Offensive Report: Day 1
It’s a great time of year as football is upon us again! After the long summer months with no games or practices, it was great to see the University of Utah out practicing again. As happy as fans are to have football season back, the players were undoubtedly even more excited and it showed as they maintained a high energy level all the way to the end of practice.
Theme of the day: Acclimation
Utah’s players practiced without pads today, donning just their helmets as they began their long preparation for game one and the season as a whole. However, the offense was flying around, and every position group seemed to practice with the intent of proving to the defense that they aren't to be taken lightly. The offensive line looked to be ready to prove themselves, giving the quarterbacks ample protection to get their passes away. The receivers and running backs were running crisp routes and making strong cuts to elude defenders. Last, but not least, the quarterbacks were all throwing the ball with purpose and for the most part looked accurate and poised. It's hard to glean too much from day one, especially when there were no pads, but the energy and enthusiasm around the offense were very positive.
Key Moment
Today’s big play was brought to us courtesy of Cooper Bateman and Alec Dana. In second team action, Bateman launched a beautiful pass down the left sideline to a streaking Dana, who went up against tight coverage and came down with a beautiful catch. After he spent much of the last year dealing with a nagging injury, it was refreshing to the team to see Dana build off of his spring performance. Now fully healthy, Dana is ready to prove he can be a valuable asset for the Utes to utilize this season.
Standout Performers
Most people at the practice had one specific player they wanted to see, Darren Carrington. The newest addition to the Utes appeared to live up to his billing today. He made a couple of nice catches and gave opposing defensive backs fits, especially on long balls. There’s no doubt that Carrington will be a welcome addition to Utah's receiving corps this season. Siaosi Wilson and Samson Nacua also had a good day, each coming down with a few impressive catches.
With the day set up to be more conducive to the offense, all of the quarterbacks had preformed well. However, I was impressed with Troy Williams’ accuracy and decision making—both staples to Troy Taylor’s offense. His receivers dropped a couple of balls, and he overthrew an open man on a go route, but for the most part he was putting the ball right where it needed to be.
Zack Moss and Armand Shyne both broke a couple of good runs off, as Shyne was practicing without any limitations. Devonta’e Henry-Cole had a couple of nice runs as well, but Moss and Shyne were the top performers in the short portion of practice that media was allowed to observe.
The offensive line as a whole did a good job today. athough you can’t take much away from the trenches during a “no pads” practice. The defensive line is always going to get theirs, but for the most part, the offensive line gave the quarterbacks the time they needed to throw and opened lanes for the running backs to get through. In particular, I was impressed with Jackson Barton, Salesi Uhatafe, and true freshman Orlando Umana.
Quote of the Day
The quote of the day came from Raelon Singleton, who took some time to talk about new teammate Darren Carrington joining the team:
“I was happy! Any way you can make the team better, you feel me? No big deal about it… Anybody who comes to this family is in this family now.”
Singleton was also asked if he'd razzed Carrington about beating the Utes last year:
“No, no, no… He's got to get into the program a little bit, he's a little nervous right now. Once he gets out of the nervous phase, I'm gonna make fun of him a little bit.”