This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Saturday's win over Weber State was about as perfect a performance as the Utes could have hoped to have. Sure the coaches will find their areas to nitpick, but overall it was just the kind of win Utah wanted. Quarterback Travis Wilson looked outstanding in the win, throwing long bombs to Sean Fitzgerald, Anthony Denham, Dres Anderson and Jake Murphy. James Poole and Kelvin York both had good moments in the run game, as did little used backup Lucky Radley. It's easy to grade Utah's performance this week as every segment gets an "A." Now the real fun begins as Utah's opponents get decidedly more difficult. Really the only danger for the Utes is letting Saturday's big win go to their heads and going into the Oregon State game feeling too cocky. However, I doubt that will happen with these Utes. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has been very pleased with the team's focus this year and he'll make sure it remains where it needs to be. Really, the Utes couldn't be in a better position going into the Oregon State game than they are now. Whittingham said after the game he felt the Utes improved in the areas in which they needed to do so after last week. Will those improvements translate into a win next week? Hard to say, but Utah fans have to feel good about their chances after the performance Saturday. Couple of notes from the post-game press conference: Whittingham liked the way Wilson ran with the ball and said he wanted the quarterback to have a few more carries. Running back Karl Williams was banged up a bit, which allowed Lucky Radley (13 carries for 111 yards) and Marcus Williams (10 carries for 42 yards) to get more carries. The defensive line did a nice job although Whittingham said the Utes still have to get more takeaways. Freshman Pita Taumoepenu, who was cleared by the NCAA this week, played on special teams and in the second half and showed promise of being a solid player for the Utes. - Lya Wodraska