Utah
Utah football expert previews the Arizona game, makes a score prediction
After a trio of tuneups and a bye week, Arizona finally gets to start its first Big 12 schedule. And it doesn’t start easy, as the Wildcats have to take on 10th-ranked Utah on the road.
The Utes (4-0, 1-0) won 22-19 last week at then-No. 14 Oklahoma State, a game they led by 19 in the fourth quarter. Arizona hasn’t won in Salt Lake City since 2014 but did beat Utah last year at home, a 42-18 victory that included some potential bad blood at the end when the UA threw for a long touchdown in garbage time.
To better understand this Utah team, we reached out to Oliver VanDervoort of Hoyos Revenge for some insight and a score prediction. Below are his sharp answers to our dull questions:
AZ Desert Swarm: 7th-year quarterback Cam Rising has missed the last two games with a hand injury, leaving true freshman Isaac Wilson to run the offense. What’s the likelihood that Rising will be able to play against Arizona, and be effective, and if he can’t go how much do the Utes trust Wilson?
Oliver VanDervoort: “The Utes have a bye week next week and I would not be remotely shocked if Rising sits out one more game to really get healthy. Wilson has actually gotten more game action than Rising has at this point in the season, so they trust him about as well as you can trust any freshman quarterback in a power conference. He’s performed better after kind of a bumpy start to the season and I don’t think they’ll start Rising unless he’s all the way back, which seems unlikely this week.”
Micah Bernard is on a run of three straight 100-yard games, finally showing his potential after a career plagued by injuries. What has made him so productive?
“Honestly I think you hit on the key in the question. He’s finally healthy. Coming into the season, when he was able to play, he was averaging over five yards per carry. The Utes have also talked about making sure he’s not carrying too much of the load. The 25 carries he had against Oklahoma State was about the very most they want him doing this year. It’s also helped that the Utes’ offensive line has been playing really, really well. You look at the Pro Football Focus ratings for offensive players, their O-linemen are 5 of the top ones.”
Former Arizona receiver Dorian Singer seems like he’s been a solid fit in the Utah offense, much more than he was last year at USC. What does Singer bring to the attack, and how does he compliment veteran tight end Brant Kuithe?
“He’s been a steadying presence for a young quarterback for sure. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he had just five catches for 53 yards in the first two games with Rising and has 12 catches for 161 yards in the games Wilson started. And as you certainly know, he’s always had a ton of talent. USC was just a mess last year. He and Kuithe play well off of each other with him being the deeper threat and Kuithe being the top dump off option when Singer is covered.”
Who are the top defensive players for Arizona to be worried about, and how do you anticipate Utah to defend Tetairoa McMillan?
“Van Fillinger (defensive end) is far and away the big disruptor on the defense. Not only four sacks but even when he doesn’t bring the quarterback down, he creates havoc in the backfield. There’s some hope that (linebacker) Karene Reid can be back, but unfortunately he’s sort of in a Cam Rising situation where no one should expect him to play Saturday.
As for McMillan, it’s all about that old saying, ‘you can stop him, you can only hope to contain him.’ In this instance, he’s going to get his numbers, you just try and make it so that he’s the only one who gets his numbers and when he gets the ball in his hands, you limit the damage. If he’s going to catch a short pass that he normally turns into a long one, then swarm him and make sure it stays a short gain.”
Kyle Whittingham kind of hinted at Big 12 Media Days that his career at Utah is coming to an end soon, but he doesn’t look like he’s slowed down in any way. What has been the key to him evolving over the years, and at the same time making the Utes competitive in every league they’ve moved to?
“Kyle has been a defensive coach for his entire career and I think he just really enjoys that side of the ball. He takes great pride in shutting down all these supposedly high flying offenses. The Utes, with most other coaches, win about three games last year, but he managed to build a team that won without anything resembling a real offense.”
Prediction time. Does Arizona open its Big 12 schedule with its first win in Salt Lake City since 2014 or do the Utes hold serve at home and avenge last year’s blowout loss in Tucson? Give us a score prediction.
“I think the game will look a lot like Utah-Oklahoma State did. Whittingham will look to lean on his D and hope that Wilson and Bernard can do enough on offense to keep the ball out of the Wildcats offense’s hands. There’s also a chip on Kyle’s shoulder after last year. I don’t think he’s gonna lose a game like that. Utah 28, Arizona 20.”
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The man arrested for murder in the 2006 death of his wife at a Utah national park left behind a suicide note in his Las Vegas jail cell, according to a police report.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police released a public report on the death of David Vander Meer, 49, who was in custody on an out-of-state warrant.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office said in an affidavit that Vander Meer, a former youth pastor, was a suspect in the death of his then-wife, 28-year-old Bernadette Vander Meer, 20 years ago.
Bernadette fell to her death at Angels Landing in Zion National Park. Prosecutors said in their affidavit that they received new information implicating David, alleing that he began having a close relationship with a young girl when she was 14 and he was her youth pastor.
A fugitive task force took Vander Meer into custody in Summerlin, according to an arrest report, and he was booked into Clark County Detention Center on June 22.
In the report on his death, LVMPD said a corrections officer was conducting visual checks at about 9:30 p.m. June 24 when he noticed Vander Meer lying face down on the ground and unresponsive.
