Utah Utes football notebook: Good back-to-school day

SALT LAKE CITY — It was a transition day for the Utah Utes. After concluding camp with a scrimmage on Saturday, they opened the first day of classes with the usual in-season afternoon practice.

"It was a good transition," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "You're always a little bit concerned on the first day of school because it's a change in their routine, and I thought they handled it very well."

The practice featured a lot of Pittsburgh stuff — preparing for the Sept. 2 season opener against the Panthers at Rice-Eccles Stadium — and a little bit of crossover work that has become Utah's routine.

"This is like a pregame game week, and, starting Friday, it'll be the real game week," Whittingham said.

The Utes, he added, are making progress, and mistakes are becoming fewer and fewer.

ON THE MEND: Linebacker J.J. Williams is no longer using crutches to get around. The projected starter, who has been sidelined with a sprained foot, is now sporting a walking boot.

Whittingham said if all goes well, Williams will be able to remove the boot in the next couple of days — run around, jog and see how it feels.

In other injury news, running back Sausan Shakerin, defensive back Victor Spikes and linebacker Jame King are all out until further notice with concussions. Wide receiver Sean Fitzgerald (hamstring) will likely not return to action until next week.

SUPER STAR: Defensive tackle Star Lotuelei made quite an impression in his first full practice.

"Star looked really good today," Whittingham said. "He's going to be a nice addition to our team if he can stay healthy."

Lotuelei, who is 6-foot-4 and weighs just under 330 pounds, is being brought along slowly after missing camp while completing academic work at Snow College.

Will he play against Pitt?

"There's that chance," Whittingham said. "Absolutely."

EXTRA POINTS: Standing-room only tickets still remain for the Pittsburgh (Sept. 2) and TCU (Nov. 6) games. The BYU game on Nov. 27 is completely sold out. ... Defensive ends Junior Tui'one and Christian Cox have switched sides. Tui'one tops the latest depth chart on the left side, while Cox mans the right. ... Reggie Dunn is now listed on the No. 1 kickoff return duo with Shaky Smithson. ... The annual Fan Fest returns after a one-year hiatus. It's scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the stadium. Admission and parking are free.

e-mail: dirk@desnews.com