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

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Utah Utes football: Kicker is refining his mental toughness

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Quest for perfection | 7:51 a.m. July 18, 2008

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....

Anonymous | 8:09 a.m. July 18, 2008

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

Just Curious | 8:24 a.m. July 18, 2008

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

Comments continue below

Louie Louie... | 8:33 a.m. July 18, 2008

Oh yeah!

Sakoda for Heisman | 8:41 a.m. July 18, 2008

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

Anonymous | 9:15 a.m. July 18, 2008

"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

Complaining Utes | 9:28 a.m. July 18, 2008

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!

I agree | 9:37 a.m. July 18, 2008

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!

U-Ute | 9:40 a.m. July 18, 2008

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

Ute Fan | 10:02 a.m. July 18, 2008

Louie for Heisman!

Drafted Kickers | 10:05 a.m. July 18, 2008

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

CougFan | 10:16 a.m. July 18, 2008

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)

Ed | 10:17 a.m. July 18, 2008

Slow news day, huh? Oxymoron: Kicker/Toughness

Props to the D-News | 10:23 a.m. July 18, 2008

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!!

BYU fan giving Kudos | 10:33 a.m. July 18, 2008

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-Hate | 11:56 a.m. July 18, 2008

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)

Louie rocks | 12:19 p.m. July 18, 2008

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

GSM | 12:22 p.m. July 18, 2008

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.

geezer | 1:16 p.m. July 18, 2008

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.

Kyle is no Crowton | 1:18 p.m. July 18, 2008

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.

LOL GSM | 1:32 p.m. July 18, 2008

Are you seriously talking about Payne? Or do you have some secret weapon who actually lives up to your praises? Then again, I suppose wishful thinking never hurt anything. But as is I'll be surprised if this kid even manages to kick a football in the general direction of the uprights. Good luck there man, keep your fingers crossed.

Henry Drummond | 1:48 p.m. July 18, 2008

Louie really is a special kid. He generates a lot of respect from all over the state. I hope he has a great year and I wouldn't be surprised to see him show up in the NFL one day.

RE: LOL GSM | 2:27 p.m. July 18, 2008

GSM was probably refering to Justin Sorensen. You know the Bingham High product that has the state field goal record (62 or 63 yards) and can suposadly kick 70 yarders practicing.

We will soon find out if he has the mental toughness to go with his leg.

CougFan | 2:32 p.m. July 18, 2008

I will stand by my statement Whit = Crowton.

Crowton followed a beloved coach. Whit followed the great and magificent Urban. Rarely do coaches that follow the good coaches actually succeed.

Crowton and Whit have similar attitudes of finding excuse in mediocrity. You can blame losses on injuries, but so can Crowton throughout his short tenure. Both consistently claim, "We are a young team" and "We are learning." It gets old to hear the same rhetoric over and over.

Both lose games that the shouldn't (UNLV). Both teams are/were inconsistent.

Yes, I know it is offensive to you to compare a BYU coach to a U coach, but it is really the case. I don't think Kyle will last more than two years. Even if he puts up Ronnie Mac numbers, he wont last because of the Urban expectation. If Ronnie Mac numbers are still produced, the fans (as usual) won't be found at RES.

CougFan | 2:36 p.m. July 18, 2008

We will be lucky if he has the mental toughness of Sakoda.

Dan U Fan | 2:47 p.m. July 18, 2008

Everytime Louie knocks through another FG, we (at the game) need to yell, "SKADOUCH!"

ya know... from Kung Fu Panda.

Sakoda | 3:05 p.m. July 18, 2008

Sakoda is a proven kicker and will be an All-American this year.

Zoobie 56 | 3:26 p.m. July 18, 2008

RE: CougFan

Careful there CougFan you may end up eating your words big time. I think your comparison is pretty poor. Look at Whittingham's bowl record. His defenses are always great. The only thing I agree with you on is it's very difficult to replace a legend. Loyalty to his O Coordinator may cost him, but Whittingham is a very good coach. I wish the Cougs had Sakoda. Are you going to see he isn't any good either?

