Utah held its first scrimmage of fall camp last Saturday, but reporters weren’t allow to watch.
So after practice on Monday, hours after the Utes landed at No. 7 in the preseason Associated Press poll — their highest preseason ranking in school history — most of the questions were about the scrimmage.
“It was a good scrimmage. We got a lot of work done. We came out of it healthy, which is the No. 1 objective,” said coach Kyle Whittingham. “This team’s worked hard all camp long. I like where we are right now. We’ve got a long way to go, obviously. But we’re in a good position right now 11 days in.”
“It was a great day,” recalled quarterback Cam Rising.
“I thought there were a lot of positives,” said offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig. “We generated some explosive plays and we took care of the football. We’re on track. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’re on track.”
Utah opens the season at Florida on Sept. 3, less than three weeks away.
Running back Micah Bernard described the scrimmage as “amazing. The offense, you’re going to be happy to see what we do down in Florida … We’re more explosive. It’s crazy to say because last year we were very explosive. In the scrimmage, we showed who we are. That’s nice to see with a couple of weeks away from game day.”
Which players stood out during the scrimmage?
“Cam. Cam is brilliant,” Bernard said. “He’s amazing. He has the arm, he has toughness, he’s smart. That showed up.”
Ludwig is pleased with how Rising has been performing in camp.
“He’s in a good spot. Feel real good about that. You talk about a guy that’s a coach on the field. An absolute master of the scheme,” he said. “He can coach all 10 guys on the field. He can get them lined up and tell them what to do. He’s such a positive presence for us and a great leader.”
Whittingham listed several players that shined on Saturday, including left guard Sataoa Laumea; linebacker Mohamoud Diabate; safety Cole Bishop and wide receiver Money Parks.
Whittingham said Parks “may be one of the brightest spots of camp the way he’s stepped up.”
Rising said Parks has made improvement.
“Money’s always been fast and he’s always been quick,” he said. “But he knows how to use his hands and really it took the offseason to make sure he’s improving his route running. He’s getting open almost at will and it’s nice to see that.”
Running back Tavion Thomas was impressive during the scrimmage, according to Whittingham.
“Tavion had an outstanding day,” he said.
One of the most high-profile position battles in camp is at backup quarterback, where Ja’Quinden Jackson and Bryson Barnes are competing for the job.
“Bryson and JJ are working very hard,” Ludwig said. “We’re looking for clarity at that spot in the next couple of days.”
Whittingham said a decision on the backup quarterback will likely be made this weekend.
“They both had outstanding scrimmages,” Whittingham said. “Those are the two guys that are competing for the No. 2 (spot). We’ll have an answer after the next scrimmage on Saturday exactly how we’ll approach it.”
Whittingham said Jackson “is one of the most improved players on the team.”
Rising said both Jackson and Barnes have benefited from more time in the system.
“They’ve been working their tails off. They’re putting in the work each and every day and improving,” he said. “It’s nice to see how they’re growing as football players and getting comfortable having a year in the offense.”
As for Utah’s defense, Rising is optimistic about how it will fare this season.
“They’re a great defense. The (coaches) are making sure those guys are flying on all cylinders. Props to the guys,” he said. “They’re spending extra hours working together so that they’re on the same page and getting the looks they want and making sure all their calls are correct. I’m excited to see them play someone else.”