Game Week For Utah Football Has ‘Different Feel’ For Many Reasons

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – 2020 has been a very different year for everyone and it isn’t any different for the Utah football program.

In a normal year, the Utes would be entering the final stretch of their regular season by this time. Instead, they are beginning the 2020 season on Saturday, November 7.

When the players are coaches run out of the tunnel…actually they won’t be running out of a tunnel because the south end zone including the locker rooms have been demolished as a part of the Rice-Eccles Stadium expansion plan. That is on top of the players and coaches dealing with the COVID-19 restrictions and protocol.

Monday marked “game week” for Utah. Something that they haven’t been able to say for 309 days. On Monday, the media met with center Orlando Umana, wide receiver Britain Covey, tight end Brant Kuithe and head coach Kyle Whittingham. KSL Sports asked all four of them how different game week feels in 2020. All provided different answers and reasons.

“Oh, yeah, most definitely,” Umana stated. “Basically, this whole year is gonna be different with the new stadium, the way we do stuff and yeah, just can’t wait.”

Stadium Expansion

Having the south end zone demolished over the last month and a half isn’t a problem for fans since they won’t be allowed to attend. But below the seats in the south end zone was the locker rooms for both teams. Since Utah’s practice facility is less than a mile away from Rice-Eccles Stadium, Kyle Whittingham is taking a different approach to their pregame routine.

“It does have a little different feel,” Kyle Whittingham admitted. “We went through the other day our pregame routine and that’s had to be changed up. Because not only are we dealing with the COVID stuff and those restrictions and those modifications that we had to make, but we don’t have a locker room over at the stadium. So that’s caused us to change our routine quite a bit. And again, I’ve already gone through that a week or two ago that we’re not complaining about it, but it has definitely made the the pregame routine change and it’s dramatically changed. So we’re going to do a lot of the pregame stuff over here at our facility and then arrive at the stadium much later than we’re used to, because of the need to get things done here where we have better facilities to work with.”

Utah will get dressed and warmed up at the practice facility and will hop on busses and drive to the Stadium about 50 minutes before kickoff where the team will finish warmups before the game. Normally, Utah shows up to the stadium two hours before game time.

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— Trevor Allen (@TrevorASports) November 2, 2020

Each Game In 2020 Means More

Utah has six games currently on their schedule but will have a seventh added once the Pac-12 standings are finalized after the first six games. Britain Covey believes each game is more important this season.

“Yes, it definitely feels different. When you only have six games in a season, the mentality of every game that it counts really is magnified,” said Covey “I’ve never felt like this going into a season. It’s especially interesting having watched college football for a month and a half already. It’s made us anxious, on the edge of our seats and I think most people are just ready to do it. We’re kind of sick of this waiting game.”

.@Utah_Football named their starters at cornerback and some changes at safety.#GoUtes https://t.co/ZV7EgTeqH9

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 2, 2020

Shaking Off The Rust/No Fans

Since Utah (and the rest of the country) didn’t have a spring football game, Saturday will mark 312 days since the Utes last played any type of football game. Brant Kuithe thinks it will take the team some time in their first game to shake off the rust.

“Feels kind of weird,” Kuithe mentioned “We haven’t had a game in so long and no spring ball. I think it’s gonna be a lot easier without the fans, especially for the freshmen because you don’t have the atmosphere and kind of those nerves that you get, it kind of feels like practice. So things can be a little easier on the freshmen. But, I think it’s just gonna be a little rusty at start, because we haven’t really played a game in a long time. So I think it’s going to be good, but I think at first can be a little slow start.”

Wrapped up Utah fall camp and looked at the 10 true freshmen to watch this season on the latest Crimson Corner podcast.

Previewing Arizona on the next episode that will drop on Wednesday. Lots of content coming your way this week.#GoUtes @kslsports https://t.co/dvZYhgVqLm

— Trevor Allen (@TrevorASports) November 2, 2020

Utah and Arizona will kickoff at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Rice-Eccles Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.