Weak-side running, play-action passing, a three-deep quarterback situation, a free safety, juggling a few positions and fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals are the goals of the University of Utah's spring football practice season that begins Thursday afternoon.
Preparing for his 10th season at the Ute helm, coach Ron McBride and his staff, which is essentially the same as last year's, begin putting about 41 returnees, 18 redshirts, three returned missionaries and a few midyear transfers to work Thursday at 3 p.m. at the football-complex practice field.Spring ball consists of 15 practices, mostly Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with this Friday and Monday tossed in, too, going through April 22's final scrimmage. Practices and scrimmages are at the practice fields or the adjacent bubble, depending upon the weather.
"We've got some new players. We've got to firm up some things," said McBride, whose Utes were a disappointing 7-4 and bowl-less last season. They were 5-3 in the final Western Athletic Conference season. They enter the Mountain West Conference in the fall and open the season at Washington State of the Pac-10 on Sept. 4.
Sixteen starters return, including All-WAC first-teamers Mike Anderson at running back, defensive end John Frank and linebacker Kautai Olevao; and second-teamers Josh Cochran and Sam White, both offensive linemen. The biggest graduation losses are receiver Daniel Jones, safety Robert Love and nose guard Pene Talamaivao, all All-WAC first-teamers, plus linebacker Phil Glover, who was hurt most of the season.
Despite losing seven starters to graduation, the defense is pretty well set. "We've got the right players in the program, but we've got to get them in the right place," McBride said.
Kimball Christianson will move from free safety to strong safety, leaving Patrick Dyson and Washington State transfer Cory DeSanti among those vying for the free-side job. Kimball's twin, Howard Christianson, returns from an injury year at linebacker, where there's probably one slot open, with Sheldon Deckart and junior-college transfer Matt Ward in that mix, too. "We need to come out of spring with six guys we geel good about," McBride says of the linebackers.
Corners and linemen are plentiful but have to be put into the right places to continue last year's strong run defense and improve against opponents' big-play possibilities.
On offense, starting quarterback Darnell Arceneaux will be limited following offseason shoulder surgery. McBride has a field of about six quarterbacks, including juco transfer Tony Alvarez, redshirt Joel Gines and returning No. 3 man T.D. Crowshaw. The staff wants to find three that Utah could rely upon to play next season.
Running back is loaded with regulars Anderson and Omar Bacon plus experienced Thomas Fortune and Nick Morgan and redshirt freshman D'Shaun Crockett. Crockett gives Utah more options with his exceptional speed, and the Utes will install the weak-side run to take advantage. Play-action passing is another option McBride wants to see more of.
Receivers are new except for tight end Andy Kassotis and wideout Donny Utu, and the big receiver recruits won't be in until fall practices, but redshirt Philippe Wells and Clifford Russell will get a good look in the next month. Finding depth on the offensive line is another task, particularly with Fisi Moleni (knee surgery), Tony Dickamore (shoulder surgery/
adult respiratory distress) and Michael Richardson (March 9 anterior cruciate knee ligament surgery) out until at least the fall.
Punter Chris Hunter and placekickers Cletus Truhe and Ryan Kaneshiro are back, but kicker Golden Whetman won't be available until fall.
Frustrated by crunch-time turnovers last fall, the offense and kicking game will be nagged about "being smart with the football, possessing the football," McBride said. Concentration and drills will focus on cutting the turnover margin.