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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 5, 2001
SCOUTING REPORT
Utah is 3-1, with the lone defeat coming Sept. 8 at then-No. 7 Oregon, 24-10. The Utes have beaten Utah State (23-19) and New Mexico (37-16) at home, and Indiana (28-26) on the road.
On offense, Utah is led by senior running back Dameon Hunter, a bruising 5-foot-11, 236-pounder who has rushed for 505 yards (ninth in the nation) in 98 carries for a 5.2 average and 4 touchdowns. A junior college transfer, Hunter is averaging 126 yards a game pounding away behind an offensive line that averages 302 pounds.
Senior wide receiverCliff Russell, the Utes' fastest player, has 19 receptions for 293 yards (15.4 average) and 2 touchdowns, and sophomore quarterback Lance Rice, who assumed the starting job late last season, is 70 of 126 (55.6 percent) for 742 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
On defense, junior Sheldon Deckart (6-2, 239) has a team-best 34 tackles, but the safeties are considered the most promising players on the unit. Sophomores Antwoine Sanders (6-3, 193) and Arnold Parker (6-2, 214) are second and third on the team in tackles.
Utah, a 13-point favorite, is rated No. 57 by collegefootballnews.com, while USF is No. 79. USA Today's Jeff Sagarin has Utah No. 47, USF No. 93.
Jimmy Fitts is the type of guy you want on your side in a crisis.
When USF center Alex Herron went down with a knee injury before the Sept. 22 game at Memphis, Fitts took over. A senior who has played tackle and guard extensively in his career but had never lined up at center in a game, Fitts was ready immediately because he dutifully had been practicing the shotgun snaps necessary in USF's offense, just in case.
In the two games since he moved from right guard, the offensive line has scarcely missed a beat. Fitts' snaps have been perfect, and the reorganized front five has meshed quickly. USF rang up 400 yards against Memphis and 332 against North Texas. Quarterback Marquel Blackwell has been sacked just once.
"Actually, (center) is probably more of his natural position," coach Jim Leavitt said. "He's done real well."
Fitts' composure and experience have helped a rebuilt line mature quickly, and his versatility should help his pro prospects. At 6 feet 2, 315 pounds, with 31/2 years of starting experience spread over every line position, Fitts is a good candidate to get drafted by the NFL in the spring.
At first glance it might look as if quarterback Marquel Blackwell had a down game in Saturday's 28-10 win over North Texas. Actually, it probably was his second-best game of the season statistically, and arguably his best.
Blackwell had season-low totals for attempts, completions and yardage against North Texas. However, compared to his seminal performance in the 35-26 win at Pittsburgh, he was better against North Texas in two important indicators of success -- completion percentage and yards per attempt.
While Blackwell's touchdown-to-interception ratio was much better at Pittsburgh, the North Texas interception actually should have been a touchdown. A Blackwell pass into the end zone went through the hands of normally sticky-fingered Brian Fisher and was picked off.
Blackwell is third in the nation in pass attempts (182), fifth in completions (94) and 12th in yards (1,048).
The Bulls begin the quest for their own version of the Beehive Boot on Saturday.
Say what?
Well, the Beehive Boot is the trophy contested for each season by Utah's three Division I-A football programs, Utah State, Utah and BYU (Utah is the Beehive State). This season USF is playing three games against Utah schools: Utah, I-AA Southern Utah (Oct. 20) and Utah State (Nov. 24).
While it's not quite the same as winning the Beehive Boot, if the Bulls sweep their three Utah games they could stake a claim to the unofficial state title. (And then perhaps play BYU in a bowl game.)
The Utes most recently won the actual Beehive Boot in 1999. And, oh-by-the-way, a Ute is a member of the Native American tribe that first settled the state; the school mascot is Swoop, a red-tailed hawk.
"I don't know a whole lot we can control about that. We can't move out there for a month or two ... So we'll just play it as best we can."
-- USF coach Jim Leavitt, on the 4,500-foot altitude at Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium.