On Campus with Sneaks Friday

[JT Sneaks]

Indiana vs. Central Michigan
Indiana Hoosiers

SETTING THE SCENE
On Dec. 17, 2004, Terry Hoeppner was named the 26th head football coach in Indiana history. In the past nine months, Hoeppner has assembled a quality coaching staff, and collectively, they signed 24 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent and enjoyed a productive spring and fall camp. Furthermore, Hoeppner made more than 50 public appearances statewide, resulting in a 26 percent increase in overall season ticket sales and a buzz about the Hoosier football program that IU has not seen in more than a decade.
Nine months of eager anticipation culminates on Sept. 2, when Hoeppner and the Hoosiers open the 2005 season at Central Michigan (ESPNU and the IU Radio Network).
You will not find anyone more ready than IU’s first-year head coach.
“Three of my most favorite days are Signing Day, the first day of spring practice and the season opener,” Hoeppner said. “Not only do I give my guys an ‘A’ for effort and enthusiasm throughout camp, but we have made a lot of progress on both sides of the ball.”
THE CMU SERIES
Indiana heads to Mount Pleasant looking for its third straight series win against Central Michigan. The Hoosiers have prevailed in the first two meetings of the series. IU posted a 39-29 victory on Sept. 21, 2002, and followed that with a 41-10 victory on Sept. 4, 2004.
Terry Hoeppner is making his Indiana head coaching debut in familiar territory –
Kelly- Shorts Stadium. As a head coach,
INDIANA FOOTBALL The Central Michigan Game - Sept. 2, 2005 - 2
Hoeppner is 1-0 against the Chippewas after Miami’s 24-16 victory in Mount Pleasant on Sept. 25, 1999. As a Miami assistant coach, Hoeppner helped the RedHawks win four of their last five games against CMU.
RETURNING STATISTICAL
LEADERS
Here is a look at Indiana’s returning stat leaders:
Rushing - Chris Taylor, 329 yards, 4.0 avg.
Passing -Blake Powers, 9-22-2-98 yard s
Receiving - Jahkeen Gilmore, 23-308 yard s
Tackles - Kyle Killion 107, 16.5 TFL
SCOUTING CMU
Central Michigan returns 37 letterwinners and 16 starters from a 2004 club that finished 4-7 overall and 3-5 in the Mid-American Conference West Division. Head coach Brian Kelly is in his second season in Mount Pleasant after 13 seasons at the helm of NCAA Division II Grand Valley State.
The Chippewas return six starters each on offense and defense. The defense is anchored by 6-3, 257-pound defensive end Daniel Bazuin, a first team all-league pick who is also on the Watch List for the Lombardi and Nagurski Awards.
Offensively, senior quarterback Kent Smith directs the CMU attack. The 6-5,. 215-pound Smith threw for 2,284 yards and 16 touchdowns and ran for another 351 yards in 2004. The 2,635 yards ranks as the second-best single-season offense total in school history.
IU VS. MAC
Indiana owns a 26-4-1 (.855) mark against Mid-American Conference programs. In addition to a 2-0 re c o rd against Central Michigan, the Hoosiers are 2-0 against Ball State, 1-0 against Eastern Michigan, 10-3-1 against Miami (Ohio), 4-1 against Ohio, 3-0 against Toledo and 2-0 against Central Michigan.
HOOSIER OPENERS
This marks the second time in three years that Indiana opens the season on the road. Ironically, the Hoosiers’ last road lid-lifter marked the earliest season opener in school history - Aug. 30, 2003 at Connecticut. Indiana is looking to win its fifth season opener in the last eight years.

From the Indy star
Spread the word: IU excited about offense
Hoosiers believe they have the necessary 'weapons' to make new coach's scheme work.



BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- There are a lot of things "new" with the Indiana University football program.
New coach.
New quarterback.
New outlook.
There's also a new offense, one that at least should make the Hoosiers less predictable.
For first-year coach Terry Hoeppner, the spread offense is a staple. It was a big part of his success the past few years at Miami of Ohio, and he's hoping it has the same impact at IU.
In 2003, Miami led the nation in scoring (43 points per game) and ranked second in total offense (501 yards per game). The RedHawks scored 602 points in 14 games. IU has scored 603 in its past 31 games.
Hoeppner credits the spread offense with making the difference at Miami.
"It forces the defense to defend both the width and the depth of the field," Hoeppner said. "The true spread offenses operate from the shotgun all the time and rely on no-huddle as part of it, but they truly don't get the play-action pass where they fake the run, draw you in and throw the ball deep."
Hoeppner's offense will. He uses the spread with what he calls his "amigos" formation, which features three or four wide receivers. At the same time, he feels he can run or pass out of the "doubles" formation, which has two tight ends. Typically, there will be one running back.
"We think we can get some big plays out of our doubles formation," Hoeppner said. "We'll put two tight ends on the field, and the defense will have to come up in the box to guard against the run, which gives us single coverage on the outside.
"So we'll get in our two-tight ends formation and run the ball, then we'll do it again and run it again. And we'll do it one more time, fake the run, and throw the post, throw it deep. There's a lot of opportunities for big plays in both looks we'll show."
The logical question is whether IU has the personnel to make it work.
The spread is predicated on creating matchup problems and causing confusion. In 2003, Hoeppner entrusted the scheme to Ben Roethlisberger, the 2004 NFL Rookie of the Year for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Indiana will employ first-time starter Blake Powers, who inherits a unit that ranked ninth in the Big Ten a year ago in total offense (320.5 yards).
IU quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Matt Canada said IU has the necessary pieces to be successful.
"We have a lot of talent right now," Canada said. "Our wideouts are inexperienced as far as game-day playing, but you look at those guys and we have a lot of talent there. Our running backs are as good as anybody, and I think our quarterbacks are going to do a good enough job of getting us in the right plays.
"We just want to play smart, play fast and we want them to do what they're asked to do on a play. You don't have to be Superman. You have to do your job and play smart. Don't put our defense in a bad position, and just make plays. I think they'll be up to the challenge."
The players are excited about the new attack.
Powers called it "a quarterback's dream." Senior tailback Chris Taylor said it's an offense with "unlimited possibilities." Junior receiver Lance Bennett likes the potential for mismatches.
"For me, it exposes mismatches and it might give me the opportunity for a safety to be guarding me or a linebacker to be guarding me if I'm playing inside receiver," Bennett said. "I like the spread offense a lot, especially with the weapons that we've got. We've got a bunch of people who can flat-out make plays."
The overhaul impacts the offensive line, too, which now has more defenders to decode.
"The big change between a spread offense and playing tight is that you have to adapt however the defense chooses to play on any given play," starting right tackle Justin Frye said. "It changes the tackle position the most because you have a lot more reads. You have to look at your safeties and your linebackers, and not just your defensive ends. As you get further down the line, it's pretty much just life in the trenches."
Wide receiver Jahkeen Gilmore, second on the team a year ago in receptions with 23 for 308 yards, is looking forward to running in open spaces.
"I know we've got the weapons to be successful and I think this offense is the right fit for our personnel," Gilmore said. "Now it's up to us to make it work the way coach Hep has designed it."


JT Sneaks

[JT Sneaks]

Central Michiagn
MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan University raises the curtain on the 2005 season in historic fashion at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, hosting the Indiana Hoosiers of the Big Ten Conference.

Rarely in recent memory has anticipation for a CMU opener been this high. ESPNU will carry the game, just the sixth at night in the history of Kelly/Shorts Stadium, live to a national audience. And, on the night when Indiana becomes the first Big Ten team to visit Mount Pleasant, CMU will honor its 1991 and 1992 teams which beat Michigan State in East Lansing.

"There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm surrounding this program," said second-year head coach Brian Kelly. "Obviously having a Big Ten team come in for the opener is a great opportunity for us, plus we finished last season on such an exciting note with our come-from-behind win at Ball State. All of those things combined are going to make for an incredible atmosphere."

CMU and Indiana are squaring off in a season opener for the second time in as many years. Last season in Bloomington, the Hoosiers broke open the contest with a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown midway through the third quarter on their way to a 41-10 victory.

"Both us and Indiana are really two different teams than we were a year ago," Kelly said. "From our standpoint, we are much further along in terms of an understanding of our offense and defense. And, our kids are going into this game with an understanding of what it takes to win. Last year we didn't know how we were going to react or perform in that type of environment."

CMU enters 2005 with a retooled offense, which includes a deeper playbook, and a more experienced defense. Senior quarterback Kent Smith, a threat on the ground and through the air, will be the focal point of the offense, while junior defensive end Daniel Bazuin will be a headache for opposing offensive coordinators. Bazuin is on the preseason watch lists for the Bronco Nagurski Trophy and the Lombardi Award, given to the top defensive player and top defensive lineman, respectively, in the country. He was an All-MAC first team pick in 2004.

