Utah Offense Ready To Roll After Long Offseason
Aug 30, 2022, 8:38 AM
Utah Utes quarterback Cam Rising (7) hands the ball off to Utah Utes running back Tavion Thomas (9) as Utah and Oregon play an NCAA football game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021.
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SALT LAKE CITY- The Utah offense is ready to roll once more after a long offseason. Their latest challenge? Getting past a very talented Florida defense on their turf to start what many believe could be a big season. The excitement level is through the roof for the Utes offense as they prepare to take the field for the first time since their shootout in the Rose Bowl with Ohio State.
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Prepping For A Mystery
While there is no doubt Florida has talent, there is some uncertainty about how that talent is going look game one under new head coach Billy Napier. Utah tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham said it’s been a matter of trying to piece together where everyone is coming from, both staff and personnel to at least have a decent guess as to what the Gator’s defense will look like come Saturday.
“We are looking at the scheme from Louisiana because it’s the same defensive coordinator, the same defensive staff coming over,” Freddie said. “I feel like they are going to go with what they are comfortable with and then we try to match that up with the same type of scheme with Florida players. You’ve got to search both Florida film and Louisiana Lafayette film and try to matchup seeing the Florida players run some of the coverages, some of the fronts, some of the pressures- things like that.”
A Long Wait Is Over
Running back Tavion Thomas is ready to get going after a long wait since the final whistle of the Rose Bowl. The game, while epic left a bit of a bad taste in Utah’s mouth and everyone is anxious to see if they can pick back up where they left off in 2021.
“It feels really good,” Thomas said. “It’s finally here, man. Finally can go out there and see my boys hit somebody else other than our teammates. I’m really excited, man to see how we come out and perform.”
Wide receiver Devaughn Vele knows the Utes will be walking into a hostile environment for game one of the 2022 football season. It’s a different challenge than most years for Utah, but Vele thinks the team has done what it’s needed to in order to try and be prepared.
“Oh, I’m expecting it to be loud,” Vele said. “Really loud and a hostile environment. We’re going to SEC country. Football is a religion out there, not a sport so we know what we are up against. We know that the weather will be a factor as well, but we’ve done the necessary, precautionary steps to get ready for that with humidity and working wet ball drills.”
Quarterback Cam Rising agreed with Vele about walking into a less-than-welcoming environment, saying the team just needs to go out and do what they know they are capable of.
“We’ve just got to take it and run with it pretty much,” Rising said.
