Friday in our roundtable discussion, we asked the question, “Which team will separate itself from the field in Pac-12 this weekend?”
For those of you that didn’t read that article (but you should, as several of the things we predicted have come to pass), I picked UCLA and Utah to emerge as the top teams in the conference. While I can’t exactly print the responses that I received from that piece, let’s just say that very few people agreed with the latter choice.
After Saturday night’s action, few would dispute that claim now. Behind an excellent overall effort, Utah demolished Oregon, 62-20, and proved that it has what it takes to win the Pac-12 championship… and perhaps something more than that.
Try to go back to 8:40 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday evening, when this game began in Autzen Stadium. A lot was happening in college football at the time, but if this was a game you circled in red ink and placed on your “must-watch” list for week four, recall the various scenarios you envisioned in this game.
Did you include “Utah winning by 42 and making the biggest statement of any team in the country?”
That’s what happened.
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Make no mistake about it: the Utes were virtually flawless in this contest. The offense was virtually unstoppable at times, scoring points on seven of its first nine drives, and racking up 530 total yards. Quarterback Travis Wilson was especially impressive, completing 18 of 30 passes for 227 yards and 4 TDs, while running for 100 yards on just six carries. Keep in mind that Wilson — like Oregon’s Vernon Adams — faced some injury-related questions before kickoff. Wilson was obviously healthy enough to play and play well, but this was not a normal week of preparation for him. Yet, he flourished. That says a lot about him as a competitor.
Devontae Booker also turned in a solid effort, rushing for 98 yards, catching a pass for 23 yards, and throwing a backbreaking TD pass on a perfectly-executed trick play in the third quarter that put Utah up 41-13, ending any hopes of an Oregon comeback.
The Ute special teams got into the act as well. Punter Tom Hackett placed two of his three punts inside the Duck 20-yard line, including a 76-yard punt that helped set up Utah’s first score. He also added a 33-yard run on a high snap that may or may not have been a fake punt (sorry, FOX analyst Joel Klatt, I don’t think that was a called play) which ultimately led to a touchdown. Kicker Andy Phillips also helped set the tone of the contest early, connecting on field goals of 28 and 44 yards to give the team an early 6-0 lead.
As well as the other units played, the Utah defense stole the show. Playing against an Oregon offense that came into the game ranked ninth nationally in scoring, ninth in yards per game, and eighth in rushing, the Utes’ front seven dominated the line of scrimmage. Utah’s pass rush put pressure on UO quarterbacks all night long, recording five sacks and forcing a number of bad throws. The secondary also played extremely well, intercepting two passes, including a key pick by Dominique Hatfield that ended an Oregon scoring drive. As a result of this team effort, the Ducks converted only 4 of 13 third-down opportunities.
However, of all the positive numbers that Utah’s defense posted during this game, here’s the one that stands out: the Utes held Oregon to 400 yards of offense — its lowest output since 2013.
It’s also worth noting that 96 of those yards came on Oregon’s final possession.
So, what goes Utah’s decisive victory actually mean?
For starters, the next release of the polls will generate plenty of discussion. After all, Michigan State received first place votes in the both the AP Poll and the Coaches’ Poll because it beat Oregon in week two. Given Utah’s blowout win over Oregon on the road, and Michigan’s destruction of BYU, the Utes clearly have a better resume than the Spartans do at this point. Will Utah actually jump the Michigan State in polls or gain any first-place votes? If, not, how will the voters explain this discrepancy?
I don’t know, but I can’t wait to see it unfold.
Of course, the key takeaway from this contest is that the Utes have all of the makings of a championship football team. While it still has to play a full slate of games in the Pac-12 South — the toughest division in college football — Utah’s performance against Oregon left no doubt that it can compete against the best teams in the land.
