Utah Utes football: Team excited, focused on this season — not next year

Editor's note: This is the eighth in a nine-part series previewing each football team in the MWC.

SALT LAKE CITY — Before departing Mountain West Conference Media Day in Las Vegas, Utah senior Zane Taylor made it clear that he was done talking about the Utes' move to the Pac-10 in 2011.

"Ask me next year," the starting center said while noting that the only thing that matters now is the upcoming season.

The seniors, especially, are firmly focused on the task at hand.

"All that matters is beating Pittsburgh (in the season-opener) and going from there," Taylor said before emphasizing that Utah's ultimate goal is to win the conference championship.

Although TCU was a unanimous choice to repeat in the MWC's preseason media poll, Utah was picked to finish second and the Utes do have a more favorable league schedule. They're slated to host both TCU and projected contender BYU at Rice-Eccles Stadium this season.

The last time that happened, in 2008, Utah went undefeated and knocked off Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Will 2010 be just as sweet? Only time — and a few breaks here and there — will tell.

The Utes return eight starters on offense. Leading the charge is sophomore quarterback Jordan Wynn, who earned MVP honors in last December's Poinsettia Bowl victory over California. This will be Wynn's first season under the direct tutelage of new quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, MVP of Utah's Sugar Bowl triumph.

Besides a bevy of talented targets at receiver, including senior Jereme Brooks, Wynn will have a pair of talented runners with him in the backfield. Eddie Wide, a first-team All-MWC honoree, topped 1,000 yards last season, and Matt Asiata is back from injury, hoping to regain the form he had while leading the MWC in rushing.

The offensive line is solid, with Taylor anchoring a group that returns four starters.

The lineup doesn't look quite so loaded on defense. Only four players have significant experience as starters — left end Derrick Shelby, tackle Sealver Siliga, nose tackle Dave Kruger and cornerback Brandon Burton.

Many others, though, did see a lot of action in reserve last season.

"We do have some experience coming back," Whittingham noted.

The cast includes junior linebacker J.J. Williams, who started seven games as a freshman in 2006 before serving an LDS Church mission, and senior safety Justin Taplin-Ross.