What Utah thought of the in-helmet communication system in Las Vegas Bowl

It’s something that’s been implemented in the NFL for nearly 30 years, and on Saturday night, it was used in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Both Utah and Northwestern were part of a test run that featured in-helmet communication and the use of tablets on the sideline, just like the pros.

The in-helmet communication system, which is allowed in one player’s helmet on both offense and defense, was first used in the NFL in 1994, when coaches were able to communicate with quarterbacks through the radio system.

Fourteen years later, in 2008, the league also granted radio access to one defensive player.

Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger first reported that the Las Vegas Bowl would be using the communication system.

While other bowl games have used the helmet communication system before, Saturday’s Las Vegas Bowl marked the first time that the tablet system was used in conjunction with the in-helmet radio.

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The NFL implemented the use of tablets in 2014, which are used by coaches to review plays with players on the sideline.

The Las Vegas Bowl used similar technology.

Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes got the play calls through the radio in Saturday, and linebacker Karene Reid was the primary player that communicated with the coaches through the radio technology on defense.

“Used them both (tablet and in-helmet communication) and I thought it went very well, especially the tablet part of it,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.

“We didn’t have any chance to work with the tablets in practice. We did with the communication and the headsets and we thought that was a big positive as well.”

In-helmet communication is especially pertinent right now in the wake of the alleged Michigan sign-stealing scandal. If the radio system is implemented in college football the way it is in the NFL, there would be no — or far fewer — signs to steal.

“I’m hoping they adopt it next year because it makes so much sense, and all the sign stealing and the things you read about, all that crap would be out the window with the communication if they go to that,” Whittingham said, adding later that he felt “very confident” that college football would implement the in-helmet communication system in the future.

Northwestern coach David Braun said his staff wastes “hours” on creating signs that are hard to steal, which would be fixed if college football implements helmet communication going forward.

“All the things that we navigate as student-athletes, as coaches, recruiting, and when you’re wasting hours on logistics of how to appropriately signal things in because you’re concerned about your signals getting stolen, we can fix all of this by going to NFL model and getting that communication in the helmet,” Braun said.

The Big Ten Coach of the Year is a little less sure about video on the tablets. The NFL uses still shots on the tablets, while Saturday’s bowl game used video.

As far as helmet communication goes, though, Braun says that it’s “critical” that it’s implemented in college football moving forward.

“I think we should model our processes moving forward as much like the NFL as possible,” Braun said.