Dijon Stanley quickly became a key player for No. 11 Utah in the backfield. Stanley made three catches in the first half of the Utes’ 49-0 win over Southern Utah. His last two catches were touchdowns.
On his second reception, Stanley sprinted 64 yards on an open wheel route to score. Later, he beat the Thunderbirds again on the same play, running 79 yards for another touchdown.
Stanley, who is listed as the fourth-string running back, had 150 receiving yards and 34 rushing yards, leading the Utes in both stats.
The 6-foot sophomore is now a key player for Utah as they prepare for their game against Baylor on Saturday.
“I feel like I bring a special skill, not only as a running back,” Stanley said. “I feel like I could be flexed out and also play receiver. I have a receiver-type body. It makes me a bigger attribute to the team in that way.”
Stanley ran the 400 meters in high school and is known by his teammates as the fastest player on the team. Special plays designed for his speed and space were planned for the season to make the most of his abilities.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said Stanley isn’t ready to be the main running back yet, but if he keeps performing well, his role could grow in future games.
“He’s a weapon for us, at least he was in that first game, and if we can create some more big yardage chunk plays with him in the future, that could be a niche he could fill for us this year,” Whittingham said.
Stanley is excited about his increased role in Utah’s improved offense after having only 22 total yards last year with limited playtime.
“To be in the thick of it is so much fun,” Stanley said. “Coach (Andy) Ludwig is going to keep making up plays and making up excellent schemes for us to run.”
