Ute notes: Whittingham surprised by Long's departure

Rocky Long’s decision to resign as New Mexico’s head coach took many folks by surprise.
Count Utah’s Kyle Whittingham among them.
“I was shocked,” Whittingham said during Tuesday’s Mountain West teleconference. “I heard the news and didn’t see it coming.”
Whittingham noted that he had a good conversation with Long a few weeks ago and that he “seemed to be in good spirits.”
Long’s abrupt decision to leave the Lobos, thus, caught Whittingham off guard.
“I was floored,” he said. “Rocky Long is a terrific person and he is epitome of what a football coach is all about. He’s hard-nosed, he’s tough, he’s a disciplinarian.”
Whittingham added that Long will be missed.

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Former Utah coach Urban Meyer acknowledged that he has the Utes high on his ballot for the USA Today Coaches Poll.
“I’m voting them real high,” the Florida coach said at his weekly press conference.
Meyer also gave his opinion on how good his 2004 Utah was team was and if the Utes deserved a title shot that year.
“I was a big proponent for a playoff back in 2004,” he said. “I was employed by the University of Utah. That would have bettered Utah. On any given day, that team could have beaten anybody in the country. Could that team realistically survived the schedule we just played? No.”
When pressed about the 2008 Utes and whether they deserved championship consideration over a one-loss SEC or Big 12 team, Meyer was evasive.
“Oh, boy,” he said. “I’ll plead the Fifth. I’d get blown completely out of the water if I answered that truthfully, so I’m not going to. That’s not saying one way or the other.”

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According to sources in Hawaii, the Utes have landed an early recruiting commitment from offensive lineman Kapua Sai (6-5, 320). The senior from St. Louis High School in Honolulu plans to sign a letter of intent in February.