Utah can keep its Big 12 championship game and College Football Playoff hopes intact with a win over Kansas State Saturday in the Utes’ final home game at Rice-Eccles Stadium this season.

The pivotal matchup from Salt Lake City is set to get underway at 2 p.m. MT on ESPN2. The Utes (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) enter the contest having won five of their last six in blowout fashion, while the Wildcats (5-5, 4-3 Big 12) seek to become bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive season with their sixth win of 2025.

Here’s three keys to victory for Utah as it strives to keep its postseason aspirations alive.

Maintaining a balanced offensive approach is a goal many teams strive to achieve. Leaning on either the run or pass too heavily would be seen as living one dimensionally, giving the opponent a better chance at devising a neutralizing game plan.

The thing is, no one’s been able to stop Utah’s potent rushing attack — no matter how predictable it might seem.

Behind a stout offensive line that features two potential first round NFL draft picks, the Utes run the ball 44.9 times for 278.4 yards per game, the second-highest average in the Football Bowl Subdivision behind Navy (308.2 yards per game). Four Utah players with at least 35 attempts on the season gain 5.3 yards per carry or better, including the team’s top rusher, Wayshawn Parker, who sits at an impressive 7.2 average on 102 attempts.

Devon Dampier’s multi-faceted skillset garners a lot of attention from opponents and the national viewing audience, but Parker’s really picked up steam over the last few weeks too. The Washington State transfer has crossed the 100-yard threshold and rushed for a touchdown in each of his last three games, averaging an incredible 9.0 yards per carry on 42 attempts during that span.

Utah’s especially effective on outside run plays; according to Pro Football Focus, the Utes pick up 7.1 yards on average when running off-tackle plays, trailing only Arkansas and Oregon in that category.

Meanwhile, Kansas State allows 5.3 yards per carry on those same designs, checking in at No. 95 among FBS defenses. The Wildcats have have been solid defending the run lately, with their last five opponents averaging just 3.8 yards per carry, but only two of those teams rank in the top 10 of the Big 12 in rushing yards per game.

Utah’s physicality in the trenches poses an entirely different challenge for defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman to scheme against. Expect the Utes to pound the rock until the Wildcats start to show any signs of being able to stop them.

This season has been quite a roller coaster ride for Kansas State, though not all the ups and downs should be put on Avery Johnson’s shoulders. The 6-foot-3 junior is on pace to complete a higher percentage of his passes, throw fewer interceptions and post an eerily similar quarterback rating to the one he recorded last season while helming a 9-4 Wildcats squad.

Johnson hasn’t been as efficient on the ground in comparison to his 2024 self, but that’s hardly the reason behind Kansas State’s topsy-turvy 2025 campaign. Utah will still need to be aware of his ability to extend plays with his legs, which could come down to how impactful the Utes’ pass rush is against the Wildcats’ offensive line.

Applying pressure will be key to bottling up the Kansas State offense. Per PFF, Johnson’s grade when kept clean ranks No. 22 in the country, while his under-pressure mark checks in at No. 139. If John Henry Daley and company can get home at a consistent rate, Utah’s man-to-man secondary won’t be put under as much pressure to not only stick to Kansas State’s wide receivers, but also defend Johnson when he decides to leave the pocket.

The Wildcats’ front line is giving up only 1.0 sacks per game. But as Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby has found out, Utah’s front seven can be disruptive even when its not bringing down the quarterback. Still expect an array of uniquely-designed blitzes from Morgan Scalley.

Utah can’t afford many self-inflicted mistakes because that’s just not in Kansas State’s character. The Wildcats have committed the fourth fewest penalties per game (3.5) and given up the ninth fewest penalty yards on average (33.4).

Kansas State is also No. 4 in the FBS with 24 turnovers forced on the season, trailing only SMU, Southern Mississippi and Texas Tech. Klanderman’s unit has forced at least 2 turnovers in each of its last seven games heading into Saturday’s matchup, with Army being the only team on the schedule that didn’t commit at least one.

That said, the Utes will have to value their possessions and remain disciplined on both sides of the ball if they’re to take care of business at home and keep their Big 12 title game and College Football Playoff aspirations alive going into Week 14.

The best way to accomplish that is continue to excel at what’s been working this season: running the football and sending relentless pressure on the opposing quarterback on defense.

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