This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah quarterback Jon Hays has been busy this week not only preparing for Utah's game against Cal, but also scrambling for tickets.
Hays will have a large contingent of backers at the game at AT&T Park since he is from Paradise, Calif., which is about 170 miles from San Francisco.
"I've had so many people asking for tickets, but I can only take care of my family," he said. "Everyone else has to buy them. I am excited to play in front of my friends and family. It's tough for them to come to games here because it's an 8- or 9-hour drive."
Hays said he grew up watching the Giants and the 49ers in addition to Cal and Stanford. "But I'll be a Utah fan the rest of my life," he added.
The Utes have 32 players from California on their roster.
Numbers game
The Utes have made a big deal about the need for supplemental yardage so John White doesn't have to carry the ball as much as he did against Pitt, when he rushed 36 times for 171 yards.
Windy conditions necessitated such a long day for White. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has said in the past he'd like to see White's average closer to 15 to 18 carries a game to keep him fresh for each game.
However, Whittingham said the Utes aren't worried about White's conditioning in the games themselves.
"He is a very in-shape, durable guy," he said. "You saw that in the Pittsburgh game. He plays much bigger than his size."
Of note
Utah still has tickets available for the Oct. 29 game against Oregon State after the Beavers returned 700 of their 2,000 tickets. … Utah's defensive line has batted down 12 passes, with Derrick Shelby credited with five. … Utah is third in Pac-12 kickoff coverage (47.4).