Game To Watch: #3 Oregon at #23 Utah: November 20, 2021

Oregon visits Utah for a key Pac 12 match-up on Saturday at 7:30 EST. The Ducks have won five straight after a loss to Stanford bringing their record to 9 – 1 overall and 6 – 1 in Pac 12 play. The Utes have won three in a row to reach 7 – 3 and 6 – 1 in conference play. Oregon needs to win out to make the College Football Playoff and both teams are two of the top contenders in the Pac-12 making this a huge game for both teams.

Recent History

Oregon is 23 – 10 all time against Utah, and has won 9 of the last 12. The Ducks won the most recent meeting in the 2019 Pac 12 Championship 37 – 15. Utah did win the 2018 match-up at home 32 – 25. Five of the last seven games between the two teams have been decided by more than 20 points while only two of those seven have been one score games.

Top 25 Players

What To Watch For…

Can Oregon’s Offense Keep Improving Against a Good Utah Defense?

Oregon’s offense went through a tough stretch to start the Pac 12 schedule, but they have looked better of late. Oregon has averaged 37.5 points per game over their last four games. The running attack has been excellent, topping 250 yards in three of those four games and going over 300 yards in two. The passing offense has continued to be inconsistent with far too many interceptions and not enough big plays through the air. Oregon’s offense has improved, but the passing attack still has work to do to balance out the offense. Utah’s defense has been good this year. They are balanced and do a good job of defending both the run and the pass. The Utes are ranked in the top five in the Pac 12 in scoring defense, rushing yards per game, rushing yards per attempt, passing yards per game, passing yards per attempt, total yards per game and total yards per play. The defense hasn’t been shutting opponents out, but they are tough to game-plan against and do a good job of slowing the offense down. As a result, Utah has only allowed over 30 points twice this year, Oregon will need to have a balanced attack to break that number on Saturday.

Can Oregon’s Defense Disrupt the Utah Offense?

Utah’s offense has undergone some turnover this year, but they have adapted and are playing well at the moment. Charlie Brewer started the season at quarterback and has since been replaced and left the program. Cameron Rising took over for the fourth game of the season and after a 24 point performance in his first start has led an offense that has scored 34 or more points in six straight games, averaging 40.8 points per game over that stretch. Rising has played relatively mistake free, throwing only two interceptions this year and keeping the offense on the field. Utah is sound in the passing game and has an array of options in the running game including Tavion Thomas, TJ Pledger, Micah Bernard and Rising himself, all of whom have run for over 300 yards at 6 yards per carry or better this year. Oregon’s defense has forced opponents into mistakes this year, intercepting 14 passes and recovering 6 fumbles this year. The Ducks have shown the ability to stack the box and stuff the run and make the quarterback prove he can be efficient for four quarters. If Oregon is able to get Rising out of his comfort zone and force mistakes it will give the Ducks a big advantage in this game.

Which Team Will Keep Their Quarterback Upright?

Both Utah and Oregon are excellent at pressuring the opposing quarterback. Utah leads the Pac 12 with 31 sacks this year and has done so behind the strong play of defensive end, Mike Tafua, and linebacker, Devin Lloyd. The Utes have recorded a sack in all but one game this year, a week two loss to BYU, and have tallied five or more sacks in three games this year. Oregon is tied for second in the conference with 21 sacks this year and has done that with Kayvon Thibodeaux in and out of the lineup this year. Despite missing time, Thibodeaux leads the team with six sacks and is as disruptive of a pass rusher as there is in the country. Thibodeaux forces offenses to adjust their blocking schemes, creating space for others but also still manages to be a mainstay in the opposing backfield. Fortunately for the two quarterbacks, both teams have also done a good job protecting their own quarterback. Utah is tied for first in the conference with 1 sack allowed per game and Oregon is not far behind at fourth, allowing just 1.4 sacks per game. The pass blocking ability of both teams will be tested this game and the team that protects their quarterback will likely have more success.

Prediction

Utah and Oregon will both look to establish their running game early and build around that. Oregon’s defense has been good but their depth will have to hold up as Utah will attempt to wear them down over the course of the game. The Ducks have been excellent running the ball and Joe Moorhead is an excellent play caller who will exploit weaknesses in the defense. Neither team has a clear advantage in this game, but Oregon’s offense will score just enough to get the win. Oregon 34 Utah 30.

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University of Utah Vs. Utah State – Via MUSS crop.jpg Image taken by Brenton Walker is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.