The University of Utah opened their season against Southern Utah University shutting them out 49-0 in front of a home crowd. The Utes racked up a total of 513 yards and held the Thunderbirds to just 150 total.
Let's take a look back at our burning questions from this game.
What will the new high-powered offense look like?
As expected leading up to this game the Utes started off with a bang in the passing game. Cam Rising threw for a career high of five touchdowns, closing out the first half with a 35-0 lead. Brant Kuithe picked up where he left off with Rising hauling in three receiving touchdowns.
A somewhat unexpected bright spot came from running back Dijon Stanley, he led the team in receiving yards with three receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the running backs with six carries for 34 yards.
Overall, this game was a good introduction to the season to knock off some rust and find some areas to clean up, as competition continues to improve in the coming weeks.
How is the depth in the secondary?
The Utes quickly tested their depth after losing cornerback Kenan Johnson early in the game. It was shared earlier this week he’ll be out the remainder of the season. This is a tough loss as this position group is one that has needed to build their depth the most.
Elijah “Scooby” Davis has impressed ever since arriving on campus as part of the 2022 signing class. He stepped in to play for the injured Kenan Johnson, recording an interception. He has a big opportunity this week to state his case for the starting role, as Michigan transfer Cam Calhoun is back, but needing to work his way into game shape.
Moving forward Whittingham noted that he’s confident in the group of guys they have at corner and that they would evaluate it early in the week with potential options for them.
When do you pull the starters?
Well, that was fast. Rising came out strong in the first half, showing little rust and also proving that he still can run and run well, when needed. Guys like Rising, Kuite, and Bernard were all pulled before the end of the first half as they had proven what they needed to prove.
Offensive Coordinator Andy Ludwig elected to leave the starting offensive line in briefly as true-freshman Isaac Wilson made his collegiate debut. Isaac Wilson completed 7 of 11 passes for 74 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Although it wasn’t the cleanest game, it’s to be expected for a freshman quarterback. Overall he showcased his potential and the extended reps were exactly what Utah was hoping for.
The Utes move on to face the Baylor Bears at home in a non-conference matchup. Both teams are coming off blowout wins. Let’s take a look at our burning questions for week two.
Will Utah attack with more of the run game?
The Bears returned most of their defense from 2023 but they also had one of the worst defenses in the Big 12 and the entire country allowing 33.3 points per game. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda has also taken over defensive coordinator duties. We'll see how much of an impact that will have on the Utes ability to run the ball.
Stanley averaged 5.7 yards per carry, but he won’t be the one to hammer the defense up the middle. That responsibility should fall to either Bernard or freshman breakout candidate, MIke Mitchell. Mitchell tweaked his lower leg against SUU which could potentially give Jaylon Glover more opportunities against Baylor – but he did remain in the game and scored a touchdown after he was dinged up.
Regardless of how they do it, Utah needs to get this group in a groove early in the season. Bernard only had five carries, but he averaged 6.6 yards per attempt. As we’ve mentioned countless times on UteNation, he’s the lead back, but will his involvement in the passing game reduce his potential amount of carries?
How do the Utah wide receivers match up against Baylor’s secondary?
Baylor secondary is probably one of their most solid positions on their team, returning both corners and safeties. Utah can find success early on softening the defense by attacking the middle and the second level of their defense. Utilize Brant Kuithe and the tight end group, Mycah Pittman in the slot, target Stanley and Bernard out of the backfield and this should soften the edges for Dorian Singer, Money Parks and crew to make big plays.
Despite the secondary being a strength for the Bears, Utah won’t hesitate to test them with Singer and Parks. The question is, how will Ludwig strategically set them up for success?
Who replaces Kenan Johnson?
This was a big blow to Utah’s defense because they were expecting special things out of the duo of Kenan Johnson and Zemaiah Vaughn. Davis stepped in and performed well against SUU, but when everyone is healthy, the next man up is Cam Calhoun. Unfortunately, as mentioned already, Calhoun will need to be eased back into football action after recovering from a summer workout injury. After this, is where the depth gets tricky. Utah can move either starting safety Tao Johnson or starting nickelback Smith Snowden to Kenan Johnson’s spot, but they feel comfortable enough with Davis and Calhoun to avoid that for now.
