College Football

Strategy and personnel · Notes, quotes · Inside slant

LOOKING GOOD
WR Derrek Richards, who had a game-high eight receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown. He must continue to pick up the slack for Brent Casteel. Utah has a strong enough receiver corps that a season-ending injury, even to a player as talented as Casteel, can be absorbed with minimal effect.

STILL NEEDS WORK
Utah's run defense, which had emerged as one of the best to play against the triple-option, had few answers for Air Force coach Troy Calhoun's hybrid scheme that produced nearly 400 yards of offense. If coach Kyle Whittingham can't figure a scheme to stop the run and the matchups become a question of talent, the Utes will be hard-pressed to stop UCLA next week.

QB Tommy Grady has an uphill battle in trying to move the offense without much of a rushing attack. Still, he needs to complete much more than 50 percent of his passes (he was 20-for-39 on Sept. 8) and has to be smarter with the football and not turn the ball over. That's a tall order for a player who will make only his second start this week.

ROSTER REPORT
WR Brent Casteel was lost for the season with a torn ACL, which is a big blow because he was capable of adding to the rushing attack.

RB Darryl Mack, originally intending to redshirt this season, had seven carries for 25 yards in helping to fill in for the loss of RB Matt Asiata, who suffered a season-ending injury in the opener.

DT Gabe Long suffered a sprained MCL and will miss three to five weeks.

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