This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Since Utah coach Kyle Whittingham isn't discussing injuries anymore unless they are season-ending, the main purpose for going to Tuesday's practice was to see how running back John White was looking after he injured his ankle in Friday's game. Unfortunately, White wasn't present and was attending a class according to Utah sports information personnel. Conspiracy theorists, have at it. The good news for the Utes was they did have two healthy quarterbacks on the field, with Jon Hays and Travis Wilson taking snaps. Both said they were confident they could lead the team, with Hays saying he was "miles ahead" of where he was last year when he replaced Jordan Wynn. "I can't explain it, I'm just a lot better a player this year," he said. As for Wilson, he is eager to get another shot at more playing time. He was clearly disappointed he came out of fall camp as the No. 3 quarterback and now feels he can prove to the coaches he can guide the Utes. "I need to clean up the mistakes I'm making in practice and that will have the coaches have confidence in me to run the plays," he said. "I need to get rid of the mistakes so they trust me but I'm definitely confident if I get the chance I can make a play to help the team." Whittingham said he will tell the players who is starting Thursday afternoon but won't announce the starter publicly. "They are competing well and doing a good job, it's to be continued," he said. As for Eric Rowe, the safety with the pulled hamstring who is questionable, Whittingham said the Utes are still looking at options if he can't play. "We're thin there now," he said. "We weren't going into the season but now all of a sudden we are. We have Quade (Chappuis) back there and beyond that, it's a work in progress with three or four guys competing."