Utah Utes football: Terrance Cain, Tauni Vakapuna make impression

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah football team's first scrimmage of the fall camp Thursday morning gave a lot of non-starters a chance to shine. And perhaps no one shone brighter than backup quarterback Terrance Cain and backup running back Tauni Vakapuna.

Cain was nearly flawless in completing 14 of 16 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns, while Vakapuna rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown, most of which came on a 92-yard scamper down the west sideline.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham had praise for both after the scrimmage.

"Terrance Cain is just continuing to get more confident and more productive," he said. "Tauni is a horse, a load. Every time he touches the ball, it seems like he's productive. He's going to get time, and we have four backs that we really like. He's the fourth guy and pressing to be the third guy."

After a series by the starters, Cain took over at quarterback and threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brad Clifford.

"We started off slow, but the offense picked it up and got in the groove," Cain said. "We needed something to get going, and I saw Brad pop open. I just didn't want to overthrow him."

Later, Cain hit JC transfer Reggie Dunn with a 25-yard touchdown pass.

Vakapuna, who is a former high school teammate of Asiata and the younger brother of former BYU running back Fui Vakapuna, got loose for a length-of-the-field run midway through the scrimmage.

It was supposed to be a simple play up the middle, but the 220-pounder broke off to the right and saw nothing but green ahead of him.

"It was designed to go inside, but I just read the blocks from the linemen," Vakapuna said. "It's not designed to go outside at all. I'll probably get yelled at later."

When told what Vakapuna said, Whittingham laughed and said, "It's one of those where you say no, no, no ... nice job."

Cain earned the No. 1 spot in the 2009 fall camp, but finds himself behind Jordan Wynn this year. He's not resentful of his younger teammate and tries to support him as well as he can.

"Jordan is the starter right now, and we keep a healthy friendship," he said. "I push him to play better for the team. I just have to keep competing and playing hard because you never know when your number is called. You just have to go in there and play your heart out."