve handled themselves and continue to compete and fight, it has been awesome to see that happen,” Whittingham said. “This year hasn’t turned out anything like we hoped it would or were expecting, but they’ve continued to stay in the fight and continue to work hard.”

Concerns and frustrations about the Utah program are valid for all involved. Eventually, that success will return for Utah because players and coaches are committed to it.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham chimed in on this weekend's post-game drama, and so did I. #GoUtes https://t.co/3yUYZzKwDg

— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) November 11, 2024