This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Would you believe that Raelon Singleton's least-favorite part of being in the football program is conditioning?
"I don't like running," he said. "Too much running, I get tired."
How tired he must've been then, following a 116-yard, 3-touchdown day against Arizona State? The game marked the first time the sophomore receiver went over the century mark. All this despite dislocating his ring finger in last Wednesday's walk-through.
Singleton, who had his finger wrapped on Monday, insisted he felt fine and perfectly able to make catches with four fingers instead of five. But before the game, there was definitely concern.
"It was just kind of like, 'Man, in walk-through you let it happen?' " quarterback Troy Williams said. "But he just kind of went out and played through it. It's crazy how that happened, though. I was like, 'C'mon Rae, right before the game?' "
But Singleton's big game — one that earned him team offensive player of the week honors — is reflective of a larger trend that slowly but surely, Utah's receiving threats are expanding beyond Tim Patrick.
The senior receiver started out the year on fire, going over 100 yards in three of his first five games with five touchdowns. But after he was injured against Cal, Utah's passing game slowed down. In three straight games against Oregon State, UCLA and Washington, Troy Williams failed to go over 200 yards after hitting the mark in five of his first six games.
But in breaking down Williams' last six touchdown passes in two games, three have gone to Singleton, two have gone to Saiosi Wilson and one has gone to Evan Moeai. Utah has found others to step up, even as Patrick has gotten healthier.
Wilson, another flag-bearer in the youth movement, has nine catches for 120 yards and two scores in the last three games after only catching four passes in the previous seven.
"It's just guy stepping up into bigger roles, and the world is starting to see we have a deep receiving corps," he said. "There's always been talent in that room. It feels real good to have people starting to notice and to earn a little respect."
The Utes are facing another underwhelming secondary this weekend; Oregon's unit allows just over 292 yards per game through the air. An encore is expected if the Utes truly have grown the way they believe they have.
There is something very different, however: Patrick finds himself without a touchdown in the last six games, and needing another to keep Singleton from catching up.
"Tim's a big-time competitor," Wilson said. "I guarantee you he's thinking, 'I need to get me one.'"
O-line stays strong
Against Arizona State, Troy Williams came out clean.
That was thanks to an offensive line that allowed only one sack, despite missing right tackle Sam Tevi due to injury. While Tevi is expected to return this week against Oregon — one of the few remaining injured starters who hasn't yet healed — sophomore Jackson Barton got props from his quarterback in his second career start.
"Sam is a little more athletic, but they're both good at what they do," said Troy Williams. "The O-block, they're one big family. Jackson went out there and did a great job."
Also a position battle was quietly settled last week
Senior Nick Nowakowski started at center over junior Lo Falemaka, who has missed much of the season with injury. While Whittingham said both would get a shot to start for ASU, Nowakowski took every snap against the Sun Devils.
His start was rough — an early snap catching Williams unawares and resulting in a fumble — but it appeared to smooth out. The former walk-on has now started five straight games since the season-ending injury to J.J. Dielman.
Grades equal bonus for Whittingham
The NCAA released its graduation success rates (GSR) for student athletes entering college in 2009, and Utah's rate resulted in a payday for Kyle Whittingham.
Utah's football coach gets a $50,000 bonus for a GSR score of 70 or better, which the football team easily attained with a 78. The rate accounts for the percentage of graduates from the program, but counts athletes who transfer schools against it. Utah was well above the federal rate of 59.
Outside of football, six Utah programs earned perfect 100 GSR scores: golf, men's and women's tennis, gymnastics, softball and volleyball. The department as a whole graduated 87 percent of student athletes entering in 2009, which was Utah's best mark ever.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Oregon at No. 11 Utah
Saturday, Noon
TV • Pac-12 Network