This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Caught up with Utah coach Kyle Whittingham for a season review that will be published soon. The coach already is looking ahead to next season and what the Utes need to do to be more successful. For Whittingham, the need to have consistent play at quarterback can't be overstated after several seasons of dealing with injuries. To that end he is hopeful the Utes will have a consistent guy in Travis Wilson, who showed a lot of growth under pressure. "The No. 1 thing we have to do is be more productive on offense, that was very apparent," he said. "We have to get better in the red zone and our defense had some weaknesses we haven't had in the past. We were tough against the run, which is another trait of ours, but our throw defense was not good enough and historically we've been good in it." Whittingham said he and the coordinators are still in the process of breaking down all the plays and schemes to see what worked and what didn't work in various situations. One thing he does know is the Utes need more "impact players." Whittingham said before the Colorado game the Utes weren't in the "poor house," when it came to talent but that it was obvious the Utes need to add three or four players who have the ability to change the nature of a game. "This league has been elevated and we are still working hard to get to the level where we can be competitive," he said. To that end, recruiting is the Utes' top priority now. Utah already has more than 20 recruits committed for 2013, but the Utes are still looking for linemen and corners. "It's a big year for us for linemen, they are going to make up about a third of our class," Whittingham said. "Corners are another area of priority. Recruiting is important every year and we without a doubt have to make ourselves better through recruiting." In the meantime, the rising seniors have started their offseason workouts with motivation, Whittingham said. "They couldn't wait to get back at and start preparing for next year," he said. "They have an impressive attitude and hunger." - Lya Wodraska