BYU's good kicker | 3:56 p.m. July 18, 2008

I'm assuming that the good kicker GSM was refering to is the Freshman coming out of Bingham. That kid is one of the best kickers in the country at any level, and I hate Bingham and BYU. I was extremely happy when he choked the semifinals away by missing two fieldgoals. I hope he continues those ways in college.

UTEFAN 100 | 4:04 p.m. July 18, 2008

RE: CougFan - Let's see. Crowton had 1 great season, with Edward's team, then croaked. Like Crowton, Whittingham followed a legend, which is very difficult to do. However, his teams have improved. He has won 3 straight bowl games, and last year did so when they came out of the gate with injuries to players in important positions. The injury issue last year was not in the number of injuries, it was who was injured. That same thing will not happen again this year. Utah is back. Whittingham has always had very good defenses, Sakoda is returning, and this time the offense will have a very good starting QB in Johnson, lots of speedy receivers, and Matt Asiata at running back. The UTES are loaded and ready to roll. 13-0 is a possibility. My prediction is 11-2. (and the zoo is not one of the 2 losses)

hahaha | 5:25 p.m. July 18, 2008

oh it makes me laugh...many years ago in the dark ages of byu football there was a talented kicker just like your sukadoukaei louieieie whatever his name is, and he was by far the best player on byu's team. As great as it was to have this talented kicker be the star for byu...he was the kicker!! It is most def. a sad day for any football team when their KICKER is their mvp and all-star! yep yewts, enjoy watching your punter punt, and punt, and punt, and punt, and kick an occasional field goal. Sucks to be U im sorry for how bad your season will be even though you have high aspirations. I also feel bad for the co-eds who have to look at each others faces each day, frightening!

Re: Cougfan | 5:37 p.m. July 18, 2008

How can you call 7, 8, and 9 wins mediocre? How are three straight bowl wins mediocre? If that is mediocre then Lavell isn't a legend and byU was really just a mediocre team for most of thirty years because SEVENTEEN(17) of his teams finished approximately 9-4 or WORSE(I included 8-4 in my count).

Crowton didn't say his team was learning, he said they were getting better even though they weren't. Kyle's teams have gotten better every year.

Kyle has NEVER used injuries as an excuse. Ute fans have, but not Kyle.

Any byU fan that compares Whittingham to Crowton is just HOPING that Kyle will implode the way Gary did. You all HOPE for this because you KNOW that Kyle is an excellent coach that has had some tough luck. But that won't last. The tides will turn in Utah's favor and away from byU. BronKo has been VERY fortunate these past 2 seasons.

The Utes finished the season winning 8 of their last 9 games. If that isn't consistency, I don't know what is.

Utah has set a new season-ticket record every year despite Kyle putting up "Mac-Numbers", I think his job is safe.

way to go louie | 7:36 p.m. July 18, 2008

Yep, he's pretty good. But it still won't be enough. So how can anyone call 7, 8, and 9 wins and three straight bowl wins mediocre you ask? Easy. No conference championships in that stretch, losses to weak conference teams u should have beat, beaten by your big rival two years straight, and bowl wins against weak bowl opponents. Yes, weak bowl opponents. A very weak Pitt team in '04 that would have finished in the middle of the MWC. And NAVY last year? Oh brother. Even middle of the Pac UCLA would have swabbed the deck with those sorry buckets.

Mental Toughness? | 8:17 p.m. July 18, 2008

Hes a kicker.................a kicker folks. He doesnt have throw accurate passes, or tackle 200+ pound ball carriers, or run for his life from 300+ lineman, or catch passes in traffic, or memorize plays, ...........I cant do this all night. Hes a kicker...........

Mental | 8:40 p.m. July 18, 2008

I love this. This should improve his putting. I think it was Louie's putting that allowed BYU to win the head-to-head over the past two years.

I hope the D-backs are also reading books on how to guard the sideline on 4th and 18, and that they really need a defender in the North Endzone at the end of the game if the other team has the ball.

Great two articles on Utah.

Uniforms and Kicker working on his golf game.

Can we please get the hard hitting story we have been waiting for about the Utah Coaches favorite cookie recipes.

Uniforms's and Putting.

I predict the Utes will score on UMLV this year!!!

go utes???

(It really would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic).

re:Just Curious | 8:24 a.m. | 8:46 p.m. July 18, 2008

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

Most kickers are asked to tryout, but a few do get drafted if the have a big leg, and if they carry a decent putter...

But, they do need to give 10% ro their caddie, and Utes really don't know much about Tithes, except that is how the BYU football program is funded.

Witt is no Crowton | 8:52 p.m. July 18, 2008

I wouldn't go as far to say that witt is a crowton, no matter who you face in bowl games and no matter how you win, it is tough to consistently win bowl games like Witt has. Ya, he has dropped a few games throughout the season to crappy teams, but what else would you expect from a Utah coach, they aren't really the "one week at a time" kind of team. I think that Witt could be dangerous if he could prepare his team better for each and every game, not just the BYU game (even though BYU has won the past two years, really the only reason that Utah has came close is because he has prepared and pumped up his team better than Bronco did his, although Bronco has got much much better at that compared to his first year) and the bowl games. But I doubt that that will happen, and I doubt that Witt will ever really be able to measure up to the seasons that Bronco is putting together (P.S. I'm not talking about the BYU vs. Utah games, I'm talking about the season) ever since Bronco got a year under his belt.

Respect to Des News | 8:55 p.m. July 18, 2008

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

I did not read the post, but racism has no place in sports.

Knowing there are both Ute and Cougar trolls out there, how do we know it really was a BYU fan?

Isn't the comment made at 10:23 unsubstantiated that it was a BYU fan, and calling BYU Fans racist just as bad.

For all we know, 10:23 poster might have been responding to their own "troll" post.

Re: way to go louie | 9:05 p.m. July 18, 2008

Over the last three seasons, byU has lost quite a few games they shouldn't have as well: '05 SDSU, TCU at home(how big of a lead did byU choke away?) and Utah at home(remember, Utah was playing with a backup QB), '06 AZ and BC, '07 UCLA and Tulsa.

In Utah's last three bowl WINS their opponents have a combined record of 23-15 and Georgia Tech. was ranked #24.

In byU's last three bowl APPEARANCES, they are 2-1, their opponents have a combined record of 21-17, and none of them were ranked.

In '04 Pitt was 8-3 and ranked #19 going into the Fiesta bowl. That is a better team than ANY of byU's recent bowl opponents.

Of course it was a BYU fan | 9:14 p.m. July 18, 2008

Why would a Ute fan make a racial slur towards a member of his own team? Maybe if this was a BYU article, I would believe it was a Ute troll, but I'm pretty sure it was a BYU troll.

BYU fan | 9:15 p.m. July 18, 2008

Kyle is not a bad as Crowton. Don't go there, it doesn't hold water.

Lavell was at BYU long enough to be a legend. Lavell is BYU Football. They only name buildings at at BYU after Church Leaders (and a large doner), but LES is a huge statement.

Urban may be a legend, but his name does not invoke thoughts of the U of U, except here in Utah.

However, Luke Stahle's injury could be compared to Utah's Injury Issues. Stahle won the Doak Walker, so I would guess that the injury was a pretty major hit to the team. Same year Utah had Damien Hunter who was also a top 20 in the nation rushing, which gave Utah the advantage.

I loved Kyle as a player, and respect him as a coach. I am happy he is at Utah, and we have Bronco, but I do wish him a victory everytime he steps on the field, except against BYU.

And I hope it is close Rivalry Game every year, and that BYU wins 2/3, giving the Utes a win 1/3 just to keep the fans thinking they have a football program (UNLV hurts still).

It's funnier that way.

byU | 9:37 p.m. July 18, 2008

So, I get this.

By capitalizing the U in byU, you are inferring that even though they have the best football, their strength is that byU is the best academic University in the state.

What is the deal in spelling Bronco BronKo?

Does the K represent K's like "K" in baseball, meaning Bronco strikes out the other team, does it represent KO, like boxing, or K like in he Kick's Butt?

