Utah vs Oregon prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 12, Saturday, November 19
Utah vs Oregon Prediction, Game Preview
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Utah vs Oregon How To Watch
Date: Saturday, November 19
Game Time: 10:30 pm ET
Venue: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Utah (8-2), Oregon (8-2)
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Why Utah Will Win
There are a few turnovers, and it wasn’t exactly smooth at Washington State in a 21-17 win, but the ground game took over in the last two weeks in blowout wins over Arizona and Stanford, and the defense has been more than solid.
Now the offense gets to deal with an Oregon defense that can’t come up with a third down stop and is dead last in the Pac-12 in pass defense. Utah will try to pound away first, but Cameron Rising and the passing attack should be able to move the chains when needed.
But it’s about that ground game.
Oregon allowed more than five yards per carry three times this year. Washington and Georgia got there in their wins, and UCLA made things interesting averaging over six yards per carry.
Utah averages over five yards per pop, but …
Why Oregon Will Win
UCLA won that game. It was partly because UCLA is that good, and partly because Utah – for whatever reason – isn’t the same team away from home.
It was able to beat Washington State, but it struggled. It’s hardly a lock that the 6-4 Cougars will win at Arizona and/or beat Washington, but let’s assume they take down one of those. That would make Utah 2-8 in its last ten games away from Rice-Eccles against teams that finished with a winning record.
To be the next problem for the Utes on the road, Oregon has to keep its ground game going – it’s averaging close to six yards per carry – and it’ll have to keep on scoring.
The defense isn’t going to do enough to stop the Utes cold, but the mobility of Bo Nix should be a problem; more on this in a moment – Utah hasn’t faced a slew of quarterbacks who can run – and getting to over 500 yards of total offense shouldn’t be an issue.
Along with being on the road, what was Utah’s problem in the two losses? Florida ran for 283 yards and UCLA ran for 203. Those were the only two times this season Utah allowed over 200 rushing yards.
Oregon averaged 210.
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What’s Going To Happen
And just like that, the defending Pac-12 champion has a shot to go defend its title.
Beat Oregon, beat Colorado, and that get it done – without getting into all the other scenarios – and it just so happens that the team is playing its best ball of the year at just the right time.
Oregon might have dropped the date against Washington last week to get knocked out of the national title hunt, but if it wins this and beats Oregon State next week it’ll get to the Pac-12 Championship.
This should be a whale of a battle as the Ducks try to get revenge after getting twozied last year with a blowout loss in Salt Lake City and another in the Pac-12 Championship.
They’ll get it unless Nix can’t go. He got banged up late against Washington and was able to come back in and keep going, but he’s questionable. Assuming he’s playing – and we’ll change this if he can’t …
There won’t be any hangover from the Washington loss. The team will play at another level in its final home game of the year.
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Utah vs Oregon Prediction, Line
Oregon 34, Utah 31
Line: Utah -1.5, o/u: 61.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Utah vs Oregon Must See Rating (out of 5): 4.5
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