Indiana will build its offense around a front line that returns four starters from a year ago. The Hoosiers must replace Matt LoVecchio, a two-year starter at quarterback, and Courtney Roby, the program's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. Defensively, senior linebacker Kyle Killion (107 tackles in 2004) and sophomore Tracy Porter (three interceptions as a true freshman last season) are standouts. Junior Lance Bennett averaged 29.95 yards per kickoff return last season, third-best in the country.

Former Miami boss Terry Hoeppner is making his debut on the Indiana sideline tonight. Hoeppner guided the RedHawks to back-to-back appearances in the MAC Championship Game in 2003 and 2004, winning both the conference title game and GMAC Bowl in 2003.

Hoeppner is familiar with MAC - Big Ten clashes. During his tenure at Miami, the RedHawks knocked off Northwestern in Evanston in 1999 and 2003.

CMU plays four of its next five on the road, including next week's MAC opener at Miami and a trip to Penn State on Sept. 17. The Chippewas return to Kelly/Shorts to host Eastern Michigan on Sept. 24.

The CMU-IU Series
Indiana has won both prior contests with the Chippewas, claiming victories in Bloomington in 2002 and 2004. In last year's opener, the Hoosiers returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown to break the game open midway through the third quarter. In 2002, CMU led 29-16 midway through the third period before IU rattled off 23 unanswered points en route to a 39-29 win.

Opening Act
CMU has won eight straight home openers, including last year's 44-27 win over Southeast Missouri State. The Chippewas have won their last five season openers at home. CMU last opened a season at Kelly/Shorts in 2002, downing Sam Houston State 34-10. [/b]

Friday Night Lights
Friday night's contest marks the sixth time that CMU has played at night at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The Chippewas are 4-1 in the previous five, each of which have been home openers.

Date Opponent Result
9/2/93 Akron 23-13 L
8/28/97 Northern Illinois 44-10 W
9/2/99 Eastern Illinois 33-17 W
8/30/01 Eastern Kentucky 42-28 W
8/29/02 Sam Houston State 34-10 W

CMU vs. the Big Ten
The Chippewas are 2-13 all-time against the 11 current members of the Big Ten Conference. Both wins came at Michigan State, a 20-3 win over the No. 18 Spartans in 1991 and a 24-20 victory in East Lansing in 1992. CMU all-time against the Big Ten:

Indiana 0-2 Iowa 0-2 Michigan 0-2
Michigan State 2-4 Minnesota 0-1 Purdue 0-2

Keeping an Eye on Bazuin
Junior defensive end Daniel Bazuin, an All-MAC First Team selection in 2004, has been named to the preseason watch lists for both the Bronco Nagurski Trophy and the Lombardi Award. He is one of 50 players named to the watch list for the Nagurski Trophy, presented to the top defensive player in college football. The Lombardi Award, which names 54 players on its preseason list, is given to the top defensive lineman in the nation.

Preseason Prognostications
CMU was picked to finish fourth in the MAC West Division in the MAC News Media Association's preseason poll. Toledo was selected to defend its West Division and MAC Championship Game titles, while Bowling Green was tabbed to win the East in its first season back in that division.

Indiana Notables
• The Hoosiers last visited a MAC campus in 1996, claiming a 40-6 win at Toledo in the season opener.
• Indiana has split its last eight openers, winning four and losing four. The Hoosiers have lost the last three season openers they have played on the road dating back to 1997.
• Indiana is just 1-17 on the road over the past three seasons. The lone win was a 30-24 victory at Oregon on Sept. 11, 2004.

• Three players return after garnering All-Big Ten or All-America honors in 2004. Senior linebacker Kyle Killion was a second team all-conference pick by the media, and honorable mention by the coaches, after recording 107 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions in 2004. Tracy Porter was named to The Sporting News Big Ten All-Freshman Team after intercepting three passes as a rookie. Junior Lance Bennett was an honorable mention All-America pick by SI.com and All-Big Ten selection by Rivals.com after averaging 29.95 yards per kickoff return, third-best in the country. He returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown at Oregon and a punt 94 yards for a score at Michigan State.



JT Sneaks

[JT Sneaks]

Some Game Themes

Season Two of the Mike Stoops era kicks off with a road trip to Salt Lake City ... Both Arizona and Utah will be opening their respective seasons to a nationally televised audience on ESPN ... After matching the high-flying Utah offense nearly yard-for-yard in 2004, can a more experienced and effective Arizona offense take advantage of scoring opportunities after kicking just a pair of field goals in five red zone chances against the Utes a season ago ... What look will Utah show after losing its head coach, offensive coordinator, starting QB and its top two productive wideouts from last season ...



