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Fresno, Calif. • A sprained left shoulder didn't stop Utah senior quarterback Travis Wilson from making the trip to Fresno State, where he was greeted at Bulldog Stadium by a former teammate who wasn't so lucky.
Jordan Wynn, a volunteer assistant for the Bulldogs under former Utah offensive coordinator Dave Schramm, smiled widely as Wilson walked onto the field for warmups, the two conferring for about 15 minutes.
Wynn's career at Utah ended after a fourth shoulder injury against Utah State in 2012. Wilson's shoulder injury, sustained after a 38-yard scramble deep into Aggie territory last Saturday, was much less serious.
But senior Kendal Thompson ultimately got the start, his third as a Ute.
Thompson's previous start came last year against Oregon, when he was 4-for-5 for 23 yards and rushed five times for 28 more through one-and-a-half drives before his season was ended by an ACL injury.
Junior defensive end Hunter Dimick did not make the trip with the Utes, however, after sustaining an undisclosed lower leg injury against Utah State. Junior Kylie Fitts got the nod in his absence, forcing a fumble with a strip sack of Fresno State true freshman Chason Virgil that led to a touchdown from Stevie Tu'ikolovatu.
Utah was also without senior wideout Tim Patrick, who did not play in the opener against Michigan and saw action but did not catch any passes against the Aggies.
Redshirt freshman wideout Raelon Singleton suited up for Utah after being held out the first two games. Singleton redshirted last season after injuring his shoulder.
Late-night TV
Saturday's 8:39 MT kickoff was the third consecutive night game for the Utes, who are guaranteed a fourth next Saturday in Eugene, Ore.
In 51 regular season games since Utah joined the Pac-12, 31 have kicked off at 5 p.m. MT or later, and Saturday's was the 15th since 2012 that kicked at 8 p.m. MT or later — the latest at 9 p.m. MT last year in Tempe, Ariz.
Networks opted to use a six-day selection for Utah's visit to Oregon, but the earliest possible kickoff is 6:22 p.m. MT, The Oregonian reported.
The Utes are expected to learn the kickoff time before 1 p.m. Sunday.
2016 class fills up
Ute fans got some good news before kickoff Saturday, with the commitment of Herriman's Leki Fotu, a transfer from the Bay Area's San Leandro High. Fotu, an All-American high school rugby player, is the younger brother of Arizona's Anthony Fotu and Illinois' Joe Fotu. The 18th commitment of Utah's 2016 class, the 6-foot-6, 260-pound defensive end is the third Utah prep to pledge.
Twitter: @matthew_piper