Arizona @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 19, 2013 ) Utah 24, Arizona 35

Anu Solomon’s nimble feet will be tested by the best pass rush in the country Saturday when No. 13 Arizona travels to No. 21 Utah for a Pac-12 Conference game. The Utes lead the nation with 47 sacks this season, a category they’ve topped for seven consecutive weeks. Solomon is almost as good with his legs as he is with his right arm, however, and the offensive line has done a good job providing protection, giving up 22 sacks so far but this will be their biggest test, by far.

Nate Orchard leads the pass rush for Utah, owning a school record 16.5 sacks this season, and is four shy of the career mark of 27 set by John Frank. Utah quarterback Travis Wilson isn’t competing for a starting job now that Kendal Thompson has been knocked out for the season with a knee injury. The Utes also lost their leading receiver, Dres Anderson, to a season-ending knee injury Oct. 25 against USC, leaving Kenneth Scott and Kaelin Clay to pick up the slack.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: LINE: Utah -4.

ABOUT ARIZONA (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12): Nick Wilson is finishing the regular season the way he started it, rushing for more than 100 yards the last two games. He hit triple digits the first three games this season, then was slowed by a concussion, missing the USC game and finishing with 18 yards rushing in both the Washington State and UCLA games. His backup, Terris-Jones Grigsby, missed last weekend’s game against Washington with an ankle injury.

ABOUT UTAH (7-3, 4-3): Utes running back Devontae Booker had a streak of five straight games with at least 100 yards rushing, but has been held under 70 the last two games. That put the single-season school record of 1,519 a bit more out of reach, as he would need to average 134.4 yards over the final two regular-season games and any bowl appearance to break John White IV’s program record. He’s currently eighth on the school’s single-season list with 1,113 rushing yards.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Utes have played three overtime games this season, most in the FBS.

2. Utah P Tom Hackett has placed 18 punts inside the 10-year line, which leads the nation.

3. Arizona LB Scooby Wright is the only player in the nation to rank in the top 25 in tackles (117), tackles for loss (21), sacks (12) and forced fumbles (five).

PREDICTION: Arizona 28, Utah 21