Arizona vs. Utah - The Series

In a series that dates back to 1924, Utah owns a 18-15-2 advantage against Arizona in 35 all-time meetings ... Thirteen games in the 35-game series have been decided by seven points or fewer ... Utah’s 23-6 victory over Arizona in Tucson last season snapped a two-game winning streak in the series for the Wildcats and a seven-game UA winning streak over the Utes in Tucson ... In games played in SLC, Utah owns a slight 9-7 lead in the series and an 8-7 mark against Arizona in Rice-Eccles Stadium ... Arizona’s last trip to its neighbor to the north in 2000 resulted in a 17-3 Wildcat win ... As members of the Western Athletic Conference, Arizona tallied a 9-4 record against Utah from 1965 to 1977 ... Since UA joined the Pac-10 in 1978, Arizona and Utah have played five times, including three times in the last five years, to a 3-2 Arizona advantage



Utah and Arizona - The Last Time Out

Two costly turnovers and an inability to post points inside the red zone doomed Arizona to a 23-6 loss to Utah at Arizona Stadium in Tucson last season ... The Wildcats matched the Utes nearly yard-for-yard on offense (326 UU to 312 UA), but a fumble on the first play of the game at the UA 27 and a Kris Heavner interception inside the Arizona 20 twice gave Utah a short field to work with and an easy 10 points ... UA’s Nick Folk ended Arizona’s eight-game streak without a field goal conversion with a pair of successful attempts in the game, but the six points fell well shy of what could have been as Arizona penetrated Utah’s red zone five times in the contest and came up scoreless thrice ... Utah’s Marty Johnson led all players with 105 yards rushing and a TD and UU’s Alex Smith posted 170 yards passing and two TDs to receiver Steve Savoy ... While a small consolation, Arizona held Utah to its lowest scoring output of what turned out to be an undefeated and Fiesta Bowl championship season in Mike Stoops’ second game as head coach at UA.



Noting the Utes

Utah enters its season-opening game against Arizona with a 16-game winning streak in tow after winning the final four games of the 2003 campaign and capping off the most historic season in Ute history in 2004 with a 12-0 record and a championship in the Fiesta Bowl ... Since the 35-7 victory over Pitt in Tempe last Jan. 1 a lot has changed for Crimson and White. Gone are head coach Urban Meyer (to Florida), offensive coordinator Mike Sanford (to UNLV), quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Alex Smith (to the NFL), leading rusher Marty Johnson (graduation) and leading receivers Steve Savoy and Paris Warren (both to the NFL) ... Despite all the offseason turnover in the Beehive State, the cupboard wasn’t exactly left bare for former Ute defensive coordinator and current head coach Kyle Whittingham. The Utes return five starters on both offense and defense, including three-fifths of the offensive line, their leading tackler from 2004, linebacker Spencer Toone, and defensive back Eric Weddle, who intercepted four passes and broke up five others in 2004 ...



Arizona In Season Openers

Arizona will attempt to tie the school record for consecutive seasons with a victory in the opening contest of the year at six straight against Utah on September 2 ... UA has won six straight season-openers four times in school history, with the latest coming from 1971-76 ... The Wildcats extended their winning streak in season openers to five straight after defeating Northern Arizona 21-3 last year ... Dating back to 2000, UA has beaten Utah (2000), San Diego State (2001), Northern Arizona (2002, 2004) and UTEP (2003) to open each respective year ... The Utah game in 2000 and the San Diego State contest in 2001 were on the road ... Dating back to 1899, Arizona is 73-23-5 all-time in season-opening games.



Wildcats Picked To Finish Eighth

Arizona was tabbed to finish eighth in the Pac-10 this season in a polling of the league’s media members. The low ranking however wouldn’t temper head coach Mike Stoops enthusiasm, “There are a lot of factors behind our optimism. We had a tough start for the program last year, but bounced back and put together a team that won two of its final three games,” he said. “One hundred percent of our players participated in off-season voluntary conditioning, and I think that tells you something about our team. The players commitment to the program and to each other is as strong as I’ve seen. We’re a much more together team. You’ll see a different team in the way we look, play, the way we run, our attitude, speed, size and quickness.”



No Let Up On The Schedule

Just like the previous two seasons, Arizona will face a tough slate in 2005. Starting with Utah and its 16-game winning streak, Arizona will face seven teams that made a postseason bowl appearance last year, including five of those games on the road. After getting the Utes, UA will host 2004 Sun Bowl participant Purdue in its final non-conference game of the year before having to head off on the road for back-to-back conference weekends against 2004 Pac-10 runner up Cal (Holiday) and defending national champions USC (Orange). Road trips to Oregon State (Insight.com) and Arizona State (Sun) are sandwiched around a home contest against UCLA (Las Vegas). Also on the slate in 2005 are in-state rival Northern Arizona, Stanford and its new head coach Walt Harris, a road trip to Oregon and its senior QB Kellen Clemens and a home game against Washington and the return of Tyrone Willingham to the Pac-10.



