Time, Place and [Radio Waves in] Space • The Utes season opener at Rice-Eccles Stadium gets going at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. You can watch on Pac-12 Networks or listen on ESPN 700 AM, Sirius 108/XM 197.
Line • As many FBS v. FCS games go, there isn’t a line for this game.
Opposing coach • Bubba Schweigert enters his fourth season as North Dakota’s coach and 18th season with the program. A former North Dakota graduate assistant and assistant coach (1985 to 1996), he returned as the program’s head man in 2014. He’s gone 21-14 in his first three seasons at the helm, including a 9-3 last season. He led his team to an 8-0 record and a share of the Big Sky Conference regular-season title last year, too. The Fighting Hawks won their most games since moving to Football Championship Subdivision and went into the FCS Playoffs as the seventh overall seed in 2016. He earned Big Sky Conference and FCS Region 5 Coach of the Year honors for his efforts.
Utah ties • While Utah offensive coordinator Troy Taylor coached at Eastern Washington, which shared the Big Sky Conference title with North Dakota last season, the two teams did not play each other during Taylor’s only season on EWU’s staff. However, Utah running backs coach Kiel McDonald spent five seasons on the EWU staff. His tenure at EWU included wins over North Dakota in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Pregame quotable • First-time starting quarterback Tyler Huntley, who beat out senior returning starter Troy Williams in preseason camp, said this week that he doesn’t get nerves or butterflies before games, and he doesn’t expect them before his first collegiate start for the Utes. However, he is eagerly anticipating experiencing some things for the first time. “The thing I’m looking forward to is standing in the end zone and hearing Rice-Eccles Stadium blow up, just screaming and yelling,” Huntley said. “That’s the best part about playing football — once you celebrate for making a play. I feel like that’ll be the great part about Thursday.”
Media guide nugget • Of the six returning lettermen at wide receiver for the Fighting Hawks, five of them are listed as 6 foot 2 or taller. The biggest of the bunch are 6-4, 225-pound junior Luke Stanley and 6-4, 220-pound sophomore Travis Toivonen.
Telling stat • The Utes are 21-1 in nonconference games since joining the Pac-12 in 2011 as well as 38-0 all-time against current members of the Big Sky Conference.
Fighting Hawks offensive outlook • Senior quarterback Keaton Studsrud has been adept at managing the game and not making mistakes. He threw just two interceptions in 268 attempts while also tossing 14 touchdowns last season. He hasn’t thrown more than one interception in a game since early in his first season. Junior running backs John Santiago and Brady Oliveira were All-Big Sky selections last season, and they combined for 1,880 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. Santiago earned a first-team selection for the second consecutive season. Santiago enters the season ranked fourth on the program’s all-time rushing yards list (2,442). Four starters from last year’s offensive line return as well as the starting wide receiver tandem of De’mun Mercer and Noah Wanzek. Mercer finished with a team-high 553 yards and averaged 19.8 yards per catch last season.
Fighting Hawks defensive outlook • Cole Reyes anchors the defense from his safety position. Reyes, last season’s Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, landed on all-American teams for six different organizations in 2016. The 6-2, 215-pound senior made 70 tackles and had three interceptions last season. He’s also on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List as well as Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List. The defense returns six starters from last year’s defense which allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards in FCS (91.3 yards per game). They must replace three of their top four tacklers from last season, including a pair of starting linebackers. There are five freshmen on the two-deep depth chart, including a pair of true freshmen listed as backups at corner and safety.
Fighting Hawks special teams outlook • Santiago was named to Athlon Sports’ FCS Preseason All-America Team as a kick returner. He earned STATS and Hero Sports Network All-America selections as a kick returner last season. Seniors Mitch Meindel and Austin Dussold give the Fighting Hawks two experienced punter options. Meindel has averaged 43.1 yards per punt during his career, and he posted 14 punts of 50 yards or more in 2015. Dussold averaged 42.1 yards per punt last season, sixth-best single season mark in program history. He logged 12 punts of 50 yards or more.
Injury report • The Utes lost defensive back Tyrone Smith for the season with an ankle injury, while starting strong safety Chase Hansen’s status remains a game-day decision after he missed the majority of preseason camp due to an unspecified injury. Senior tight end Siale Fakailoatonga will not play due to an injury sustained during preseason, while Utes tight end Harrison Handley’s status was uncertain because he also is coming off an injury. Running back Armand Shyne will not play and is not expected back for several weeks. The Fighting Hawks lost senior cornerback Deion Harris to a season-ending leg injury suffered during the summer. Harris led the Big Sky in interceptions last season and led FCS with three interception returned for a touchdown. He was named a second-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association as well as The Associated Press. The Fighting Hawks also lost safety Andre Randolph to a season-ending injury sustained during preseason camp.
Three Big Questions
1. Will the Utes offense hit the ground running or sputter out of the gate?
Taylor, the wew offensive coordinator, served as co-offensive coordinator for one of the most productive offenses in FCS last season at Eastern Washington, and he oversaw a record-setting offense at Folsom High School in California. EWU averaged 401 yards passing per game last season, while the Utes averaged 217 per game. The transition to a more pass-oriented attack should be aided by the addition of all-conference caliber wide receiver Darren Carrington, a graduate transfer. Thursday’s game will be the first time the Utes debut their new attack.
2. Are the Utes as stout on the defensive side as they’ve been traditionally?
North Dakota has an experienced offensive line (four returning starters) with FCS size and plays a traditional offense featuring a tight end, fullback and halfback. North Dakota’s style is mostly ground and pound, and it uses the rushing attack to control the pace of the game. The Utes defensive line figures to be adept at eating up blocks as well as rushing the passer, but linebacker play was fairly Jekyll and Hyde last season. The Utes believe they’ve got four solid options in Kavika Luafatasaga, Sunia Tauteoli, Cody Barton and Donovan Thompson. Their effectiveness shutting down the running attack will be a key to whether the Utes dominate this game or allow it to remain close late.
3. Do the Utes have a kicker? Two kickers? No kickers?
After being spoiled for four years by the presence of All-American kicker Andy Phillips, a four-time All-Pac-12 kicker, four-time Lou Groza Award semifinalist and the holder of numerous program records, the Utes hadn’t settled on a kicker entering this week. Utes coach Kyle Whittingham left the possibility open that both senior and former Utah Valley University soccer player Matt Gay and freshman Chayden Johnson could be used as place kickers in Thursday’s game. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky will handle kickoff duties as well as punting this season. However, field goals and point-after attempts remain a question mark. While not likely to decide the outcome of the opener, a field goals and/or extra points can alter significantly the complexion of a season. For example, the Utes played in three games decided by three points or less last season.