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Scoring first is important for any football team.But this season, it has been the difference between winning and losing for the Utah Utes.
Utah (2-2, 0-2 Pac-12) will try to strike first against the No. 22 ASU Sun Devils (4-1, 2-0) as the Utes are 2-0 when the take the opening lead, but 0-2 when their opponent scores first.
The team struggled in last week’s loss to Washington, exposing holes that Utah coach Kyle Whittingham believes a talented ASU squad will look to exploit.
“The Sun Devils are an excellent football team,” Whittingham said. “We have our hands full. We need to have a good week of practice and we need to correct our deficiencies.
“Through our first three ball games we did a good job possessing the football, and (Washington) was very bad, so we have to get back to what we were doing the first three games.”
Whittingham wants the offense to play like they did during their first three games, but there will be a glaring difference between that offense and the one lining up across from ASU on Saturday: the quarterback.
Junior quarterback Jordan Wynn left the Washington game early with a left shoulder injury, and is expected to miss two to three weeks.
This means junior Jon Hays, a transfer from Butte College, will make his first career start as a Ute. In the half Hays played against Washington, he completed 10 of his 16 pass attempts for 156 yards. He also threw a touchdown pass and an interception.
“He showed a lot of poise on a lot of plays,” Whittingham said. “I saw a lot of positives in the half that he played. He has a strong arm and runs fairly effectively. We have to change some things in our offense to play to our quarterback's strengths. It will necessitate that we do some different things. We'll play more shotgun and more spread.”
Since they will be featuring a quarterback with limited experience, it is likely the Utes will rely on junior running back John White, whose 103.8 yards per game are third in the Pac-12.
Utah is averaging just over 27 points per game, but Whittingham feels points may be hard to come by this week because of the talent ASU has on defense.
“Their corners are very good and their middle linebacker (is) probably the best player they have,” Whittingham said. “Their edge pass rushers are good as well. They don't do a whole lot defensively, you know what they are going to do, but their mentality is that we're good enough that we will do it well.”
The coach is also impressed with the offense as well.
“They are very good,” Whittingham said of the ASU offense. “They have guys that are exceptionally fast and athletic. Their offense is playing efficiently. They spread out and get the ball to playmakers in open spaces.”
Field position will play a key role if the Utes are going to snap ASU’s seven game winning streak in the series.
Utah leads the conference in kick return defense, allowing just 15.75 yards per return.
However, junior kicker Coleman Petersen and the rest kickoff unit will have their hands full with ASU junior Jamal Miles, who is averaging 28 yards per return.
Last week Miles was named a Pac-12 player of the week for his 249 all-purpose yard performance against Oregon State. In that game, the junior returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown, showcasing the same explosiveness the Utes will need to contain.
Reach the reporter at william.boor@asu.edu
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