In The Second Year

Mike Stoops is looking to join predecessors Larry Smith and Dick Tomey as the two Arizona head coaches in the Pac-10 era to enjoy a winning season in their second year of tenure in the Old Pueblo. Smith took over at UA in 1980 and went 5-6 his first season. A year later, he had improved the win total by one in both the overall standings (6-5) and in the conference (4-4). Tomey, who replaced Smith in the fall of 1987, went 4-4-3 overall and 2-3-3 in the Pac-10 his first season, but turned it around to go 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the conference just 12 months later.


Something To Build Off Of

Although the Wildcats suffered through their sixth-straight non-winning season last year, the improvement over the course of the year could be seen both on the field and the stats sheet. Arizona not only led the Pac-10 in fumbles recovered in 2004, but the nation as well with 19 take aways. UA also led the conference in fewest sacks allowed (22) and was the most disciplined team in the Pac-10 with a conference-low 42.9 penalty yards per game last year.



Defense On The Rise

Not quite on par with the nationally renowned “Desert Swarm” defenses of the mid-90’s, last year’s defensive squad did take significant strides towards reestablishing UA’s reputation on that side of the ball. Opponents gained 1,347 less yards on offense in 2004 as they did in 2003 and scored 154 fewer points. With a full year in the Stoops system, even more improvements are expected out of the group this year.



Start Me Up

The Wildcats have a number of players on both sides of the ball with considerable starting experience on the resumes. Led by senior free safety Darrell Brooks’ 30 starts, the UA defense has seven different players with 11 or more career starts (SS Lamon Means 25, DE Marcus Smith 17, DE Copeland Bryan 13, DT Paul Philipp 12, CB Antoine Cason 11 and CB Wilrey Fontenot 11). On offense, lineman Kili Lefotu paces the Cats with 29 career starts, including 10 in 2004. Others with significant starting experience include RB Mike Bell (25), OL Peter Graniello (11) and WR Syndric Steptoe (11).



Freshmen Looking To Make an Impact

A number of first-year Wildcats are looking to earn their way on the field this season. Michael Thomas, Blake Kerley, Brandon Tatum, Xavier Smith, Adrian McCovy and Garrett Fields headline a freshman class that made a strong a impression during fall camp. Thomas is pushing for playing time in Arizona’s passing game at wide out and as a kick returner after showing impressive hands and speed during the two weeks of fall camp. Kerley is competing with junior Erick Levitre for the starting center spot and Smith is vying for carries as a reserve running back. Defensively, Tatum is making a run as part of UA’s deep secondary, McCovy in the linebacking corps and Fields in the rotation along the D-line.



Run G.M.C.

Arizona has a talented trio of running backs this season in senior Gilbert Harris, senior Mike Bell and sophomore Chris Henry. Each brings a different style of attack that will complement each other well throughout the year. Bell, UA’s leading returning rusher from last season, is already eighth all-time at Arizona in career rushing yards and has posted back-to-back 900+ yard seasons. An explosive runner, Bell has the ability to work both inside and on the perimeter. Harris is a change of pace back that has the ability punish would-be tacklers along the line. As described by Mike Stoops, Henry is a “angry” rusher, possessing both power and speed. And, as if their rushing abilities weren’t enough for opposing defenses to worry about, all three are very capable pass-catchers to boot.

The “Js” are Okay

There seems to be a trend developing among UA’s wide receiver corps: B.J., B.J., M.J., A.J., S..., well it doesn’t quite work across the board, but the depth among UA’s pass-catchers will most certainly be a strength for the UA offense in 2005. Returnees Anthony Johnson, Mike Jefferson, B.J. Dennard and Syndric Steptoe have been joined by newcomers B.J. Vickers and Michael Thomas to form a potent offensive threat that will help to keep opposing defenses honest. Offensive coordinator Mike Canales and receivers coach Charlie Williams are counting on the group to not only help improve last year’s average of 170.5 yards per game through the air, but to free up running space around the line of scrimmage for UA’s running backs as well.



