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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah bought again to its roots with a bodily beatdown of Arizona in a 45-20 win in a wet Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday night time. The Utes pushed their report to 7-2 total and 5-1 in Pac-12 play, which is changing into a four-team race for the 2 title sport spots.

The offense welcomed again beginning quarterback Cam Rising after the last-second lineup scratch final sport. It was Rising’s lowest cross manufacturing of the season (13-of-25, 151 yards, one landing) however that was due partially to the success of the speeding assault.

Utah dominated the road of scrimmage, and other than Jaylen Dixon’s fly sweep landing, the vast majority of Utah’s 55 carries got here between the tackles. Transformed quarterback Ja’Quinden Jackson led with 97 yards, Jaylon Glover and Micah Bernard mixed for 117 extra, and we additionally noticed the debut of true freshman quarterback Nate Johnson.

The highschool monitor star added two touchdowns out of a “wildcat” crimson zone package deal and is one other wild card that opposing coordinators should now plan for within the coming weeks.

Morgan Scalley’s protection disrupted quarterback Jayden de Laura all night time. Whereas the stat sheet solely reveals three sacks, the cross rush swarmed and compelled de Laura to work magic acts to keep away from sacks. After Arizona gained 158 yards within the first quarter, the Utes protection settled in and allowed simply 91 yards within the second quarter, 53 yards within the third, and 19 yards within the fourth earlier than the backups got here in on the ultimate drive.

Utah will get one other residence night time sport on Saturday (8 p.m. MST, ESPN), and this one is ready for senior night time. Stanford enters with a 3-6 total report however is simply 1-12 vs. the Pac-12 since final October. Utah wants the win to remain in competition for the Pac-12 championship sport, which scrapped the standard North/South divisions to go along with a “No. 1 vs. No. 2” title format.

Sport Grader

(Opponent-adjusted statistical dominance by way of Decide Six Previews)

3-year common 2019-21: Utah 68.9 (seventh) | Stanford 27.3 (61st of 66 Energy 5)2021 season: Utah 69.5 (seventh) | Stanford 37.9 (54th of 66 Energy 5)2022 season: Utah 68.7 (twelfth) | Stanford 31.3 (58th of 66 Energy 5)

Utah rose two spots in 2022 Sport Grader from No. 14 to No. 12 after its 25-point win over Arizona. It’s a crowded upper-tier of the Pac-12, and we’ll see the highest 4 groups play one another in just about a semifinals spherical subsequent Saturday. Utah is at present fourth among the many group, behind No. 8 USC, No. 9 Oregon, and No. 11 UCLA in Sport Grader.

Stanford checks in at No. 58, which is second-worst within the Pac-12 (Colorado is final). Worse than the 1-12 skid in Pac-12 video games is simply how unhealthy Stanford is dropping. Over the 12 losses, Stanford has a mean margin of lack of 20 factors and is outgained by 180 yards per sport.

Stanford with the ball

(Opponent-adjusted, per-play rankings by way of Decide Six Previews)

Stanford offense: 58th of 66 Energy 5Utah protection: forty second of 66 Energy 5

Extra stunning than their convention dropping streak is their weak spot within the trenches. This program reached all-time heights within the 2010s with the mantra of “run the ball, cease the run.” However over the previous two seasons they’ve did not do both. Final yr, Stanford had the worst yards per carry margin (offense and protection mixed) in America.

Within the convention opener in opposition to USC, they shocked everybody with a new-look offense that featured a slow-mesh RPO. The quarterback holds the mesh lengthy with the again, who primarily shuffles his toes in place till the protection commits in some way. Wake Forest has had great success with this offensive type.

After the preliminary shock wore off, Stanford struggled in each run and cross. Quarterback Tanner McKee is the second-worst quarterback within the league within the all-encompassing QB ranking, whereas the speeding offense can be second-worst in yards per carry.

Once I spoke with head coach David Shaw in preparation for my annual season preview journal, he appeared assured the skilled offensive line was prepared to show a nook, however they at present sit at simply 53rd (of 66 Energy 5) in each Decide Six Previews’ OL run push and cross safety metrics.

Utah with the ball

(Opponent-adjusted, per-play rankings by way of Decide Six Previews)

Utah offense: thirtieth of 66 Energy 5Stanford protection: 58th of 66 Energy 5

The storyline for Utah’s offense has been the unending string of accidents to its ability gamers. Whereas it appeared that Rising was again to close 100% well being, each Jackson and Glover left the sport with obvious accidents and are questionable Saturday. A 3rd again, Chris Curry, is completed for the yr together with the do-it-all tight finish Brant Kuithe. Utah’s different star tight finish Dalton Kincaid missed final sport and remains to be questionable.

Credit score the teaching employees and the roster for his or her “subsequent man up” mentality. Third tight finish Thomas Yassmin had two catches — one was a future and the opposite a landing — has stepped up into the beginning lineup. Jackson took on the place change, and Devaughn Vele has emerged because the No. 1 goal on the surface.

Search for Utah to determine its run sport just like final week in opposition to Arizona. The Utes rushed for a season-high 306 speeding yards, and it would not shock me to see them eclipse the 300-yard mark once more right here.

Sport prediction

Utah has received 4 of the 5 conferences since becoming a member of the Pac-12. Final yr’s matchup was the 52-7 blowout in Utah’s favor, which featured essentially the most lopsided first half in any FBS sport since 2015 (Utah was +412 yards at half). Search for one other dominant efficiency because the Utes gear up for the massive Oregon check subsequent Saturday.

No. 13 Utah 37 | Stanford 13

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