Utah football enters the 2022 season as one of the favorites to win the Pac-12 and contend for a playoff spot. How many games will the Utes win in 2022?
Utah football fans have been asking themselves the same question ever since the season ended: What would our record have been if Cameron Rising was the starting quarterback from Week 1?
The Utes ended the season as one of the hottest teams in the country and had they made the right decision at quarterback, might have even been a playoff contender. However, 2021 is in the past and now with Rising under center from the start, Utah fans are thinking big in 2022.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has built a model of consistency in Salt Lake City. You know what you are going to get from a Utah football team every season, no matter who is returning. Clearly, the biggest reason for optimism from Utah fans is that Rising appears to be one of the most talented quarterbacks that Whittingham has had. That includes guys like Tyler Huntley a few years ago.
There are a couple of key guys that the Utes are going to have to replace and none bigger than linebacker Devin Lloyd. He is going to be a first-round pick in this year’s draft and Utah will miss his playmaking ability at linebacker. Utah will still be stingy on defense, though.
The season for the Utes opens with one of the most interesting non-conference games of the 2022 season. Utah will go to the swamp to take on Florida and that could set the tone for the rest of the season. If Utah wins that game and wins big, lookout.
Here are the way-too-early-2022 game predictions for Utah.
What a way to open the season. While the Gators might not be national title contenders this season, expect them to be a much-improved team from last season.
New head coach Billy Napier is hoping to get a quick turnaround with this program, but this will be a tough opener. This game is also huge for the Pac-12 conference. The Pac-12 is rightfully mocked for its football right now and this could help change that a little bit.
Utah is going to be the more experienced team and it will be tough for Florida to open with such a tough opponent in Napier’s first game. Expect a big performance from Rising and the Utah defense and the Utes get a win on the road.
Final Score: Utah 27, Florida 24 (1-0)
After such a tough opener at home, Utah is going to get their easiest game of the season as a follow-up. The simplest thing for Utah in this game is to get up on Southern Utah quickly and get their best players out of there. This should not be a game beyond the first quarter or the first half, even if Utah has started slowly against FCS teams before.
Final Score: Utah 49, Southern Utah 3 (2-0)
This is going to be a game that the Utes have circled on their calendar for next season. San Diego State upset the Utes last season, but it should be noted that was the game in which Rising was first inserted as the quarterback. The game went into triple overtime and the Aztecs won a close one.
This game should be much different this season. While San Diego State had one of the best defenses in the country last season, they are going to be without their star player in Cameron Thomas, who is off to the NFL. The game is also in Salt Lake, which is a tough venue to win at no matter who you are. Utah will come into this game fired up and get the win, but it will be close.
Final Score: Utah 31, San Diego State 21 (3-0)
For the first Pac-12 game of the season, Utah is going to travel to Tempe, Arizona to play their inter-division rival Arizona State. The Sun Devils have been in the news for all of the wrong reasons this offseason and it gets worse by the week.
Arizona State has to replace coordinators, starting quarterback Jayden Daniels transferred to LSU, and the team’s recruiting was terrible.
Expectations are at a low point for the Sun Devils this season. This could be the final season for Herm Edwards in Tempe and a bad season is almost certain. Utah wins in a blowout.
Final Score: Utah 45, Arizona State 13 (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12)
As the calendar turns to October, Utah will have a trip from a much improved Oregon State program. The Beavers had a breakthrough under head coach Jonathan Smith in 2021 and are hoping that they can keep the momentum rolling in Corvallis. Oregon State, like Utah, likes to run the football and have that set up explosive passing plays.
Oregon State may have had a great 2021 season, but they might fall back a bit this season. The defense still has questions and they won’t be able to stop the Utes. Utah wins at home.
Final Score: Utah 38, Oregon State 17 (5-0, 2-0)
This could be a tricky game for the Utes. Like Oregon State, UCLA had a bit of a breakthrough season under head coach Chip Kelly and the Bruins could have won the Pac-12 South. This game is certainly going to be a factor in the division race and it will be key for both teams to get a victory. UCLA is returning quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and looking to get to the Pac-12 championship game in 2022.
