Montana State @ Utah preview

THE STORY: Utah moves into the Pac-12 this season and opens with Montana State nine days before the stakes really begin increasing for the former Mountain West Conference school. The Utes visit USC on Sept. 10 in their first-ever Pac-12 contest. Utah responded to the rise in competition by hiring legendary Norm Chow as offensive coordinator. Montana State is a dangerous opening opponent. The Bobcats stunned Colorado in 2006 and led Washington State by 15 points in the final quarter last season before losing by one. Montana State lost in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs last season and is ranked sixth in the opening FCS poll.

TV: KJZZ (Utah). LINE: None.

ABOUT UTAH (10-3, 7-1 Mountain West): Junior quarterback Jordan Wynn threw 25 touchdown passes over the last two seasons and could challenge that amount this season under the tutelage of Chow. Wynn passed for 2,334 yards last season. Junior receiver DeVonte Christopher had a team-best 660 receiving yards but was slowed by an ankle injury in August. The Utes are hoping new playmakers will emerge to replace the running back tandem of Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata and receiver/return specialist Shaky Smithson. Hard-hitting sophomore Brian Blechen has moved from safety to linebacker and senior middle linebacker Chaz Walker had a team-best 113 tackles last season. Utah’s secondary is in flux and breaking in four new starters.

ABOUT MONTANA STATE (9-3, 7-1 Big Sky): The Bobcats are picked to finish second in the Big Sky behind defending national champions Eastern Washington. Sophomore quarterback DeNarius McGhee passed for 3,163 yards and 23 touchdowns while being intercepted just six times last season. The Bobcats suffered a big blow when senior running back Orenzo Davis (1,126 yards, 10 TDs) was ruled academically ineligible for the season. Junior receiver Everett Gilbert caught a team-high 48 passes last season. Junior defensive tackle Zach Minter (five sacks) is a key returner for a defense that allowed 25.8 points per game in 2010. Sophomore linebacker Aleksei Grosulak (team-best 88 tackles) is sidelined with a knee injury.

EXTRA POINTS
1. Utah leads the series 9-0 with the most-recent meeting occurring in 1982.

2. Among the college quarterbacks Chow has developed during a coaching career that began in 1973 include Jim McMahon, Steve Young and Ty Detmer at BYU, Philip Rivers at North Carolina State and Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC.

3. Montana State coach Rob Ash is 29-17 in four seasons. The previous four Bobcats coaches dating back to 1983 all finished with below-.500 career records.

PREDICTION: Utah 27, Montana State 21 – Game will be closer than many expect as Bobcats have the type of quarterback in McGhee to give Utah’s new defensive backfield starters a stiff test.