Utah Utes - The Salt Lake Tribune

Utah football: Utes still searching for receivers

Mon, 19 Aug 2013 08:48:32 MDT

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson and passing game coordinator Aaron Roderick all have been consistent in discussing Utah’s depth at receiver this year. The Utes have two solid guys in Kenneth Scott and Dres Anderson and then … well, the Utes are still waiting to see who can step into that third spot. For a team that promises to spread out the offense and use a lot of looks, the Utes are looking mighty thin at receiver. Now more than halfway through camp, the ...

Utah football: QB Wilson shines in Utes’ scrimmage

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 23:17:44 MDT

Anyone worried that Utah quarterback Travis Wilson’s ankle injury was more serious than previously thought can rest easy. The sophomore is fine. The same could be said for Utah’s offense. Wilson, who has seen only light work in camp this week due to a mild ankle sprain, had his best day yet during the Utes’ final scrimmage Saturday. Wilson went 12 of 18 for 281 yards and two touchdowns to be the highlight in what coach Kyle Whittingham called a scrimmage with “a lot of positives.” “We still have...

Utah football: Brian Blechen back in action for Utes

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 16:20:03 MDT

Brian Blechen was on the field Saturday, but he still isn’t in the clear. Blechen, a senior who is projected as Utah’s starting stud linebacker, hasn’t been able to practice much because of tendinitis in his knees. However, he was able to make his presence known Saturday as he snagged the day’s only interception. While there was some relief in having him on the field, Utah’s coaches remain uncommitted as to how Blechen might fit into their plans this year. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said he wan...

Monson: Utah football owes Spence Eccles a thousand wins

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 15:37:07 MDT

Utah’s new football palace is … well, palatial. How’s this for a head-on word collision: Adequately palatial. It’s a space vast and posh enough to include just about anything and everything the modern college athlete needs and a lot of what he doesn’t. It’s essentially a $32 million rumpus room meant to make football coaches and especially players feel right at home. E. I. DuPont’s home. And apparently this is the kind of residence where winning lives if Utah wants to make any kind of mark in t...

Utes open Spence and Cleone Eccles Football Center (video)

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 12:49:37 MDT

There were a lot of congratulatory remarks, pats on the backs and reflections during Utah’s grand opening for the Spence and Cleone Eccles Football Center on Thursday. But leave it to Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham for putting the whole thing into the context football fans want to hear — that the $32 million facility will help the Utes win games. “What a difference it has made already in the whole atmosphere and attitude of the football team,” he said. “It’s awesome.” Whittingham has long ...

Utah football: Keith McGill turning into Utah’s running man

Fri, 16 Aug 2013 23:05:11 MDT

Keith McGill might be a football player now, but he may want to consider long-distance running as a future hobby. He is running with the ones, he is running with the twos, he is running with the threes and when they are all gone he is running with just himself — back and forth, back and forth on Utah’s football field. McGill, a 6-foot-3 senior cornerback, is trying to lose about 10 pounds to get himself to a playing weight of around 210 pounds. Before one gets any images of a soft, pudgy corner,...

Utah football: Blechen’s year in jeopardy due to injuries

Fri, 16 Aug 2013 16:26:03 MDT

Only a few weeks ago, Utah senior linebacker Brian Blechen was eager to get on the field and end his career with a big year. Now, the Utes would just like to have him on the field. Blechen’s practice time continues to be limited due to tendinitis. It was apparent following Friday’s morning session that Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is losing patience with the situation. “If he doesn’t get out there soon, we just have to move past him,” Whittingham said. “We have to. There is no other way, no other...

Utah football: Utes to pay respects to former assistant coach, freshman

Fri, 16 Aug 2013 14:01:08 MDT

The Utes are scheduled to end their Friday afternoon practice early so players and coaches could attend services for former Utah assistant Aaron Alford, who died of a heart attack on Monday. Alford served as an assistant coach at Utah from 2007-2010 and also worked in administration as Utah’s director of high school relations. “He was a great guy, one of the genuinely great guys,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said Friday. Whittingham noted the Utes have had to deal with a lot of tragedies this ye...

Utah football: Erickson getting accustomed to old, new view

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 16:58:04 MDT

The refreshments are better, the seats are a little more plush, but the view is the same. For Utah co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson, a lot and then not much, has changed since he last coached from the press box. Erickson, who hasn’t served as a coordinator since he was at San Jose State from 1979-81, is getting accustomed to his new perch during Utah’s scrimmages. His first impression? “It’s a long ways,” to the field, he said. “For one thing, you can see everything, ‘Why don’t you throw...

Utah football: Is starting role in cards for linebacker VJ Fehoko?

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 10:54:37 MDT

The talk with coach Kyle Whittingham came first for VJ Fehoko. That was followed by a conversation with defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake, then came the shoulder surgery last December. Piece by piece, Utah’s middle linebacker began building the necessary blocks to compete for a starting job in 2013. By the spring, Fehoko was studying film and taking notes on Ray Lewis, the way the future Ravens Hall of Famer played and the way he took care of himself away from the football field. He changed h...

