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SALT LAKE CITY — Through seven spring practices, Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham still isn’t satisfied with his team's offensive performance.
Although it might be early, the expectations on the hill for Utah football are still the same regardless of the learning curve.
“I think we're making progress,” Whittingham told media Tuesday. “As a whole, the offense is making strides and it’s good to see.”
As the offense continues to learn and develop, the wide receiver core is still searching for its identity. Moving Caleb Repp from tight end to wide receiver and former defensive back Cory Butler-Byrd to the offense has added more experience and speed to the group; however, experience isn’t the problem. The consistently dropped balls and lack of separation are the problem the Utes are dealing with now.
“Still not consistent enough,” Whittingham said. “We’re not doing a good job with the contested ball right now. The DBs are winning the majority of the battles.”
With eight more spring practices left, including the spring football game on April 23, the hiring of Guy Holliday is paying off.
The motto that Holliday lives by is “every step, every rep.”
After a dropped pass, missed block or penalty, Holliday is loud and clear that lazy play is not acceptable. Holliday is known for his passion and love for the game, but his motivation for being the best a player can be on and off the field is what makes him so valuable to Utah’s football program.
“We gotta respect the process,” Holliday told ESPN 700. “Come the first game in September, we gotta be a confident football team.”
A name to keep your eye on during the rest of spring camp and into the summer is true freshman receiver Demari Simpkins from Florida. Simpkins enrolled early and arrived in Salt Lake in January to attend spring classes this year. The move has paid off for the freshman.
“He does almost everything right,” Holliday said. “I think he’s going to help us in the fall.”
