Utah football: Nothing automatic here — three Ute kickers vie to replace Andy Phillips

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Bingham's Chayden Johnston (12) kicks a field goal during the 5A state championship game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Friday November 21, 2014.The calls come at random, so whoever is up next hears the bark of Utah’s head coach and trots into the situation they’ve been tossed into over and over again. On one sideline at Utah’s baseball field, the defense preps the Utes hoping to snag the starting kicker job by heckling them.

They have to dig a bit deep to remember where the guy whose jersey has no name or number on the back. But they eventually figure it out. “Hey, Orem sucks!” they tease senior Matt Gay. When one place-kicker lets loose with their right leg,…