The fate of Utah’s season could be decided over the next two games against No. 21 Arizona State and No. 18 BYU.
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The fate of Utah’s season could be decided over the next two games.
The Utes enter Saturday’s night game at Rice-Eccles Stadium with a 4-1 record and a 1-1 mark in conference play, staring at a tough two-game stretch that could have massive implications in the Big 12 conference title race.
With one conference loss, which came against what looks to be the conference standard-bearer in Texas Tech, the Utes are still alive for their first-ever Big 12 football title.
The margin for error, however, is slim to none, and the schedule ratchets up several notches in October.
Utah has done what good teams do and taken care of business against teams that are worse than them — beating UCLA (though the Bruins had the win of the season last week against then-No. 7 Penn State after undergoing a midseason head coaching and staff change), Cal Poly, Wyoming and West Virginia.
“If you want to win the conference, you got to stand toe to toe with the big boys and come away with wins. That’s the bottom line.”
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham
In its biggest test of the year so far against Texas Tech, Utah was within a touchdown in the fourth quarter despite scoring just three points before the Red Raiders pulled away for a 34-10 win behind backup quarterback Will Hammond.
More concerning than the final score in the Utes’ loss was the way Utah was beaten — on both sides of the line of scrimmage, which rarely happens. Texas Tech’s offseason investment into both sides of the line paid off in a major way.
Was the loss to Texas Tech just Utah running into a potential playoff team and having an off-day, or is it a harbinger of things to come when the Utes play great teams?
Over the next two weeks, we will find out the answer to this question: Is Utah merely a good team, or is it a possibly a great team?
The top of the Big 12 standings is crowded, with Texas Tech, Arizona State, BYU and Cincinnati all 2-0 in conference play.
If the Utes go 2-0 against Arizona State and BYU, everything is on the table in the home stretch of the season, including a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff appearance. Go 0-2, or even 1-1, and it’s likely the Utes will be watching from home when the conference title game is played in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 6.
“In this league you have to prove it every single week. If you look at the records, it all kind of speaks for itself,” Ute cornerback Smith Snowden said. “We’re all about at the same place other than a couple teams, but it’s a tough conference, so coming in with your A game every single week is really important.”
Utah begins the tough two-game test Saturday as it welcomes in No. 21 Arizona State in an 8:15 p.m. MDT game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utes are favored in the key conference showdown by 5.5 points, and ESPN’s matchup predictor gives them a 69.7% chance to win.
Arizona State’s offense hasn’t reached the highs of last season with running back Cam Skattebo, but is putting up 423.2 yards per game — enough to help the Sun Devils to a 4-1 record, with the only loss coming on the road at Mississippi State.
The Sun Devils have one of the nation’s best receivers in Jordyn Tyson, which could be an issue for a Utah secondary that will be missing two of its three rotation safeties. Quarterback Sam Leavitt hasn’t quite lived up to lofty preseason expectations — he’s thrown for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions on 63.1% completion — but has made teams pay with his legs.
He’s rushed for 281 yards and five scores on the ground.
“He’s so dangerous when he breaks the pocket,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “If you look at the big plays he’s made this year, most of them have been with his legs and breaking the pocket at critical times.”
Texas Tech’s game plan was to stop Utah’s run game and force Dampier to beat them through the air, and without a consistent downfield passing threat, the Utes couldn’t. Will other teams be able to replicate that? We’ll find out, starting with Arizona State.
The Sun Devils are allowing 321 yards per game (No. 42 in the country), but are stout in the run game, allowing just 78.2 yards per game, No. 8 in the country. Utah is running the ball at a 242.6 yards-per-game clip, No. 9 in the nation.
The keys to this game could very well come down to if the Utes can run against the Sun Devils, contain Leavitt in the run game and slow down Tyson.
After Saturday’s game, the Utes head 45 miles south to Provo for a potential top-25 matchup if the Utes and Cougars take care of business against the Arizona schools.
The No. 18 Cougars have yet to lose with a 5-0 record, but like the Utes, head into a tough stretch of games in October.
Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier looks ahead of schedule, but how will he handle Morgan Scalley’s defense, which will be the best he’s faced at this point in his career?
Likewise, can the Utes’ offense succeed against Jay Hill’s stingy defense? The Cougars rank No. 8 nationally in yards allowed (239.6) and No. 6 in scoring defense (12.2 points per game). What will star linebacker Jack Kelly’s status be for the rivalry game? He’s listed as doubtful for the Cougars’ game this week against Arizona, and his absence could have a big impact on BYU’s defense.
Currently, ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Cougars a 57.7% chance to win at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
The next two weeks will determine Utah’s standing in the Big 12. Are they an elite team, a conference contender?
We’ll find out, starting Saturday.
“If you want to win the conference, you got to stand toe to toe with the big boys and come away with wins. That’s the bottom line,” Whittingham said.
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Category: General Sports
