Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
5 Things To Watch: Utah
10/27/23 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
The Ducks will engage in a top-15 battle at Utah on Saturday (12:35 p.m. PT, FOX).
SALT LAKE CITY — The No. 8 Oregon football team takes on a ranked Pac-12 foe on the road for the second time in three weeks Saturday, when the Ducks play at No. 13 Utah in Rice-Eccles Stadium at 12:35 p.m.
Both teams enter the game at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play, with the winner Saturday still alive in the race for the Pac-12 title and a College Football Playoff berth. The Ducks and Utes don't yet have a common opponent in conference play; each has a loss on the road to a ranked foe, in Utah's case Oregon State on Sept. 29.
Oregon leads the all-time series between the two, 24-12, including 9-6 in Salt Lake City. Utah has won three of the last five in the series, including the 2021 Pac-12 Championship game; two years earlier, the Ducks beat the Utes for the conference title.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on FOX, with Gus Johnson going play by play, analysis from Joel Klatt and sideline reporting from Jenny Taft.
Some storylines to watch when Saturday's game kicks off …
1. In recent years, no two programs in the Pac-12 have embraced a culture of physicality in the trenches the way Utah and Oregon have. In a year when the conference is best known for prolific quarterback play, this matchup figures to be decided at the line of scrimmage.
No team in the Pac-12 has a more explosive running game than Oregon, which averages 6.77 yards per carry; no team runs the ball more than Utah, which averages 44.14 rushing attempts per game. The Ducks and Utes are 2-3 in the Pac-12 in rush defense, and they're tied for first in sacks.
"This team certainly has an identity," UO coach Dan Lanning said. "They're playing at a really, really high level. I think it's gonna require great execution against these guys. They do a lot of things really, really well."
2. Despite their lone loss, Oregon remains alive for the Pac-12 title. As the saying goes, to be the champ you've got to beat the champs, and for the last two years that's been Utah.
And yet, this season might be Utah coach Kyle Whittingham's most impressive yet. The Utes have endured a rash of injuries, most notably one that will sideline quarterback Cam Rising all season, yet they haven't seemed to miss a beat. They've rotated quarterbacks at times, they've played safety Sione Vaki at running back the last three games — whatever it has taken.
"The amount of injuries that they've dealt with and for him to be able to utilize defensive personnel on offense, and shuffle positions, and utilize offensive linemen at tight end, I think it's just really impressive," Lanning said. "Everyone's always known that he's a great coach, but the way that he's been able — and his staff's been able — to utilize the people they have, I know at the beginning of the year he spoke about the depth of his team, and it's starting to really show up."
3. Lanning made his name coaching defense, so when he says Utah's defense is the opposing unit in the Pac-12 that he most respects, that's saying something. The Utes allow just 15 points and 295.4 yards per game, each ranking second in the Pac-12.
And as noted above, they are tied for the conference lead with Oregon in sacks, at 25 in seven games. Individually, junior end Jonah Elliss leads the Pac-12 with 10 sacks; nobody else in the conference has as many as seven.
"They have really good players and they also do a good job on defense creating pressure," UO quarterback Bo Nix said. "We do have to get our eyes up and be conscious of that and do a good job of getting the ball out. …
"I just think we have to execute and just handle all 11 of them. I think they can all be disruptive if we let them. We've just got to do a good job in the run game and then get the passing game going."
4. Oregon hasn't won at Utah since 2016, when freshman quarterback Justin Herbert hit Darren Carrington in the corner of the end zone for a dramatic go-ahead touchdown. Nobody has beaten the Utes in Salt Lake City in almost three years, with Utah bringing an 18-game home win streak into Saturday.
The Ducks needed a late comeback to win at Texas Tech this year, and their only loss also came on the road, in Seattle. Can Oregon end Utah's home win streak?
"At times we've played really well on the road, at times we could have certainly played better," Lanning said. "I still don't think we've played a complete game there. This would be one where that's required."
5. Despite the rigors of a regular season that is about to transition into November, Oregon looks reasonably healthy entering Saturday's game.
Cornerback Khyree Jackson practiced this week after missing the Washington State game, Lanning said, and running back Bucky Irving also has practiced, despite needing help off the field late in the WSU game. Last week's game also featured the season debut of linebacker Jestin Jacobs, a big body in the front seven whose presence could be an asset against a physical team like Utah.
