Week Nine

Kaylee has been on a roll. She scored a perfect 6-0 again last week for the second week in a row. I missed the Memphis/Navy game, so I ended up 5-1. That puts Kaylee at 29-19 and I sit at 35-13. Here we go again this week. There's some big match ups. Utah State and Utah have very good games and BYU has a bye.

San Diego State at Utah State

Jordan's Pick: San Diego State Kaylee's Pick: Utah State

San Diego State has one of the best running backs in the nation. Utah State allows around 152 yards per game, but I think that is going to change. San Diego State will be able to hold Utah State in check while also running all over the Aggies. San Diego State should win big.

No. 4 Washington at No. 17 Utah

Jordan's Pick: Utah Kaylee's Pick: Utah

College GameDay will be coming to Utah to watch the best Pac-12 match up of the year. Washington hasn't had much competition, but QB Jake Browning has been gathering up Heisman hopes all year. He has only thrown two interceptions all year. Utah leads (tied) all teams in interceptions though. Utah's defense will be, by far, the toughest defense the Huskies have faced. Utah, on the other hand, has had some stiff competition, but Washington's defense will be the toughest test yet. Washington's defense also forces more turnovers than any other team. Washington will win if Jake Browning can prove he's the real deal. Utah will win if they can force Browning into tough situations. I think Utah's defense will be able to stay off the field enough to get the win.

No. 7 Nebraska at No. 11 Wisconsin

Jordan's Pick: Wisconsin Kaylee's Pick: Nebraska

Nebraska is undefeated and has had some tight games against some below-average opponents. Wisconsin has lost twice in incredibly close games to Ohio State and Michigan back-to-back. Nebraska won't be in the top 10 for much longer once the schedule gets tougher. Wisconsin should win this game.

No. 3 Clemson at No. 12 Florida State

Jordan's Pick: Clemson Kaylee's Pick: Clemson

Clemson's DeShaun Watson is a Heisman hopeful again this year and has already knocked off Louisville. Florida State's Dalvin Cook is also a Heisman hopeful. This game will come down to who can stop who more. Clemson has the better defense and Cook won't have the luxury of keeping the defense guessing without a strong QB. Clemson should be able to stop Florida State enough for the win.

No. 10 West Virginia at Oklahoma State

Jordan's Pick: Oklahoma State Kaylee's Pick: Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State will just try to outscore you. Don't expect them to stop anyone from scoring much. West Virginia has won some incredibly close games, but I don't know if they'll be able to keep up with Oklahoma State. I'm not sure why, but I think Oklahoma State will be capable of putting up big numbers and knocking off an undefeated West Virginia team.

No. 2 Michigan at Michigan State

Jordan's Pick: Michigan Kaylee's Pick: Michigan

Michigan State owns a three-game winning streak against bitter rival Michigan. The Spartans will be going for number four in a row, and it would take something crazier than last year's miracle finish to propel the Spartans to victory. Michigan will roll.

Spencer W. Kimball Quote

Sometimes there are just quotes that I can't help but fall in love with. Each morning, I try to read a conference talk from the Gospel Library app. I started in 1970 somewhere around May this year, and I am now currently in 1974. I love it! I love reading about the things that the Church leaders had to say then, that still fully apply to us now. 

This quote got me thinking though.

President Spencer W. Kimball said in April 1960 (quoted by President N. Eldon Tanner in April 1974):

"What mother looking down with tenderness upon her chubby infant does not envision her child as the President of the Church or the leader of her nation! As he is nestled in her arms, she sees him a statesman, a leader, a prophet. Some dreams do come true! One mother gives us a Shakespeare, another an Abraham Lincoln, and still another a Joseph Smith!

When theologians are reeling and stumbling, when lips are pretending and hearts are wandering, and people are 'running to and fro seeking the word of the Lord and cannot find it' -- when clouds of error need dissipating and spiritual darkness needs penetrating and heavens need opening, a little infant is born."

Picture from lds.org.