Utah football: Injuries taking their toll on Utes

Wed, 14 Aug 2013 15:42:03 MDT

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said Wednesday he wasn’t going to discuss Utah’s injuries anymore, probably because the news is too depressing. Whittingham announced Wednesday that backup running back Jarrell Oliver and defensive tackle Stevie Tu’ikolovatu have been lost for the season with foot injuries. In addition, linebacker Brian Blechen continues to be slowed with tendinitis and quarterback Travis Wilson has a mild ankle sprain that kept him on the sidelines for precautionary reasons Wednesday...

Utah football: Utes scrimmage well, but consistency is elusive

Tue, 13 Aug 2013 23:19:43 MDT

The Utah Utes saw plenty of positives in Tuesday’s scrimmage. They just didn’t see enough of them consistently. Utah’s running backs, backup quarterbacks and corners all had their moments in the live work, but overall the team still needs to find more consistency between now and when the Utes open the season against Utah State on Aug. 29, coach Kyle Whittingham said. “Overall, it was a good scrimmage,” he said. The biggest disappointing development happened early when quarterback Travis Wilson t...

Utah football: Utes want depth chart settled this weekend

Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:46:02 MDT

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has set a deadline of Saturday to determine many of the position battles that are continuing in camp. The season opener against Utah State on Aug. 29 is less than three weeks away, and Whittingham said the time is coming for the starters and key backups to get most of the reps. “We need to know the guys who we are sinking our reps into,” he said. The Utes have a third scrimmage scheduled for Aug. 22, but Whittingham wants to turn that into a regular practice session b...

Pac-12 targets DirecTV in Utah-themed spot

Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:00:34 MDT

Would you rather see hikers stroll through Bryce Canyon or watch a University of Utah football player run into the end zone? The Pac-12 Conference is juxtaposing those scenes in one of a series of aggressive, market-specific commercials that ask fans to drop DirecTV. The conference’s “Compare” campaign, announced Monday, targets DirecTV as negotiations with the provider remain unfruitful regarding the Pac-12 Networks. “With just two weeks before the fall sports schedule begins, DirecTV continue...

Utah football: Utah’s defense preparing to unveil variety of new looks

Mon, 12 Aug 2013 21:06:10 MDT

Several years ago, when Urban Meyer was coaching the Utes and Kyle Whittingham was the defensive coordinator, the two talked about the changing trends in offense and decided they’d better be prepared. So they put a priority on speed and athleticism in the defense. “We saw what was coming for a lot of years,” Whittingham said. “Everyone wants the fast guys.” This year, more than ever, the Utes will find out just how well those efforts to be ahead of the curve have paid off. The Utes might be know...

Kragthorpe: Utes need cornerback Justin Thomas to age quickly

Mon, 12 Aug 2013 15:39:45 MDT

Searching for a starting cornerback, the Utah Utes are auditioning a player who has gone two seasons without appearing in a football game. Can you imagine Justin Thomas taking the field Aug. 29 against Utah State, after missing two years of live action? Who could do that? Like other schools in the state, the Utes have many returned missionaries whose athletic careers were interrupted for two years, so Thomas is not as unusual here as he would be elsewhere. While the athletes serving missions we...

Former Utah assistant coach Aaron Alford dies of apparent heart attack

Mon, 12 Aug 2013 14:41:02 MDT

Aaron Alford, an assistant coach with the University of Utah football program from 2007-2010, died of an apparent heart attack Monday morning in Park City. He was 39. New Beginnings Behavioral Treatment Agency, where Alford worked as an executive director, confirmed his death. Park City Police Department Capt. Phil Kirk said the department responded to a medical assist at the Park City School District offices about 10 a.m. Kirk said there was nothing suspicious about the call, adding it looked ...

Utah football: Utes ready for first scrimmage Tuesday

Mon, 12 Aug 2013 14:37:02 MDT

Utah’s coaches have been hands-on throughout fall camp as they’ve tweaked lineups, schemes and techniques. Now, with the first scrimmage of the camp scheduled for Tuesday, it’s time for the coaches to take a step back, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “It’s time for a scrimmage to see what these guy can do when everything is live and the coaches are off the field,” he said. “We’re just going to let them play.” Utah co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson said he is looking for a clean effort f...

Utah football: Utes keeping tight tabs on contact in practice

Sun, 11 Aug 2013 19:32:40 MDT

The Utah Utes have changed their practice format slightly this year, allowing the veterans to end practice about 20 minutes earlier than the newcomers in some workouts. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said the change was made so players could get more rest. The Utes are also mindful about the amount of injuries the team has. “It’s something you have to keep a handle on as far as how much wear and tear to put on them and how much to push them,” he said. “It’s a fine line between getting work done and...

Utah football: Utes will be smaller, but quicker at defensive end

Sat, 10 Aug 2013 22:54:10 MDT

Trevor Reilly appears poised to have the best season of his career. The Utah senior has been a standout through the first five days of fall camp, exploding off the edge and making plays in the offensive backfield. Nate Orchard’s new body accompanies his new name (previously Fakahafua). The junior, who once dominated high school football at Highland, is no longer a slim underclassman. He’s 255 pounds, with muscles popping out of his upper body. The narrative is different for him now. He has to pr...