Injury Bug Bites LBs

The Wildcat linebacking corps has been the lone victim of the injury bug during the preseason. Projected starters Ronnie Palmer (foot), Randy Sims (ankle) and Spencer Larsen (knee) will all miss UA’s season opener against Utah on September 2. Palmer is expected to miss up to six weeks and Larsen and Sims are hoping to return within the first month of the season. Looking to step up in their absence is senior Sean Jones, juniors John McKinney and Akin Akinniyi, redshirt freshman Brandon Lopez and true freshman Adrian McCovy.



Kovalcheck’s the One Under Center

Incumbent starting QB Richard Kovalcheck has shown no ill effects from a spring surgery on his back. The second-year starter took over the reigns of the Arizona offense against Oregon in UA’s sixth game last season and never looked back. After directing UA to a 2-1 record in the final month, Kovalcheck capped his redshirt freshman season be garnering Most Outstanding Player honors in the annual Duel in the Desert against ASU. Fully healthy now, Kovalcheck is looking to help Arizona improve an aerial attack that ranked near the bottom of the NCAA in passing offense, passing efficiency and scoring offense. Backing Kovalcheck up under center is junior Adam Austin, who took an esitmated 1,500 snaps during the spring season as UA’s only QB, and talented freshman Willie Tuitama.



Booting Danny Baugher

Already Arizona’s career leader for total punts, the Wildcats are hoping not to use senior Danny Baugher as often this season, but know that when they do they’ll have an experienced kicker on their hands. With 188 total kicks and 7,718 total yards punted in three seasons, he has averaged 41 yards per punt and placed the ball inside the opponent’s 20-yard line 34 times.



Nick Can Kick

A year ago at this time, the Arizona place kickers were coming off a season that saw them finish the 2003 season 2 for 13 and miss their final six attempts of the year. It was certainly a group that entered the 2004 season with a lot more questions than answers. Then along came Nick Folk. After narrowly missing a game-winning field goal attempt in the final minute of a 9-7 loss to Wisconsin, Folk proved his mettle by converting six of his next nine attempts over the course of the season, including a career-long 53-yarder in Arizona’s 34-27 win over rival Arizona State. The well-earned confidence from last year has carried over to the early part of 2005, as Folk has regularly booted 50+-yard kicks during practice and in scrimmages. In live action against his teammates in fall camp intra squad games, he was a perfect 5-for-5, hitting from 22, 32, 35, 46 and 47 yards.



JT

[JT Sneaks]

Pressure's on for Utes' young QB

Anthony Gimino
Tucson Citizen
Aug. 31, 2005 12:00 AM

TUCSON - Twenty-six times in college football history a quarterback has had the challenge of replacing the No. 1 overall draft pick in the NFL draft.

Numerous other quarterbacks have had the pressure of taking over a team following an undefeated season.

No quarterback has had the burden of doing both.

Until Utah's Brian Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 203-pound sophomore from Baytown, Texas, who embarks on his mission Friday night against Arizona.

"I try not to look at it as pressure," said Johnson, who is replacing Alex Smith, selected first in the NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers after leading Utah to an unbeaten season last year.

"It really is a blessing. Not many kids get to play Division I football, and I am lucky enough to be one of those guys."

That all sounds like the right things to say, but Arizona is hoping the cool-talking sophomore manages to have a case of the nerves Friday night.

Johnson saw only mop-up duty as a freshman in Utah's 12-0 season, completing 14 of 21 passes.

His first starting assignment, on national TV (ESPN), could bring out the jitters, especially considering the 18-year-old Johnson is younger than all but six members of the current UA freshman class.

Johnson is a month younger than Arizona freshman quarterback Willie Tuitama.

"I feel a little bit older than I am," Johnson said. "My parents brought me up really well, and that helped with my maturity. And I think it made me a better quarterback, too."

Johnson has been playing with and against older kids almost his entire life after skipping the first grade.

"I was reading books and stuff in the first grade," he said. "I just had a little more knowledge than everyone else when I was that young."

Knowledge of the game is an area he rates as his strength. He's athletic - a necessity to run what remains of Utah's shotgun-spread offense - but says the thing he learned most from Smith was how to prepare mentally.

"Alex tells me a lot to just play your game and prepare," Johnson said. "It's not easy. You can't half do it. It's a great big process, but the reward is definitely sweet."

Arizona coach Mike Stoops said Johnson is a more elusive runner than Smith and expects Utah to use the option to test the UA defense. In turn, UA is eager to see how Johnson reacts in crunch time.

"Playing when the game is on the line is a lot different than playing when you're up 20 or 30 points," Stoops said. "We'll have to see how this quarterback reacts."

UA defensive end Marcus Smith said: "It's going to be his first time getting hit in a long time, so I'm sure if somebody puts his helmet and shoulder pads into him, it will give him a nice little welcome."

