Foot fancy: Asiata' sprain has Ute coaches looking for starter

Less than two weeks until the opening game of the Utah football season, the battle for starting running back is "wide open," according to coach Kyle Whittingham. Any one of four backs could be in the backfield when the Utes kick off against Oregon State the night of Aug. 30.

"There's not much separation," Whittingham said. "We're still sorting it out."

After a running-back-by-committee a year ago when the four main running backs didn't even combine for 1,000 yards, the Utes thought they solved their problem by signing Snow College All-American Matt Asiata.

However, on the fourth day of fall camp, Asiata suffered a foot sprain and has sat out for 10 days.

The former Hunter High star is finally out of the boot he wore for a week and is expected to resume practicing Monday. But Whittingham is being cautious, not wanting to bring him back too fast and set him back even longer. He said if Asiata starts practicing Monday, he should be ready to go for the Oregon State game 10 days later.

"We're anxiously awaiting getting Matt back," said Whittingham.

While Whittingham hasn't handed the job to Asiata, it is believed that if he's healthy, he'll be the man in the backfield for the Utes.

Asiata is a back in the mold of former Utes Quinton Ganther or Mike Anderson — a large (235 pounds) bruising back with speed who can block. Last year at Snow, he averaged 135.8 yards per game with 15 touchdowns.

"He's a smart guy who works hard and picks things up fast," said running backs coach Dave Schramm. "On paper, in the meeting room and on the field he tells me what he's supposed to do. Obviously he's got to get out there and show us what he can do."

"Had Matt been practicing we might have had a chance to sort this thing out," said Whittingham. "He was looking very good before he got hurt."

With Asiata's status questionable, three returning players are battling for the top spot.

Darryl Poston, the former USC back who was granted a seventh year of college by the NCAA after several injury-plagued seasons, has the most experience, rushing for 563 yards and five touchdowns a year ago.

Darrell Mack, who was the backup behind Ganther two years ago as a freshman, picked up 173 yards last year, while Ray Stowers, who saw limited action the past two years due to injuries, has turned some heads this fall with some exciting runs.

Also, freshman Eddie Wide has looked good so far in fall camp and will definitely not redshirt, according to Whittingham. Wide, a 5-foot-10, 170-pounder from Las Vegas, should see action this fall, at least on the special teams, but it's unlikely he'll leapfrog the more experienced players.