The Utes kept the energy up after the Sunday day-off. The offense is starting to catch up to the defense, and that is aided by the return of top wide receiver Kenneth Scott. Kyle Whittingham said he is 100% at this point, but won’t take a huge amount of reps because he is a proven player. He looked agile and healthy.
Backup running back Joe Williams had a nice practice, showing a Devontae Booker-like mix of power and speed. That pair of linebackers will keep the running back position solid and stable through the season.
The quarterbacks had a solid day outside of a near interception from Chase Hansen. Safety Jason Thompson was the tail end of a blitz on a screen play and cut off Hansen’s throw to the running back, but dropped the ball.
The offensive line did a nice job holding up the defensive line’s pressure. With 8-9 deep on the defensive line, the offensive line always has to be on it’s A-game to protect the quarterback, and they did their job today. The only sack I saw was a coverage sack that Chase Hansen tried to step through the front of the pocket and scramble.
The offensive line battle is ongoing. The coaches prefer to have their best 5 linemen on the field, with positions secondary in priority.
Andy Phillips made a 45-plus-yard field goal to end practice that prevented the team from running more gassers sideline to sideline. The offensive linemen were grateful.