Every which way, the pressure figures to mount, but he's not shying away from it.

"The bar here is set really high," Johnson said. "But you wouldn't want it any other way."

JT Sneaks

[JT Sneaks]

Utah

Utah (0-0, 0-0 MWC) opens its 2005 season against Arizona (0-0, 0-0 Pacific 10) on Friday, Sept. 2 in an ESPN nationally-televised contest starting at 6:00 p.m. MDT. A crowd in excess of 40,000 is expected, but good seats remain.

> Friday's game marks the debut of head coach Kyle Whittingham, who assumed the top post in December of 2004 after a decade as Utah's defensive coordinator.

> Utah has won its last 16 games--tied for the longest win streak in school history--previously set from 1928-1930. Utah's last loss was on Oct. 25, 2003 to New Mexico. Its current 16-game win streak started on Nov. 1, 2003 with a triple overtime victory over Air Force.

> Utah, which finished the 2004 season with a 12-0 record and final rankings of No. 4 and No. 5 in the Associated Press and Coaches' Polls, respectively, is noted in the Others Receiving Votes in both 2005 preseason polls. The Utes were three spots out of the top 25 in both.

> The first 10,000 fans to enter the stadium on Friday will receive a red Utah t-shirt inscribed with the slogan, "Enter the Red Zone."

KYLE STYLE
Kyle Whittingham was named the head football coach at Utah on Dec. 8, 2004. Whittingham has been a member of the Ute staff since 1994, when he coached the defensive line for Utah's 10-2 Freedom Bowl champion team. He was promoted to defensive coordinator a year later--a position he held until his promotion to head coach. In his 11 years as a Ute assistant, the program compiled an 86-41 record and played in six bowl games (winning five). He served as co-head coach at the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, helping to lead Utah to a 35-7 victory over Pittsburgh. The Ute defense recorded 14 top-20 statistical rankings during Whittingham's 10 years as the coordinator. Utah led the league in scoring defense in four of the last six years (placing second the other two).

THREE-PEAT?
At the annual Mountain West Conference Football Preview, Utah was picked by the league's media to win the MWC title for the third straight year. Utah received 18 first place votes and 246 total points to lead runner-up New Mexico (215 points and six first place votes). It marks the second straight season Utah has been picked to win the league crown. Utah's 2003 title came after a preseason fifth-place projection.

PRESEASON ALL-MWC UTES
Ute senior defensive tackle Steve Fifita, a 2004 all-MWC first-teamer and the defensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl, led a quartet of Utes on the preseason all-conference team. Fifita, also the media preseason pick as the MWC Defensive Player of the Year, and Ute senior linebacker Spencer Toone were two of just three unanimous choices to the team. Also making the preseason team were senior center Jesse Boone and junior defensive back Eric Weddle. Boone and Weddle were second-team selections a year ago, while Toone and running back Quinton Ganther earned honorable mention all-MWC acclaim.

GRIDBITS
Utah is 3-6 all-time in ESPN games and 3-0 in the last two seasons. Utah has won its last nine nationally-televised contests (ESPN, ESPN2, ABC), dating back to a three-point loss to Michigan in the Big House in 2002 ... Friday's game marks the second straight year that Utah has opened the season on Sept. 2 in an ESPN televised game ... The MUSS, which consists of Utah's most loyal student fans, had registered almost 3,000 students by the start of classes on Aug. 24. Total season tickets number over 21,000 ... Utah has set back-to-back attendance records for Rice-Eccles Stadium home games in the last two seasons. The Utes averaged 41,478 in 2003 and 44,112 in 2004. The stadium capacity is 45,017.

UTAH'S ALL-TIME RECORD
Utah's all-time football record is now 558-403-31. The Utes are 346-168-16 at home, 28-11 in Rice-Eccles Stadium (1998-on), 199-221-13 in road games and 13-14-2 in games played at neutral sites.

LAST YEAR
Ranked from start to finish, the 2004 Utes reached unprecedented heights in a 12-0, BCS-busting season. The first team from a non-BCS conference ever to qualify for a BCS bowl, the Utes concluded the season with a 35-7 trouncing of No. 19 Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Tostitos Bowl. Including the win over Pitt, Utah blasted its four BCS opponents (Texas A&M, Arizona, North Carolina were the others) by an average of 24 points a game. The Utes, who won their second consecutive outright Mountain West Conference Championship, finished the season ranked No. 4 in the nation. Quarterback Alex Smith, Utah's first Heisman Trophy finalist, and safety Morgan Scalley were named the MWC offensive and defensive players of the year. Smith made several All-America teams and was the National Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News. He chose to forego his senior season to enter the NFL draft and became the first No. 1 draft pick in school history. Smith and Scalley were both named to the all-conference first team, as were receiver Steve Savoy, offensive lineman Chris Kemoeatu and defensive linemen Sione Pouha and Steve Fifita.