How amazing is that way of thinking? Each child that is born has the potential to become essentially whatever he or she wants to become. That child could be the best at whatever they choose that we've ever seen. They could be the type of person that leads the nation or possibly the LDS church. Heck, even if that child grew up to convert one other person to the truthfulness of the restored Gospel, it would be worth it. For God has said in Doctrine and Covenants section 18:

"10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; 

...

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"

I loved this quote so much! Your child could be anything in this world, so make sure he or she picks a good one! Make sure they stay on track as they go also!

If you want to see the Conference quotes I post on Facebook, feel free to add me and mention you found me here or I may not confirm.

Week Eight

Week seven was a solid week for Kaylee and me. We both won all of the picks. Maybe I picked easier picks than I thought. Oh well, nothing wrong with picking an easy week, just ask the guys from College Gameday. Kaylee is now 23-19, and I am 30-12. This week should be fun. BYU plays early, so we've got to get on this quickly. Luckily it's SUU's fall break.

BYU at No. 14 Boise State

Jordan's Pick: Boise State Kaylee's Pick: Boise State

This is another chance for BYU to win against a solid opponent. This time, the team is ranked and undefeated. BYU is on a three-game winning streak against Toledo, Michigan State and Mississippi State. Boise State is undefeated and just survived a late onslaught of points from Colorado State last week. This is a huge chance for both teams to prove they are a good team. BYU allows too many yards to allow them to win this game. I don't think the offense will be able to score much on Boise State, so I think the Broncos win by 10+.

No. 19 Utah at UCLA

Jordan's Pick: Utah Kaylee's Pick: Utah

Utah won ugly in Oregon against the Beavers, while UCLA struggled without star sophomore QB Josh Rosen. These two teams are very similar statistically. I don't expect a lot of scoring in this game. If Rosen plays, UCLA has the opportunity to knock off a good team and find themselves back in the hunt for the Pac-12 South title. Utah is looking to stay on top of the Pac-12 South race, and have its best chance to take the top spot alone with Colorado and Arizona State playing tough opponents also. I think Rosen starts, but won't finish the game. I think Utah will be able to win, especially if Rosen can't go or gets knocked out.

Fresno State at Utah State

Jordan's Pick: Utah State Kaylee's Pick: Utah State

Two struggling teams will go for their first conference win Saturday. Fresno has not looked good. Utah State has played tough teams, but also hasn't shown much life against those good teams. I think Utah State will win though. The Bulldogs won't be able to score against Utah State and the Aggies will win big.

No. 6 Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama

Jordan's Pick: Alabama Kaylee's Pick: Alabama

Will this finally be the end of Alabama's reign at the top? Texas A&M is a solid team that has the athletes to match up with Alabama. If the Aggies can force Hurts to throw the ball, the Aggies could pull it off. Trevor Knight would have to have a great game also to pull this off. I expect this to be incredibly close, but I expect the Aggies to fall just short of pulling off the seemingly impossible. Alabama will win by less than 4 points.

Colorado at Stanford

Jordan's Pick: Colorado Kaylee's Pick: Colorado

Colorado is back. They are definitely one of the better teams this year in the Pac-12 and deserve to be treated as such. Stanford may have the best running back in the nation, but he couldn't play last week and the Cardinal snuck by a bad Notre Dame team. Colorado's defense will hold Stanford enough to get this win. The Buffaloes will continue sitting on top of the South Division.

Memphis at No. 24 Navy

Jordan's Pick: Memphis Kaylee's Pick: Navy

This is a sneaky good match up. Navy beat Houston, all but knocking them out of the CFB Playoff. Memphis lost to Ole Miss, but is good enough to knock off a solid Navy team. Navy rarely throws the ball and Memphis has a great run defense. I expect Memphis to get by Navy, probably propelling them into the Top 25.

The Missionary Training Center: 6 Years Later

Six years ago today, I left for the MTC. It was the start of something that has forever changed my life. The following is a little something that I wrote one time about the drive from St. George to Provo, Utah and the first day of the Missionary Training Center.

-------------------------------------------------

It was finally October 20, 2010 and I was more than ready to get out there and teach the LDS faith to those people who had never heard it before.

