Starting the Farewell Tour

Last week the Utes started fall camp and today they had their first scrimmage. So far, things are looking great, especially for the offense. As the Utes head into their final season in the Mountain West Conference there are a handful questions:

How will Jordan Wynn do in his Sophomore campaign?

All signs are pointing to him being a very special quarterback for the Utes. He has remained focused all off-season and has become a leader on the team. There is always cause for concern about a "sophomore slump", but considering the Utes have two strong RB's, arguably their best offensive line ever, and some solid WR's, Wynn is surrounded with enough talent and protection to have a great year.

How are the Utes going to overcome their inexperience in the Line-backing corps?

No doubt the Utes biggest weakness are the LB's. It is hard to say how things will go, but there is room for optimism. First, the Utes bring back a very strong defensive line that can relieve some pressure on the LB's. Second, the Utes have always been a defense first team. They recruit for it and focus on it. The Utes, like the Cougs and Frogs in conference, are past "rebuilding" years and are more "reloading". If the Utes can mitigate the potential weakness of the LB's they will be fine. I expect them to.

Who is going to start at strong saftey?

Right now freshman Brian Blechen is #1 on the depth chart. Strange because he was a high school QB and LB. But apparently he is tearing it up in practice. This is another weak area for the Utes, but I would say is one of the lesser important positions.

Will the Utes be able to focus on this season with the PAC-10 looming large?

Of course. No one is better at getting a team focused than K-Whit. The Utes may not win every game (though they better!), but they will be focused on the task at hand. They Utes want to leave the conference as the championship and have momentum heading into the 12-Pac. No doubt they will get all MWC opponents' best shot. It will be a brutal year, but there is no reason why the Utes can't finish top-2 in the conference?

How good will the Utes offense be?

They are going to be awesome! Some are saying that this years offense could be their best ever, which is saying a lot when you consider the behemoth we had in 2004. But with two great RB's, an experienced QB, an awesome O-line, they should be money!

How bad will the Utes beat BYU?

Badly. Very badly. 58-3? Sounds reasonable.