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Utah Football: Way-too-early game-by-game predictions for 2020

By Connor Muldowney

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 06: Samson Nacua #45 of the Utah Utes celebrates after scoring a touchdown and a two point conversion late in the third quarter during the Pac-12 Championship football game against the Oregon Ducks at Levi's Stadium on December 6, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. The Oregon Ducks won 37-15. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 06: Samson Nacua #45 of the Utah Utes celebrates after scoring a touchdown and a two point conversion late in the third quarter during the Pac-12 Championship football game against the Oregon Ducks at Levi's Stadium on December 6, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. The Oregon Ducks won 37-15. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 02: Salvon Ahmed #26 of the Washington Huskies runs with the ball in the third quarter against JaTravis Broughton #31 of the Utah Utes during their game at Husky Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 02: Salvon Ahmed #26 of the Washington Huskies runs with the ball in the third quarter against JaTravis Broughton #31 of the Utah Utes during their game at Husky Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

A week after traveling to Pullman to take on the Mike Leach-less Washington State Cougars, the Utes will head back home with the other half of the Apple Cup waiting for them. The Washington Huskies, too, will be led by a new coach with Chris Petersen stepping down following the 2019 season. Jimmy Lake has taken over and he’s been groomed for this job.

Year one of Lake won’t be playoff-or-bust for the Huskies, but they’ll expect to win 8-9 games and make a decent bowl. This won’t be one of those wins, though.

No clear starting quarterback right now will be an issue and the Huskies will need a year to adjust to the sudden coaching change.

Final Score: Washington 23, Utah 33 (7-0, 4-0)

The Chip Kelly era has not gone quite as planned for the former Oregon and NFL head coach in his first two seasons, but this could be a telling year for his future with the Bruins.

At this point in the season, I have the Bruins sitting at 5-2 with a potential program-changing game against Utah at home approaching. Unfortunately, I just don’t think Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Bruins will get the job done here, although they could, and should, reach bowl eligibility the following week against Oregon State.

Final Score: Utah 35, UCLA 20 (8-0, 5-0)

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