It’s been a spring-practice theme the past few years, and it continued on in the first scrimmage of the 2013 season. With the first live action, Utah fans once again must wonder whether Utah’s offense is shoddy or its defense is just really good.
Even without starters such as Nate Orchard, Trevor Reilly, Jason Whittingham and others, the Utah defense exposed issues in the offense, particularly an inconsistent passing game.
Sophomore quarterbacks Travis Wilson and Adam Schulz showed flashes of good moments, but there were plenty of struggles. Wilson, who was 11-of-25 passes for 146 yards with a touchdown and one interception, had struggles out the gate.
“I’m trying to throw [the ball] a little bit harder and a little bit faster,” Wilson said. “Get it into the tight spots. It’s still a work in progress and something I’m still working on.”
Schulz faired slightly better than Wilson, throwing 13-of-22 for 175 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions of his own. Co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson was pleased about what he saw from the offense, but said there are still improvements to make.
“Both quarterbacks really had their moments,” Erickson said. “We ran the ball pretty well, and our front played pretty well.”
Freshman Brandon Cox impressed head coach Kyle Whittingham with his talent as a dual threat quarterback. Cox completed 7-of-10 passes and rushed for 50 yards on seven carries.
“He’s a playmaker,” Whittingham said. “He has that ability to extend plays, which will drive defensive coordinators nuts.”
Even with the quarterbacks’ endeavor, junior wide receiver Dres Anderson stood out with his six catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, including one catch wrapping his arms around a defender to catch the ball behind his opponent’s back.
Anderson wasn’t quick to boast about the highlight-reel grab.
“It’s just spring ball,” he said. “That’s what we are trying to do everyday in practice, so it’s not really a big deal. That’s what my teammates need out of me, so I am going to keep making plays for them and help our offense keep rolling.”
The Utes ran more than 100 plays and was well balanced with passing attack and the run game. Junior Lucky Radley and sophomore James Poole spent the most time in the backfield. Poole had 12 carries for 68 yards and three touchdowns while Radley carried the ball 10 times for 47 yards and a touchdown. Presumed starter Kelvin York is still sidelined with turf toe.
“[Poole] is a good player,” Whittingham said. “He played well in past scrimmages, and he showed up again today. Lucky Radley continues to show up. He is a guy that has been very consistent and does a nice job with the ball in his hand.”
On the defensive side, senior corner Keith McGill shone with his four pass deflections and a fumble recovery. Whittingham compared McGill to former Utah corner Sean Smith.
“He feels more comfortable at the corner spot every day,” Whittingham said.
Overall, the first scrimmage went as Utah coaches had expected — things went well, but plenty of refining awaits the team.
“We haven’t had a bad practice. We just have some better than others,” Whittingham said. “With six practices left, we need every single one of them and have to keep progressing.”