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SALT LAKE CITY — In a little more than a month, Utah football will kick off the 2016 season against in-state foe Southern Utah.
Five years after a move to the Pac-12, expectations are on the rise for the Utes, who finished last year 10-3 and 6-3 in conference play. Coaches expected it, too, rating Utah as the third-best team in the South division that includes traditional powers USC and UCLA.
A year ago, the Utes were just one win away from winning an outright south title and representing the division for the first time in the Pac 12 title game. A win over rival BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl came instead, but Utah will look to get over the hump this year.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham offered three questions that must be answered for the Utes to truly be a contender in the South.
On offense, the Utes have a big, strong and experienced running back behind a physical offensive line, and many of the spots are already chosen. But one important position remains to be filled entering fall camp: quarterback. Junior Brandon Cox, junior college transfer Troy Williams and true freshman Tyler Huntley were named co-starters after the spring.
“Maybe the guy that gives you the best chance to win ultimately is not the guy that gives you the best chance to win now,” Whittingham said of his co-starters. “That’s what we (coaches) get paid for, to determine what the best course of action is.”
Last year, the Utes ranked 106th in the country in passing offense. The new starter hopes to change that.
Defensively, Utah is as solid as it ever has been under Whittingham. Led by all-Pac 12 safety Marcus Williams, the Utes ranked second in the country in turnovers forced and return five starters from the secondary.
But the strength in the team will be on the defensive line. Lowell Lotulelei and Kylie Fitts lead a unit that FoxSports.com puts in the top-three in the country. Rival coaches tend to agree, too.
Click the video above for the season preview, plus the annual preseason Utah hype video.