WIth USC on deck next week, this is the perfect trap game for Utah. Going on the road the week before the biggest game of the season is the perfect recipe for an upset. Because Utah will be looking ahead, they won’t be as dialed in and UCLA will take full advantage. Bruins win in an upset.
Final Score: Utah 31, UCLA 34 (5-1, 2-1)
Despite losing the week before to UCLA, the biggest game of the season will await the Utes a week later. USC has been the talk of the offseason and it feels like most have forgotten that the defending Pac-12 champions are still there in front of the Trojans.
The game will be in Salt Lake City and there could be a lot on the line. The winner will take the lead in the division and perhaps the conference and possibly put themselves in contention for a playoff spot.
With Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams on board at USC, it is easy to see why many are picking the Trojans to win the division. However, the defense is filled with question marks and that is not a good thing against an offense as powerful as Utah’s. The Utes win this game because they will own the line of scrimmage.
Final Score: Utah 29, USC 27 (6-1, 3-1)
Utah will get a bye week after their big victory over USC, but they will have to be ready for a Thursday night trip to Pullman to face Washington State. The Cougars are going to be in the midst of their first full season under head coach Jake Dickert and could be a sleeper in the conference.
The biggest addition for Washington State this offseason is transfer quarterback Cameron Ward. Ward is coming over from FCS program Incarnate Word and was highly sought after for his athleticism and physical traits. He has not played at this high of a level, but he is a talented player.
Utah will survive the upset bid and steal one in Pullman.
Final Score: Utah 31, Washington State 14 (7-1, 4-1)
After a Thursday night clash with Washington State, Utah will go home and start the final month of the regular season against Arizona. The Wildcats were the worst team in the conference last season and it might be that way yet again. Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch did a nice job of recruiting and landing key transfers, like Washington State quarterback Jayden de Laura.
They might be improved, but it is hard seeing the Wildcats winning this game on the road in Salt Lake. They kept it interesting in 2021, but it will be different in 2022.
Final Score: Utah 47, Arizona 13 (8-1, 5-1)
Up next for the Utes is Stanford, a team that Utah beat badly last season. Stanford probably won’t be as bad as they were last season, but they are not going to be contending for the Pac-12 either.
The Cardinal have a little bit to go to get back to the level that they were at a decade ago, but they brought in a nice recruiting class this year. This will also mark the last home game of the 2022 season for Utah.
It is never wise to overlook any opponent, but there is nothing about Stanford that makes me believe that they can beat a team of Utah’s caliber.
Utah wins against Stanford comfortably.
Final Score: Utah 38, Stanford 21 (9-1, 6-1)
This is going to be one of the most anticipated games in the Pac-12 in 2022. These teams met twice, with one game being in the Pac-12 Championship Game and Utah winning handily both times. Oregon is going to be right in contention for the conference title again in 2022, despite head coach Mario Cristobal leaving for Miami and being replaced by Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.
Oregon is going to have a new quarterback under center in Auburn transfer Bo Nix who was up and down while at Auburn, but he has the dual-threat ability and could be an upgrade for the Ducks. It won’t be enough of an edge for the Ducks to beat the Utes however and this could be the first of two matchups.
Final Score: Utah 26, Oregon 24 (10-1, 7-1)
For the regular-season finale, Utah will travel to Boulder to take on Colorado. The Buffaloes are still in a rebuild under head coach Karl Dorrell, but hoping to see some tangible progress. The offense for Colorado was not good last season and that will be the key to Colorado winning more games.
Colorado has suffered some key transfers this offseason and the program does not appear to be heading for a good season in 2022. The Buffaloes have surprised before, but it does not seem likely this season. Utah ends the season on a high note.
Final Score: Utah 41, Colorado 10 (11-1, 8-1)