For the young guys that aren’t getting that many reps, this is their opportunity to ball out and stand out in front of the fans. – Utah wide receiver Kenneth Scott
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s spring finale — the Red-White Game — won’t exactly be a preview of what the Utes will look like this fall. A lot of healthy players, including Siaosi Aiono, Isaac Asiata, Devontae Booker, J.J. Dielman, Hunter Dimick, Jared Norris, Gionni Paul, Kenneth Scott and Jason Whittingham, will be on the sidelines for precautionary reasons.
Saturday’s game at Rice-Eccles Stadium, thus, will have a youthful tone.
“There will be about a dozen (veterans) that will not play, which gives the young guys an opportunity to step up and show what they can do,” Whittingham said.
The game, which begins at 1 p.m. and is free to the public, will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Networks. Although teams have been created, there will be a noticeable twist.
Whittingham said the Utes are a little bit thin on the offensive line, so the 10 available players will rotate and play for both teams — sporting black jerseys.
“Other than that it’ll be a normal type of a game with the same rules we’ve been operating under, Whittingham explained.
As has been the case in recent years, Utah’s spring game will be played with the following modifications:
— 10-minute quarters and a running clock in the second half.
— No punt or kickoff returns. Kickoffs will be placed at the 35-yard line, punts at the spot of a fair catch.
— No rushing on PATs or field goals.
— If a team trails by more than 10 points, they will retain possession after scoring.
The losing team will have to clean the football facility on Monday.
“Latrine duty and the whole nine yards,” Whittingham said.
Although it’s an incentive, it’s not the big one.
“When I was younger I looked at it as a time to make a name for myself,” said Scott, a senior who is Utah’s leading receiver. “So every time the spring game came, I’m like ‘OK, I’ve got to make highlight plays just so everybody can remember me going into fall.’”
Scott added that it's the type of deal where you want people to ask: “Why aren’t we using that kid?”
“For the young guys that aren’t getting that many reps, this is their opportunity to ball out and stand out in front of the fans,” Scott said. “The fans love to hype up players that they haven’t really seen and things like that. So this is the greatest opportunity that they can imagine right now, especially with us not having a lot of starters playing. It’s there opportunity to go out and do what they do.”
Scott plans to give confidence to those playing in the game to make big plays.
“I’ll be cheering everybody on and you know, getting hype and talking my trash on the sideline,” he said.
Not playing, though, isn’t easy for guys like Scott.
“It’s kind of bittersweet. I want to play out there. It’s a fun environment,” Scott said. “Every time I played in it I was all about trying to make the biggest plays and things like that. So it was fun.”
Two flag football contests are scheduled before the spring finale. At 11 a.m., the annual MUSS game will take place. Last year’s Most Valuable Player was Ryan Petersen, who wound up earning a spot on the Utah roster last season as a wide receiver.
Could such a thing happen again?
“We’ll see. I’ll be out there scouting,” Whittingham said. “We’ll see what we got this year and if there’s someone who stands out. They may very well get the nod. We’ll see.”
The annual alumni flag football game is set for noon. Quarterback Scott Mitchell is among those scheduled to participate. A full field of 144 former players took part in a golf event on Friday.
“It’s great. We cannot be more proud of our alumni,” Whittingham said. “We have a great relationship with them and we feel they have a great relationship with us.”
EXTRA POINTS: A free printable TRAX pass is available at www.utahutes.com . . . Dr. Richard Ingebretsen and George “Buzz” Welch of the Utah faculty will serve as honorary coaches for the Red-White Game . . . The Collegiate Sports Video Association has named Matt Dimmitt of Utah as the 2014-15 Pac-12 Video Coordinator of the Year . . . The 2015 Crimson Club Hall of Fame honorees will be announced during a break in the game. Other planned activities include the presentation of the Deseret Duel Trophy and an introduction of the 2015 “Ultimate Tailgate and Food” winners.
