Utah 2005 Season | Team Page	Select Conference ACC Big East Big Ten Big 12 Conference USA Independents MAC Mountain West Pac-10 SEC Sun Belt WAC Select Team

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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Kyle Whittingham (2nd season, 7-5) 2005 record: 7-5 MWC finish: 4-4 (t-4th) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 32nd (178.5 ypg) Passing: 12th (294.5 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 61st (150.2 ypg) Passing: 67th (223.7 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 2 at UCLA Sept. 9 Northern Arizona Sept. 16 at Utah State Sept. 23 at San Diego State Sept. 30 Boise State Oct. 5 TCU Oct. 14 at Wyoming Oct. 19 at New Mexico Oct. 28 UNLV Nov. 11 Colorado State Nov. 18 at Air Force Nov. 25 BYU Depth Chart: Offense 7 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 16 Brian Hernandez Sr. 17 Fano Tagovailoa Sr. WR 2 Marquis Wilson So. 81 Bradon Godfrey So. WR 26 Derrek Richards Jr. 88 Freddie Brown So. WR 5 Brent Casteel So. 27 Sean Smith Fr. LT 78 Tavo Tupola Sr. 60 Terrence Apted So. LG 75 Eric Pettit Sr. 68 Zane Beadles Fr. C 63 Kyle Gunther Jr. 70 Jeremy Inferrera Jr. RG 66 Robert Conley So. 74 Corey Seiuli So. RT 69 Jason Boone Jr. 65 Dustin Hensel So. QB 15 Brett Ratliff Sr. 3 Brian Johnson Jr. RB 12 Darrell Mack So. 10 Darryl Poston Sr. Depth Chart: Defense 8 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 93 Martail Burnett Jr. 45 Alex Puccinelli Jr. DT 98 Kelly Talavou Sr. 95 Bryce Scanlon So. NG 90 Paul Soliai Sr. 92 Kenape Eliapo Fr. DE 97 Soli Lefiti Sr. 91 Casey Sutera Jr. SLB 14 Kyle Brady Jr. 22 Malakai Mokofisi Jr. MLB 37 Loma Olevao Jr. 47 Chet Blasucci Jr. ROV 44 Joe Jiannoni Jr. 54 Taylor Miller Jr. CB 32 Eric Weddle Sr. 29 Eric Shyne Sr. CB 21 Shaun Harper Sr. 6 Brice McCain So. SS 31 Casey Evans Sr. 24 Kyler Rushton Fr. FS 28 Steve Tate Jr. 36 Joe Giuliani Fr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 35 Louie Sakoda So. KR 5 Brent Casteel So. P 35 Louie Sakoda So. PR 32 Eric Weddle Sr.

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When he took over Utah's program after an unbeaten season, Kyle Whittingham made a point of saying the Utes had to start over and prove themselves. Coming off a 7-5 season that ended with victories over rival BYU and against Georgia Tech in the Emerald Bowl, Whittingham is willing to capitalize on that momentum.

"The general atmosphere, general attitude, general mind-set of the football team is very good, and I think there's a direct correlation and carryover for how we finished the season," he says.

Whittingham's different approach can be attributed, in part, to a more experienced roster. Most of the players responsible for the strong finish are returning, creating a personnel situation that's "the exact opposite of last year," Whittingham says. "It goes in cycles." The Utes still have some holes to fill on offense, but if they find some players to complement the starting quarterback, they should contend for the Mountain West title.

OFFENSE

If teams were required to play three or more quarterbacks in each game, Utah would have a great advantage. As it is, the Ute staff has to pick one from a talented group.

Ordinarily, Brian Johnson would be an easy choice after starting 10 games as a sophomore and ranking fourth in the country in total offense. But his knee injury opened the door for Brett Ratliff, who passed for eight touchdowns and only one interception while leading the Utes past BYU and Georgia Tech. With Johnson limited in spring drills, Oklahoma transfer Tommy Grady also stepped forward.

Having lost 1,000-yard rusher Quinton Ganther, Utah is starting over at this position in its one-back offense. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig is determined to pick one player and stick with him, and sophomore Darrell Mack is the top candidate.

Ludwig believes receiver can become a strong position, even after the departure of Travis LaTendresse, who caught 16 passes in the Emerald Bowl, and fellow standout John Madsen. The group's new leader is Brian Hernandez, a tough, dependable receiver who caught 39 passes while playing with an ankle injury that required surgery shortly after the season.

Left tackle Tavo Tupola will anchor the line. He's very athletic for a 300-pounder and should become one of the league's top linemen. The right tackle is Jason Boone, whose brother, Jesse, left a big hole at center when he graduated.

DEFENSE

Former tackle Steve Fifita was a two-time all-conference player, yet defensive coordinator Gary Andersen is confident about his replacement. Kelly Talavou, who moves over from nose guard, is "as good, potentially, as any defensive tackle I've ever coached," Andersen says..

Linebacker is Andersen's biggest concern, although there's no real talent shortage. It's just that rover Spencer Toone, who made 113 tackles, will be difficult to replace. Joe Jiannoni made 73 stops as an inside linebacker and will move into Toone's position.

The Utes have one of the top defensive backs in the country, and also have the luxury of playing him anywhere on the field. Eric Weddle, the 2005 MWC Defensive Player of the Year, is an outstanding safety, but he is likely to play mostly at cornerback, because good corners are harder to find. Other cornerbacks will have to improve, because Utah uses as many as four in some of its packages.

SPECIALISTS

Utah's search for a dependable placekicker finally ended last year, but Dan Beardall departed after an excellent senior season. Louie Sakoda, who averaged 37 yards as a punter, is likely to take over.

FINAL ANALYSIS

The Utes could have won any of the five games they lost last season, and that's a positive sign for 2006 with an experienced team returning. To turn those close setbacks into wins, Utah needs to avoid critical turnovers and do a better job of turning yardage into points.