UNLV @ Utah preview
Rice-Eccles Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 17, 2009 ) Utah 35, UNLV 15
Utah seemed to have its season opener against Pittsburgh in control before allowing a late rally that forced overtime. This week’s opponent, Nevada-Las Vegas, stayed close with Wisconsin for a half before letting the game slip away.
The endings were indicative of the recent fates for the respective programs. The Utes found a way to win while the Rebels couldn’t hang around long enough against a superior opponent.
Utah (1-0) used a turnover on then- No. 15 Pitt’s first overtime possession to set up a short field goal and emerge with a 27-24 win after letting a 24-13 lead go by the wayside.
UNLV (0-1) allowed 21 unanswered points in the second half and suffered a 41-21 loss to the Badgers.
No. 20 Utah will have history on its side again when the Mountain West Conference rivals meet Saturday at Rice-Eccles, where the Utes have posted 18 straight wins. They also are 7-0 against the Rebels in Utah, winning by an average of 19.4 points.
Perhaps the biggest concern for Utah will be the health of sophomore quarterback Jordan Wynn, who threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns against Pitt. He suffered a thumb injury on his throwing hand and is considered day-to-day, although coach Kyle Whittingham is optimistic his signal-caller will be ready to go.
The game will be a reverse homecoming of sorts for Utah receiver DeVonte Christopher, who was named the Mountain West’s offensive player of the week after catching eight passes for 155 yards and a touchdown in the opener. Christopher is a Las Vegas native who chose the Utes over the Rebels.
“It definitely adds more to it,” he told the Salt Lake Tribune. “I grew up playing with them and some of my family are UNLV fans. It makes the game more fun.”
Utah got an additional boost from its defense, which held Pitt running back Dion Lewis to a career-low 75 yards on 25 carries. Against the Rebels, the Utes might face two quarterbacks, neither of whom took control of the job in the season opener.
Junior Mike Clausen started and went 4-for-10 for 23 yards and a touchdown. Senior Omar Clayton came in and was 6-of-16 for 82 yards and a score.
“They both have their own skill set and things they do well,” Whittingham said. “We anticipate seeing both anyway, so we will prepare for both. There is not a big difference between the two.”
UNLV allowed Wisconsin’s physical rushing game to rack up 278 yards on 50 carries for four touchdowns, while also permitting quarterback Scott Tolzien to complete 15-of-20 passes for 197 yards.