It was about a three hour drive from St. George to Provo, Utah. My family and I traveled in a fairly crowded, mostly quiet Suburban. Outside of a few sniffs here and there and the soft music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, there was rarely any talk. Everything seemed frozen except the Suburban as it traveled northbound on the freeway.

It was an early morning for my family and me as we all dressed up to take me to the missionary training center in Provo. I was all packed and ready to leave for the Missionary Training Center and to then go on to France from there after nine weeks of learning the French language.

I had had a good and fairly successful life up until this day. I had become an Eagle Scout and graduated from high school both in 2009. I had started going to college to become a pharmacist and working towards getting a degree in 2009 and 2010.

I didn't speak a lick of French, but I was about to learn more of another language than I had ever even imagined possible. Sure, I took two years of high school spanish, but I didn't learn as much as I would have liked if I knew I was about to spend two years speaking it.

We arrived in Provo and hung around the Provo LDS temple which happened to be across the street from the MTC. We snapped a couple of pictures and then the time had come for me to say goodbye to my family for the next two years. The only forms of main communication would be letters or emails. We, as missionaries, were allowed a phone call or a Skype call twice a year, once on Christmas and once on Mother's Day.

We pulled into the MTC parking lot, or maybe a drive-thru was a better name for it. I got out of the vehicle in my suit and tie and pulled out my luggage which would be my only belongings for the next two years and was greeted by another missionary.

It was maybe a five minute drop-off at the longest with my family before I was whisked away by the incredibly smiley and happy missionary to show me my living quarters and classroom for the next nine weeks before I was to be shipped out to France to spread the LDS gospel.

The missionary would lead me to drop off my bags at my dorm room and then he took me to gather a few belongings that was given to every missionary. The bag contained scriptures in French, a French handbook, and a few smaller items that would be helpful in learning both the LDS gospel in simpler terms than previously known and learning French.

As I sat in the classroom with the two teachers and only one other missionary, Elder Garland, I remember looking around and seeing the names of each missionary in my MTC district. Elder Peiper was my companion, Elder Bell, Elder Barker, Elder Shumway, Elder Livingston, Elder Garland, Elder Coleman, Sister Harline, Sister Neumeister, Sister Turney, and Sister Wiseman were the names hanging on the wall. None of the names were familiar except one.

This was our district (plus Elder Howden) at the Provo LDS Temple right before we left for France (or Tahiti for Elder Bell)

'Sister Harline,' I remember thinking. 'I really hope she is not related to Jonny Harline, because I don't want to deal with that crap for nine weeks.'

Jonny Harline had played football for Brigham Young University in 2006 and had caught the game-winning touchdown as time expired over my beloved University of Utah Utes.

Elder Garland was a redhead kid from England. He seemed pretty cool. I was so shell-shocked I didn't have the words to talk to him as I was fascinated with his accent. He seemed to have no problem with my lack of speaking as he just spoke with the two teachers and randomly at me.

One-by-one the missionaries took their seats where their names were being displayed as mine was behind me. I sat and talked as little as possible as the others around me got to know their companions a little bit.

We introduced ourselves in French, which was difficult for me considering I was one of only two missionaries that had never learned any French in high school.

"Je viens de Beaver Dam, Kentucky," my companion, Elder Kenton Pieper, said with a mild southern accent introducing himself and where he was from.

Everyone laughed because of the name of the town. Now it was my turn to go. The teachers had tried to teach us briefly about what to say. I still had no idea what I was saying.

"Je....m'appelle...Elder Abel," I said quietly. "Je....viens....de...right? St. George, Utah."

I couldn’t help but think of the episode of Friends where Joey tries to learn French and just ends up making weird noises instead. I know for a fact I butchered that French, but I was terrified of not knowing what to say and how to say it.

"Is your brother Jonny?" Elder Pieper asked after Sister Harline finished her introduction.

"Yeah," she replied with a grin.

"He's awesome," Elder Pieper ended the conversation.

This is me and my MTC companion, Elder Pieper on the first day or two of the MTC.

I didn't even need to ask. I didn't feel it was time to bring up the fact I wasn't a fan of Jonny's catch right then either. I just sat there still confused with what was going on.

After meeting Frere (Brother) Quinn and Soeur (Sister) Mumford, we were finally allowed to go eat dinner and then we came back for a quick lesson before going to bed.

I was still in shock and awe with what was going on. Today had seemed to cruise by. I was still meeting the people around me and a lot of them had no problem with chatting and making friends. I am more reserved and sit back in a shell until someone decides to pick at it.

Overall, the day was a lot of fun and I was already learning things, even if I didn't fully understand what they meant. I missed my family and friends already and I felt this was going to be a really long two years. I thought long and hard about why I was there though and I knew this was the right path at this point in my life.

Marie Halpin & The Huntsman World Senior Games

As a sports journalist, I get to interact with some of the best high school athletes in the state and sometimes with some of the better college athletes in the state. I was asked to write something about the Huntsman World Senior Games though last week, so it was a little different for me.

My editor was looking for a feature on someone or a team in a sport that is played in the Senior Games. I work at the Washington City Community Center, so I have ties with the basketball portions of the Games. I met Ann Esplin who was in charge of the 3-on-3 women's tournament, and she sent me to one woman that she said "epitomizes the Senior Games."

I went to meet her and her team while they had a break in playing at a local St. George restaurant and found an incredible story that I have to share.

Marie is in the middle, sitting down. This was taken at the St. Helen's restaurant on Telegraph in Washington, Utah.

Marie Halpin was diagnosed with glioblastoma in February 2016 and still decided to come play with her team in the Senior Games one last time.

Marie grew up during a time where there were no high school athletics for girls. She went to college at Utah State University in Logan, Utah and became a three-sport athlete in the 1970s. She played basketball, volleyball and softball as an Aggie.

“I wanted to keep playing basketball,” she said. “When you get to be older, there’s nowhere to play. I grew up all through high school where girls weren’t allowed to play sports. I went to college for five years and played for Utah State. Then I was hit in the eye and blinded in my right eye, so playing athletic sports was over. I don’t want to brag about myself, but I was one of the better athletes, but I was just happy to be there because I loved the people that I was playing with.

After college, Marie became a high school teacher at Hillcrest High School. She taught Physical Education and was the assistant coach of a three-time state championship basketball team. After Hillcrest, she taught yearbook at Brighton High School.

Marie has had her share of scares throughout the years though. She suffered an eye injury after college that ended her competitive athletic career abruptly.

"I thought I was omnipotent because I’ve had 36 surgeries," Marie said. "I thought, 'I’m omnipotent, I can do anything I want.' After the MRI, the doctor said, ‘You have a brain tumor.’ I was very stern and said, ‘You have the wrong x-rays. That’s not mine.’ He said, ‘I’m sorry, Mrs. Halpin.’ I said, ‘No! They’re not mine!’ He said, ‘I’m sorry, Mrs. Halpin.’ He must’ve said that 50 times because I argued with him for about a half an hour."

Marie said she is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (like Kaylee and I), and she said she could feel the Holy Ghost with her after her diagnosis.

"Finally, after the results, I gave in, and I just had this wonderful feeling," Marie said. "(The Spirit) told me that it was true. It was a very powerful experience. Two months after I retired, I got this brain tumor. I’ve worked for 41 years, and I have all this money to spend, so in the first week and a half, I spent 16,000 dollars on clothes on the internet. Hardly any of them fit! I’ve done donations to several places too."

Forty-one years! That's a long time to work just to find out you have less than a year to live. It just goes to show, that you need to take the time you have, even during working years, to do those things that you want to do.

"I didn’t do chemotherapy, because I didn’t have that kind of cancer," Marie said. "It’s called a glioblastoma. It took me four months to figure out how to say that. I thought I would be the last one to go in my family, and I’m the first one. I have a twin brother and it’s been kinda hard on my brothers and sisters, but mostly my mother. I’m just fine. I’ve done a lot of things in my life. I’ve got a season pass to Snowbird, and I‘m hoping I live long enough to get a lot of good runs in. I’m going skydiving with my son. I’ve got a bucket list of things."

The Huntsman Senior Games has been a chance for older athletes to show they’ve still got the talent to play the sports they used to. To them, it’s a quasi-olympics.

