It's a bit far-fetched to say a prodigal son is returning to Rice-Eccles Stadium, but any way you look at it, Utah's stadium during Homecoming 2008 will be friendly confines for McBride.

So far, so good for the Wildcats this season8212;but will it last through Saturday?

After struggling early in the season on special teams, the Utes have finally decided on the punt returner for their matchup against Weber State. To the surprise of many fans, it was not the player they expected at the beginning of the season.

The highlights of McBride's 13-year tenure: three bowl wins in six appearances from a team that hadn't seen a football postseason since 1964. He left the U with a career record of 88-63 and helped build the foundation of what the Ute football program is today.

Two of the Utes starting receivers, Derrek Richards and Brian Hernandez, graduated last year, leaving a hole in the team's leadership, play-making ability and most notably, a ruffian style of football open for someone to fill. The receiving corps, and the offense as a whole, found that missing link in Godfrey.

The enigmas facing the Utes are the dreaded penalties and turnovers that have perhaps stalled the offense from putting 50 on the board every game.

Any time you hold the Falcons to 58 yards net rushing, it certainly says something about your defense and their assignment-based performance.

A week after going 4-0 against the PAC-10, the Mountain West Conference got some more bragging rights Sunday. For the first time in the MWC's 10-year history, it has three teams in both the AP and Coaches Top 25 polls.

Utah has been shooting itself in the foot all season, and just about saw its perfect season and BCS dreams seriously hurt because of it.

The Utes couldn't have asked for a better start to the season. As quarterback Brian Johnson said after Utah's win over Utah State, "You have to go 3-0 to go 4-0. The only problem to Utah's start is the shortage the Utes are having on the defensive line."