Kevin McGiven

Last season, he threw for 2,500 yards and 24 touchdowns, then added 800 yards and 10 scores with his legs.

But that wasn't enough for offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven.

He wanted more.

So he decided to do something nobody else in the country is doing, play two quarterbacks at once.

What should we know when Devin Dampier, one of the best running backs in the country, and Wayshawn Parker and the Utes have the ball in this game?

So I think the biggest transition for this offense because there's so much experience and there's a few new players that are helping out on the outside we'll get into and the offensive line the brand new offensive line we've talked about has held up pretty well but I think the big difference is just what you need to know about their old offensive coordinator Jason Beck who's now at Michigan and then their new one in Kevin McGiven right we've talked about this you know earlier in the season when we had another preview but with Jason Beck it was running the football it was heavy on tight ends right they were getting off tackle and they were throwing the ball and play action down the middle of the field this is a little bit different McGiven is spreading it out a little bit more he's using both of his quarterbacks Devin Dampier and Bird Ficklin Ficklin is just lining up all over the place is one of the best athletes on their whole team but I think what they do better than anything is stretch a defense horizontally.

They use the entire 53-yard width of the field, especially in their passing game.

And this was kind of different than what it used to be.

They got a great pair of corners and will James and if he's healthy and coming back this week, which I think really Fritz said he's supposed to be back this week.

Jalen Mayo.

If you have those two guys on the outside, they're going to be put to the test this week against a real really good receiving core and an awesome scheme from Kevin McGiven that knows how to attack the entire width of the field.

That's really the battle that I'm looking at.

We go back and forth between offense and defense.

This week we're lucky enough to catch up once again with offensive coordinator for your Utah football team, Kevin McGiven, more affectionately referred to as Mac G.

Coach, welcome back to the show.

How are you?

Um, you know, where it keeps the defense off the field a little bit.

And, and, and usually, you know, when we're able to get a couple first downs in a drive and, um, even if it starts out methodically like that, because we have been pretty explosive, those usually generate scores.

Kevin McGiven is our guest here on the Sean O'Connell Show Coordinators Corner on a Friday.

Um, you mentioned turnovers.

Whoa, read that backwards.

258 through the air, 283 on the ground, so basically a dead split almost of passing yards to rushing yards, so another balanced attack from, uh, Kevin McGiven and this Utah offense.

Well, yeah.

And look, the, the things that matter the most to me, third down conversion defense, hugely important.

Yeah.

I, I agree with you.

A- and, and we, we'll just continue to see more and more wrinkles and, and it'll be dependent on the defensive scheme that they face, and it's one of the things I really do like about McGiven.

And l- look, what, this isn't innovative or weird.

It's incredible.

I mean, the fact that you guys have now played Chip Kelly and now are getting ready for the Kevin McGiven offense, too, by the way, is just brutal luck because this offense is so much fun.

I never in my life

thought I'd be scared to see Kevin McGiven.

I know.

He's not like a name.

It's just incredible.

It's really crazy what this Utah offense has become.

... and offense don't mess it up.

Where now it's like the offense is truly empowered to let Kevin McGiven get as creative as he wants.

That is blowing my mind, seeing how Utah is just kind of a creative deal every single week, and that just un- unlocks some, so many due to dif- new dimensions for Utah that we haven't seen in the past.

The, the beauty of it is, is on Monday he talked about why this has been successful, and he says, "As long as the disease of me doesn't get in the way."

What I take that to mean is the defensive side of it, right?

Yeah.

And saying, "This is Kevin McGiven's show." Barring him just absolutely screwing up and Morgan having to kinda rein it in, he's gonna let guys do their job, right?

That's huge.