This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Utes wrapped up their first day of spring practice Tuesday in what signifies a "new era," in Utah football as coach Kyle Whittingham put it, acknowledging Uta's preparations for playing in a BCS league in 2011. "It is a new era for Utah football and you can sense it," he said. "There is a lot of excitement about it and new challenges." That newness has helped the Utah coaches get the players' attention more than usual. "They've always worked hard and been a focused group, but you can tell the anticipation of what lies ahead is there," he said. "It was evident in winter workouts. They were maybe our best winter workouts ever and it carried over into spring." The Utes plan to install the offense in the next four days, then start reviewing it. New offensive coordinator Norm Chow liked what he saw. Returning receiver DeVonte Christopher and all the running backs looked strong. "We made a ton of mistakes but that is why you practice," he said. One of the biggest position battles will be at quarterback with Tyler Shreve and Griff Robles getting the attention while Jordan Wynn recuperates from shoulder surgery. However, the Utes made it clear Wynn is still considered the starter, with Chow jokingly setting a high standard for Wynn. "I told Jordan I'd go to the Heisman one more time and then I'll retire," he said. Shreve didn't mind being the backup, saying it was Wynn's job, but he was still a competitor, he said. "You want to come out on top, you always want to be the guy," he said. "We have great quarterbacks here and we'll all compete and see what happens." Chow said 2011 would be different for the Utes but that the team will be ready. "They've played in big games against the Alabamas and teams so that will be nothing different," he said. "The challenge will be the week to week competition in the Pac-12. That is different but we'll be ready."
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