There will be a playoff feel in Salt Lake City on Saturday when No. 8 Oregon travels to Rice-Eccles Stadium for a game against No. 13 Utah.
The winner of this game between one-loss teams will have a much easier path to the Pac-12 title game, which Utah has won the last two seasons. Utah’s conference loss was against Oregon State, now ranked 11th in the nation. The Beavers, Ducks, Utes and Trojans, whom Utah defeated last week, are the four teams with one loss in the Pac-12.
No. 5 Washington leads the Pac-12 in its final season as currently constructed with a 7-0 record, including a victory against the Ducks. But the Huskies still have to get through the other three one-loss teams before staking their claim to a Pac-12 title, let alone a national championship.
Ducks quarterback Bo Nix threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another last week in a 38-24 victory against Washington State. Nix guides an Oregon offense that is second in the nation in yardage with 551.6 yards per game and in scoring at 47.0 points per game. Nix also earned a place in history last week, setting a new NCAA record with his 54th career start.
Nix and the Ducks offense will face one of the toughest tests against a Utah defense that allows just 15 points per game.
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The Utes’ defense has only given up five touchdown passes in their seven games this season. USC was averaging 47 points per game heading into last week’s game with Utah. The Trojans’ offense still managed to score, but not near their season pace as they fell 34-32 on a Utah field goal in the final seconds.
“Of the teams in our conference, this is the team that I probably have the most respect for defensively, what they do and the pressure that they apply and how they game-plan and change what they do game to game,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said during Tuesday’s press conference. “I think their scheme, along with their talent, sets up really well for them in every game. So it’s somebody we have to be really prepared for. We have to think outside the box and do a good job against them.”
On the other side of the ball, Utah will have to find a way to win without star quarterback Cam Rising. Head coach Kyle Whittingham revealed after last week’s game that Rising would be shut down for the season as he continues to recover from a knee injury suffered at the end of last season.
The Utes have won their last two with former walk-on Bryson Barnes, who earned his scholarship after the Utes’ season-opening win against the University of Florida. Barnes’ stats aren’t eye-popping, with four touchdowns to three interceptions, and Utah has also deployed freshman Nate Johnson under center at times this season. But three of Barnes’ scores came in last week’s win against USC. Lanning thinks Barnes might be settling into the spot as a dual-threat quarterback.
“He’s dangerous as a runner,” Lanning told reporters. “He has done a good job of passing the ball, he has gotten more efficient each week. They do a great job putting him in position and using his talents.”
The game will air on Fox with a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff and fans can stream the game on the Fox Sports App. The Ducks are a 6.5-point favorite, according to Friday’s odds on BetMGM Sportsbook. The over/under for the game is 47.5 points.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.