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Physics is big factor in outcome of U. vs. Y.

The reporter successfully managed to make an interesting game boring.

A fine article, but Louie Sakoda is perhaps the best player in utilizing the pure physics of the ball, gravity, and his foot for both punting and field goal kicking.

Physics?

I thought it came down to team chemistry...

Or whoever had the best history...

Or even statistics...

I'm sure hoping that geography doesn't affect the outcome of this one... Don't want any of that homecooking!

BYU by 18

Wow! Who would've thought physics applied to sports. You sure have some real smart journalists at this news paper.

As a science buff and former BYU physics victim--I mean student--I thought this would be more interesting.

If you want a truly hilarious article involving physics, look up The Physics of Santa Claus. Priceless!

If you want a laughable article about today's BYU-Utah game, you'll probably need to go to either the Trib or the U. student newspaper site, assuming one exists.

You have to feel sorry for a writer assigned to write a story about the big game this late in the week. Facing a blank page and a deadline, what do you do? Any meaningful angles have long been exhausted. There is really nothing more that can be said. (It's time to just play the game already!) Still, you have to produce something. So, you think, "Maybe I can bring physics into it. That could get me by. Not many people who read sports also know something about physics. I might come across as a renaisance man."

Elsewhere on deseretnews.com there is a great piece on the Utah Utes going to Chuck-a-Rama for dinner.

The DAY of the big game and we are getting articles like this?!? Isn't there anything more interesting to write about? I'm switching to the trib.

As a physics grad, this article sucked.
As a football fan, this article more than sucked.

You already lost the Ute nation on this story the first time you used a word over three syllables long.

that was the worst wake up pill i've ever taken! and it had to come today of all days! I thought I was in class or a bad dream!

Physics, chemistry, statistics--they all play a huge part in this awesome game. Without these "boring" truths, football wouldn't be nearly as fun to watch. The sportscasters wouldn't have much to say without statistics. Without chemistry, leather helmets would still be worn, and as this great article said, physics occurs innately within seconds--although it may take hours to actually crunch the numbers to numerically explain why the objects react as they do in certain situations. Great article...for the "boring" readers.

"If Ute quarterback Brian Johnson has called a pass play, the outcome depends in large part on the duration of the gyroscopic torque applied to the ball. If the ball turns in a tight spiral, it will go farther and probably hit closer to the target"..... A BYU defender!

Since when was football interesting? Here's the typical football game:

1-Hike the ball.
2-QB looks for someone to pass to.
3-No one open, so he runs with the ball.
4-QB gets tackled. Makes 2 or 3 yards if he's lucky.

The 2 teams take turns repeating this process through the entire game.

Lest we forget, physics affects every aspect of our lives, not just football. Failure to understand the principles of physics can lead us into all kinds of disasters, including rooting for the wrong team.

Newton would be a Y fan.

I knew my theories would someday be useful!
Hail football!

Not a lotta love for this article!! And personally, I can see why: talk about reaching for every last angle possible!!

I have to agree with those who have judged this article to be filler with no discernable content of value.

Except in one area: Impressive biographical research on Isaac Newton.

Now we know that Newton could not have predicted how his laws of motion would have affected a football and that he couldn't have found a better demonstration of those laws. The great genius was hemmed in, after all, limited in his abilities in ways that our author was able to determine.

We also know, now, that Isaac wouldn't have taken sides. This couldn't have been easy to learn or verify after the intervening centuries so hats off to the dogged reporter.

An object (Utah) in uniform motion tends to stay in uniform motion unless acted upon by a net external force (BYU). Sorry, Utah. Your momentum stops here. Go Cougs!