Utah Football Travels East to Take on Michigan

9/15/2014 12:00 AM | Football

Sept. 15, 2014

Utah Athletics on Twitter
Utah Athletics on Facebook
Utah Athletics on YouTube
Utah Athletics on Instagram

Utah Football on Twitter
Utah Football on Facebook
Utah Football on Instagram

Buy Tickets

Complete Release in PDF Format

Quotes from Coach Whittingham's Weekly Press Conference

QUICKLY

Utah (2-0, 0-0 Pac-12) plays Michigan (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Sept. 20. The game will be televised regionally on ABC (including the Salt Lake City market) and on ESPN2 in markets not covered by ABC. Game time in Michigan Stadium is 3:30 p.m. EDT (1:30 p.m. MDT). Radio is ESPN700 AM and Sirius 119/XM 195.

> Utah is coming off a bye week after winning its first two games against Idaho State (56-14) and Fresno State (59-27). Utah's all-time record coming off regular-season byes is 94-40-6 (6-4 under head coach Kyle Whittingham). See Two Minute Drill for more.

> The Utes will debut their new white helmets against Michigan. The only other time that Utah wore white helmets was from 1968-73 (research courtesy of nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project).

> Utah's Sept. 20 game at Michigan is the front end of a home-and-home series. The Wolverines will visit Rice-Eccles Stadium on Sept. 3, 2015.

> Michigan has won 20-straight September home games and head coach Brady Hoke is 11-0 against non-conference opponents in Michigan Stadium.

> Utah won its last game in Michigan Stadium, beating the Wolverines 25-23 on Aug. 30, 2008. The win kicked off a 13-0 season for the Utes, who defeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and finished with a No. 2 national ranking.

> The Utah-Michigan series is tied 1-1. Just five total points separated the two teams in their first two games, which were both played in Ann Arbor (Michigan 10-7 in 2002 and Utah 25-23 in 2008). For more on the series, see boxed inset on page 2.

RANKINGS BLITZ

Utah is No. 1 in the nation in sacks per game (5.5) and tackles for loss average (10.5, tied) ... Utah also leads the nation in net punting (49.0 yards) and kickoff returns (41.5 yards). Of Utah's 10 punts, just one has been returned (for a total of one yard). Tom Hackett is ranked No. 1 nationally in punt average (51.1) ... Utah ranks No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense (No. 1 in the Pac-12), averaging 57.5 points per game ... Utah averages 16.73 yards per pass completion, which leads the Pac-12 and is eighth in the nation ... Utah ranks second in the Pac-12 and fourth in the nation in pass efficiency rating (189.99). Travis Wilson is ranked No. 2 nationally in passing efficiency (213.9) ... Utah is third in the conference and 14th in the country in total offense (557.5) ... See sidebar on page 3 for more Utah rankings.

COACHES' CORNER

Three members of Utah's staff have been head coaches at the NCAA level: head coach Kyle Whittingham, offensive coordinator Dave Christensen (Wyoming) and running backs coach Dennis Erickson (Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami, Oregon State and Arizona State). All three have been recognized as a conference coach of the year: Whittingham (Utah/Mountain West), Christensen (Wyoming/Mountain West) and Erickson (Washington State, Oregon State, Arizona State/Pac-12; Miami/Big East; and Idaho/Big Sky). Whittingham (2008/Utah) and Erickson (2000/Miami) were National Coach of the Year recipients.

TWO MINUTE DRILL

Utah is 7-12 all-time against current Big Ten Conference teams and 1-0 under Kyle Whittingham. During his tenure as a Utah assistant coach (1994-2004), the Utes went 2-2 against Big Ten teams ... Utah has played a road game on Sept. 20 just one time in its history. The other was at Air Force in 2008, a 30-23 Utah win ... With 1,917 career receiving yards, Dres Anderson needs just 83 more yards to become the fifth receiver in school history to reach 2,000 yards ... Utah's all-time record coming off regular-season byes is 94-40-6. Whittingham is 6-4 after regular-season byes. His victories came over Wyoming (2005, 2007), Colorado State (2006, 2009), New Mexico (2008) and Iowa State (2010). Losses were to Washington (2011), USC (2012), UCLA (2013) and Arizona State (2013).

IN THE HUDDLE

Devontae Booker and Bubba Poole are listed as co-starters at running back for Michigan ... Moving to No. 2 behind Dres Anderson at X receiver is true freshman Kenric Young ... Four players who joined the team in fall camp as walk-ons have been awarded scholarships: junior receiver Tim Patrick, freshman defensive end Wallace Gonzalez, freshman wide receiver Jameson Field and junior defensive end Kylie Fitts. Fitts is not eligible to play in games this season after transferring from UCLA ... 10 true freshmen have played: Christian Drews, Wallace Gonzalez, Boobie Hobbs, Lowell Lotulelei, Nick Mika, Monte Seabrook, Logan Stott, Marcus Williams, Tavaris Williams and Kenric Young.

OUTSIDE THE LINES

The Kyle Whittingham radio show is Tuesday at 6 p.m. MDT on ESPN700. The show will be broadcast live from the Desert Edge Brewery at Trolley Square and is free to the public ... Homecoming is Sept. 27 against Washington State.

LAST GAME

Travis Wilson threw five touchdown passes in just over two quarters of play and Utah rolled over visiting Fresno State 59-27 on Sept. 6. Dres Anderson converted three receptions for 84 yards--a 28.0 average--and two touchdowns, while Kenneth Scott caught six balls for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Kendal Thompson played well in relief of Wilson, rushing for a team-high 71 yards (1 TD) in the second half, and passing for 87 yards and a score. Punter Tom Hackett kept Fresno State pinned in its own territory by averaging 55.4 yards on five punts. The defense held FSU to 55 rushing yards and a 1.4 rushing average and the Bulldogs scored just one touchdown against the starters. Hunter Dimick (2.0 sacks) and Pita Taumoepenu (2.0 sacks) led a seven-sack day for the Utes.