Tim Patrick hasn’t had a full healthy year at Utah. He has continuously been sidelined with injuries, but this year he feels 100 percent heading into the season opener against SUU. The wide receiver poses a threat not only because of his 6-foot-5-inch height but also because of his playmaking abilities, and he’s ready to embrace the spotlight.
It’s no secret that Utah’s defense has always had a leg up on the offense. Whether in past years’ spring camps, fall camps or even the regular season, the defense has seemed to outshine the offense. And whenever Utah was credited as a good team it was because of the defense.
While the blame for a poor passing team typically sits atop the team’s starting quarterback, that doesn’t make an ounce of difference for Patrick, because it also means he isn’t doing enough to make his quarterback look better.
However, like many other headlines entering this season there seems to be a new theme in the Utah football program, one that has the offense written all over it this year, and Patrick is sick and tired of sitting in the back seat.
“Utah is known for being the worst passing team in the Pac-12, and that disrespects me and all the other receivers,” Patrick said. “That tells me that I suck and I don’t belong in the Pac-12, so there’s for sure a chip on my shoulder and everybody else’s shoulder in the receiver room, and we’re ready to show everyone what we can do.”
Again, since Patrick hasn’t always been healthy, he has not been able to contribute to Utah’s offense as he and his coaches have always imagined. But head coach Kyle Whittingham knows what Patrick is capable of, so his faith in him has never wavered, and he’s eager to see what he brings to the gridiron when it’s time to get going.
“Timmy Patrick, getting him back was huge,” Whittingham said. “He is the leader of the group, leader of the receivers and one of the team leaders. And like I said earlier, we missed him last year.”
Whittingham is optimistic about this season for more than one reason, but the receiving core is a big part of it, and new starting quarterback Troy Williams would agree.
Williams has been doing his part to put in the extra hours after practice, and he has also been working to build a better bond with all his teammates, most importantly, the wide receivers. Whether it’s eating lunch with the rest of the guys, playing games or even rapping, Williams knows these guys have his back and vice versa.
Since this is Williams’ first year at Utah, he hasn’t really had the misfortune of missing out on an opportunity to throw to Patrick, but that doesn’t mean Williams isn’t going to take advantage of every moment the two have on the field together.
“[Patrick is] a general out there,” Williams said. “He goes and gets any ball that you throw to him. I’m excited he’s back this year and that I get to go out and play with him, and hopefully have some great moments with him.”
And having someone like Patrick back in the lineup only makes it more difficult for the defense.
The defense isn’t used to playing catch-up. It typically runs all over the offense, and it’s the offense’s job to try and figure out ways around them. But this year, the tides have turned, and it’s the defense’s job to figure out a way to halt the offense.
Dominique Hatfield thinks this is the toughest offense he has had to face throughout his tenure at Utah, and it’s because of players like Patrick who are willing to put in the extra hours.
“[The] receivers are making plays day-in and day-out, making my job hard, so I think this is most definitely the best offense that I’ve been practicing against since I’ve been here,” Hatfield said.
So after sitting out all of last season, Patrick is ready to put his skills to the test on Thursday night.
@kbrenneisen