The annual Utah Football Red-White Spring Game will take place this Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and there are plenty of in-house competitions to watch for, one being the quarterback battle.
Brandon Cox will be in command of the Red team, while true freshman Tyler Huntley will take charge of the White team, and head coach Kyle Whittingham is eager to see how these two battle it out in front of a decent-sized crowd. Unlike last spring, when Travis Wilson didn’t compete, Whittingham doesn’t plan on sidelining either one of them, at least not for the majority of the time.
“You’ll get a good look at Tyler and Brandon,” Whittingham said. “They’ll most likely go the entire way for their respective teams. Of course they won’t be live, but you’ll get an idea of what their capabilities are.”
Although no positions have been finalized for next year’s starting roster, right now it looks as if Cox will get the go. Whittingham thinks he is playing his best football ever since joining the Utah program, and all those years of sitting in Wilson’s wings have transformed him into a really polished player.
Walk-on wide receiver Tyler Cooperwood has had a couple of good showings in the Utes’ two recent scrimmages. He’s been working on his field chemistry with both quarterbacks and as a part of the white team, has more than enough confidence in Huntley’s ability to get him the ball.
“I’m just getting my timing down with the quarterbacks and just making sure we’re executing all of our plays,” Cooperwood said.
Another position battle sure to draw some attention is at running back. Last year’s starter Devontae Booker did not participate last spring, as his position was sealed up, but that is no longer the case. Both Joe Williams and Troy McCormick have plenty to offer the team and are neck-in-neck for the starting title. Williams will be teaming up with Huntley on the White team and McCormick will be on the Red team with Cox.
Saturday’s game certainly won’t be a determining factor of who will get the start in the fall, but it will have plenty of implications heading into summer and fall practices. Either way, Whittingham hopes both Williams and McCormick can rise to the occasion and show all the hard work they have done over the past few weeks.
“There’s still a lot of things unsettled that will continue to be sorted out,” Whittingham said. “We’ll hopefully finish off on a positive note and set our sights on the next phase.”
With low numbers on the offensive line this spring, similar to last year’s game, the offensive linemen will wear black jerseys and play for both squads. Another area Whittingham will be paying a lot of attention to is the linebacking core. With so many senior departures, he needs this group to find its rhythm.
Once the Red-White game has finished, and with that, spring practices, the coaching staff will look closely at all the film from this past month to see what still needs to be worked on and who has made the most improvements. Whittingham cannot see every little thing that’s happening on the field, so this is where he’ll get a better idea of where his team is headed.
“We’re in a rebuild situation,” Whittingham said. “Everything carries work and everything will be graded.”
Whittingham will take a back seat to the event, as Guy Holliday will be the head coach of the Red team and Fred Whittingham Jr. will be the head coach of the White team. Overall, Whittingham would call this the most productive spring the Utes have had in recent memory and hopes it translates into the fall season.
The game is scheduled for noon.
@kbrenneisen