Utah Utes football: Both quarterbacks ready to face UNM

If, as expected, Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn makes his first collegiate start today against New Mexico, the true freshman vows he will be prepared.

Same goes for eight-game starter Terrance Cain, the guy Wynn replaced at halftime of last week's 22-10 win over Wyoming.

"(We're) both just preparing like we do every week. We're preparing like we're both playing every play," Wynn said. "Rest assured, both of us will be prepared come Saturday."

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said the players learned who would start early in the week. A public announcement, however, won't be made prior to the game.

"It doesn't do us any good to tip our hand for New Mexico," said Whittingham, who noted the quarterbacks have different skill sets that require separate preparation by the Lobos.

As such, Utah may have the upper hand in that regard. The Utes' starter has had more time to prepare.

Even so, both quarterbacks have taken the same approach.

"We're preparing just like we do every week," Wynn said before adding a twist. "We've got to come out on fire and show that we can actually play in the first half."

The Utes have struggled in that regard of late. They scored just six points over the first two quarters against Air Force on Oct. 24 and only three last week against Wyoming.

The futility has been accompanied by continual shortcomings in third-down conversions (40 percent) and red-zone scoring (71 percent).

In an effort to fix the situation, Utah has switched play callers in the booth — going from Dave Schramm to Aaron Roderick — and opted to utilize Wynn.

"We've got to focus on our deficiencies," Whittingham said. "Regardless of who we're playing this week, we've got things we've got to fix."

Although Cain hasn't played all that poorly, the quarterback situation may have been mended a week ago when Wynn entered the game. He provided a much-needed spark, rallying the Utes to victory in the second half.

The true freshman, who didn't see any action in Utah's first seven games, made an immediate impact.

"The thing that really surprised me and got me motivated was his confidence," said center Zane Taylor. "I was really impressed by that."

Despite a cool demeanor, Wynn acknowledged he gets butterflies before every game.

"It's not so much nervousness," he said. "It's anxiousness to get out there and get started."

By the time pregame snaps are complete, Wynn insists he's all business.

If the 19-year-old from Oceanside, Calif., starts for Utah, he'll become just the third true freshman to do so since eligibility for youngsters was restored in 1972 — joining Kenny Vierra (1981) and Scott Cate (1982).