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.”