“When I was growing up, I always wanted to be an Olympian. I’ve still got a paper from fourth grade that says I want to be an Olympian. I didn’t make it. This is kinda like my Olympics,” Marie said.

Marie is number 32. This is some of their team this year in the Huntsman Senior Games. Marie played in two of the games and scored 6 points.

Marie was just happy to have a chance to play now because of the lack of playing in high school.

“It’s been a real pleasure and a privilege to play down here with all these older athletes that are very talented,” Marie said. “I got to play so little growing up because they didn’t have sports for girls in Utah. So for me to continue like this is an honor for me. Whether we win or not, I love being here among all these female athletes.”

Marie Halpin was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame as an official in 2002.

Week Seven

Week six was a struggle. For a bit, Kaylee and I thought we were cursed to lose all the match ups on the day, which worried me for the late Utah game. BYU seemed to lift that curse off of me, but Kaylee was left with a 2-4 record. I ended with a 3-3 record, so not much better. That puts us at 17-19 for Kaylee and 24-12 for me.

This week might be difficult to find some match ups again. There's not many games between two Top 25 teams that I want to pick from, so we'll see how these go.

Mississippi State at BYU

Jordan's Pick: BYU Kaylee's Pick: BYU

Mississippi State is having a rough season, starting with a loss to South Alabama. BYU is now 3-3 thanks to a two-game streak over Toledo and Michigan State. This is an intriguing pick for me. I think BYU seems to be on the way up, but can't tell for sure. I think BYU will win based on Mississippi State is traveling across the nation to play this game. I also think they have the better team. If Mississippi State wins, it's because the Bulldogs' quarterback coach used to play for Utah (Brian Johnson). He's not super accustomed to losing to BYU (yeah, I said it, come at me).

No. 21 Utah at Oregon State

Jordan's Pick: Utah Kaylee's Pick: Utah

Oregon State is coming of its first conference win in a couple years or so. Utah is coming off one of the worst first half performances I've ever seen, but came out firing in the second half for the win over Arizona. This is another chance for Utah's coach Kyle Whittingham to show off how good his team is against a former employee. OSU head coach Gary Andersen, former Utah defensive coordinator, is looking to start his climb in the Pac-12. I expect Utah to win in a rainy game. Even with Utah being on its fifth or sixth string running back, I don't see Oregon State beating Utah this year.

Wake Forest at No. 14 Florida State

Jordan's Pick: Florida State Kaylee's Pick: Florida State

Wake Forest is 5-1 looking to establish its place among the best of the ACC, while Florida State is 4-2 and needs another win in conference as the Seminoles are 1-2 in ACC play. The rankings seem like they should be flipped, but I expect Florida State to win big. Wake Forest hasn't played many good teams, while Florida State has played Louisville, UNC and Miami.

No. 24 Western Michigan at Akron

Jordan's Pick: Western Michigan Kaylee's Pick: Western Michigan

This is one of the most intriguing match ups that I could find. Western Michigan is ranked at 6-0 and needs to get past a good Akron team to keep its undefeated season intact. I think Western Michigan should win, but I don't think they will completely dominate in this game. Western Michigan's defense will be what wins the game.

No. 1 Alabama at No. 9 Tennessee

Jordan's Pick: Alabama Kaylee's Pick: Alabama

A chance to knock off the No. 1 team in the nation after a set back loss ruining a perfect season? Tennessee must be pumped for this one. The Vols better not expect to be able to run the ball though because Alabama's run defense is incredible. I could see Tennessee pulling this off, but it would take nearly perfect QB play and forcing Alabama to throw the ball, while the secondary needs to play great. I don't see that happening though. I think Alabama wins a close one.

No. 2 Ohio State at No. 8 Wisconsin

Jordan's Pick: Ohio State Kaylee's Pick: Ohio State

Wisconsin is an underdog at home for the first time since knocking off Ohio State last time. Ohio State is undefeated with its lone big win being against a ho-hum Oklahoma team. Wisconsin's lone loss came against a solid Michigan team. I'm going to go with Ohio State to knock off Wisconsin this time mostly because of the coach. Urban Meyer may be the second best coach (Nick Saban) in the country right now. I think he has the tools and the experience necessary to take the win back to Ohio.

