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Show www.dailyutahchronicle.corn UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS 5 SPORTS Tuesday August 21, 2012 FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK THURSDAY: Women's Soccer Utah vs. Southern Utah 7:30 p.m. Ute Soccer Field FRIDAY: Volleyball Utah vs. Southern Utah 12 p.m. Logan, Utah Volleyball Utah @ Utah State 7 p.m. Logan, Utah SATURDAY: Women's Soccer Utah vs. BYU 1 p.m. Ute Soccer Field Volleyball Utah vs. Weber State 12 p.m. Logan, Utah Volleyball Utah vs. Portland 5 p.m. Logan, Utah TUESDAY, AUG. 28 Volleyball Utah vs. Utah Valley 7 p.m. Crimson Court THURSDAY, AUG. 30 Football Utah vs. Northern Colorado 5:15 p.m. Rice Eccles Stadium PRESEASON PAC-12 FOOTBALL Pac-12 South 1. USC 2. Utah 3. UCLA 4. Arizona 5. ASU 6. Colorado Pac-12 North 1. Oregon 2. Stanford 3. Washington 4. California 5. Washington State 6. Oregon State CHRISTOPHER REEVES/The Daily Utah Chronicle Kelvin York attempts to run in for a touchdown during the spring game April 21. Although much of the Utah depth chart has been solidified, one battle still going on is the one for backup running back. Depth, Pac-12 seasoning help Utes Derek Siddoway STAFF WRITER Utes fixing small mistakes as season nears With nine days remaining before Utah football opens its 2012 season, the Utes continue to fine-tune in preparation for playing Northern Colorado, the beginning of what they hope will be another bowlbound season. After an eventful fall camp marked by position battles, the installation of a new offense and a revolving depth chart, coaches and players alike feel the majority of preseason questions have been, at least temporarily, answered. Aside from the team's overall depth, which has provided Utah with injury insurance and fostered a competitive training camp, head coach Kyle Whittingham lists last year's conference experience being finished as an additional strength. "Last year we had the distraction of the hoopla of the Pac-12," Whittingham said. "This year that's kind of died down and it's just business as usual." Among the usual business is an increased focus on fundamentals. The offense is still learning offensive coordinator Brian Johnson's new spread schemes, and the defense will feature a variety of looks, courtesy of a plethora of talent. "At the end of the day I feel like we got a lot put in [at fall camp]," receiver Luke Matthews said. "[The offense] is a lot of the same concepts. We are trying to really stress a powerful run game this year again, but I think you're going to see more variance. It's not going to Hicks proud to compete in U.S. Amateur Championship Carson Huiskamp enough to qualify for the match play rounds that occurred later in the week. Although he wasn't able to win the tournament or make it to match play, Hicks realized the magnitude of what he had accomplished. "I feel a little proud I made it," he said. "In all honesty I would've liked to make it [into the match play rounds], but I learned more those two days than I have any other tournament." Hicks plans on playing in the tournament for years to come. To do that, he will need to continue to do what he has done his whole life — spend hours at the driving range, practice his short game and putt. c.huiskamp@chronicle.utah.edu Although senior running back John White was held out of live action throughout training camp, he is still the undisputed top dog on the Utes' offense at that position. It was still important, however, for the coaching staff to find out which of the other backs would be listed at number two. Junior college transfer Kelvin York entered camp as the most likely to be White's backup, but strong running from freshman Jarrell Oliver, fellow transfer James Poole and sophomore Lucky Radley made the offensive staff take a second look. "Coming out of spring [camp] it was pretty cut-and-dried that Kelvin was the number two guy," Whittingham said. "Right now, it's See he first week of school is a unique time of JAKE the year, as there is enthusiasm and optimism BULLINGER everywhere. No, I'm not talking about freshmen excited to meet the girls Sports Editor across the dorm hall. I'm talking about every Utah student anticipating sports to freshman. But Wynn hasn't fire back up after the summer been "on" in quite some time, doldrums. and we don't know if his achy What makes college sports shoulders can hold up for a unique is that the athletes are full season — they haven't yet. your peers — any student can If Utah wants to contend with congratulate a Ute on campus USC for a Pac-12 South title, after he or she has a great he needs to be a top-notch game (or, if you so choose, performer. chide them for a poor per2. Cheyanne Mulcock formance). Of all the student athletes on campus, the