Utah Utes football notebook: Utes get back on field in preparation for bowl

Utah returned to the practice field Wednesday.

Four days after a painful 26-23 overtime loss at BYU, the Utes began preparations for a yet-to-be announced bowl game against a yet-to-be named opponent.

"It was good to get back out on the field and get going," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, whose squad will learn their postseason destination this weekend.

The Utes didn't practice long. They did, however, pad up — opting not to don shells.

Whittingham said the team wanted to put pads back on and bang around a bit.

"We've just got to go back to the basics right now," said linebacker Stevenson Sylvester. "And regroup on our technique."

Safety Robert Johnson, however, acknowledged it feels better to hit somebody with a different colored-jersey.

Left tackle Zane Beadles agrees.

"Once we know who our opponent is for the bowl game, we'll really start going," he said. "… It'll give us something to focus on. We can get in the film room and move on to our next opponent, our next challenge."

Utah's bowl practices will begin with sessions Wednesday, Friday and Saturday over the first two weeks.

Beadles said the Utes are taking a "business as usual" approach. They've won eight-straight bowl games, the longest active run of success in the nation.

"We've just got to push forward," Sylvester said. "And look to keeping our bowl streak alive."

It's a bittersweet time for the team's veterans.

"We know that this is our last couple of weeks to be together. Being a senior, I cherish every moment," Johnson said. "It feels good to be back out here with the boys."

MAX'S REMARKS: Sylvester and Beadles, two of Utah's team captains, had a little bit to say about BYU quarterback Max Hall's controversial postgame remarks.

"It is what it is. You feel how you feel. But I can't say much on," Sylvester said. "I pay no mind to it. He said what he said. That's how he felt and there's nothing I can do about it."

Beadles was a little more diplomatic.

"It's really no concern of ours," he said. "That's their deal and we'll focus on our stuff."

INJURY UPDATE: Starting quarterback Jordan Wynn hobbled around practice with the assistance of two canes. Whittingham said the freshman has a bad ankle and the optimistic evaluation is that he'll be ready to go next Wednesday. That's the target date, anyhow.

Shaky Smithson, Luke Matthews and Lei Talamaivao were also on the sidelines. They were held out for precautionary reasons with minor injuries, but Whittingham said they could have played if the Utes had a game.

Defensive tackle Kenape Eliapo, who has been out with an undisclosed illness relate to an eye ailment, is scheduled to resume activity on Dec. 16, a date that would allow the senior to play in Utah's bowl game.

e-mail: dirk@desnews.com