The University of Utah, which aspires to be a more physical team this season, is still not the biggest team around, but the team's strength is much improved.
According to strength coach Dwight Daub, when he arrived at Utah four years ago the Utes had only five players who could squat 500 pounds, and "600 pounds was unheard of." Now, says Daub, "We have 10 or 11 guys who can squat 600 and 20-something guys who can squat 500. We're a stronger team, and I feel that that's one reason our injuries have diminished."Daub believes the squat is the best measure of true strength on a football field. The bench press, a more popular lift, isolates a certain group of muscles, but the squat and power cleans use more muscle groups, require explosive movements and utilize more of the leg and hip muscles that are used on the gridiron.
Fullback Jamal Anderson, who can squat 630 pounds, seemed to offer proof of that exercise's value during last Saturday's scrimmage when he ran through several tackles to break a couple of long runs.
Who are the team's strongest players? Daub believes that pound for pound, defensive backs Sharrieff Shah, Mark Swanson and Cedric Crawford are among the strongest. Running backs Keith Williams, Charlie Brown and Anderson also rank high.
THE LINEUPS: Utah's starting lineups at the moment:
Cornerbacks - Kareem Leary and Swanson (with Edwin Garrette a close second at both spots); safeties - Shah (a four-year starter) and Marcus Woods (a transfer who redshirted last year); nickelback - Crawford; inside linebackers Derrick Stapley (a JC transfer) and Anthony Hall (a converted defensive end); the defensive line - Rick Verbalaitis (a converted tight end), Blaine Berger, Adam Swaney (who spent two years at USC before transferring to Utah), Luther Elliss.
Tailbacks - Pierre Jones/Keith Williams (they will split playing time); quarterback - Mike McCoy (a transfer from Long Beach State who started two games last season); fullback - Anderson; receivers - Greg Hooks, Bryan Rowley, Henry Lusk; tight end - Kurt Haws; the offensive line - Anthony Brown, Roy Ma'afala, Lance Scott, Ed Castillo, Cecil Thomas.
Jason Jones and Chris Yergensen are competing for the punting job, and Yergensen and Brian Alba are competeing for the placekicking job.
NEWS & NOTES: Who are the Utes' top newcomers? Linebacker Chris Newman (a newly returned LDS Church missionary who transferred from Ricks College), Jason Hooks (a freshman linebacker from California), linebacker Derrick Stapley (a junior college transfer), linebacker Mark Rexford (another JC transfer), freshman wide receiver Kevin Dyson (a freshman from Clearfield) and quarterback Ryan Shea (a freshman from Minnesota).
Newman, Stapley and Rexford will see a lot of action this season. Newman has been a real bonus for the Utes.
. . . At 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, Anthony Brown, a starting offensive tackle, is Utah's biggest player, but his coaches would like him not quite so big. They want him to drop another 10 pounds. Brown, who already has shed 10 pounds, seems less than committed to the further weight loss.
"They'd like that, but we'll see," says Brown. "I'm eating pretty good right now to tell you the truth."
. . . Cornerback Leary, who wore No. 40 last year, will wear No. 4 this season - the same as teammate/wide receiver Hank Dorner. "As long as they're not on the field at the same time, they can do it, I guess," says Utah's sports information director, Bruce Woodbury. "I think it's a first. I'm not sure what we'll do (in the program). Put 4 D-E-F maybe."
. . . Quarterback McCoy, who wore No. 14 last year, will wear No. 10 this season.