Utes Begin Preparing for Opener

8/22/2011 12:00 AM | Football

Aug. 22, 2011

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SALT LAKE CITY

BACK TO SCHOOL

Classes and regular season practices begin today for the Utah football team, which will hold practices Monday through Saturday. The annual Ute Fan Fest is Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium and all 18 Ute intercollegiate teams will participate. The event is free to the public. Please see sidebar for this week's media schedule. Practices are closed to the public.

U-TWEETS

Around 15 players expect to join to the team this week coinciding with the start of classes ... JC transfer Miles Mason, a 6-3, 316-pound OL, reported last Thursday and is already in the two deep at left tackle ... Moving from DL to OL is junior Joape Pela, who is listed behind Tevita Stevens at center ... Several injured Utes should return sometime this week, among them WR DeVonte Christopher (ankle), OT John Cullen (concussion) and DT Star Lotulelei (thigh) ... Doubtful to be ready by the first game are OL Percy Taumoelau (knee), OL Isaac Asiata (ankle) and DL Lei Talamaivao (foot).

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

Luke Matthews, Dallin Rogers and Shawn Asiata are tri-starters at fullback. Different sets will dictate which player starts ... Z-Receiver is still up for grabs, with Reggie Dunn moving ahead of Dres Anderson on this week's depth chart ... Derrick Shelby and Joe Kruger have switched places on the defensive line. Shelby will now start at right end, while Kruger moves to left end ... Nai Fotu is on the depth chart at left end and linebacker. He has starting experience at both positions in his Ute career ... The defensive two deep is still fluid with DE David Rolf, LB Jacoby Hale, strong safeties Quade Chappuis and Greg Bird, free safety Terrell Reese and corners Joseph Smith and Chandler Johnson looking to break in ... Griff McNabb is now the starting punt returner ... Elected team captains are Tony Bergstrom, Luke Matthews, Jordan Wynn, Star Lotulelei, Matt Martinez and Chaz Walker.