Idaho State @ Utah preview

Utah tries to snap a two-year bowl drought when its opens it 2014 season Thursday at home against Idaho State of the Big Sky Conference. The Utes, who have finished 5-7 each of the last two seasons, were one of just three Pac-12 Conference teams to fail to garner a bowl game invitation in 2013. A third straight year without a postseason bid would turn up on the heat to almost scalding on coach Kyle Whittingham, who is 76-39 in nine seasons but 18-19 over the past three years.

The good news is for the Utes is that they open with the Bengals, an FCS school that finished 3-9 a year ago and hasn't won a road game since Oct. 7, 2006 at Northern Colorado. Utah is 6-0 all-time against Idaho State and 36-0 against Big Sky Conference teams, including a 70-7 victory last season over Weber State. Although Idaho State has 17 starters returning, the Bengals were picked to finish 12th out of 13 teams in the Big Sky coaches' poll and 10th in the media poll.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: None

ABOUT IDAHO STATE (2013: 3-9): The Bengals enter 2014 with a six-game losing streaking streak with the last victory coming over Northern Colorado 40-26 on Oct. 12. Coach Mike Kramer who is in the final year of a four-year contract and is 6-28 in the previous three seasons. Senior quarterback Justin Arias, who passed for 3,547 yards and 24 touchdowns, returns to lead the offense but the Bengals need to make big strides on defense (47 touchdowns allowed last season) to have a shot at a winning season.

ABOUT UTAH (2013: 5-7): Whittingham shook up his coaching staff after the Utes finished 11th in the Pac-12 in total offense (396.6 yards per game) and 10th in scoring (29.2), bringing in former Wyoming coach Dave Christensen as offensive coordinator. Christensen, the 2011 Mountain West Coach of the Year, is the team's seventh offensive coordinator in seven years. Junior Travis Wilson, who has a 7-9 career record as a starter but missed the final month of 2013 with a concussion, beat out Oklahoma transfer Kendal Thompson for the starting quarterback job and is one of eight returning starters on that side of the ball.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Utah has won six straight season openers dating back to a 25-23 upset of No. 24 Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2008.

2. Utes WR Dres Anderson, the leading returning receiver in the Pac-12 with an average of 83.5 yards per game, is the son of former UCLA and NFL star Willie "Flipper" Anderson.

3. Utah finished second in the FBS with 39 sacks last season, an average of 3.25 per game.

PREDICTION: Utah 63, Idaho State 7