College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Utah Utes season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Utah Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 11-3 overall, 8-1 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham, 16th year, 131-64
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 20
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 18
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 20
NOTE: Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Utah Utes Offense 3 Things To Know
– The offense doesn’t have as many overhaul problems as the defense, but there’s still a little work to do after losing QB Tyler Huntley and RB Zack Moss from the backfield. Fortunately, the offensive line is returning strong and nasty after paving the way for the Pac-12’s best running game.
Longtime blaster Darrin Paulo is gone at left tackle, but Nick Ford is an all-star talent who’ll likely move from his right guard spot to the outside. Three other starters are in place including 6-7, 305-pound sophomore Simi Moala at one tackle and 6-4, 340-pound senior Orlando Umana at center.
CFN in 60 Video: Utah Utes Preview
– New Buffalo Bill Zack Moss was a thumper who carried the load, and Tyler Huntley was second on the team in rushing. 218-pound junior Devin Brumfield and 5-8, 206-pound sophomore Jordan Wilmore each got enough work in last year to not be starting from scratch. Behind the phenomenal line up front, they’ll be more than fine, even though neither one is Moss.
– Huntley was a terrific heart-and-soul leader, but there are some nice options to step in. Drew Lisk threw nine passes last year and has enough time in the system to be ready to go, but in comes South Carolina transfer Jake Bentley to make a big push. Sophomore Cameron Rising is a talented option, too, in the three-way fight. More on this in a moment.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Utah Utes Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Utah Utes Defense 3 Things To Know
– Start with this … it’s Utah. The defense is going to be good. The program has a great way to develop talent, the coaching is top-shelf, and there’s going to be good production no matter what. However …
Losing nine of the top 11 tacklers is a problem.
Seven all-star-caliber Utes were drafted, six of them come from the defensive side including the most of the killers on the defensive line and most of the main men in the secondary including new Chicago Bear Jaylon Johnson and Indianapolis Colt Terrell Burgess at safety.
CFN in 60 Podcast: 2020 Utah Utes
Utah preview in 60 seconds
– The nation’s second-best defense still has talent to work with. Junior Devin Lloyd will be be one of the nation’s best linebackers, and he’s surrounded by good speed and promise with a slew of underclassmen – and former Nevada producer Nephi Sewell – to get around everything. Start with this group, and assume the line will be solid in a next-man-up way.
The tackles are huge, with 310+ pounders Viane Moala and Hauati Pututau going to be more than fine taking over bigger roles. Finding another Bradlee Anae is asking for too much, but junior Mika Tafua leads what should be a decent rotation.
– The secondary is going to need a bit. The Utes had an NFL-level group of defensive backs in the back five if Nephi Sewell ends up moving from safety to linebacker. All five starters might need to be replaced, and they’ll have to do it without the same sure-thing pass rush of last year. At the moment, junior corner Bronson Boyd is the only projected starter who has started a game.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Utah Utes Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Utah Utes Players
Best Utah Utes Offensive Player
OT Nick Ford, Jr.
The Utes might need the skill parts to step up and be the stars – especially in the backfield – but infrastructure can be every bit as sexy as the flash. The Utah offensive line might have had a few issues in pass protection, but it was a killer for the ground game.
Four starters are back, and the key part is the 6-4, 324-pound Ford, who earned all-star honors as a guard, but will get a long look at the open left tackle job. He’s versatile enough to work just about anywhere.
2. OT Simi Moala, Soph.
3. C Orlando Umana, Sr.
4. WR/KR Britain Covey, Jr.
5. TE Brant Kuithe, Jr.
Best Utah Utes Defensive Player
LB Devin Lloyd, Jr.
Just about everyone of note is gone from the starting defensive 11, but Lloyd is back as the 6-3, 235-pound do-it-all producer who worked on the inside but can produce anywhere. He led the team with 91 tackles with 6.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss.