folMulcock has some big shoes lowing three are likely to be to fill in terms of leadership the most influential this fall, after the graduation of goalie and thus the ones that fellow Hannah Turpen. Although Turpen didn't students should be seeking out on a regular basis, be it for receive any all-conference congratulations or jeers. awards last season, she was Utah soccer's most important I. Jordan Wynn player. Turpen wasn't just a This one's a no-brainer. skilled goalie — her senior Without Wynn on the field leadership helped the Utes last season, Utah's offense finish fifth in the Pac-12. was stagnant. Wynn is healthy Now it's up to Mulcock to this season, which means the fill her shoes. The Utes don't Utah football team will be have a single senior on the putting a lot of weight on his roster, so, as a junior, Mulhistorically finicky shoulders. cock is a de facto team leader. Nobody really knows if he can In addition to being a great take the load. leader, she needs to be stingy When he's on, Wynn has between the posts too. Utah taken Utah's offense to new lost its top scorer from last heights — he won the 2009 season in Erin Dalley and its Poinsettia Bowl MVP as a best defender, Lauren Porter, k PHOTO COURTESY UTAH ATHLETICS Battle of the backups NEW SEASON Page 6 Three players to keep your eye on this fall T STAFF WRITER Sophomore golfer Gentry Hicks has devoted hours to hitting range balls, practicing his short game and knocking putts in around the green during his lifetime. Even though he didn't start playing golf competitively until the eighth grade, he quickly flourished and became a top talent in the state of Arizona, winning the individual and team 4A state championship in high school. That accomplishment helped him earn a spot on Utah's golf team. From a prominent standpoint, however, none of these come close to the opportunity that Hicks received last week, as he was invited to play at the U.S. Amateur Championship in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. It is a tournament best known for Tiger Woods' three consecutive wins in the 199os. To qualify for the tournament, Hicks shot a two-day total of 143 (74, 69) winning a medalist spot at a tournament held in Promontory, Utah, earlier this year. Of the 70 in the field, only three qualified for last week's tournament. "I just was really excited," Hicks said. "I didn't really know what I was getting into." Despite being on such an important stage last week, Hicks approached the U.S. Amateur just as he would any other tournament, taking the same swing on the first tee that he had taken so many times before. "Once they call your name on the tee it's just golf again," Hicks said. "Whether I play with my dad or for fun or in a tournament, you should act the same." After shooting a two-day total of 154 (81-73), Hicks was tied for 256th out of the 310-person field, which was not good be so predictable. It is going to be a good mix of everything. We have a lot of places we can go with the ball. Now we've just got to sharpen up the little things. [I've] got to step it up a notch." Certainly, Matthews' teammates took notice of his increased intensity during fall camp, as the senior was named one of four team captains by his peers. He considers it an honor and responsibility to lead a team he calls hungry to cause some conference noise. "Over the years I have grown into that role. It's just the way I play and my nature on the field," Matthews said. "Last year, being just one game away from the Pac-12 Championship, it's something we look at every day and just know that if we would have pushed a little harder we could have been there." so the Utes need to keep opponents' goals to a minimum. 3. Chelsey Schofield The Utah volleyball team had an awful season last year, and much of the blame falls on a poor attack. That doesn't mean there's no talent on the floor when Utah has possession, though. As a freshman, Chelsey Schofield led the team in kills, and she has enough talent to bring the Utes out of the Pac-12 basement. The biggest issue Schofield faces is improving her accuracy and shot selection. She hit just AI last season, which is far below what a team's top outside hitter should be producing. Schofield is Utah's best player, and the team will rise up the standings if she improves. If Schofield stagnates, though, expect Utah to be at the bottom of the standings once again. Wynn, Mulcock and Schofield have three of the toughest jobs on campus. All three have the talent to be successful, but that's not guaranteed in the rough-and-tumble Pac-12. So, it will be a boomor-bust season for these three. Succeed, and they'll be the kings and queens of campus. Struggle, and they won't be hearing many nice comments from their peers. j.bullinger@chronicle.utah.edu |