Reader comments
Utah Utes football: Kicker is refining his mental toughness

as a BYU fan, I don't think Sakoda needs to refine his mental toughness at all. The kid's a player, and the best football player they have up at the hill, whether that's a good thing or a bad one....

Louie is the man! Hopefully he'll only have to kick extra points this year.

Given these stats, what are his chances in NFL? Is he already a lock to be drafted? How high do kickers go? Just curious. :)

Oh yeah!

Louie Sakoda will definitely win the Heisman this year if he can beat Brent Casteel.

"just curious" Taylor Mehlhaff out of Wisconsin was put as one of the top kickers goin into the 2008 draft. He went in the 6th round, 178th overall

I just don't want to hear another Ute fan complain how the D-News never covers Ute football. Numerous stories this week already. If Ute fans spent as much time supporting their team as they do whining about BYU they would have to expand their stadium. I am blue all the way through with 2 sons on the team but I certainly wish the Utes well until Nov 22. How great would it be for both teams to be undefeated going into the weekend and BYU undefeated coming out. Go Cougs!

It's good to see more Asian-Americans on the football field. I think BYU has one (Brain Kariya) but besides that, they're quite absent. Way to go kamikazie! Bonzai!

How high can he go? Janikowski was a first rounder.

Louie for Heisman!

Sebastian Janikowski - Raiders - First Round
Louie has national recognition. Most kickers/punters are drafted late. That will change in the NFL as it is starting to change with H.S. - college recruiting. Use to be kickers were walk ons, scrubs, and lousy. Coaches now see kickers/punters extremely important and scholarships are offered to them. Louie...was a walk on, remember that. I have called in to local radio stations all the time and said Louie Sakoda is Utah's most valuable player. Cougar fans will see how that translates to Justin Sorensen who is a great kicker..the next 3 time MWC special teams player of the year..after Sakoda wins it again this year

One of the few things I can't rip on up on the hill is Sakoda. That guy is money. The problem is that when the kicker is the best player on the team (Johnson included) then you have serious problems.

I just hope he doesn't give mental tips to head-case Johnson or the rest of the schizophrenic team. I am all for another year of Coach Whit and the team giving excuse after excuse.

Whit = Crowton

BYU 13-0 (including bowl)
Utes 7-5 (12-0 if moral victories are included)

Slow news day, huh? Oxymoron: Kicker/Toughness

Thank you for removing the racially insensitive post made by a byU fan.

Sakoda is an awesome kicker, and will be even better this year.

Go Utes!!

Sakoda is an amazing kicker--easily the best in the MWC and certainly among the best in the nation. I'd be shocked if he didn't get drafted early after the season.
This is the only thing: why is his main goal to annihilate BYU?! What a joker...seriously! Winning the conference title and going to a BCS game should be his goal.
Anyway, he is an incredible football player...

Love the BYU fans here to celebrate a great sports personality. Hate those that, like a dog, return to their vomit with lame rivalry smack.

Listen, from all indications BYU will be good, Utah will be good. We should be celebrating what an exciting season this is shaping-up to be.

Good luck Coogs (until November)

Sakoda has been awesome a huge upgrade from the Ronnie Mac days when kicking cost us alot of games, some too painful to discuss.

Man what would it be like to have an awesome kicker. Oh, now we have one. Another reason why the UTES won't beat us...Again.

As a BYU fan I'm glad Sakoda is a senior. I'll look forward to his pro career. The Utes are very fortunate to have him. He will win games for them this year as he has in the past. His punting and kicking are phenomenal.

No way does Whit = Crowton.

Crowton had one really good year and then his teams got progressively worse. Whittingham had a decent start, and his teams have gotten progressively better.

Crowton was more disliked in Provo than Majerus was on the Hill. Whittingham is well-liked by everyone at the University of Utah.

Crowton had a revolving door strategy when it came to his QBs. Whittingham has had to adapt to injury at the most important position on the team for three years in a row and has done so very well as the Utes have won THREE consecutive bowl games under Whit.

Crowton was drawing up plays five minutes before kickoff. Whittingham has a gameplan and sticks to it, sometimes to a fault(Wyo onside kick).

No, Whit is not like Crowton.

If anything, Kyle Whittingham is going to be byU's worst nightmare in the years to come.

Utah will win this year's Holy War and will win the majority of the rivalry games against byU during Kyle's career.