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He's not been named the Utes' starting quarterback, and he struggled a bit during Saturday's scrimmage, but if confidence and moxie, as well as comely form in throwing the ball, count for anything, and they do, freshman Tyler Huntley is a guy whose bearing, physical attributes and general outlook on football are what Utah has been lacking at quarterback since the days of Brian Johnson.

Huntley wants to get up in it and make defenses pay for not being as good as he is. He wants to beat them, and crush them. He wants to punish the fools. He wants to attack, attack and attack. And Kyle Whittingham seems to approve of the teenager's approach.

"He's a really dynamic player," Whittingham said. "He's not afraid to put the ball up in any situation. Sometimes, he has to make a little more judicious decisions, but it's great to see his aggressiveness and his confidence."

How self-assured is Huntley?

When he was asked after the scrimmage at Rice-Eccles how the Ute offense, a group that has dragged anchor in the past, would rank this coming season on a scale from 0-to-10, as far as explosiveness goes, his answer went like this:

"We're going to be a 10. We're not going to be just Pac-12 explosive, we're going to be nation-wide explosive. …"

Huntley wasn't done yet.

"… When you turn on SportsCenter, you're going to see the Utah Utes on there."

Funny thing about that response was that he wasn't trying to be funny. He didn't smile when he said it, he didn't joke or juke around, boasting and blowing and blustering all kinds of false bravado. He meant every word. He was summit-meeting serious.

This from a guy who hasn't even ascended to the top of the QB hierarchy yet. He's locked in a big battle for the helm of the offense, along with Troy Williams and Brandon Cox, both of whom have much more experience than he does. Huntley acknowledges that, but also makes it clear that he expects to be part of an attack that will accelerate straight through whatever problems it had in seasons past, before he showed up.

"We're going to be explosive," he said. "I can definitely throw the ball, and make big plays for this offense. My goals coming in are to learn everything, to learn the game so I can make a run for the starting position."

Cox, the other quarterback who played Saturday (Williams was held out due to injury), demonstrated an equal eagerness to throw the ball down the field, completing 18 of 25 passes for 223 yards and 3 touchdowns.

"Brandon's playing his best football," said Whittingham, who added that a major goal for the offense this time around is to find big-play capability via the pass. "That's what we lacked last year, was explosive plays on offense. We're constantly trying to get to the point where we're getting more of those."

He also said that his dream scenario for his offense now is a flawless kind of balance: "Overall, we'd like to be 50-50. If we can establish a 50-50 ratio with the run-pass, that's the ultimate. It keeps the defenses … as a defensive coordinator, that's always the toughest, playing a team that can do both."

Utah fans have heard that before, and too often been disappointed. Over the past handful of seasons, the Utes have featured a strong defense, a strong run game, terrific special teams, and a passing attack that leaves everybody wondering how far Utah football could go if it gassed up that last threat.

They're still waiting and wondering.

"We were an efficient offense last season for most of the year, and then we kind of hit a wall near the end," co-offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said. "We had some injuries, and our run game slowed. We had a hard time loosening defenses up. We can't get in that situation again. We've got to create more balance. We've got to be able to throw the ball down the field.

"We've made some significant changes. Anybody who watched today noticed us throwing the ball. That's part of the plan. When we add Cory Butler-Byrd out here, Tim Patrick, some of these guys who can stretch it, we can be even better. We're never going to be a team that's just bombs away for four quarters. But if we can generate some more explosive plays this year, we can really take a big step forward."

The fight at quarterback is bound to spill into fall camp. Roderick is high on all his QBs, believing that any of them can provide the explosiveness he seeks. Of Huntley, he said: "He's got touch and he's got a strong arm. He's smart and he's a leader." Of Cox, he said: "Anyone who watched today saw that we can win with Brandon." Of Williams, he said: "Troy is a polished passer. He's got excellent mechanics. And he's got experience."

Whittingham said the receivers, a weak spot last season, are "working hard. It's not going to change overnight. We're in the infancy in that."

They'll have to grow up in a hurry.

No worries there, according to Kyle Fulks.

Fulks, who will be counted on, along with Butler-Byrd, to replace Britain Covey, said the offense is poised to go throttle up: "This year it looks as though we're going to have a threat at every position. We've got guys making plays all over the field. You can't be one-dimensional in the Pac-12. You've got to be able to run the ball and pass it."

So, we've heard. It's up to the Utes, then, to do what they know they have to do.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.