OCR Text |
Show DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE 10 Grading the Utes Although it wasn't a disaster by any means, fall camp wasn't exactly without hiccups as far as the quarterback position is concerned. Jordan Wynn missed a few days with the flu, and precautionary measures surrounding his return from offseason shoulder surgery limited the amount of throws he made each practice and even prevented him from throwing at all in others. The lack of continuity hampered Wynn and the offense through most of camp, though he was excellent in Saturday's scrimmage, going 8-for-12 for 128 yards and a touchdown. The coaching staff insists that the junior will be fully ready by the time the season starts, and his performance in the scrimmage certainly backs that up. Nevertheless, my grade would have been higher had Wynn participated fully in camp. The position is thin after Wynn, so the reps backup Jon Hays entered camp when Wynn was unable to throw. This situation could end up being a blessing in disguise if the Utes are forced to use their backup. Hays, a junior college transfer, got off to a rocky start in camp, but showed marked improvement by the final scrimmage, in which he went IIfor-13 with 133 yards and two touchdowns. After losing this past year's leading rushers Matt Asiata and Eddie Wide to graduation, not to mention presumptive heir-to-the-throne Sausan Shakerin to multiple concussions, none of the candidates for most of this season's carries have much, if any, Division-I experience. John White established himself as the No. i guy during fall camp, followed by walk-on Tauni Vakapuna, who missed all of spring ball while he took care of his ailing mother. Vakapuna separated himself in the fall with his productive downhill running game. Many expected Harvey Langi, a highly touted freshman from Bingham High, to compete for play time right away, but a lackluster camp has him battling with former rugby star Thretton Palamo for the third spot on the depth chart. White dominated at Los Angeles Harbor College this past season, rushing for 1,491 yards on 184 carries while also catching 21 passes for 176 yards and is the Utes' only back with post-high school starting experience. With the new pro-style offense, the Utes will rely heavily on a strong running game, and it's crucial that White's juco success translates to the D-I level. After White, it's impossible to judge exactly what the Utes have for the running-back position until they get in a game, though there is clearly some talent in the stable if White falters. At the very least, the wide-receiving corps won't leave Wynn without a plethora of throwing options. They return this past year's leading receiver DeVonte Christopher, as well as Luke Matthews and Reggie Dunn, both of whom saw significant playing time in 2010. The emergence of talented redshirt freshman Dres Anderson, who is set to start alongside Christopher at wideout, gives Wynn another potent weapon in a unit that looks to be one of the team's biggest strengths. I would have bumped them up at least another half-grade had it not been for a serious hamstring injury to key newcomer Anthony Denham. A transfer from East Los Angeles College, Denham was listed as a four-star recruit by Scout. corn and would have vied for a starting role, but will now likely take a redshirt year. Even without Denham, the unit has the look of a big-play machine. As they seldom caught passes, the tight ends were an overlooked part of the team when it was running the spread offense as far back as when Urban Meyer was at the U. The Utes began to make an effort to appeal to Wynn's strength of passing this past year by getting the tight ends more involved, which led to Kendrick Moeai catching II passes for 225 yards. In 2011, we should see the tight ends become even more active. The west-coast style offense figures to give Moeai, Jake Murphy and Dallin Rogers even more opportunities to get their hands on the ball. More activity in the tight-end passing game could benefit Wynn, giving him more outs to throw the ball to when coverage is tight downfield. The offensive line boasts three returning starters in left tackle John Cullen, right tackle Tony Bergstrom and center Tevita Stevens, as well as 2010's top reserve Sam Brenner. If it wasn't for injuries, this group would raise fewer question marks. However, Brenner (elbow), his replacement Latu Heimuli (thumb) and Isaac Asiata (ankle) have all missed significant time this fall, leaving the Utes' line dangerously thin. Brenner was able to return to play for Saturday's scrimmage, but just as he returned, Cullen went out with a concussion. It's no secret how important the line is to an offense's success, so the injuries are a legitimate concern. If the offensive line plays poorly, it will make it impossible for the Utes to be consistently good on offense. The injuries have kept the unit as a whole from working together, which means they will receive an incomplete grade at this time. Run g Back Wide Receiver Tight End Offensive ' iNcologkJ n A .dailyutahchronicle. co eat fresh"' Every Day Value Menu Meatball Marinara Cold Cut Combo Spicy Italian Veggie Delite • low rate loans Black Forest Ham BLT $5.50 Footlongs • free mobile banking linhOg gia while supplies last limited time U of U campus offer 221 S.1300 E. Salt Lake City 582-5001 $5.00 Footlongs •free checking •student loans Football writer Bubba Brown breaks down and hands out his preseason grades to the offense. He will grade the defense and special teams Tuesday. Qua erback STUDEll SERIP GIFTS PR ZES Monday, August 22, 2011 FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Roasted Chicken Tuna Valid At: in 221 S. 1300 E. 200 South s, Lir wwwsubwaycom C =Mt 582-5001 !WIWI 414.alts vt See Our Other Locations: 1314 S. Foothill Dr. (Foothill Village) 581 1322 - 421 E.400 S. FREE STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SEMINAR •Financial literacy and planning August 22, 2:00 pm •Strategies for paying tuition Union Building room 312 •Financial aid 101/ Filing the FAFSA and tips %; 1s'51 355 3259 - Gateway Mall (Food Court) 456 0798 - 974 E. 2100 S. (Sugarhouse) 485-8658 ONE DAY ONLY! DON'T MISS OUT! STUDENT FRIENDLY! GO UTES Not good with any other offer. Good at participating stores only. No cash value. Not for sale. ® 2004 Doctor's Associates Inc. Bring in this Coupon for a Free Bacon Cheeseburger! with purchase of an ithHr Bacon C l ieerHbu 1g-it E 4p Ally 28th Illivorsity Location 212 S. 13611 E. 502-1100 mig 711101 S. MA 255.11111 |