Decent in pass coverage, he also returned an interception for a 64-yard touchdown against Oregon State, but his real worth is as a consistently terrific run stopper
2. DE Mika Tafua, Jr.
3. DT Viane Moala, Sr.
4. S RJ Hubert, Jr.
5. LB Andrew Mata’afa, Soph.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Utah Utes Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Utah Utes Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Utah Utes Offense
Run the ball, run the ball well, and keep running the ball. For all the changes and tweaks over the last few seasons go generate a more dynamic downfield passing game, the heart of the program’s offense under Kyle Whittingham has been a toughness to the ground attack that doesn’t quite fit the Pac-12 mold.
The Utes ran well in the loss to USC, but they failed to run for scores in just two games last year – the losses at the end to Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship and to Texas in the Alamo Bowl. In both games, the offense failed to hit 130 yards rushing.
Utah is 2-9 in its last 11 games when it failed to hit 130 yards, and fortunately, the line is in place to hit the mark without too much of an issue.
And on the flip side …
Biggest Key To The Utah Utes Defense
The run defense has to find its mojo again … and in a hurry. The massive personnel losses are going to make it a hard enough adaption period, but the D as a whole has to gear it back up despite getting run over in the final two games.
This was the baddest run defense in the land for most of last year, only allowing over 100 yards once in the first 12 games – 111 to Arizona State – with teams struggling to come up with more than two yards per carry. The D allowed a rushing score in each of the first two games, and gave up just two in the next ten.
And then Oregon came out and took away Utah’s will, pounding away for 239 yards and three scores. Texas followed suit with 231 yards and two touchdowns.
The program has lost its last eight games over the last three seasons when allowing 170 rushing yards or more, and now it has to be back to its normal self with a way too many moving parts.
Key Utah Utes Player To A Successful Season
QB Jake Bentley, Sr.
Great right away for South Carolina, he stepped in and showed off a bit of magic as a freshman. Accurate, he hit 63% of his passes in just over three years for 7,527 yards and 55 touchdowns, but he also gave up 32 picks.
His junior season never got last season off the ground, injuring his foot in the opener against North Carolina and losing the gig to new top Gamecock QB Ryan Hilinski.
Bentley won’t bring a whole lot of mobility, but he’s got 33 games of starting experience to run the offense right away. He’ll have to fight off Drew Lisk and Cameron Rising for the job – no matter who it is, replacing Tyler Huntley won’t be easy.
Key Game To The Utah Utes Season
USC, Oct. 2
1916. Utah beat USC on the road 27-12 to open up the 1916 season. Since then, the Trojans are 10-0 when the two teams play in California. In Utah, the Utes have won their last three in the series. The Pac-12 South opener is in Salt Lake City, and the winner probably wins what appears to be a weakened division.
– Utah Utes Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Utah Fun Stats
– 3rd Quarter Scoring: Utah 118 – Opponents 34
– Penalties: Utah 103 for 862 yards – Opponents 85 for 727 yards
– Rushing TDs: Utah 34 – Opponents 9
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Utah Utes Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Utah Utes Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
Just how strong is the Utah program and just how quickly can it rebuild?
Very, and in a hurry.
It helps to play in the Pac-12 South. UCLA is still trying to figure out how to do this college football thing, Arizona is stumbling all over itself, Colorado is rebooting again, and Arizona State has been just okay.
USC gets just about everyone back, and then there’s Utah.
This is a weakened Ute team from the one that came a game away from possibly going to the College Football Playoff, but it’s still going to be really, really good.
The offensive backfield loses its main parts, and the defense is all but starting over in too many ways. That doesn’t mean the pieces aren’t there to potentially make it a third trip in a row to the Pac-12 Championship.
Set The Utah Utes Regular Season Win Total At … 9.5
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 8.5
The Pac-12 is completely and totally up in the air, but for now with the way the schedule is set up, where’s the sure loss? There isn’t one.
There’s no Oregon on the slate, the toughest non-conference game is at BYU, and USC and Washington have to come to Salt Lake City.
There will be a few misfires along the way – the Utes have WAY too many holes to fill to rip through the season without dropping a few games like at Cal and/or at Arizona State – but they’ll once again be at least deep in the mix again for the Pac-12 South title …
Now there needs to be a Pac-12 season.
