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Utah Utes running back Jaylon Glover (1) runs against SUU in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. Utah won 49-0. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
FCS opponent or not, it’s hard to argue with a 49-0 shutout.
In its season-opening win over Southern Utah, quarterback Cam Rising returned to Rice-Eccles Stadium and threw for 254 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in just one half, running back Dijon Stanley had 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns and tight end Brant Kuithe, in his return, had three touchdowns.
The Utes finished the first half with a 35-0 lead and 339 yards of total offense with the first-stringers in for the first two quarters.
There is always something for every college football team to improve on each week, and this week, the Utes are looking to make strides in the ground game.
Utah entered the season without a clear lead running back, and after the win over the Thunderbirds, that’s still the case.
“I think exactly what we anticipated going into the game would be by committee, we wouldn’t really have an RB1, and right now we’re in the same boat, which is not a bad thing,” Whittingham said.
Micah Bernard got the first carries of the game and rushed for 33 yards on five carries (6.6 yards per carry), Mike Mitchell had 21 yards on six carries (3.5 ypc) and Jaylon Glover had 15 yards on four carries (3.75 ypc).
Stanley had an impressive performance — in addition to his two receiving touchdowns, Stanley had 34 yards on six carries — and while the Utes will continue to use him and expand his package of plays, Whittingham said that he’s not ready yet to make the jump to an “every-down back.”
All three players in the primary running back trio had their moments — Bernard had a team-high 16-yard-rush, Mitchell had a key fourth-down conversion and a touchdown (though he did fumble,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/where-utah-wants-see-improvement-014735907.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-09-05 01:47:35
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