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The University of Utah Athletics
#BYUvsUTAH Report: Utes Continue to Prepare for Cougars
9/6/2016 8:04 PM | Football
Utes take on Cougars Saturday at 5:30 p.m. MDT.
Utah's rivalry matchup against BYU is four days away and UtahUtes.com will be with the @Utah_Football team every step of the way as it continues to prepare for Saturday's contest in Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Today was the final media availability of rivalry week for Utah players and coaches so be sure to keep using #BYUvsUTAH for a behind-the-scenes look at how the Utes are preparing for the Cougars.
Video, photos, quotes, social media reaction and behind-the-scenes tidbits can be found here to get you ready before the Utes face the Cougars on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. MDT on FOX.
When you Wishnowsky upon a star, you will punt it very far. #PuntersArePeopleToo #Pac12FB pic.twitter.com/HKldPnMk1W
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) September 6, 2016
Practice Highlights
• Utah held its second on-field workout of rivalry week Tuesday at the Eccles Football Center.
• The Utes were in full pads for their workout with limited contact.
• The 20-minute media observation segment featured special teams' 11-on-11 work.
• The Ute position players broke into position groups to work on their fundamentals while the kickoff and kickoff return teams took center stage at midfield. • The offensive linemen went through 1-on-1 matchups in line with assignments, while the wide receivers took turns catching passes from a machine.
#UtahFootballFamily pic.twitter.com/tVGP7N93Zr
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 6, 2016
From Coach Whittingham … • Carries among running backs may be spread around.
• Preparation is the key to success. Our guys prepare well every week.
• It's only one game, but for Mitch [Wishnowsky's] first outing it was a heck of an effort. He did exactly what he needed to do and he proved to be as much of a weapon as Tom [Hackett] was. [Hackett] did it for three years straight so we'll see if Mitch continues to deliver for us.
• We're right on track in preparing for BYU.
• It was a physical practice today. Tomorrow, we'll take some of the pads off and start to get ready for kickoff.
• Causing turnovers is a mentality, without a doubt. They focus on it in practice every day and it is crucial to the outcome of a game. The statistics bears that out. We not only practice taking the ball away on defense, but securing the ball on offense. The turnover margin is a team stat, not a defensive stat so the offense taking care of the ball is every bit as important as the defense taking it away.
Post-Practice Impressions form the Utes ...
Linebackers Coach Justin Ena
• The BYU game is always a great contest with the guys playing hard.
• It's rivalry week, but we have to keep on getting better and crisper with our assignments.
• It's football and in the end we have to be willing to fight to get the win on Saturday.
• Kalani Sitake is a heck of a coach, a great friend and he does things the right way.
• Linebackers are all about being assignment sound, more violent when you need to be. Sunia [Tauteoli] is good and that and Cody [Barton] has shown that when he needs to be.
Wide Receivers Coach Guy Holliday
• Tim Patrick has been a big-time player for us and we're trying to get him the ball as much as possible.
• But our success isn't just about him, it's about the unit as a whole.
• We're on track, but nowhere near where we want to be. • In order to be great in games, you have to be great in everything you do on the practice field, film room, etc.
Safety Chase Hansen
• He respects the players on the BYU team as friends and as football players.
#BYUvsUTAH BTS ...
• The Utah scout team players wore blue jersey with white numbers to simulate the upcoming opponent.
.@UtahCoachWhitt: BYU rivalry "every bit as intense and passionate" vs. Kalani Sitake.https://t.co/OkqsdBfmg4
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) September 6, 2016
Players Mentioned
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