With the season-opener just eight days away, the University of Utah football team will end fall training camp and two-a-day practices with a scrimmage Friday evening in Price.
The Utes, who have practiced in Price for 10 days, will return to Salt Lake City Saturday morning. They'll open the season one week later against Utah State in Rice Stadium.So far, the Utes have survived two-a-day practices with relatively few injuries. Preston Christensen, a co-starter at nickelback, has practiced sparingly because of a knee injury, and Daren Castain, another would-be starter at nickelback, has missed all of training camp with an injury.
In the meantime, starting tailback Charlie Brown has practiced this week after sitting out several practices with a slight knee injury. Mark Barton, the team's starting center, has resumed practicing this week. He missed the first half of training camp while recovering from injuries suffered in an automobile accident.
Defensive tackle Vince Lobendahn, who some thought would retire last spring because of a neck injury, has begun to work out this week, although he still hasn't been cleared for contact. Considered one of Utah's top recruits a year ago, he could redshirt the season.
Fullback/tailback Steve Abrams, the team's leading rusher last season, has been in and out of training camp to visit his ailing father in California.
STILL WAITING: Who knows what quarterback Mike Richmond's career would have been if not for a shoulder injury and the arrival of new rivals each spring. But after spending most of four years standing on the sideline, Richmond is bound to spend his senior year the same way.
"It's frustrating to be around five years and be a backup," says Richmond.
Richmond, you might remember, replaced an injured Scott Mitchell in the final two games of the 1989 season and threw for 724 yards, 8 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. When Mitchell elected to turn pro during the off-season, Richmond's prospects were bright. But not for long.
An injury to his throwing shoulder late in the season turned out to be more serious than originally believed. It forced him to miss spring practice, which opened the door for transfer Jason Woods to take the starting job. Richmond wound up starting six games last year after all and was the starter at the end of the year. But, alas, his shoulder failed him again in spring practice, and junior college transfer Frank Dolce, who made a good showing anyway, won the job.
What's more, Richmond's shoulder still isn't right. "It's really loose, and because it rolls around so much in there it causes more damage," he says. "Doctors wanted to operate on it last spring, but if they did it would've been real borderline if I could play this year. I decided to go as far into the season as I could."
So far, the shoulder has held up during two-a-days, and Richmond has looked sharp.
MORE MANUEVERING: The Utes moved starting tackle Russ Dailey to guard this week, leaving the tackle jobs to Mike DeHoog and Brian Anderson, who had been battling each other for the left tackle spot. Throughout camp, Ute coaches have been searching for a second guard to complete their starting offensive line.
Speaking of position changes, Luther Elliss, the outstanding freshman from Colorado, has been playing both tight end and defensive end in practice this week. He played both positions in high school, but the Utes made him strictly a defensive end at the start of training camp. With an injury to one tight end (Kurt Haws) and the departure of another (transfer Dan Uribe), the Utes need more depth at the position.
Elliss, only a few months removed from high school, has received rave reviews from Ute coaches during training camp. They say he'll see action this season.