Several sections are redacted, but police wrote that the officer performed chest compressions until medical personnel arrived. Vander Meer was taken to UMC, where he was pronounced dead just after 2:36 a.m. June 25.
Investigators wrote that because of “the nature of his case,” Vander Meer was placed into protective custody. He was seen sitting upright and awake at 9 p.m., and he had no known medical conditions. He also did not mention being suicidal during a mental health screening.
Inside the cell, police wrote that Vander Meer “left a hand written suicide letter and a hand written will in his cell which has been photographed and impounded.” The following paragraph of the report was redacted, and no further details on Vander Meer’s death were disclosed.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office has not yet released its official rulings on his cause and manner of death.
Bernadette’s parents, Richard and Laura Gudenkauf, told News 3 they long suspected Vander Meer played a role in her death.
“Because of the girlfriend,” said Laura. “I found insurance policies months later that he had, lots of them.”
It has been a long time since the Jazz last played a meaningful game I desperately wanted them to win, and it is unhealthy how excited I am for this matchup. After a solid three games in the SLC Summer League, the Jazz head south to Las Vegas, and as hot as the desert sun is sure to be outside, on the court, the Thursday night primetime game featuring the top two picks in the draft will be much hotter.
How to Watch the Las Vegas Summer League?
Who: Utah Jazz vs Washington Wizards
When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 | 7:00 MT
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ESPN, Jazz+
Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa
Summer league games do not matter in the record books, but this game is a statement-making opportunity for both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. Given the historical nature of this draft class, especially at the top, there is some real juice to this game that is atypical of most Summer League games. AJ has the chance to silence the noise that has swelled after Darryn’s remarkable performances in the SLC Summer League. Meanwhile, Darryn has the chance to ratchet up the noise and take the NBA world by storm with another solid performance against the Wizards. Can you imagine the narratives if Darryn were to come out and dominate AJ as he has through high school and college? In the words of the great Charles Barkley, I have two words for you… Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, must-see TV.
Ace Bailey looked really impressive in his 2.5 quarters of play in Salt Lake before missing games with back spasms. It is unknown whether or not he will be ready to go for the Vegas opener, but if he is available, he will probably be the one checking AJ Dybantsa on defense. His combination of length and athleticism could not only make things difficult for AJ on the defensive end but also expose his lackadaisical defense on the offensive end. If Ace is able to go, he will be looking to show the Jazz and the NBA that he is ready to take a leap in year two.
Which Jazz Big Man Will Stand Out?
Which big man will step up this game? In Game 1, we saw a lot of Kylor Kelley, who was a little less than impressive. Against Memphis, Jaxon Kohler, the Utah native, showed up and showed out against Cam Boozer. In game three, although the number of NBA-level players was few and far between, Jonas Aidoo stole the show with his rebounding and ability to play his role. Will we see one of those same three guys seize their opportunity, or will another guy like Micah Handlogten or Eric Dixon steal the show? We saw how vital a big that can roll and catch passes is for Darryn Peterson as a lead guard, playmaking-wise. It will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate to relieve pressure when he is blitzed and double-teamed.
SIDE NOTE: Adam Silver is LAME
No one should ASPIRE to be as boring as Adam Silver. After much excitement was made about Keyonte George making his unofficial coaching debut on Thursday night, according to Sarah Todd, the league has nixed that excitement and won’t allow Keyonte to be coaching on the sideline because who knows why…? I guess they were worried about the Jazz circumventing the salary cap to pay Keyonte or something. Anyways, I guess Will Hardy’s coaching TREE will have to wait for more branches to grow. Adam Silver remains evil in my book.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (Good Things Utah) – A Park City charitable foundation is challenging outdoor athletes to turn their miles into meals for hungry kids. Terrence Moorehead is the co-founder of the non-profit RipLine Foundation. He says the RipLine Foundation seeks to channel the energy of Utah’s outdoor athletes, adventurers, and enthusiasts into the fight against childhood hunger. RipLine’s mission: Fight Hunger Feed the Future. It’s delivered through three peer‑to‑peer leader challenges across the year that turn movement into meals for children in need. 100% of funds raised go directly to vetted giving partners, including No Kid Hungry, Feeding America, Feed the Children, and Vitamin Angels.
The challenge is to turn every mile walked, run, biked, or hiked, and every hole of golf played into meals for kids facing food insecurity. Terrence says ‘Outdoor athletes are the most generous, motivated, and passionate community in the state and we’re done pretending we can’t do something to help our kids. Every mile is a meal. Every climb is a meal. Every round of golf is a meal. If you’re already moving, you’re already qualified.’
He says this summer they have Miles in the Wild™ – walking, running, biking, and hiking – which currently runs through September, and Balls Out™ which is our summer golf challenge. They are encouraging athletes in their preferred sport to rally networks of family, friends, coworkers, and crews to sponsor their effort.
Terrence says ‘Childhood hunger is unacceptable in a country this abundant — and it’s an area where we can have a real and meaningful impact. What’s been missing is a model that scales — that turns individual effort into measurable, repeatable impact. RipLine is built to do exactly that. Every Leader brings a network. Every dollar reaches a child. The math works. The Foundation has committed to providing one million meals in 2026 alone — its first year of fundraising — with a 2030 target of four million meals and one million children nourished.’
To sign up go to riplinefoundation.org
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