No. 10 Utah enters Friday's road game against No. 19 Oregon State trying to maintain an unblemished record. Meanwhile, the Beavers hope to bounce back from a challenging 38-35 loss last week against Washington State, making for a pivotal matchup.
An 0-2 start in conference play wouldn't make it impossible for Oregon State to reach the Pac-12 championship game, but it would make it highly unlikely.
It will be challenging for the Beavers to face a Utah defense that is in the NCAA top 10 in stopping the run (fourth), points allowed (sixth), and yards allowed per game (ninth) through four games.
"They do everything well. These guys are physical at the line of scrimmage," Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith said during his weekly press conference. "They don't give you anything easy. They don't bust out there. They aren't giving you free access throws. They are challenging you. They are athletic at linebacker. They have pass-rush ability. They don't have to blitz but will blitz when they want to. It's a long history, and they are playing dominant defense right now."
The Utes started the season on a four-game winning streak, including last week's 14-7 win over UCLA. Utah has won despite missing starting quarterback Cam Rising who hasn't played this season while recovering from an ACL injury suffered at the end of last season. Without Rising, Utah ranks No. 119 out of 130 FBS teams with 157 passing yards per game through four contests.
Nate Johnson threw for 117 yards on 9-17 passing with a touchdown pass and lost a fumble last week against UCLA. The Utes ran the ball for nearly 75 percent of their plays and utilized their bruising defense to secure the win.
On Monday, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham told reporters that Rising is splitting reps with Johnson in practice this week. Rising's status remains to be determined, but Whittingham believed Johnson could improve if his number gets called again this week.
"It is just a matter of Nate feeling comfortable and going through his progression and us doing a good job of making sure there's not too much on his plate," Whittingham told reporters during Monday's press conference. "He's still a young quarterback, and we've got to be careful."
Last year, the Utes won 42-17 at home. The last time the teams played in Corvallis, the Beavers won 42-34 during the 2021 season.
How to watch Utes vs Beavers
Oregon State (3-1, 0-1) will host Utah (4-0, 1-0) at Reser Stadium for a 9 p.m. ET kickoff. FS1 will air the game.
Betting Info Utes vs. Beavers
Oregon State is a 3.5-point favorite against Utah, according to Wednesday's odds on BetMGM. The over/under is 44.5 points. Utah +140 on a money line bet and Oregon State is -165.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Nubyjas Wilborn is Newsweek reporter based in Auburn, Alabama. Wilborn joined Newsweek in 2023 after winning the 2022 National Sports ... Read more
