OCR Text |
Show DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE D2 August 2010 FOOTBALL One more year as underdogs Jake Hibbard ASST. SPORTS EDITOR It's a year in limbo for the Utes. Only one year shy of joining the Pac-io and gaining the elusive automatic Bowl Championship Series qualifier, head coach Kyle Whittingham and his boys face one more year of playing as underdogs. Unlike last season, they won't be in the preseason Top 25 and face an uphill battle against other mid-majors with a head start like TCU and Boise State. Then again, they weren't in the Top 25 starting the 2008 season, and that season nearly ended in a national championship. Despite all this, Whittingham said there is no change to his approach this year. "No changes whatsoever," he said. "It's just another chance to go out and try to win another (conference) championship. That's my goal every year, and this is no different." Whether you believe him could depend on if you see this year's team in the process of rebuilding or ready to contend. The offense appears set. Sophomore quarterback Jordan Wynn is entering his first full season as the starter and is coming off of a huge game in the Poinsettia Bowl where he threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns. Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata set up a "thunder-and-lightning" runningback committee that could prove hard to stop. The biggest question for the offensive end might be how the loss of blindside insurance policy Zane Beadles—who was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round this offseason—will affect the offense's flow. The highly recruited freshman tackle John Cullen is expected to take over where Beadles left off. Only time will tell how he fares. Defense is another story. Whittingham said the depth chart on the defensive end is still wide open. Koa Misi is now with the Miami Dolphins, and Robert Johnson, Joe Dale, R.J. Stanford and the entire linebacker crew are also gone. "We've got a lot of shoes to fill on the defensive side," Whittingham said. "We only are returning four starters, so we'll have a lot of new opportunities for new guys to step up, as well as older guys in the program who've been waiting their turn." j.hibbard@ chronicle.utah.edu U's move to Pac-10 will benefit all BRYAN CHOUINARD Senior, Parks, Recreation and Tourism or those of you who reside outside this great state, you certainly have missed an exciting summer here on campus. Utah joined the Pac-io. Only II years after being one of the charter members of the country's youngest collegiate athletic conferences—the Mountain West Conference—the Utes and the University of Colorado will become the newest members of what people are still referring to, for now, as the Pac-io. To put into perspective just how young the MWC is, it has been more than 3o years since the Pac-io even invited new members when it brought in the University of Arizona and Arizona State in 1978. So what could make Utah change conferences after such a short stint with the MWC? As far as football is concerned, not only will we get to play against perennial powerhouses such as USC and Oregon, but more importantly, Utah will now also have a shot at an automatic qualifier into the Bowl Championship Series. As much fun as Utah fans have had going to such destinations as the Poinsettia Bowl and Las Vegas Bowl, I'm sure any Ute fan you talk to would give up Vegas and San Diego for a trip to Pasadena in a heartbeat. Once I knew the years of rumors finally became fact and that Utah was on the move, I couldn't help but feel that the Utes were turning their back on something they helped build. After two undefeated seasons that ended in Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl wins, TCU making it to the BCS and accepting Boise State into the MWC, I felt like the conference finally had a legitimate leg to stand on in getting an automatic qualifying bid to the BCS. F RICHARD PAYSON/The Daily Utah Chronicle See PAC-10 Page D5 Running back Eddie Wide takes the ball past BYU defenders during the latest rivalry game at BYU. University Surplus for Sale GYMNASTICS Red Rocks will rebuild with 7 freshman recruits Kelsey Price STAFF WRITER Computers, desks, tables, chairs, office supply, scientific parts and many other used items, the University no longer needs, are available for purchase. Come browse the 3 floors of surplus property for sale, in the historic warehouse building built in 1906. With four Red Rocks graduating last season, the face of the Utah gymnastics team will be considerably newer. Half the team this upcoming season will be freshmen who are expected to make an immediate impact. "This is going to be a rebuilding year for us," said cohead coach Greg Marsden. "Half of our routines have graduated so half of our team will be incoming freshmen." "It's going to be really different for us this year with such a young team," said senior Kyndal Robarts. Finishing their Utah careers in 2010 were All-Americans Annie DiLuzio, Beth Rizzo, Jamie Deetscreek and Dania Bijak. The team is joined by seven incoming freshmen, including Lia Del Priore, Nansy Damianova, Alyssa Gale, Hailee Hansen, Mary Beth Lofgren, Corrie Lothrop and Victoria Shanley—who, with their impressive résumés, are expected to have an immediate impact on the team. In particular, Lothrop comes to Utah as one of the top recruits in the nation, University Surplus and Salvage 210 Connor St Salt Lake City, Utah 84113 801-581-7917 Hours: 8:00 - 5:30 M-F Closed Weekends & Holidays http://web.utah.edu/surplus All property sold "as is." i NATHAN SWEET/The Daily Utah Chronicle Kyndal Robarts performs her routine on the uneven bars. having been a member of the U.S. national team since 2006. Damianova joins the Red Rocks after competing for Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics. "This freshman class is coming to us very talented and with great credentials," Marsden said. "We're excited to get started. We're hoping the girls will transition smoothly because they're going to need to contribute immediately." After finishing the 2010 season sixth at nationals, the team has already begun workouts and training six days a week. Returning members are eager to help orient the incoming freshmen. "We're trying to get started on a good note," said junior Stephanie McAllister. "Team dynamics are going to be completely different, so it's important we all are on the same page if we're going to have a good season." "We really want to start out with a positive attitude going into this season," Robarts said. "So we're trying to keep the team positive and the atmosphere fun during practice. We're really putting a lot of emphasis on the importance of being a Red Rock. All the girls are really gung-ho and excited for the season." The Red Rocks, who are the only team to ever make 35 consecutive national championship appearances, will have one of their toughest schedules yet this season. Of the II opponents the Utes will face, eight finished in the Top 25 last year, including No. 7 Nebraska, No. 5 Florida and No. 4 Stanford. Utah hopes that despite the tough schedule and the inexperience of most of the team, it will excel on the national See GYMNASTICS Page D6 |