With two games under its belt, the University of Utah football team is now gearing up to host San Jose State on Saturday, Sept. 16. From week one to week two, head coach Kyle Whittingham said he feels that his team made improvements, but there are some things that need to be cleaned up, such as the number of penalties the Utes were whistled for, the lack of third down conversions and red zone touchdown production. After the victory against BYU, however, he did find some positive takeaways that the team can continue to build upon, specifically quarterback Tyler Huntley’s performance, the defensive efforts and the kicking game as bright spots for Utah.
“Overall we’re still a work in progress as is every team in the country at this point in time,” Whittingham said. “But we feel we’re heading in the right direction. [We] just got to continue to get better week by week.”
Huntley confident in dual-threat abilities
Huntley finished the rivalry going 27-of-36 for 300 yards in the air, plus 89 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown. After the game, Whittingham admitted he felt the team relied a little too heavily on Huntley running the football, as he was the leader in production on the ground. But the amount of carries and yards Huntley has already passed this season exemplifies his true dual threat abilities.
“He’s in charge of the offense and he’s going to be a big part of the run game each week,” Whittingham said. “We just need to supplement some of that run game with the running backs.”
The execution of the running game doesn’t concern Huntley. He said he knows with more repetitions of plays, the running backs will be able to show what they are capable of accomplishing.
The consequence of a quarterback taking off rather than throwing or handing off can be a concern for injuries. Despite Huntley’s constant footwork and the amount of hits he takes, he isn’t focused on the potential injuries.
“I don’t worry too much about injuries, knock on wood,” Huntley said. “But it’s football, you got to be ready to play football and you got to be able to know how to maneuver your body so you don’t take as much hits. And when you do take a hit, make sure that you don’t get rolled over.”
Secondary meeting Whittingham’s expectations
Up to this point in the season, Whittingham is proud of what he has seen from the secondary. Abilities like tight coverage and keeping opposing players in front of them is helping the secondary play how it needs to.
Whittingham pointed out Utes like Jaylon Johnson and Julian Blackmon who stood out to him because of the efforts they showcased during the BYU game. He also mentioned Boobie Hobbs as somebody who he believes helps the secondary because of the experience he has to help his younger teammates.
“He is a leader amongst those guys. … It’s great to have Boobie,” Whittingham said. “He’s also a real weapon for us punt returning, he hasn’t really got on track yet this season, but I think before it’s all said and done, he’s going to have a very good year returning the football, putting in the punt game.”
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