UTE FAN | 10:06 p.m. July 18, 2008

I LOVE IT AN ARTICLE ON A GUY WHO IS A CLASS ACT AND THE BASHING OF RIVALRY SLURS CONTINUE AND IT'S FREAKIN JULY....WOW, WAY TO GO LOUIE WINNER'S ALWAYS FIND WAYS TO IMPROVE EVEN IF THEY ARE AS GOOD AS YOU ARE ....I HOPE BYU AND UTAH GO UNDEFEATED INTO NOVEMBER BIT MICHIGAN WILL BE A BIG HURDLE TO START THE SEASON, GOODLUCK COUGS ON YOUR FIRST PREP SCHOOL OPPONENT ...GO UTES AND I'LL SEE YOU GUYS IN MICHIGAN!!!!

re:Ute Fan | 10:38 p.m. July 18, 2008

Sorry if it sounds like bashing, but come on, the guy is good, but how do you "refine toughness"??? On the Football Field??? By "Reading-Golf???

And then you bash BYU and their prep opponent...

Serious, get all your Ute fans together and decide to do it on the field.

re:Of course it was a BYU fan | 10:42 p.m. July 18, 2008

"Why would a Ute fan make a racial slur towards a member of his own team?"

I'll use small words so you un-der-stand.

Trolls post pre-ten-ding to be fans from the other school to make the other school look stu-pid.

A Ute fan troll would make a racist remark saying he is a BYU fan, the crit-i-cize the post to make BYU look racist, when in real-i-ty, fans from neither school would post a sin-cere racist re-mark.

That is why a "Ute fan make a racial slur towards a member of his own team?"

Trolls are of the Devil.

Conejo | 11:03 p.m. July 18, 2008

Whittingham has made no excuses? What about his comment that Utah losing in 2006 because they were playing with a 2nd string QB in Ratliff. That after publicly stating Utah had the best QB situation in the nation! One sounds like unwarranted hype and other sounds like an EXCUSE! Whittingham consistently places the players on a pedestal they don't deserve. You never know if he really thinks someone is a great player or if he is just encouraging them to be better.

ute fans are a plague | 11:18 p.m. July 18, 2008

In reality when ever i go to a rivalry game between byu and utah i'm afraid of getting too close to those Yewt acne prone freaks who transmit contagious diseases to innocent bystanders...i think the solution is to deport all of U to a deserted island and leave you stranded to infect each other...please stay away, thank you

to: coogar spazes | 11:20 p.m. July 18, 2008

Louie is such a better kicker then your pochman guy who was reknowned for choking in the clutch! Come november it will be hell for you and i will see to it in the stands, i won't back down from byu dwebs and their annoying high pitched voices!! north endzone will be rockin and just a warnin to you ZOOBS, stay the freak away from my section cause i will be all over you like a rabid coyote on a bone!! GO UTES!

MUSS- MIGHTY UNGA STDNT. SECTION | 12:45 a.m. July 19, 2008

This is going to be the best HOLY WAR EVER!...both teams look good...and i think both have excellent chances in running the table...

now to the good stuff....

YEWT fans you better be ready cause i cant wait till you underestimate our new secondary/defense...like last years... all i hear is how our secondary cant stop anybody... well news flash WE DID STOP YOU....and our secondary then was built with a bunch of walk ons... here is a scary thought this new secondary is more athletic and faster then any other secondary that bronco has had yet!

Finally,
for the last time....
mack is no HARVEY UNGA! so dont even try putting the 2 in the same sentence!

see you on NOV. 22 at 4pm...at around 4:01 BYU will already be up 7-0...cause collie will already return a kickoff...and we will show you yewts how good your "special" teams really is.

GO COUGARS! anyone wanna get me some salsa...i feel a FIESTA COMING ON!

re: Re: way to go louie | 9:56 a.m. July 19, 2008

You betcha Pitt was a weak team! The only reason they got ranked in the top 25 was because of sympathy votes from the East. Check their padded schedule to see the weak teams they played. They were basically BCS Hawaii that year. After the bowl game they dropped out of the USA Today poll and dropped to 25th in the AP poll. The Eastern voters knew it would be pretty embarrassing to have their Big East champ not be ranked anywhere in a top 25 final poll. That team was awful and didn't deserve to go to a BCS bowl, but their conference had to send someone because of their automatic bid. A lot of people were looking down at their shoes when that was announced.

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