2015 Utah Red-White Game rosters
RED TEAM: 46 — Tyler Bell (TE), 23 — Devontae Booker (RB), 21 — Ahmad Christian (DB), 52 — Hayden Clegg (DE), 16 — Tyler Cooperwood (WR), 94 — Chase Dominguez (SN), 37 — Christian Drews (LB), 51 — Jason Fanaika (DE), 83 — Jameson Field (WR), 40 — Jake Forsling (WR), 66 — Jeff Gaston (K/P), 7 — Andre Godfrey (DB), 30 — James Gray (RB), 33 — Tom Hackett (P), 96 — Jon Halliday (K), 89 — Harrison Handley (TE), 78 — Beaver Ho Ching (DT), 1 — Boobie Hobbs (DB), 25 — Casey Hughes (DB), 44 — Jake Jackson (LB), 24 — Bo Kimball (WR), 42 — Tanner Larsen (LB), 28 — Austin Lee (DB), 38 — Tani Leha’uli (RB), 81 — Chase Loftin (WR), 93 — Lowell Lotulelei (DT), 17 — Conner Manning (QB), 43 — Uaea Masina (LB), 21 — Troy McCormick (RB), 48 — Josh Mines (DE), 87 — Jawuan Mathis (WR), 84 — Evan Moeai (TE), 45 — Filipo Mokofisi (DT), 50 — Henry Nawahime (LB), 41 — Jared Norris (LB), 30 — Kylon Pierre (DB), 29 — Reggie Porter (DB), 80 — Nate Rhoades (TE), 2 — Kenneth Scott (WR), 46 — Clint Shepard (DT), 11 — Raelon Singleton (WR), 3 — Jason Thompson (S), 1 — Kendal Thompson (QB), 47 — Alex Whittingham (LB), 7 — Travis Wilson (QB).
Head coach: Lewis Powell. Assistants: Dennis Erickson, John Pease, Aaron Roderick, Sharrieff Shah.
WHITE TEAM: 14 — Brian Allen (DB), 34 — Aaron Borg (LB), 36 — Dylan Calhoun (DB), 9 — Tevin Carter (S), 5 — Brandon Cox (QB), 49 — Hunter Dimick (DE), 94 — Chase Dominguez (SN), 31 — Evan Eggiman (DB), 87 — Siale Fakailotonga (TE), 98 — Viliseni Fauonuku (DL), 97 — Kylie Fitts (DE), 45 — Andrew Fletcher (RB), 86 — Wallace Gonzalez (TE), 33 — Tom Hackett (P), 82 — Ken Hampel (TE), 15 — Chase Hansen (QB), 15 — Dominique Hatfield (DB), 4 — Donovan Isom (QB), 63 — Jake Kane (K/P), 39 — Thomas Lash (LB), 27 — Ryan Licau (WR), 88 — Taylor Loomis (WR), 10 — Delshawn McClellon (WR), 44 — Keith Oliver (LB), 9 — Tim Patrick (WR), 13 — Gionni Paul (LB), 39 — Andy Phillips (K), 8 — Bubba Poole (WR/RB), 85 — Andrew Santiago (WR), 25 — Sharrieff Shah Jr. (LB), 35 — Clarence Smith (LB), 80 — Tyrone Smith (WR), 50 — Pita Taumoepenu (DE), 40 — Sunia Tauteoli (LB), 12 — Justin Thomas (DB), 90 — Stevie Tu’ikolovatu (DT), 99 — Vaha Vainuku (DT), 53 — Jason Whittingham (LB), 20 — Marcus Williams (DB), 5 — Tavaris Williams (DB), 58 — Emerson Woods (DE), 22 — Dre’Vian Young (RB), 24 — Kenric Young (WR).
Head coach: Justin Ena. Assistants: Jim Harding, Morgan Scalley, Taylor Stubblefield.
OFFENSIVE LINE (Black jerseys): 72 — Andrew Albers, 62 — Aaron Amaama, 70 — Jackson Barton, 68 — J.J. Dielman, 69 — Lo Falemaka, 76 — Alani Havili-Katoa, 55 — Hiva Lutui, 75 — Nick Nowakowski, 67 — Owen Tauteoli, 52 — Sam Tevi, 74 — Salesi Uhatafe.
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