Shuffling the deck
Earlier this week, the Utah coaching staff made the decision to switch sophomore offensive lineman Zane Beadles from left guard to left tackle.
The Utes initially moved junior lineman Corey Seiuli to left tackle to fill the void left by injured senior Jason Boone, but Seiuli was more comfortable as an interior lineman, so he was moved to left guard.
“I’m pleased with how that situation has turned out,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “Zane (Beadles) is a natural there at left tackle and Corey (Seiuli) is looking good inside. Now it’s just a matter of time before the offensive line jells.”
Not running away with anything
Snow College transfer Matt Asiata, who was the preseason favorite to start at running back, is still slightly hobbled by a sprained foot he suffered earlier this offseason. With less than a week until Utah’s season-opener against Oregon State, the 6-foot, 235-pound back still hasn’t been able to participate in many full-contact drills.
Initially, Whittingham believed the injury to be minor, but that didn’t turn out to be the case.
“Matt (Asiata) gets a little bit more practice time each day,” Whittingham said. “We’re hoping in a day or two, we’ll have everything sorted out.”
Stroughter out indefinitely
The Utah/Oregon State game has yet to kick off, but the Beavers have already been dealt a serious blow. Senior wide receiver Sammie Stroughter has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the team due to the loss of several people close to him.
Stroughter led the Pac-10 with 74 catches for 1293 yards and five touchdowns last season.
D-backing it up
Earlier this offseason, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham had two main areas of concern. The first was at running back. The second was the defensive backfield. Although the running back situation is still up in the air, the secondary has made some strides.
“They’ve made quite a bit of progress over the past couple weeks,” Whittingham said. “I’m happy with what they’re doing, but they still have room for improvement before next week.”
Senior captain Steve Tate will lead the Ute defense this season from his free safety position. Projected to start opposite of him at free safety is sophomore Joe Dale, and the two cornerbacks will likely be junior Brice McCain and sophomore Sean Smith.
“I’ve kind of taken Joe (Dale) under my wing a little bit because safeties have to know every position,” Tate said. “Sean’s just got to slow everything down and let the game come to him. He’s coming from the offense and that transition takes time, but there’s no worries there. He’s definitely got the athleticism.”
Wilson probable against OSU
It is likely that junior wide receiver Marquis Wilson will play in the upcoming Oregon State game despite a team-rules violation early this spring.
Wilson, who ranked No. 23 in the nation in punt return average last season (11.2 yards per return), had to sit out spring ball due to the infraction. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said the team is waiting to hear back from the court before making a decision.
“This legal process has been dragged on for what seems like an interminable amount of time, and you know, he may turn up innocent,” Whittingham said. “If he turns out guilty, we’ll take it from there.”
Neck and neck and neck and neck
With less than a week left until their season-opener against Oregon State, the Utes still have to decide on who will start at running back.
Asiata is still slightly bothered by his injury, but says he’ll be ready to go. Meanwhile, senior Darryl Poston and juniors Ray Stowers and Darrell Mack have also been competing for the starting spot, but no one has stood out above the rest as of yet.
“We’re not going to make a decision on that before we’re ready,” Whittingham said. “If it takes until right before game time to decide, then that’s what we’ll do.”
While the head coach may be relaxed in making his decision, the players are far from it.
“It would help a lot (if they made a decision soon),” Poston said. “It would help me go to sleep easier at night — not wondering whether or not I got the job.”