"He's really physical, I think he's a hard person to block — he's really talented in the box," Lanning said. "Just having him back with our team, for a guy that's worked so hard to put himself in position to be back, it was great to have him out there. He certainly makes us better when we're able to utilize him."
Both teams enter the game at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play, with the winner Saturday still alive in the race for the Pac-12 title and a College Football Playoff berth. The Ducks and Utes don't yet have a common opponent in conference play; each has a loss on the road to a ranked foe, in Utah's case Oregon State on Sept. 29.
Oregon leads the all-time series between the two, 24-12, including 9-6 in Salt Lake City. Utah has won three of the last five in the series, including the 2021 Pac-12 Championship game; two years earlier, the Ducks beat the Utes for the conference title.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on FOX, with Gus Johnson going play by play, analysis from Joel Klatt and sideline reporting from Jenny Taft.
Some storylines to watch when Saturday's game kicks off …
1. In recent years, no two programs in the Pac-12 have embraced a culture of physicality in the trenches the way Utah and Oregon have. In a year when the conference is best known for prolific quarterback play, this matchup figures to be decided at the line of scrimmage.
No team in the Pac-12 has a more explosive running game than Oregon, which averages 6.77 yards per carry; no team runs the ball more than Utah, which averages 44.14 rushing attempts per game. The Ducks and Utes are 2-3 in the Pac-12 in rush defense, and they're tied for first in sacks.
"This team certainly has an identity," UO coach Dan Lanning said. "They're playing at a really, really high level. I think it's gonna require great execution against these guys. They do a lot of things really, really well."
2. Despite their lone loss, Oregon remains alive for the Pac-12 title. As the saying goes, to be the champ you've got to beat the champs, and for the last two years that's been Utah.
And yet, this season might be Utah coach Kyle Whittingham's most impressive yet. The Utes have endured a rash of injuries, most notably one that will sideline quarterback Cam Rising all season, yet they haven't seemed to miss a beat. They've rotated quarterbacks at times, they've played safety Sione Vaki at running back the last three games — whatever it has taken.
"The amount of injuries that they've dealt with and for him to be able to utilize defensive personnel on offense, and shuffle positions, and utilize offensive linemen at tight end, I think it's just really impressive," Lanning said. "Everyone's always known that he's a great coach, but the way that he's been able — and his staff's been able — to utilize the people they have, I know at the beginning of the year he spoke about the depth of his team, and it's starting to really show up."
3. Lanning made his name coaching defense, so when he says Utah's defense is the opposing unit in the Pac-12 that he most respects, that's saying something. The Utes allow just 15 points and 295.4 yards per game, each ranking second in the Pac-12.
And as noted above, they are tied for the conference lead with Oregon in sacks, at 25 in seven games. Individually, junior end Jonah Elliss leads the Pac-12 with 10 sacks; nobody else in the conference has as many as seven.
"They have really good players and they also do a good job on defense creating pressure," UO quarterback Bo Nix said. "We do have to get our eyes up and be conscious of that and do a good job of getting the ball out. …
"I just think we have to execute and just handle all 11 of them. I think they can all be disruptive if we let them. We've just got to do a good job in the run game and then get the passing game going."
4. Oregon hasn't won at Utah since 2016, when freshman quarterback Justin Herbert hit Darren Carrington in the corner of the end zone for a dramatic go-ahead touchdown. Nobody has beaten the Utes in Salt Lake City in almost three years, with Utah bringing an 18-game home win streak into Saturday.
The Ducks needed a late comeback to win at Texas Tech this year, and their only loss also came on the road, in Seattle. Can Oregon end Utah's home win streak?
"At times we've played really well on the road, at times we could have certainly played better," Lanning said. "I still don't think we've played a complete game there. This would be one where that's required."
5. Despite the rigors of a regular season that is about to transition into November, Oregon looks reasonably healthy entering Saturday's game.
Cornerback Khyree Jackson practiced this week after missing the Washington State game, Lanning said, and running back Bucky Irving also has practiced, despite needing help off the field late in the WSU game. Last week's game also featured the season debut of linebacker Jestin Jacobs, a big body in the front seven whose presence could be an asset against a physical team like Utah.
"He's really physical, I think he's a hard person to block — he's really talented in the box," Lanning said. "Just having him back with our team, for a guy that's worked so hard to put himself in position to be back, it was great to have him out there. He certainly makes us better when we're able to utilize him."
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