The change is somewhat subtle, with Utah's halfbacks listed this week as "Dameon Hunter or Adam Tate or Marty Johnson," but Hunter has overtaken Tate for the starting position for Saturday when Utah hosts Utah State at 6 p.m. in Rice-Eccles Stadium in the season opener for both clubs.
"Dameon has had a good camp. Right now, he's runnin' first," said Ute running backs/receivers coach Vincent White. "Dameon will be the first guy off the bat. It could change (in future weeks), but this week, Dameon will be the first one out."
It will be his first start.
Tate averaged 73.3 yards a game last season, third in the Mountain West, and he was a second-team all-league selection by the coaches, first-team by the media. He came to camp from Mount San Antonio College about a week before Utah's season opener after awaiting academic clearance. He missed the first two games but carried for 112 yards in just over half the game against Air Force in his first start. He ran for 133 yards and three touchdowns the next game against USU. Tate had four 100-plus-yard games, including three in a row.
Hunter, though, may have outworked him this month. "Dameon's done a better job than Adam has in camp," White said. "Dameon's in better shape than he was last year. Dameon's more hungry than he was last year."
More hungry meant less eating. "He's just performed well, and he's done everything we've asked him to do. He went from 227 pounds to about 218," said White. "He's gotten faster, quicker, does everything we ask of him right — protecting the football, blocking, knowing his assignments.
"But Adam will be in the game, and so will Marty be in the game. We have three talented guys there."
Hunter's best game in 2000, after transferring last summer from Chaffey Junior College, was 65 yards against Wyoming. He carried 16 times against Utah State, his season high. He totaled 89 rushes for 339 yards and one touchdown last year.
RECEIVING: Cliff Russell tested his twisted knee in practice Monday, and it seemed to withstand cutting and route-running with no immediate swelling, said coach Ron McBride. Russell, the fastest Ute ever at a 4.27-second 40, has missed much of fall camp with the slight knee sprain, and he missed spring ball with a hamstring pull.
He is still listed as the starter at the "x" receiving spot, akin to split end.
If Russell can't go, junior-college transfer Paris Jackson will be the starter, White said. Veteran junior Josh Lyman has practiced lately at "z" receiver, and he'd be the starter there. JC transfer Devin Houston will also see a lot of time.
"Paris has really come along," White said. "He has a lot of ability and has started to learn our offense." Jackson, from Butte JC, missed a week or so of practice with a knee bruise suffered on the first day, but White said he's quickly learned the offense's intricacies.
E-mail: lham@desnews.com