This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
When we last left the Utah Utes, they hardly resembled a 10-win football team. The offense struggled with a fill-in quarterback and an inefficient running game, accounting for only three points and 200 yards against Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
That's why the Utes need to make a good impression Thursday night.
If they want to look like a genuine Pac-12 program, inspire confidence for big games to come in September and entertain a sellout crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium, quarterback Jordan Wynn and his offensive teammates have to deliver.
So what if the opponent is Montana State? The Utes have to produce, from the start.
"It's important that we go out and have a good showing offensively," said coach Kyle Whittingham. "All those things that this offense is designed to do, we need to have show up in this game."
Montana State is a high-end member of the Football Championship Subdivision, capable of scoring points against anybody. Frankly, the best thing that could happen to the Utes is their offense's having to respond under pressure.
There are just enough variables in play to make this game intriguing, even against a Big Sky Conference team. Norm Chow's debut as Utah's offensive coordinator, Wynn's return from shoulder surgery and running back John White's first Division I appearance combine to make the Ute offense worth wondering about, until there's some evidence of productivity.
"Whole new scheme, a lot of questions from everyone else, so … I just hope we go out and play a clean game and get a win," Wynn said.
Chow's pro-style offense, emphasizing power running and play-action passing, is expected to give the Ute offense some consistency. Remember, last season was not a complete disaster. Before the schedule stiffened and Wynn's shoulder worsened, the Utes scored 56 points or more four times and ranked 14th in the country in total offense as of late October.
Then came a major downturn that ultimately resulted in demotions for co-coordinators Aaron Roderick and Dave Schramm and the hiring of Chow, who came from UCLA with great career credentials, poor recent results and a playbook that Wynn loves.
"It's just an efficient offense," Wynn said.
Wynn himself will be worth watching Thursday, after his last two starts at Rice-Eccles Stadium resulted in boos, against Texas Christian, and a benching, against BYU, although he came back to direct the winning drive. He then underwent surgery, missing the bowl game.
Amid some mystery about the way the coaches and trainers limited his throwing in August, Wynn said, "My shoulder feels great and I'm just excited to have a chance to go out and play football again, healthy."
No wonder Wynn cited White's pass-protection ability in the backfield as a strong attribute, besides his "electric" moves with the ball.
At the expense of saving stuff for USC and BYU, the Utes need to test their new offensive scheme against the Bobcats. After the way last season ended, and in the wake of the coaching and personnel changes, the Ute offense seems eager to perform.
"We have a lot of dynamics that'll be shown Thursday — a lot of formations, a lot of personnel packages and, hopefully, we run them clean," Wynn said.
If not, there will be a lot of agonizing between the end of this game and Sept. 10, when the new Pac-12 school visits the Los Angeles Coliseum to play an actual Pac-12 football game.
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