This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
In the past, the loudest sounds at Utah's camps were the coaches yelling at this player or that one. Not this year. The Utes are practicing to the sounds of Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses, the Georgia Satellites and the Four Tops.
If that list doesn't sound like a music selection of a bunch of 20-year-olds, it isn't. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham's own playlist is blaring over speakers during Utah's practice sessions.
The idea is to get the Utes ready for the atmosphere of game day, Whittingham said.
"It's to help them think, focus and reach when there is a distraction," he said.
However, Whittingham said the soundtrack wasn't used in response to the Utes' move to the Pac-12, where Utah is expecting more chaotic game-day atmospheres than in the Mountain West.
The Utes' first road game is against USC in the Los Angeles Coliseum, which seats 93,607 fans.
"It doesn't have anything to do with the conference," he said. "We're just trying to make practice as similar to a game-day environment as possible. It's not about crowd noise, but background noise."
So far the tunes haven't caused much of a distraction, the coaches and players say, although hearing songs such as "Footloose" and others from the 1980s is raising some eyebrows.
"It fades out after a while," defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake said. "The only thing you have to worry about is Coach [Morgan] Scalley dancing to the cheesy songs he knows."
Whittingham knows his playlist isn't exactly current, noting that nothing past 2000 will be heard.
"The players get to play theirs when we are stretching," he said. "The practice time is all mine."
Whittingham hasn't decided if he'll use the music only in camp or throughout the season.
Speedy guy
The Utes have always focused on developing speed under Whittingham's reign and believe that element will help them transition to a BCS conference.
The 2011 team could be the Utes' fastest, with several guys clocking in around the 4.5 mark in the 40-yard dash. The two fastest players are receiver Reggie Dune and corner Ryan Lacy, who were clocked at 4.32.
Quarterback Jordan Wynn likes the speed of another receiver too, freshman Dres Anderson, who runs the 40 in 4.4.
"He's so fast when you get him the ball, he might score any time he touches it," Wynn said.
Plenty of depth
Sitake likes the depth his linebackers have with J.J. Williams back to full force after missing much of 2010 due to foot injuries and the addition of former safety Brian Blechen to the lineup.
Utah has prided itself on a good linebacking corps, and that tradition has made the lineup what it is today, Sitake said.
"What these guys have done as leaders is a huge credit to them and the guys before them who got them ready," he said. "They all knew their assignments and techniques."
The Utes might also get Nai Fotu back in the fold. The hard hitter hopes to rejoin the team for games after he was suspended following DUI charges leveled at him in February. He is allowed to practice with the team, and Whittingham will decide in the coming weeks if he can play in games.
Of note
The Utes return to practice Monday after having Sunday off. … Defensive lineman Latu Heimuli should return to practice after a sprained ankle sidelined him Saturday. … Fotu and V.J. Fehoko, another linebacker, spent some time at defensive end Saturday. —
Utes' preseason practice
Week 1 recap • The Utes had their first off day Sunday after starting camp Thursday. The offense has earned glowing reviews for being ahead of where it was in the spring.
Up next • The Utes start two-a-days Wednesday and hold their first scrimmage on Thursday. The Utes will wait until that scrimmage to make any depth chart changes, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.
What to look for • It's time for one of the running backs, John White, Harvey Langi or Thretton Palamo, to assert himself as the front-runner for the starting role.