Colorado @ Utah preview
Rice-Eccles Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 17, 2018 ) Utah 30, Colorado 7
West of Louisiana, No. 6 Utah holds the best shot at a berth in the College Football Playoff. The 9-1 Utes will put their No. 6 CFP poll ranking, the Pac-12 South Division title and their seven-game win streak on the line Saturday night when they host Colorado in their regular-season finale.
While Oregon, situated one spot ahead of Utah in last week’s CFP rankings, was stumbling to a 31-28 defeat at Arizona State last Saturday night, the Utes were taking care of business 100-some miles to the south, drubbing host Arizona 35-7. The rout kept Utah (7-1 in Pac-12 play) a half-game ahead of USC (7-2) atop the South, and the Utes must win again Saturday as the idle Trojans own the tiebreaker by virtue of their 30-23 head-to-head victory in Los Angeles on Sept. 20. A Utah win Saturday, though, locks up a second straight South title, sets a date with North champion Oregon in the Dec. 6 Pac-12 Championship Game in Santa Clara, Calif., and keeps the Utes’ outside CFP hopes afloat. “It’s going to take care of itself,” Utah senior linebacker/leading tackler Francis Bernard told reporters following the win in Tucson. “As we continue to do our job – winning games, dominating – our team believes that the committee is going to make the decision, and we’ll just leave it at that. We can’t do anything but continue to do our thing.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: Utah -28.5
ABOUT COLORADO (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12): The Buffaloes are riding their own mini-surge into Salt Lake City, having won two straight – including a 20-14 upset of two-touchdown favorite Washington on Saturday – following a five-game losing streak. Senior quarterback Steven Montez threw for 223 yards and a touchdown and ran for 56 more yards against the Huskies while running back Alex Fontenot ran for 105 yards and a score. Linebacker Nate Landman had seven tackles and an interception as the Colorado defense limited the Huskies to two TDs and a season-low 238 yards of total offense – the Buffs’ second straight strong showing after surrendering 30-plus points in their 14 previous games.
ABOUT UTAH (10-1, 7-1): Pac-12 rushing leader Zack Moss ran for a season-high 203 yards and a TD while quarterback Tyler Huntley, tops in the conference in passing efficiency, completed 19-of-23 passes for 211 yards and another score against Arizona as the Utes outgained the Wildcats 517-196. Bernard had eight total tackles for the Utah defense, which is the best in the conference in points (10.9 per game) and yards allowed (243.8) and has held the opposition to seven points or fewer in five of the last six outings. The Utes have been particularly dominant after halftime, outscoring foes 165-53 in the second half this season.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Colorado leads the series 32-30-3, but Utah has won six of the eight meetings – including a 30-7, snowy road romp in Boulder a season ago – since the two programs joined the Pac-12 together in 2011.
2. Utah is 6-0 at home this season and has won 10 straight in Salt Lake City overall, while Colorado has won only three of its 14 road games since the start of the 2017 season.
3. The Buffs need a win to become bowl eligible for the first time since winning the Pac-12 South in 2016, but have lost their last 10 games, dating back to 2017, when needing a single victory to qualify for the postseason.
PREDICTION: Utah 38, Colorado 10