Follow me on Twitter: @Jman873

Week Six

Week five was a solid week for us. I missed the Utah pick and Kaylee missed the Utah and the Stanford pick. That puts Kaylee at 15-15 on the season and I am at 21-9 on the season.

This week has some mildly interesting match ups outside of Utah, so it's going to be tough to decide on which games to pick from.

BYU at Michigan State

Jordan's Pick: BYU Kaylee's Pick: Michigan State

Going into the season, it seemed like this was going to be a chance for BYU to make some noise because Michigan State looked like a good team to beat. The Spartans have fallen out of the Top 25 after suffering two losses in a row to Wisconsin and Indiana. BYU looked like it was a solid defensive team until Toledo revealed the Cougars to be very weak against the pass. I think Kalani Sitake will have BYU's defense playing much better this week and the offense will get enough done to keep Michigan State out of the Top 25 for a little longer.

Arizona at No. 24 Utah

Jordan's Pick: Utah Kaylee's Pick: Utah

Utah suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of Cal on the one yard line. Arizona will be starting its third string quarterback who is also a freshman against a tough Utah defensive front. There's also a good chance that Arizona's running back Nick Wilson won't be able to play this week either. If he can't play, this should be a blowout in favor of Utah. Utah should be hungry to show the loss was a fluke.

Utah State at Colorado State

Jordan's Pick: Utah State Kaylee's Pick: Colorado State

Both teams are looking to right their ships before it's too late. Both sitting at 2-3 on the season, I expect Utah State to come out victorious. Utah State has faced greater competition and held its own fairly well. Colorado State hasn't played many good teams, so Utah State should roll.

Texas at No. 20 Oklahoma

Jordan's Pick: Texas Kaylee's Pick: Texas

If you like a lot of points on the board, this is the game for you. There should be minimal defense played in this game. The fact Oklahoma is ranked at 2-2 is ridiculous. This game could go either way because of the lack of defenses in the game. I'm almost split 50-50 on this game. I'm going to lean a little towards that burnt orange color though. Texas will win in a shootout. Upset alert activated.

No. 25 Virginia Tech at No. 17 North Carolina

Jordan's Pick: North Carolina Kaylee's Pick: North Carolina

Both teams put up a ton of points and rack up plenty of yards, but Virginia Tech has the better defense on paper. The Hokies have also only played one real test in a loss against Tennessee. North Carolina lost its first game to Georgia but has beaten a resilient Pitt team and a good Florida State team. I am going to go with North Carolina because they are battle tested and should be more prepared for this game.

No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Texas A&M

Jordan's Pick: Texas A&M Kaylee's Pick: Tennessee

Tennessee is still somehow undefeated even with two really close games. Texas A&M has beaten a couple of solid teams and is also undefeated. Tennessee has allowed almost as many yards as it has gained, while A&M gains a ton of yards both on the ground and through the air. I've been wrong about Tennessee two weeks in a row, but this time, I think Tennessee is going to hit a brick wall. Texas A&M just needs to keep them out of the end zone in the second half. I'm guessing they'll play much better than Florida in the second half.

BYU and Utah Thoughts

Week five for Utah and BYU ended up being a good couple of football games. I was able to watch the second half of the BYU/Toledo game and the first half of the Utah/Cal game because of traveling to Salt Lake and attending the Priesthood Session of General Conference. Since the BYU game was first, I will start there.

Toledo at BYU

This was one of the craziest games I have ever watched. It was a battle between Toledo's throwing game and BYU's running game (mostly Jamaal Williams). The only thing missing from the game was a dramatic missed field goal with a penalty/timeout beforehand. It was insane! BYU won 55-53 on a last second field goal.

Jamaal Williams

Williams had a phenomenal game. He broke a school record that had stood for over 50 years. The only problem I see with that is that BYU squeaked out a win, so if he doesn't do that, the Cougars likely lose. BYU needs to do something about its passing game. The rushing attack came on strong this past week, but if teams key on that, game over.

