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Utah's defense is always ahead of the offense early in camp, it's said, because the offense isn't trying to trick the defense so much as it's trying to perfect its bedrock plays.

Add to that during the first scrimmage of fall camp on Thursday: Offensive engine Devontae Booker was sidelined for precautionary reasons, receivers Kenneth Scott, Tim Patrick and Raelon Singleton were out with undisclosed injuries, and starting guard Salesi Uhatafe was tending to family matters.

And then there's the likelihood that Utah's defense will be ahead of Utah's offense, period — and ahead of most offenses, at that.

Senior Kendal Thompson said the quarterbacks discussed the idea in a meeting this week that this year's Utah defense might be better than the one that led the NCAA in sacks last season.

So given those factors, it's not surprising that Utah's players and coaches had a slightly different reaction than most media to Thursday's scrimmage — which was more or less over by the time media were allowed to observe and will be widely judged by its underwhelming offensive statistics.

Utah's quarterbacks combined to go 17 of 46 for 163 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, but coach Kyle Whittingham was less stern than he has been in the past, calling the group's play "a mixed bag."

Compare that to last year, when Utah's top four combined to go 15 of 44 for 228 yards, and Whittingham declared that based on what he'd seen, "We don't have a starting quarterback."

By all accounts, Utah's offense had its success on the ground Thursday.

Quarterbacks Thompson (55 yards), Travis Wilson (18, one touchdown) and Chase Hansen (one rush for 23 yards) combined for 96 yards on 11 carries, and junior college transfer running back Joe Williams rushed 12 times for 80 yards, including a 60-yard score.

And, passing woes aside, those gains were too much for senior safety Tevin Carter, who called the day's work "embarrassing."

"We weren't as fast as we would normally be," Carter said. "... We came out flat today, cocky, and it showed."

Whittingham said there were too many "administrative," or pre-snap, penalties and that receivers dropped too many passes. But the offensive line appeared to have been mostly sturdy after Whittingham had quipped that just about every citizen of "Sack Lake City" got his hands on a quarterback Wednesday.

The Utah defensive line was credited with just three sacks Thursday (from Viliseni Fauonuku, Jason Fanaika and Filipo Mokofisi), and to the best recollection of co-offensive coordinator Jim Harding, there were none until Utah began two-minute drills late in the scrimmage.

Still, when "the whole stadium knows you're going to be throwing the ball, that's when you've got to be able to protect," Harding said. "That's where you're going to be able to make your money."

Whittingham said Thursday that junior Sam Tevi appears to have the upper hand over redshirt freshman Jackson Barton in the battle at left tackle, where Harding hopes proficiency from one or both of them will allow him to keep junior J.J. Dielman at right tackle and senior Siaosi Aiono inside.

The day's biggest revelation might've been junior college transfer Cory Butler-Byrd, who is playing cornerback after starting fall camp as a slot receiver and returned one interception 55 yards for a score while tipping another pass to sophomore safety Andre Godfrey for a 34-yard return.

In general, coverage was excellent, Whittingham said, with five pass breakups and continued steady play from junior cornerback Reginald Porter, who tore his ACL in fall camp last season.

The Utes will do it again next Tuesday, their final scrimmage before they begin preparations Aug. 24 for the Sept. 3 Michigan game. —

Utah scrimmage stats

Passing • Travis Wilson, 6-17, 55 yards, 1 interception; Kendal Thompson, 8-20, 85 yards, 1 interception; Chase Hansen, 5-9, 23 yards, 1 TD, 1 interception

Rushing • Joe Williams, 12 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD; Kendal Thompson, 6 carries, 55 yards; Monte Seabrook, 5 carries, 26 yards; Chase Hansen, 1 carry, 23 yards; Travis Wilson, 4 carries, 18 yards, 1 TD; Marcel Brooks-Brown, 2 carries, 7 yards; Dre'Vian Young, 3 carries, -1 yards

Receiving • Harrison Handley, 2 catches, 39 yards; Caleb Repp, 3 catches, 27 yards; Siaosi Wilson, 2 catches, 26 yards; Britain Covey, 4 catches, 24 yards; Tyrone Smith, 1 catch, 19 yards; Bubba Poole, 1 catch, 18 yards, 1 TD; Delshawn McClellon, 1 catch, 13 yards; Dre'Vian Young, 1 catch, 5 yards; Evan Moeai, 1 catch, 5 yards; Monte Seabrook, 1 catch, -2 yards; Marcel Brooks-Brown, 1 catch, -5 yards

Field goals • Phillips 1-2 (hit from 31, miss from 52); Halliday 1-2 (hit from 34, miss from 53)

Defensive standouts • Viliseni Fauonuku, 1 sack, -13 yards; Jason Fanaika, 1 sack, -6 yards; Filipo Mokofisi, 1 sack, -5 yards; Andre Godfrey, 1 interception, 35-yard return; Cory Butler-Byrd, 1 interception, 55-yard return; Jordan Fogal, 1 interception, no return