UTAH VS. THE PACIFIC 10
Utah is 11-12 since 1990 against Pac 10 teams and 48-87-3 all-time. Utah's series record against the Pac 10 schools follows: Arizona 18-15-2, Arizona State 6-16, California 2-4, Oregon 8-17, Oregon State 4-8, USC 3-6, Stanford 2-3, UCLA 0-7, Washington 0-6, Washington State 5-5.

JT Sneaks

[JT Sneaks]

Utah

New U. corners arm selves with 'a little swagger'
No fear: Eugene Oates and Shaun Harper say they're ready to face opposing receivers
By Michael C. Lewis
The Salt Lake Tribune



He has never started a major college football game, but stands a good chance of changing that when the Utah Utes open their season against an Arizona team desperate to improve its passing game with the help of two new heralded receivers at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday night.
So Eugene Oates must be pretty nervous, right?
Guess again.
Though Oates and fellow cornerback Shaun Harper stand to occupy the spotlight against the Wildcats as newcomers to the starting lineup - either one could start, depending on the formation in which the Utes open - neither said he's feeling any extra pressure, despite knowing that his performance could help either extend the Utes' school-record 16-game winning streak, or end it.
"No pressure at all," Oates said.
Whoever does get the start will join six other new starters on defense, though it's possible none of them will have as visible an impact on the course of the game.
Coach Kyle Whittingham always has asked his cornerbacks to play mostly man-to-man defense, meaning Oates, Harper and returning starter Ryan Smith often will be on their own in the open field trying to contain Arizona's Syndric Steptoe, B.J. Vickers and Mike Thomas.
If the Utes allow those receivers to make a few catches, the Wildcats - last in the Pac-10 Conference in passing last season, and second-to-last nationally in scoring - probably will achieve their goal of opening up some running room for talented running backs Mike Bell, Gilbert Harris and Chris Henry.
"We pride ourselves on being able to play man coverage," defensive coordinator Gary Andersen said, "and that's what those guys need to be able to do."
And how.
Steptoe led the Wildcats by catching 30 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore last
season, despite having to adjust to two quarterbacks after returning starter Richard Kovalcheck took the job at midseason from Kris Havner - who played against the Utes last year when the Wildcats had not yet started focusing on their passing game.
Vickers, meanwhile, joined the Wildcats in the spring as one of the nation's most heralded junior college receivers, and freshman Thomas has dazzled coaches in camp, and has run the 100 meters in 10.3 seconds.
"Anytime you can stretch the defense and have that vertical threat, it's problematic," Whittingham said.
Having played only as a backup as a junior transfer last season, Oates would be a true newcomer to the starting lineup, whereas Harper started five games - including the Liberty Bowl - as a redshirt reshman two years ago. He did not play as much last season, though, with departed starters Gerald Fletcher and Bo Nagahi sharing the position for which he and Oates have been battling throughout training camp.
"I'm pretty much right back at it," Harper said. "Just feel like I did my freshman year, when I started that first game at Utah State. So, I'm ready to go. I'm ready to play. I can't be any more excited for the game to come around. I'm just ready to go out there and 'D' guys up, that's it."
Harper actually took a recruiting trip to Arizona while still in high school in San Diego, but liked neither the hot weather nor coach John Mackovic.
"Utah was the place for me," he said.
Oates thought so, too.
A native of Jacksonville, Fla., he wound up at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas after failing to qualify academically out of high school. That's where the Utes found him - the same place they discovered senior safety Tim Harris - before anybody else.
"Utah was the first team that gave me any kind of look," Oates said. "So I just stuck with them. They stuck with me and I stuck with them."
Now, everybody is hoping those decisions pay off.
"It's all about confidence," Harper said. "You have to have confidence. You have to have a little swagger to you, know what I mean? You have to go out there, know what you're doing, know the assignment and just play your technique. If we all play our technique, then I don't think we can be beat. That's just how I look at it. If we go out there and just play our game, then I don't think anybody on our schedule can play with us. Let's put it that way. That's how much confidence I have in my guys."
Yep, that's quite a bit.
And it doesn't sound like much anxiety is seeping in there, either.
"Naw," Oates said. "It's time now. It's game time."

That's it for Friday Games!!

JT Sneaks