Kragthorpe: Utes’ offensive growth improves their Pac-12 football forecast

Nobody involved with any of Utah’s first three football opponents — North Dakota, BYU and San Jose State — could say the Utes’ offense is the best group their teams have faced this season.

South Dakota produced more yards and points than Utah did against North Dakota. Wisconsin outperformed the Utes vs. BYU. Texas topped Utah’s showing against San Jose State. Those teams’ performances offer some context to Utah’s big numbers, amid concerns about the Utes’ inconsistency inside the 20-yard line and their lack of production from the running backs, with Armand Shyne injured.

Yet, if the comparison is between Utah’s current offense and the Utes of old, the program clearly is making progress. Offensive coordinator Troy Taylor looks like an upgrade of the deposed Aaron Roderick, partly because Tyler Huntley has become a better quarterback than Troy Williams, and Darren Carrington II is unlike any receiver the Utes have had in 20 years.

Thanks to those guys, Utah is averaging 476.7 yards and 36.7 points through three games, after posting 418.3 yards and 26.0 points against Southern Utah, BYU and San Jose State last season. As a young offensive line develops and Huntley grows into the job even more, the Utes’ statistics should remain relatively intact against Pac-12 defenses, beginning Friday at Arizona.

“My feeling is you’re going to see continued improvement and continued production,” said Ute coach Kyle Whittingham.

Taylor made an inspired choice of Huntley as his quarterback, in multidimensional ways. He’s a better passer than any of us could have known from his limited work as a freshman, and his running ability has compensated for Utah’s struggles with traditional rushing plays.

“He reminds me of a quarterback I had in the past, a young version of him,” Carrington said, referencing the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner for Oregon.

Whoa. Is Huntley really the next Marcus Mariota? That’s asking a lot, but he might be another Brian Johnson. Is it too early to picture Huntley challenging Johnson’s school record of 26 quarterbacking victories by 2019?

He’s 3-0 now, and with his 341-yard passing night (and four touchdowns) against San Jose State, the sophomore became the first Ute QB to top 300 yards in consecutive games since Johnson in 2008. That reflects his talent, Taylor’s coaching and Carrington’s presence on the field.

Carrington has 26 catches for 409 yards. Regardless of how he got to Utah, having been dismissed from Oregon’s team in July, Carrington is a difference-maker in a program that desperately needed someone like him. With 10 games presumably remaining, even allowing for tougher defenses in Pac-12 play, Carrington should break David Reed’s Utah season records of 81 receptions and 1,188 yards in 2009.

The Utes could have changed nothing offensively — coordinator, scheme or quarterback — and Carrington would have made them better. The offense really was not bad statistically in 2016, but Utah should have been able to score enough to beat California and Oregon. Carrington alone would have made the difference in those games, never mind how he beat the Utes with a touchdown catch in the last two seconds as a Duck.

So as they enter Pac-12 play, the Utes appear capable of rising above last season’s 5-4 conference record. Road games vs. USC and Washington will be tough, but does anybody else seem overwhelming? The key games will come at home vs. Stanford and Washington State, teams I picked to beat the Utes in my offseason predictions.

That’s before anyone knew Huntley would be quarterbacking this team and Carrington would be coming here. They’ve altered the forecast, while making their offensive coordinator look good.