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Utah Football: 3 potential 2019 bowl destinations for Utes

By Dante Pryor

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 02: Tyler Huntley #1 of the Utah Utes calls out plays in the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies during their game at Husky Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 02: Tyler Huntley #1 of the Utah Utes calls out plays in the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies during their game at Husky Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 01: UCF Knights fans pose for a photo outside State Farm Stadium before the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl between LSU and Central Florida on January 01, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 01: UCF Knights fans pose for a photo outside State Farm Stadium before the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl between LSU and Central Florida on January 01, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2. Fiesta Bowl

The PlayStation Fiesta Bowl is the most likely landing spot for the Utes because of their regional proximity to the bowl game. Much like the Peach Bowl, their eligibility relies on how far they fall after their loss to Oregon.

The Fiesta Bowl just makes sense for Utah. Traditionally, it looks for really good matchups; that’s the beauty of the Fiesta Bowl. Some of the more recent games include the end of UCF’s streak at the hands of LSU last year, a back and forth affair between Penn State and Washington in 2017 and UCF’s introduction on the national stage in 2014 against Baylor.

One of the most logical opponents for the Utes in the Fiesta Bowl is the Baylor Bears. The Bears have had a fantastic season losing to Oklahoma in a classic Big 12 Championship Game. This would be a game between two teams that love to play physical defense.

Watching Brock Purdy and Denzel Mims against Utah’s secondary is an outstanding matchup. Watching Zach Moss try to break free against Baylor’s defense is also a matchup worth watching.

Since they are a national brand, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is would also be an intriguing matchup for the Utes. Can Ian Book figure out the Utah defense? Can Notre Dame slow down Utah’s power running game? This is another strength on strength game.

Either way, both would be fantastic opponents for the Utes.

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