Offense starts to rebound

Utah football opened up another week of spring football on Tuesday with a spirited practice at Rice-Eccles Stadium. With the new week, the Utah offense started to turn the tide of what has been a dominant performance thus far by the defense. UteZone takes a closer look at the action.

After a so-so performance by the offense Friday they showed much better during Tuesday afternoon’s session. While there is still work to be done in all phases improvements are continually being made by a group of newcomers hoping to put the offense on the map for Utah along with their stellar defense and special teams.

Most notably quarterback Troy Williams was kept out of contact drills while freshman Tyler Huntley and junior Brandon Cox took the reps. Both quarterbacks started a little slow (partially not always getting the help they needed from their receivers) but then both settled down and started making plays. Cox lead the offense on the best drive of the day hitting tight end Harrison Handley, receivers Kyle Fulks and Tyler Cooperwood before finally keeping the ball for himself on a quarterback sneak that resulted in a touchdown.

Running back Joe Williams got loose on the defense on fourth down while the offense was backed up on their own two-yard line and Troy McCormick showed he can be tough in the run game despite being the smallest of Utah’s ‘backs. One area that will need to be greatly improved on offense are the snaps from the center to quarterback. There is a large drop-off from first string to second string and it’s stopped potential big plays before they even happen.

The defense continued its great play in Tuesday's practice, but due to strides by the offense, they weren't quite as dominant as they have been in recent practices. Pita Taumoepenu continues to evolve as a player and received praise from Coach Whitt after practice for how disruptive he has been in the backfield. The defensive backs continue to win the battle for 50/50 balls against the receivers, despite being able to come down with an interception in the practice. The linebackers remain a question mark, but they are greatly aided by the great play from the guys up front.

The following links will give you a quick breakdown of the highlights of the day:

Five Points From Practice: Offense

Five Points From Practice: Defense

Live Practice Thread