Though the first game on the schedule doesn’t occur for another five months, the beginning of the U football team’s season is just one week away.

On March 29, the Utes will officially begin their Spring practice session at the McCarthey Practice Field in preparation for the 2002 season.

Utah is coming off a successful ’01 campaign that saw it conclude an 8-4 year with a Las Vegas Bowl victory over traditional powerhouse USC.

The Utes have put all that behind them, though, and coach Ron McBride is looking forward to getting practices going.

“I’m always excited for Spring ball,” he said. “This is my 41st or 42nd Spring [of football practice], and I’m as excited about this team as I have been about any.”

The Utes have been busy already, though. After returning to school following the semester break, the players received nine days off during the Olympics to compensate for a missing Spring Break, but otherwise have been doing lifting, strength training and conditioning. McBride said some additional running would go on next week leading up to practice.

In the meantime, the coaches will try to prepare the athletes for a tougher schedule (one that now includes Michigan) and further improve an offense that jumped from 80th to 24th in the nation over the last year.

“It’s up to us to develop some younger, newer players and take the team another level,” McBride said.

The Spring session concludes on April 27.