Utah vs. West Virginia Week 5 college football game: Preview, storylines, odds

The Utah football team is set for its first trip out to Morgantown, West Virginia, for a Big 12 tilt against the Mountaineers.

The Utes enter Week 5 looking to put their 24-point loss to Texas Tech in the rearview mirror for good, while West Virginia will strive to move past a disheartening setback in its league opener to Kansas.

Saturday will mark just the third all-time meeting between the two teams, as well as Utah's fourth game in the Eastern Time Zone since 2014.

Utah-West Virginia Storylines

• Two "hungry" sidelines: Neither the Utes nor the Mountaineers will be expected to hold back once they take the field on Saturday. Utah will try to move on from a 34-10 defeat at the hands of Texas Tech, in which the Utes had perhaps its worst display on the defensive side of the ball all season in addition to struggling to establish any sort of rhythm on offense. On the other side, Rich Rodriguez's West Virginia squad will look to bounce back from a 41-10 beatdown courtesy of the Jayhawks.
• Banged-up Mountaineers: West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol (foot) was ruled out for Saturday's game, while running back Tye Edwards (hip-pointer) was listed as "questionable" on the team's second availability report that released Thursday.

• Edwards did not play in West Virginia's loss to Kansas, while Marchiol had been dealing with some foot pain that required further inspection from a specialist from Colorado.

• What will Utah's offense look like?: Given the season-ending injury to versatile H-back Hunter Andrews and the lackluster performance against the Red Raiders, it'll be worth monitoring how Utah's offense operates against a West Virginia defense that's among the Big 12 leaders in sacks (13) and ranks in the top-25 nationally in takeaways (six).

Utah vs. West Virginia By The Numbers

• 362: Combined wins between Kyle Whittingham and Rich Rodriguez
• 223.9: Combined average rush yards between the two teams.
• 89: Utah's touchdown conversion rate in the red zone (percentage).

Utah vs. West Virginia How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 27
• Game Time: 12:30 p.m. PT/1:30 p.m. MT
• Where: Milan Puskar Stadium
• How to watch (TV): Fox

Utah vs. West Virginia Odds, Spread and Total

Spread:

• Utah: -12.5 (-110)
• West Virginia: +12.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Utah: -480
• Texas Tech: +360

Total: 47.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Our prediction: Utah 30, West Virginia 17

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.