EUGENE -- When Kyle Whittingham brought Darren Carrington into Salt Lake City, the Utah football coach said he outlined a very specific set of expectations for the former Oregon wide receiver.

After being dismissed from the Oregon football team following a DUII arrest this summer - he would later plead no-contest - the talented-yet-troubled wide receiver received an olive branch from Whittingham. If Carrington could follow Whittingham's rules, the Utes wanted Carrington as part of their offense. They felt like he could help the team.

Three months later, the results, according to Whittingham, have been flawless.

"He's been a perfect citizen since he's been here," Whittingham said. "We had a pretty extensive list of things that he was to do and complete, stipulations for how things would be for him when he got here and he's followed it to a tee.

"There's been no deviation from them and he's been very good."

That last part could also describe Carrington's play on the field. If adjusting to a new team and quarterback takes time, Carrington certainly made it look like it didn't. In Utah's first three games, Carrington had 26 receptions, 409 yards and four touchdowns. He's since slowed due to an injury, but he still ranks first in the Pac-12 in receiving yards per game (92.7) and is fourth in receptions per game (6.4).

Carrington has 45 receptions for 649 yards on the season. For context, Charles Nelson leads Oregon with 19 receptions for 283 yards. Dillon Mitchell, Brenden Schooler and Jacob Breeland lead Oregon with two touchdown receptions each. Carrington has five.

"He's been a big addition to the offense," Whittingham said. "He's been hampered by a nagging injury. He seems to be over that now and should be back to his old self. He's very productive and a great teammate above all else."

With Carrington at 100 percent, a Utah offense that has had its own problems recently will look to find some traction against Oregon's defense. Since putting 54 points up on San Jose State, the Utes have only scored more than 30 points once. In last week's 30-10 loss to Arizona State, Utah accounted for only 265 yards of total offense, with Carrington compiling 56 receiving yards - his second-lowest total of the season. Quarterback Tyler Huntley returned from an injury to start against Arizona State and threw for four interceptions. This week, Huntley has said he's back to 100 percent.

If that's the case, Oregon's defense may have its hands full with a player awfully familiar with the end zones of Autzen Stadium. Carrington never caught less than 32 passes in his three years with Oregon and never accounted for less than 606 receiving yards. His 2015 season may have been his best, when Carrington caught 32 passes for 609 yards and six touchdowns despite missing the first six games of the season -- he was serving a six-game suspension that caused him to miss the national championship game following a failed drug test.

Carrington is an exceptional deep threat and some of his best opportunities have come when he's found space after plays have broken down. Watching Vernon Adams scramble around in 2015, only to find a wide-open Carrington, was the best burst of offense Oregon has seen since the Mariota-era.

"We work scramble drills all the time, but he's as good as it gets because he never slows down," former Oregon offensive coordinator Matt Lubick said in 2015. "Some of it is being in the right place at the right time, but a lot of times he puts himself in that right place."

Oregon cornerback Arrion Springs, who played with Carrington for three years, is looking forward to the matchup.

"I'd be lying if I said it was a normal game," said Springs, who was rated by Pro Football Focus as the best cornerback in the Pac-12 last week. "It will be fun to go against Darren. It should be a lot of fun."

Earlier this week Carrington said he expects to hear some boos from Oregon fans. Some of his former teammates, like Charles Nelson, are happy that he's found success in his new situation. Nelson played alongside Carrington as a receiver over the last few years and spent part of the 2015 season defending against him when Nelson did his stint at safety. The two haven't talked since Carrington departed the team.

"I hope he's better off there and I he's doing a great job," Nelson said of his former teammate. "I look forward to seeing him this weekend in Autzen and we'll go from there."

-- Tyson Alger

talger@oregonian.com

@tysonalger