Utah football: Future looks promising for Utes

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham already was thinking of what comes next for his Utes when he accepted the Poinsettia Bowl trophy on Wednesday, shouting out he was looking forward to another great season in 2010.

You can't blame him for thinking ahead even as the Utes were celebrating their 2009 achievements, for the future looks very promising.

Utah's so-called rebuilding season finished with its 37-27 win over Cal (8-5) Wednesday.

The victory gave Utah (10-3) its ninth straight bowl win and the program's fifth 10-win season. It should also give all those who care about the program a little peace of mind as the Utes head into the offseason.

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the Utes' season was the development of quarterback Jordan Wynn.

He went from being a distant contender for the starting role to the frontrunner and then the backup. But by the end of the season the team was his and he couldn't have asked for a better ending than Wednesday when he earned offensive MVP honors after finishing 26-for-36 for 338 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

The way he responded after that early mistake showed why Whittingham has been so enthused about the freshman.

"He has ice water in his veins, nothing bothers the kid," Whittingham said.

The Utes want Wynn to keep adding more pounds to his frame and want him to develop his running abilities, but they no longer wonder whether he can lead the team.

"He is going to win a lot of football games for us," Whittingham said. "He is our guy."

The Utes do lose some key offensive starters in receiver David Reed and offensive lineman Zane Beadles, but for the most part the Utes return plenty of talent to support Wynn.

Among those returning could be senior running back Matt Asiata who announced this week he is going to apply for a medical hardship from the NCAA in hopes he can get another year of eligibility.

Utah's compliance directors have been told Asiata has a very good chance of receiving the waiver. His return would mean the Utes could have one of the most powerful running tandems in the country since junior Eddie Wide, who led the league in conference games averaging 104.5 yards, also returns.

The Utes will have more rebuilding work to do on their defense where they lose several top players, including linebackers Stevenson Sylvester, Kepa Gaison and Mike Wright along with safeties Robert Johnson and Joe Dale.

They also lose senior linemen Kenape Eliapo and Koa Misi.

Newcomers such as James Aiono, the defensive lineman who was the top junior college recruit in his class, and Star Lotulelei, another Snow College product, should help cover some of the losses.

Utah will also have lineman Latu Heimuli, a freshman who looked very promising in camp until he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Aside from talent and experience, the Utes have the confidence of a veteran team. While they didn't match last year's BCS success, the Utes felt good about their 2009 results, which ended with another victory over a BCS opponent Wednesday.

It looked like the Utes' bowl streak was going to end early on when Cal went up 14-0, but as offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom said, the Utes are accustomed to succeeding through adversity and found a way to win.

That knowledge will be just as valuable in 2010 as the players who will fill the positions.

"Next year is going to be great," Bergstrom said. "We expect more of the same."

lwodraska@sltrib.com