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Utah has been giving limited looks at spring practices this year, but there could be at least one more in which quarterbacks are live.
The Utes have a scrimmage scheduled at Rice-Eccles Stadium at 10 a.m. this weekend open to the public, and coach Kyle Whittingham indicated that it could be another live practice for Utah's signal-callers. The Utes made quarterbacks live last week in the first spring scrimmage — one in which offensive coordinator Troy Taylor said Troy Williams, Tyler Huntley, Cooper Bateman and even walk-on Drew Lisk did well.
"After watching the tape and grading, I thought all four of them played really well," Taylor said. "Very pleased they made good decisions and they were accurate and executed well. I thought they all played well enough to win if it was a real game."
The Utes added more offensive plays on Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total around "60 to 70 percent" installed after nine practices, Whittingham said.
"It's a little bit more difficult when you're giving everybody reps as opposed to when you're game-planning and your personnel groups are defined," he said. "It's not as smooth as it will be, but for nine practices, I'm very pleased where we're at."
Saturday may see the top three quarterbacks — Williams, Huntley and Bateman — all get more equal reps after Williams and Huntley split first-team reps last week and Bateman took most of the second-team reps.
Other standouts Whittingham cited from last week after watching the tape were defensive backs Casey Hughes, Julian Blackmon and Chase Hansen. In particular, Hansen was devastating at strong safety, and Whittingham joked that he had to pull the junior out of the scrimmage because "he was going to hurt somebody."
Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley said Hansen has been one of the best pieces of the defense so far.
"This spring for him was about flexibility and being able to bend and tackle," he said. "He didn't miss a tackle in that scrimmage, and he was hitting pretty hard. I think that's the last live work we'll see from Chase this spring."
Scholarship for Drews
The Utes closed practice Tuesday with rousing shouts of "Dreeeeews!" in the huddle, as Whittingham awarded senior Christian Drews with a scholarship to wrap things up.
At 6-foot-1, the linebacker has been a longtime cog in Utah's special teams units. For three straight seasons, he's played in all 13 games in coverage and return units. He was also an all-academic Pac-12 honoree last season.
Drews comes from a line of Utes: His father, Jeremy Drews, also walked on as a linebacker and played on the 1994 Freedom Bowl team. Scalley said he couldn't be more pleased to see the walk-on get his due.
"He's been on every single special team — he's been a productive guy on special teams as well," he said. "Good grades. Does everything you that ask him. Fired up for him."
Briefly
Arizona transfer Cody Ippolito was spotted coming off the practice field on Tuesday, but Scalley said the senior linebacker has not yet played a snap and is "all about rehab" from an ACL tear last season. … When asked if Bateman was edging in on Williams and Huntley in the quarterback battle, Whittingham said "there's always a chance" and added that Bateman had made the most of his limited reps.
Twitter: @kylegoon