U. performs well in scrimmage

When asked to evaluate Utah's final scrimmage, quarterback Alex Smith had a quick response.

"I liked the sun and I didn't like the rain," he said as the Utes walked off the soggy field at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Weather, however, failed to overshadow Utah's performance in controlled situations against projected Texas A&M schemes. Though pleased for the most part, head coach Urban Meyer said the Utes aren't finished preparing for the Sept. 2 season opener. He's still not satisfied with his team's pass protection.

"We are going to throw a little bit more, maybe, than we have in the past," said Meyer. "So we'll need to protect the quarterback better."

Other than that, Meyer liked what he saw from his starters.

"I think the 1s are ready to go play a game," he said. "We still need to fine-tune the looks against Texas A&M, but as far as the first group, I think they're physically and mentally ready to play."

Smith acknowledged the Utes still have work to do. Nothing, however, that a couple of long practices can't fix.

"I think we worked real hard in this training camp and we've come a long since the we started in the beginning of August," said Smith. "I'm just looking forward to playing Texas A&M."

Classes begin today, so football practices shift to afternoons at the McCarthey Practice Fields. Meyer said the Utes will go at it with full pads for a couple more days before undergoing final preparations for the opener.

Statistics weren't kept in Utah's final scrimmage because of all the situational work, but there were several notable performances.

Wide receiver John Madsen, who teamed with Smith on a 30-yard completion, drew praise from Meyer.

"John Madsen has had a great camp, so we're going to play him, we forced that issue a little bit. He had a good day," said Meyer. "I've coached receivers for 16 years and I love 6-foot-5 receivers. They make inaccurate throws, accurate."

Tailback Marty Johnson also had a good outing. He had back-to-back runs of 35 and 11 yards. The biggest play of the scrimmage was a 70-yard touchdown pass from back-up quarterback Brian Johnson to Derrek Richards.

"We've got a lot of work to do. I feel good about where we're at, but we've got a lot to do in the next five days," said offensive coordinator Mike Sanford. "The next five days are critical as far as preparation."

On defense, linebackers Corey Dodds and Tommy Hackenbruck made big plays. Dodds recovered a fumble and Hackenbruck made a tackle for loss.

"The scrimmage was just to come out here and tighten up a few things," said Dodds. "This is when we really start buckling down on what's going on."

Smith agreed, noting that the Utes have already set their defined package for the game. They walked through it in the morning before trying it on the field in the afternoon.

"John Madsen was the guy, I think, that stood out," said Meyer. "And I thought Alex was good today."

The scrimmage began with overcast skies and ended with rain, thunder and lightning.

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