2021 Football Camp: Hear it from Whittingham

8/14/2021 2:11 PM | Football

SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah Football team spent the morning at Rice-Eccles Stadium for the first scrimmage of fall camp with the offense and the defense battling it out on the gridiron.

Big plays were made and the atmosphere on the field was electric as the Utes got in live snaps in the stadium that will house 51,444 fans on Sept. 2.

19 days until we're 51,444 strong ???? pic.twitter.com/016hkyISfA — Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 14, 2021

Head Coach Kyle Whittingham recapped the scrimmage with the media after practice was over.

On how the first scrimmage went…
"It went well. It was a good, clean scrimmage for our first time out with extensive live work. I was very pleased with a lot of good stuff. There were some teaching moments, situational teaching in particular. Both quarterbacks looked good. It is going to be a close competition, and it is neck-and-neck. The offense had the better day. We held some guys out on defense, so those premier guys weren't out there, but still the offense had a lot of juice and a lot of passion and made some good really good plays. The highlight of the day was the production we had in the throw game."

On what Charlie Brewer and Cameron Rising are doing well…
"They are both throwing the ball very accurately and taking care of it. They are making good decisions and getting the tempo of the offense where it needs to be. They are leaders. Right now both are making very few mistakes."

On who has been standing out in the passing game outside of the quarterbacks…
"Theo Howard. He had a nice day today, along with the tight ends as well. Solomon Enis too. Devaughn Vele showed up today and Jaylen Dixon did some good things. Tavion Thomas did very good things in the run game today. The offensive line protected well and that was really the catalyst of the production of the throw game today was that protection up front."

"Do something in practice that sets you apart." That's what our newcomers need to do to earn the decal on their helmets. Congrats to the guys who've earned theirs this last week:@nextupp5 @brandonmckinn20 @ZereoueW @Joshuacalvert19 Theo Howard@FotuTevita pic.twitter.com/TFt5d5zL0z — Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 14, 2021

On how Bamidele Olaseni has looked at left tackle…
"Bam is doing a good job. He still has some things to work on just like everybody else, but he is physical. He is tough to rush against because he is so long and just massive, he takes up so much space."

On Tavion Thomas being an all-around running back…
"He is becoming that. I don't want to take away what the other three are doing because Chris Curry, TJ Pledger and Micah Bernard are all three performing well."

On who will be backing up Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell at linebacker…
"That is being sorted out. Both Josh Calvert and Ethan Calvert are doing well. Jonah Elliss and Trey Reynolds are doing a nice job. Andrew Mata'afa and Karene Reid as well, so there are like five or six guys jockeying for those spots."

On what he was looking for in this first scrimmage…
"Clean execution by the offense with very few penalties, not shooting yourself in the foot. Defensively, run with the football, show some hustle and taking great angles. Back to the offense, keeping substitutions clean so that we aren't pressing the clock. The whole operation."

Ready for scrimmage Saturday ??@UtesEquipment | #UBoyz pic.twitter.com/hZrW9F0Kru — Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 14, 2021

On how the cornerbacks look…
"Clark Phillips III and JaTravis Broughton are the top two guys. They are really playing well. Malone Mataele is also doing a nice job. Faybian Marks and Zemaiah Vaughn are two guys that could go in in a heartbeat on the outside with not much drop off at all. Then we have a few guys battling for those next spots, so there is some good competition at those positions."

On promoting a culture of competition…
"It speaks to the assistant coaches recruiting the right guys. And thanks to our players that are in the program accepting the new guys and the new guys becoming us and us not becoming them. That is something that we talk about all the time. The new guys have bought into the fact that they need this team more than this team needs them. You have to have everyone pulling in the same direction."

On comparing them to the team in 2019…
"I 100-percent stand by that statement. This team has a chance to become really good and the players have taken ownership of that."