Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utes finished Day 4 of Camp Kyle up at the Ute baseball field Monday morning, the last session in which the players won't be in full pads.
While the offense got the better of the defense in week 1, it seemed like defense was in sync to start off week 2.
"I thought the defense as a whole moved around pretty good," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said following practice. "Star (Lotulelei) was in the backfield almost every other snap, disrupting things. Mo Lee made some nice plays. Eric Rowe continues to play at a high level."
The highlight of the practice, other than the usual acrobatic catches that are starting to be pretty commonplace for sophomore wide receiver Quinton Pedroza (3:07 in the above video, plus check out this one from Saturday), was watching quarterback Jon Hays orchestrate a 50 yard drive in the two-minute drill, capped with a 35-yard (unofficial) pass down the right sideline to tight end Jake Murphy. Hays also was successful with a 3-yard strike to receiver Sean Fitzgerald for the two-point conversion.
"Credit Jon. We've talked about how he took a backseat in spring so we could get a good look at those freshmen. We got a good look, we saw what we needed to see, and now he's back in the mix getting a bunch of reps and he's making the most of them again," Whittingham said. "He won't go away, he keeps showing up every day."
Be sure to check out the Photo Wall from today's practice, as well as Whittingham's full interview.
As always, feel free to tweet me your questions or comments at @rojackKSL.
The Utes will be in full pads for the first time tomorrow. Utah will practice every day until Saturday, with double days on Wednesday and Friday. The Utes will hold a scrimmage on Thursday, but it will be closed to the public.
Chase Hansen update
Former Lone Peak standout quarterback Chase Hansen is scheduled to have an operation Wednesday and depart for a two-year mission in late December or early January, as reported by Deseret News Ute beat writer Dirk Facer.
Coach Kyle Whittingham said the shoulder has bothered Hansen for a couple of years, preventing him from participating in fall camp. An evaluation by team doctors over the weekend determined that there were enough things to fix to recommend surgery.
Hansen will redshirt this season and will have all four years of eligibility when he returns in 2015.
"Obviously, this is tough, but it's a part of football," Hansen told the Deseret News. "The best way to look at it is that it's an opportunity to learn from Jordan (Wynn), Jon (Hays) and coach (Brian) Johnson."
Depth chart notes
True freshman offensive tackle Jeremiah Poutasi (Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Pines HS) has moved into the depth chart. Poutasi is now the co-backup at left tackle with redshirt freshman Kala Friel.
Single game tickets
Single-game Tickets for Northern Colorado, Cal, Arizona and Washington State are now on sale. Fans wanting to purchase them can now contact the ticket office at 801-581-UTIX or at utahutes.com. Tickets are sold out for the Brigham Young and USC games.
12th-annual Fan Fest
The 12th-annual Ute Fan Fest will be held on Saturday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Parking and admission is free. All 18 Ute varsity teams will participate in the popular event, which draws several thousand fans. The teams and coaches will sign autographs, pose for photos and engage in interactive games with the fans.
