Kyle Whittingham cleared his throat, laid his hands on the podium and readied for his opening statement.
This week marks the start of Whittingham’s 20th full season as Utah’s head coach, after taking over in 2004.
Years have passed. Conferences have come and gone. The 64-year-old is the sixth-winningest active head coach in college football. But, in 2024 — even with retirement hints floating through the air — Whittingham is breathing a fresh wave of energy and enthusiasm.
“Excited to get the season started,” Whittingham said with a smile on his face Monday morning. “It’s been a really good fall camp leading into the season. We’re able to do a really good job staying healthy and getting everybody to the first game relatively unscathed. We’re excited to have Cam (Rising) back. That’s obviously huge for our football team.
“We have a lot of things going for us. We feel like we’ve done a nice job in the offseason, upgrading a lot of positions, and we feel like we have a chance to be competitive. But, we’ll find out. All that matters is what happens on the game field.”
The No. 12 Utes and Whittingham are the preseason favorites to win the Big 12. Their postseason fate has completely changed with the expansion of the 12-team College Football Playoff. More than ever, Power 4 programs control their destiny. If you win your conference you’re in, earning a top-four seed and first-round bye.
That’s easier said than done for a program like Utah, which had a wave of injuries a season ago. The seventh-year starter Rising and Brant Kuithe missed the season rehabbing from knee surgeries. Other notable playmakers like Mycah Pittman, Logan Fano, Micah Bernard sustained season-ending injuries, too.
(George Frey | AP) Utah Utes quarterback Cam Rising met Ty Jordan when the running back visited campus for a recruiting trip in November 2019. That day, the quarterback promised Jordan they would get their team to a Rose Bowl.
Whittingham found a way to cobble up an 8-5 record. But it didn’t come without its share of disappointment. The Utes were coming off two consecutive Pac-12 championships and a pair of trips to the Rose Bowl. Last season was supposed to be a continuation of that success.
Whittingham is now looking toward 2024 as a course correction.
“Everybody was disappointed last year, and we used that as motivation during the offseason to be bigger, stronger, more durable,” Whittingham said. “We’re looking forward to being the team that we know we can be.
“Last year we were off the pace and had some things to overcome, but that’s not that uncommon in college football. You go through years where you’re not as fortunate. … But, right now, we’re in a good place and if we can continue to keep the quarterback upright for the course of the season, then that is going to be a big plus for us.”
Health has seemingly become the ultimate factor. The Utes changed the dynamics of their fall training camp to maximize the durability of their players during the season. Whittingham modeled it after the NFL, practicing for two days and giving players three days off.
Utah also modified how much each player was lifting. The hope was to limit soft tissue injuries.
So far, Utah has found more success in its new model.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham walks along the sideline during the second half of the team's NCAA college football game against Oregon State on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Corvallis, Ore. Oregon State won 21-7. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
“We did the study of the results, put them on paper, and we were about 70% less injured this camp than last camp, so we did something right this time,” Whittingham said during fall camp. “There was a combination of things. I don’t think it’s any one thing, but the approach we took definitely lent itself to less injuries.”
Alongside the collective health of Utah’s team, protecting Rising has been the buzzword echoed throughout the Utes’ fall camp. Whittingham and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig have had countless conversations with the seventh-year quarterback about staying healthy.
On Thursday, Rising will see his first game action in almost two years. When he’s healthy the Utes are 18-6 with him as the starter. In 2022, Rising finished with 3,034 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns.
“Well, physically, he’s about the same guy at about 220 pounds,” Whittingham said. “He’s what he’s been for the last several years. He is going to be very judicious in his running. We’ve had ad-nauseam talks about that. He’s going to be a guy that really picks his spots and is not going to try to fight for that extra yard.
“Preservation is the key with him.”
Now, as Utah pivots to its first game against Southern Utah at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Salt Lake City, Whittingham and the Utes are ready to test their odds.
Talking season is officially over.
The Big 12 is waiting.
And, with a healthy roster, the Utes like their chances of earning a bid into the CFP for the first time in program history.
“Our focus is on us completing this week and playing our game,” Whittingham said. “(We’re making sure), like I said, that we don’t get complacent and don’t think that we don’t need to show up, because we do. We’re going to have to come out and play well.”
