Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
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SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah receiver and return specialist Reggie Dunn has gotten all kinds of attention after his record-breaking performance over the past two weeks, returning three 100-yard kickoffs for touchdowns over that span. He received Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the second straight week, being highlighted in an online video.
Dunn's return against Washington State was the fourth 100-yard kickoff return for a score of his career, setting a new NCAA record. The record was previously held by one Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State — good company to be in for Dunn.
At this point, you would think opposing teams would begin to kick away from the return expert.
Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian faces just that predicament this coming Saturday, as reported by ESPN's Kevin Gemmell.
Sarkisian got to know Dunn back when he was an assistant at USC, when he helped in efforts to recruit Dunn, who was then attending Verbum Dei High School in Southern California. Dunn ended up going to Compton Community College before arriving at Utah.
"Reggie has always been explosive," Sarkisian told Gemmell. "He's always been fast. He's always had big-play capabilities. We're very aware of it. Obviously he's been on a bit of a roll the last couple of weeks."
So will the Huskies choose to kick or not to kick to the explosive return man?
Gemmell couldn't get that much out of Sarkisian. We'll just have to tune in Saturday night to see for ourselves.
In the meantime, here is this week's episode of Utah Utes' football national roundup — in which everyone's favorite kickoff returner is a common theme:
- Dunn's four career 100-yard returns qualify for an NCAA record, as well as USA Today's weird, wacky and wow from the weekend.
- He received a helmet sticker from Gemmell for the second straight week.
- More Dunn tidbits from the New York Times' College Football Around the Country.
- He gets yet another mention from the Fifth Quarter NBC Sports' College Football Talk. CFT's advice to future opponents? Squib it!
- Dunn makes an appearance on the Pac-12 Network's Top 10 plays for the week, featuring plays from all Pac-12 sporting events.
- And of course, Dunn gets the special teams standout in ESPN's Pac-12 weekend rewind.
- The Utes' offense is no longer 'left for dead on a side of the road in Salt Lake City,' according to CBS Sports Pac-12 Buzz.
- Utah didn't move up in either the CBS or ESPN Pac-12 power rankings after defeating the lowly Cougars, but a victory or two in the next couple of weeks would definitely change that.
- ESPN's Ted Miller takes a quick look at week 11 in the Pac-12, including Utah's visit to Seattle to face Washington.
- Also from Miller: the Utes and Huskies both look to continue second-half surges.
