Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Utah Football: Updated game-by-game predictions for 2020

By Riley Platt

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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
UCLA football
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA football (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

It’s been a while since Oregon State was considered a threat in the Pac-12. However, 2019 was a step in the right direction, as the Beavers were painfully close to finally getting back to a bowl game.

While the future is bright, OSU does lose starting quarterback Jake Luton, who was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The role of QB1 will come down to either Chance Nolan or Tristan Gebbia, who are both quality candidates for the job. No matter who wins the job, they’ll have some expectations to meet, as the offense is coming off of an impressive year.

The Beavers return a solid defense, which could prove troubling for new Utah quarterback Jake Bentley. This game could be a lot closer than people might think, and Oregon State could very well put up a fight. However, Utah may prove just too much for the Beavers to handle.

Final Score: Utah 24, Oregon State 14 (3-0)

Week 4 is where things could get tricky for the Utes. A Friday night bout at the Rose Bowl could be a lot more difficult for Utah than it may seem.

While UCLA has had a rough couple of seasons lately, there is definitely potential there. Chip Kelly enters his third season as the head coach at UCLA, and it’s fair to say that his seat is getting warmer and warmer. The Bruins have yet to crack more than four wins during Kelly’s tenure, but this could be the year they do it.

After a horrendous 0-6 start, the Bruins would win four of their final six games to finish 4-8. While 4-8 doesn’t turn heads, it was a positive way to end the season, all things considered.

UCLA’s brightest piece entering this year is blossoming quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The junior returns with great expectations, it will just be a matter of whether UCLA can function together as a unit.

While UCLA could give Utah a run for an upset, I just don’t entirely see it happening. However, still look for the Bruins to give the Utes a fit, even if they don’t pull off the win.

Final Score: Utah 31, UCLA 21 (4-0)

Home/Utah Utes