Saturday afternoon is set to feature the Utah Utes and Oregon Ducks — coach Kyle Whittingham's squad's toughest matchup this season — without Cameron Rising.
That statement has been said before. Multiple times. But such has been the story for Utah so far this season: No Rising, tough matchups and wins.
The Utes' surprising, and at this point, not so surprising, ability to come out of games victorious despite being shorthanded has been impressive to say the least.
But that doesn't make their matchup against Oregon any easier, especially with all of the pressure that comes with the premium timeslot and College GameDay.
So, what do the Utes have to do to come away with another win? And what could stop them from achieving that very thing?
Utah will win if ...
It can reliably score on offense. No matter the level of defense the Utes play on Bo Nix and the Ducks, Oregon finding the end zone is almost a forgone conclusion.
Oregon hasn't scored below 33 points so far this season, while Utah has had games where it only scratches once or twice, so keeping up on their side and finding ways to exploit the Ducks' defense will certainly come in handy.
Oregon will win if ...
I would be remiss to not explain the caveat with the above paragraph. The Utes' matchup against the Ducks is only set to be as electric as it's letting on if Oregon holds up its end of the bargain. To this point, the Ducks haven't ever had trouble on offense, so if they want to continue their hot streak and walk out of Rice-Eccles stadium victorious, they'll need to bring the heat on offense, and stop the Utes from doing the same.
How to Watch:
Utah and Oregon will be the center of College GameDay Saturday morning, and later the center of the college football world during the mid-day FOX premium slot.
Here's how you can tune in to the Utes-Ducks Pac-12 face-off:
WHAT: Oregon Ducks (6-1) at Utah Utes (6-1)
WHERE: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah (51,444)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, 1:30 p.m. MT.
HOW TO WATCH: FOX Sports
TICKETS: SI Tickets
BETTING: via SI Sportsbook
SPREAD: Oregon -6.5
TOTAL: 47.5
MONEYLINE: Ducks -250, Utes +188
Staff Predictions:
Kevin Borba - Editor-in-Chief/Site Manager
Utah has a chance to avenge last year's loss while effectively ending Oregon's Pac-12 title and College Football Playoff hopes. The best part? It is a home game in front of what will be an amped-up crowd ready to cheer on their squad. Bryson Barnes looked like a new person last week, and will have a tough test against the Duck defense. However, Utah's rushing attack is hitting it's stride thanks to Sione Vaki.
I think this will be like a heavyweight boxing match with big blow after big blow, with the Utes squeaking out a close one.
Prediction: Utah 28, Oregon 24
Matt Guzman - Staff Writer
Having home-field advantage is more important than many might realize. For a team that's come out with wins against just about every team that's been thrown at them, coming in as underdogs with pressure isn't anything new.
The Ducks have yet to have a poor offensive showing, but if Utah can get even just one stop and capitalize early on, it could change the entire game's momentum, and I think they'll be up to the task. Mark me down for a Rice-Eccles-style upset.
Prediction: Utah 31, Oregon 24
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