Utah @ Oregon preview
Autzen Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 19, 2016 ) Oregon 30, Utah 28
Two struggling Pac-12 squads seeking to snap three-game losing streaks meet Saturday as Oregon hosts Utah. The Ducks have dropped four of their last five following a 3-0 start while the Utes are 0-3 since starting 4-0.
Oregon hasn’t won since starting quarterback Justin Herbert went down with a broken collarbone in the second half of a Sept. 30 win over California, and the Ducks have averaged only 10.3 points – none in the second half – and committed eight turnovers in the three losses since. “It’s not about who we’re playing; it’s about us,” Oregon first-year coach Willie Taggart said Monday in his weekly news conference. “If you look at the ballgames, we’re not getting dominated. We’re in our own way, and we’ve got to get out of our own way.” The early week sentiment was much the same in Salt Lake City two days after the Utes turned the ball over four times and hit a season scoring low in a 30-10 home loss to Arizona State. “You have to get ready for the next Saturday regardless of what happened the previous one,” Kyle Whittingham said at his Monday press gathering. “So, I think (we have) a pretty mature football team, I think we have good leadership and my guess is we will come back and have a good week of practice.”
TV: 5:45 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Utah -4
ABOUT UTAH (4-3, 1-2 Pac-12): Sophomore dual-threat quarterback Tyler Huntley returned Saturday after missing the previous two contests with a shoulder injury, but struggled through a 19-of-35, 155-yard, four-interception performance. His two main weapons are running back Zack Moss (96.7 total yard per game) and wide receiver Darren Carrington II who is averaging a conference-most 92.7 receiving yards and will be facing the team he played his first three seasons with. Utah ranks third in the Pac-12 in both scoring (21.4 points) and total (349.6 yards) defense and has received a strong season from cornerback Julian Blackmon who ranks among the conference leaders in interceptions (two) and passes defended (six).
ABOUT OREGON (4-4, 1-4): Taggart said Monday that Herbert should return “sooner rather than later,” but in the meantime, the Ducks will continue to rely on true freshman Braxton Burmeister, who has completed 27-of-51 attempts for 246 yards, one TD and five interceptions. Oregon also will lean heavily on senior running back Royce Freeman, who has rushed for at least 140 yards in five games this season and ranks third in the Pac-12 with 119.6 per outing. Linebacker Troy Dye ranks second in the conference in total tackles (8.63 per game) for a defense which ranks fourth in the conference in yards allowed (367.8) but is 10th in points surrendered (30.4).
EXTRA POINTS
1. Oregon has won three of the four Pac-12 meetings after a 30-28 victory a year ago in Salt Lake City. The Ducks scored the winning TD with two seconds remaining on a Carrington reception in the back of the end zone that was initially ruled out of bounds but was overturned following a replay review.
2. Both teams rank among the Pac-12 rushing defense leaders with Oregon second (119.0 yards) and Utah fourth (131.9).
3. Utah LB Donavan Thompson and safety Corrion Ballard will miss the first half Saturday after getting hit with targeting ejections last week against the Sun Devils.
PREDICTION: Utah 31, Oregon 30