Utah Utes football: Jordan Wynn continues to say shoulder 100 percent

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn continues to patiently answer questions about his surgically repaired throwing shoulder.

The junior acknowledges it's just "part of the deal" that comes with being the starter.

"You guys are going to fire away and I'm going to fire right back and do it every day," he said. "It doesn't bother me."

Wynn insists all is well.

"My shoulder is 100 percent," he said. "I know there's a lot of questions out there, but I don't have anything to say. I know how I feel. I feel good."

While acknowledging that last week's season-opener against Montana State was kind of a feeling-it-out situation, Wynn noted that he trusts his shoulder.

Offensive coordinator Norm Chow told reporters that Wynn, who completed 15-of-23 passes for only 101 yards against the Bobcats, knows he has to do better and is making progress every day.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham agrees.

"Jordan is throwing the ball better this week than he did last week as far as velocity and his motion," Whittingham said while reiterating it's a process and not something that is going to happen overnight.

READY TO GO: Whittingham is pleased with Utah's preparation this week.

"We appear to be in the right frame of mind. Practices have gone well," he said. "The big key is how they prepare on their own time when they've got extra time to film study and that type of thing. Hopefully we're taking advantage of that."

The death of defensive lineman Ron Tongaonevai's wife Janelle last Thursday has made things more difficult.

"It's put a damper on things. I don't think there's any question about that," Whittingham said. "But at the same time we're getting ready for a football game. We've got to prepare and continue on."

CULLEN IS BACK: Senior left tackle John Cullen missed last week's opener against Montana State with a concussion and he didn't like it.

"It was horrible. I thought I was going to be OK knowing it was a pretty easy game for us. We had a lot of confidence going in," said Cullen, who noted it was difficult to watch from the sidelines. "It was rough, but I'm just glad to be out here sweating and dying with the guys."

The all-conference candidate and former USC recruit hasn't played for the Utes since last year's BYU game. An arm injury kept him out of the Las Vegas Bowl.

EXTRA POINTS: Utah will not have a walk-through practice at the Coliseum on Friday ... Although nothing is definite, wide receiver Anthony Denham will most likely redshirt this season. The junior college transfer injured his hamstring early in camp and has fallen behind . . . John White's 150-yard debut was the best first showing by a Utah running back since Mike Anderson ran for the same amount of yardage against Utah State in 1998.

Email: dirk@desnews.com

Twitter: @DirkFacer

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