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SALT LAKE CITY — As fans made their way to the sun-drenched seats of Rice-Eccles Stadium for Utah's home opener against in-state FCS program Southern Utah, the expectation for the afternoon game was that all facets of the team's offense would be on full display.
The offense would, obviously, feature its deep running back room — a position group so cemented in Utah's schemes that it's as recognizable as the university's red branding — a quarterback that has lifted Utah's ability to execute the playbook at a high level, at least two dynamic tight ends that provide mismatches wherever they are on the field, and an experienced offensive line.
But what about the wide receivers?
It was the question du jour, and one many supporters of the program hoped to see answered Saturday after a relatively quiet outing for the receivers in the season opener against Florida the week prior — a total of nine passes were thrown to three different receivers, of which six were caught.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said before the season that if the receivers could become more of an aspect of the offensive game plan, other teams would need to watch out — more as an outcome of the diversity and talent Utah would bring to that table that would keep defenses guessing in their preparations and in-game strategies.
But as the game started, Cam Rising's first seven passes were to tight ends — four passing attempts to Dalton Kincaid and three to Brant Kuithe. It wasn't until there was 2:13 left in the quarter that Rising attempted a pass to WR1 Devaughn Vele — a low pass that was short of Vele on the sideline.
Two plays later, Rising connected on a 1-yard pop-pass to a sweeping Jaylen Dixon for a 14-yard pickup — the first completed reception to a wide receiver, though it counts as a pass only because the ball was thrown forward.
Rising's next two pass attempts to wide receivers came in the second quarter — a flea flicker pass down the sideline to Money Parks that was ruled an incompletion because he caught it out of bounds, and a quick incomplete pass inside Southern Utah's 10-yard line to Vele on a slant route that was thrown low.
Vele was later the recipient of the first true completion from a wide receiver with 2:38 left in the first half. Rising found an open Vele 20 yards down field and connected on what would be the first of two completions (the other was a 13-yard completion as Utah attempted one final TD run before the half) for Vele against Southern Utah.
None of this is to say that Rising is the problem, but more that the wide receivers weren't used as much as many may have expected in a game against a defense that should be outmatched by receivers on a Top 15 team in the country.
So where do the problems lie?
Whittingham has repeated the last two weeks that for the wide receivers to have a bigger impact in the game, they need to "get open more and demand the ball."
"You demand the ball when you get open," Whittingham said. "And I'm not saying they're getting gloved up, but quarterbacks like to throw to open guys, and so you've gotta get open. And if you want the ball, that's an easy answer: get open, you'll get the ball."
Wide receiver coach Chad Bumphis echoed those same sentiments about how his players can be more involved in the game plan.
"Whether you're open or not, demand the ball with your separation, with your mentality, the way you play the game," Bumphis said. "You are way too good to not demand the ball. Cam should look for you every single play.
"We've got guys that can do it, but that's been our conversation: Demand the football with how you create separation and your body language, your mentality; go out and dominate people, embarrass them in the throw game, dominate them in the run game."
And it's not like Utah isn't productive on offense with Kuithe and Kincaid acting as pass-catching tight ends — their mismatch against teams remains a valuable asset — but the challenge is to get the wide receivers more involved to give Utah a full range of assets to attack opposing defenses.
"I said at the onset of the season and through fall camp that if the wideouts can become more explosive, then that's really the final stage, I guess, of the offense becoming where we want it to be," Whittingham said. "They did make some plays. ... But the tight ends are going to continually be a focal point of our offense, because they're so productive.
"But if the wide receivers can become more of a factor, then that makes us a lot better. So that will be great if that can happen."
Prior to the start of the season, Vele said the wide receivers were challenged in the offseason to step up and "make a difference in the game." He knows the position group can be more of a focus of the offense, but there's still a ways to go before they're more involved. It's also a matter of how the defense attacks a Utah offense.
"As a receiver, you want to get the ball. You want that one-on-one coverage and you go up top and make a crazy play, but if they're giving you a coverage where you're not going to be getting the ball that often, then you become a blocker," Vele said. "You emphasize blocking, or even if it's just being that play fake where you know you're not getting the ball but you're running hard enough so you free up somebody coming underneath.
"Once you start thinking selfish, that's taking away from the team and that's what makes you a selfish player. And that's not what we teach here; that's not what the culture is here at Utah. It's all about the team, it's not about yourself."
So while the receivers are trying to figure more into the offensive game plan and become a more attractive target for Rising to throw to, in offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig's system, the hot hand (and open man) is always going to rule the day. It also means that other position players can be a valuable asset in the receiving game, too, like running back Micah Bernard or any of the tight ends.
"You try not to think about like, 'Oh, I didn't get the ball enough,'" Vele said. "It's like, well, as long as you're doing what you're doing, you're getting somebody else open, somebody's gonna get open. Everybody's gonna shine differently in each game."
Utah has only played two games this season and have more from its playbook to release for the season. The coaching staff hasn't shown all their cards just yet.
"I think the wide receiver group is gonna get their fair share, just a matter of when not really if at this point," Kincaid said. "I feel like each week it's gonna open up a little bit more and more. So it'll be special to see at the end of the year."