Jonah Trinnaman

Kaylee is related to the quick receiver. Jonah is a freak athlete who, I believe, also still holds the state record for the 100-yard dash still. He wasn't targeted much in the game, but the first play from scrimmage was a 75-yard touchdown catch for him. If quarterback Taysom Hill would look his way more often, he would notice that he is actually open quite often. The next worry would be whether or not Hill could throw it on target. I expect him to be a big name going forward. If he doesn't get much attention this year, he will next year when it's Tanner Mangum behind center.

Jonah's 75-yard catch. Picture from cedarcityutah.com.

Final Thoughts

For those that missed the ending of the game on Friday night, Toledo scored after being down seven and decided to go for two points. The two-point conversion was a bad snap. Quarterback Logan Woodside fumbled the snap, picked it up, and completed a pass in the end zone. It was about how the game was for Woodside. He went 30 for 38 and 505 yards passing. BYU then went down the field thanks to the legs of both Hill and Williams. 

Utah at Cal

The game came down to the last play in which Utah couldn't get in the end zone. Cal's quarterback Davis Webb had a great game while Utah's quarterback Troy Williams didn't have a great completion rate, but also didn't have any turnovers.

Pac-12 Referees

Disclaimer before I get into this: I am not blaming the referees, there were many moments that changed the complexion of the game.

Seven seconds left on the two-yard line and two timeouts left Utah coach Kyle Whittingham told the ref on the sideline to look for him after the next play to call a timeout. The referee asked if Whittingham wanted a timeout now and Kyle said no. The referee called timeout for Utah and Whittingham looked like he was going to kill someone. He didn't want the timeout because the clock was already stopped. 

The loss of the timeout forced Utah to throw the ball when it didn't want to. The pass play was good enough to score if Williams waits for a second longer before firing. Then Zack Moss couldn't find the end zone on the final play.

Picture from usatodaysportsimages.com

Shyne-ing Through

Utah running back Armand Shyne had a great game. He rushed 25 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns. He was labeled as the starter for the game against Arizona. The past couple of weeks he has been running hard and finding the seams to run through. I thought he was the best running back against USC, and I'm glad he will finally get the start. I still expect Moss to get some good carries along the way though. 

Not All Lost

This is Utah's first loss, so it didn't knock them out of Pac-12 championship contention completely. The Utes will need to play extremely well the rest of the way to keep their hope alive for both the Conference Championship and possible playoff hopes.

This weekend BYU plays at Michigan State and Utah hosts Arizona. I'll have more information on those games in the weekly picks post.

If you want my immediate thoughts on the games as they are being played, follow me on Twitter. My handle is @Jman873. 

Attending General Conference

The Salt Lake City LDS Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the church to which Kaylee and I belong. Every six months, in April and October, the leaders of the LDS Church speak to the general population of the church in Salt Lake City. It is every first Saturday and Sunday of April and October. This is called General Conference.

In the LDS Church, we believe in a prophet, like Moses or Noah, in our day. The prophet today is Thomas S. Monson who we also call the President of the church. He has two counselors (also referred to as President) Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

We also believe in having a Quorum of Twelve Apostles like in the days of Jesus Christ. The Twelve Apostles are the following (in order of time as an Apostle, referred to as Elders except for the president): President Russell M. Nelson, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Elder M. Russell Ballard, Elder Robert D. Hales, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Elder David A. Bednar, Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Elder Neil L. Andersen, Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Elder Gary E. Stevenson and Elder Dale G. Renlund.

Whew, that's a lot of names. Anyway, they speak to us along with a number of other leaders of the church (including women). Kaylee and I were able to attend the conference in the Conference Center at Temple Square.

Here are a couple pictures of the Salt Lake Temple. The Conference wasn't held here, but I know most of you have at least seen views or pictures of this building.

In this General Conference, there are four general sessions, one for men who hold the priesthood, and one a week earlier for women. Each of the sessions last for two hours. We were able to attend the Saturday morning session.

It was incredible! We were super high up, which is normal for most people that aren't related or invited by the leaders. We were able to hear from President Uchtdorf who was once a pilot. He talked about the plan of happiness in the church. It was awesome. Who can forget about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir also. They provided music for the session we attended.