This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

It was hard, if not impossible, to criticize a Utah secondary that allowed http://bit.ly/2bGURH0";>only 42 passing yards on six completions on Thursday night.

But this much was concerning: The unit is possibly the most dinged-up of any on the team.

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/4304943-155/utah-football-notes-dominique-hatfield-misses";>Missing a starting cornerback and getting limited reps from a starting safety didn't keep the Utes defensive backfield from putting on a dominating performance. Against experienced receivers for SUU, Utah played shutdown ball in the passing game.

Still, with BYU ahead, it seems it will take some time for the unit to be whole. Coach Kyle Whittingham conceded only that senior captain Dominique Hatfield, who is believed to be nursing a leg injury, won't be lost for the season — no timeline has been set for his return.

"It'll be good to get Domo back when that happens, and it will happen," he said. "It's not a season-ending injury, so we'll get him back at some point."

Hatfield has started 21 games in the last two seasons, and http://bit.ly/2bAZPVx";>is considered one of the most important players in Utah's experienced secondary. He had four interceptions last year — saying earlier this week he hoped for seven in 2016.

That will be a stretch now that he's out for an unspecified time frame. But senior Brian Allen and freshman Julian Blackmon helped cover for his absence. Blackmon, in particular, drew praise from Whittingham for defending a fade route in a key play of the shutout.

But Utah is also looking for safety Andre Godfrey to step up, if Thursday's game was any indication. Sophomore starter Chase Hansen played, but split reps with Godfrey as he nurses an unspecified arm or hand injury that required a cast in camp.

"He's got some things bothering him with a big Nemo flipper on his hand that doesn't lend itself for tackling efficiency," Whittingham said. "He's a tremendous athlete and a good player, but he's been banged up a little bit in camp."

At least in the opener, the injuries didn't slow up the unit. But led by starter Taysom Hill, BYU's passing game figures to be much more dangerous. The Cougars put up 315 passing yards against the Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl last year, pushing what was a 35-0 blowout to a 35-28 close game. Of course, Utah also got its share of turnovers in that game, including three interceptions that were returned for two touchdowns.

Senior Marcus Williams, who got two turnovers against the Thunderbirds, said the secondary is disappointed to be without Hatfield, but it won't be an excuse for any shortcomings — should there be any.

"You know it hurts, but we always have that next man up," he said. "We don't expect any drop-off in the twos. Everybody's working. Everybody is putting in that extra work. It hurts to lose him, but he's going to come back better than ever."

Special teams solid • Of all the negatives Kyle Whittingham mentioned after the 24-0 win over SUU, he seemed to be pretty pleased with special teams play.

http://bit.ly/1RSPK54";>Sophomore Mitch Wishnowsky's debut went well: On six punts, he averaged 47 net yards, including two inside the 20 yard line. Five of his punts traveled over 50 yards in the air. Utah later named the Aussie the special teams player of the week.

Even on his first punt of the night, Wishnowsky showed a Tom Hackett-like flair: He booted a kick that bounced backward off the five-yard line rather than tumbling forward into the end zone. A mastery of this bounce helped make Hackett a two-time Ray Guy award winner at Utah.

Similarly, junior Boobie Hobbs made a strong case as a dynamic punt returner. He returned five punts for 55 total yards, including one 35-yard return. Another long return was called back on a hold.

"I thought Mitch Wishnowsky punted the ball extremely well," Whittingham said. "Boobie Hobbs looks like he's going to be a legitimate punt returner. So we had some good things happen."

The biggest issue might be at the position where the Utes entered the season most sure: kicker. Senior Andy Phillips hit his first attempt from 26 yards, but missed from 36 yards. Walk-on Hayes Hicken handled kickoff duties with three touchbacks.

When a reporter asked a question about Phillips being "banged up," Whittingham didn't contradict that Phillips was injured, but he also said he expected Phillips to be fine for BYU.

Some quick hitters:

• Many game attendees were impressed with Utah's 7,808-square foot video board, including Whittingham: "It's a great addition to the stadium, and it's helpful. I guess it can be harmful as well because when things don't go your way, it's up there for everyone to see as well."

• Preparation for BYU began Friday with video study and weight room conditioning. But the Utes will get Saturday and Sunday off to recover. Whittingham said the timeline is a day ahead of Utah's usual schedule, meaning the team will settle into its "Tuesday" routine starting on Monday and have an extra day of practice/walkthrough.

• The long Labor Day weekend affords the coaching staff extra time to watch the opening weekend of college football. Aside from scouting BYU against Arizona next week, Whittingham also said he looked forward to watching USC's game against Alabama.

kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon