High Expectations for Utah Pass Game After Years of Futility

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah receiving corps has been a laughingstock in recent years and Tim Patrick is sick of it. The unit — and the passing game in general — has struggled to progress since the program joined the Pac-12 in 2011.

Utah's pass offense has ranked dead last in the conference three times in five seasons and was No. 11 in 2015. Patrick insists this season will be different for Utah, which hosts Southern Utah in the season opener Thursday.

Utah will have new starters at every offensive skill position, but that's not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to the passing game.

The Utes will break in a new full-time starting quarterback for the first time since 2012, but there doesn't seem to be much trepidation surrounding transfer Troy Williams. The Santa Monica College transfer was named the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback recruit by Rivals.com in 2013 and he played five games at Washington before playing a season at the junior college.