Utah Utes notes: U. secret weapon has kick at game

Following Saturday's annual Red-White game, the person getting most of the attention from the media wasn't even a player or coach from the Ute football team.

It was former Ute All-American Eric Weddle, who "coached" the White team to an 18-10 victory and was involved in the most exciting play of the game while wearing his street clothes.

Weddle, who will begin his second year as a defensive back for the San Diego Chargers, was an "honorary" coach, per NCAA rules, but he couldn't help getting involved and inspiring his side to victory. He even received a Gatorade bath afterward.

"Having Eric as our coach was a definite plus," said quarterback Chad Manis. "He's fun to be around and kind of picks up everyone around him."

As for Weddle's play, it happened late in the third quarter after his team's third touchdown. Weddle came in to attempt the extra point since Utah's two placekickers were both on the Red team for some reason. Weddle's kick was blocked, and Justin Taplin-Ross suddenly took off up the east sidelines followed by — yikes! — Weddle, who was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and a backward baseball cap.

When Taplin-Ross got near midfield, he lateraled back to Sean Smith, who cut back across the field. Weddle chased Smith amid the 21 other players in full pads and nearly caught him twice before Smith got free and pranced into the end zone for the two-point defensive score.

If any Chargers' personnel had been watching, they would have likely had heart attacks seeing Weddle running all over the field trying to bring down Taplin-Ross and Smith in his shorts and T-shirt.

"They're not supposed to jump on that (PAT attempt) ... and that was going in," complained Weddle of his ill-fated kick. When asked if he was worried about getting hit by a fully padded Ute, Weddle said, "No, I was trying to (hit) someone, but I couldn't cut — my shoes kept falling off."

UNHERALDED QB: Manis, who quarterbacked the White team to victory, has been sort of lost in the Utah quarterback shuffle this spring.

Everyone knows Brian Johnson is the starter, despite recovering from recent shoulder surgery, and Corbin Louks has shined throughout much of the spring before getting sidelined last week with a concussion. Devonte Christopher has received a fair amount of attention coming in early to spring camp when he should be a senior at Canyon Springs High School in Las Vegas.

Manis, who is known as a drop-back passer, finished with 6 of 13 passing for 68 yards and a touchdown, but more impressively ran seven times for 39 positive yards and two touchdowns from 8 and 5 yards out.

"I had fun today," said Manis. "This was my second spring game and I'm 1-1 now."