Opponent Breakdown: Utah
At a Glance Utah at Oregon State
When: TBA Saturday, Oct. 15
Where: Reser Stadium
TV/Radio: TBD/Beaver Sports Radio Network
Series history: OSU leads 11-7
Last meeting: Utah jumped out to 14-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, en route to a 27-12 win against the Beavers. Devonte Booker ran for 121 yards and a TD to lead the Utes, while Travis Wilson completed 14 of 17 passes. Victor Bolden rushed for a team-high 45 yards, and caught a 2-yard TD pass for OSU.
2015 in Review
Record: 10-3 overall, 6-3 Pac-12 (6-1 home, 3-2 away, 1-0 neutral)
Bowl game: Defeated archrival BYU, 35-28, in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Notable games: Bested Michigan in season-opener, 24-17; crushed Oregon in Eugene, 62-20, in fourth game; beat UW in Seattle, 34-23; lost in two OTs to Arizona, 37-0.
Quick numbers
Points per game: 30.6, Opponents: 22.3; Rushing yards per game: 183.2, Opponents: 108.6; Passing yards per game: 179.8, Opponents: 258.1; Time of possession: 32:43, Opponents: 27:17.
Top performers
Passing: Travis Wilson (2,093, 13 TDs, 10 INT, 62.1 percent completion rate); Rushing: Booker (1,261 yards, 11 TDs, 4.7 YPC); Receiving: Britain Covey (43 catches, 519 yards, 4 TDs); Tackles: Gionni Paul (117 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4 INT)
Key losses
Wilson, Booker, Britain Covey (43 catches, 519 yards, 4 TDs), Kenneth Scott (39 catches, 457 yards, 4 TDS), Paul, Jared Norris (87 tackles, 4 for loss), Tevin Carter (56 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 2 INTs).
Oct. 15 Outlook
Key returners
Joe Williams (SR.): 477 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 4.6 YPC; Harrison Handley (JR.): 21 catches, 286 yards, 4 TDs; Tyrone Smith (Soph.): 18 catches, 193 yards); Marcus Williams (JR.): 66 tackles, 5 INTs; Justin Thomas (SR.): 48 tackles, 3 INTs; Kyle Fitts (SR.): 41 tackles, 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles)
Key strength
Defense will be Utah’s calling card this season, as it returns several stalwarts in Marcus Williams and Kylie Fitts. And with Justin Thomas returning, the secondary should be especially strong for the Utes, who will rely on their defense to force turnovers and give its offense short field position. Another thing, Utah always is strong, physical, and well coached on that side of the ball.
Key question
Where to begin with the offense? Expect the starting QB battle to last throughout fall camp. While Joe Williams looks to be a solid replacement for Booker, how much can he ease that loss? To add to insult, the Utes will also be missing last year’s top receiver, Britain Covey, who is serving his LDS mission. Utah’s passing offense wasn’t elite last season, and doesn’t appear to in better shape this season.
Raju’s Take
If the Beavers come out and move the ball against Utah (and not cough it up), I like their chances in this one. Even better is if they could jump out to a nice 14+ point lead, because I am not sure Utah will have the firepower this season to put up points in a hurry. The Beavers should attack on the ground to try to make things easier for the passing game, against what should be a solid secondary.
On defense, it will be paramount to put pressure on whoever will be under center for the Utes. If they can get to him and rattle him, early it could bode well — as he won’t have an established receiver to bail him out. The one given that the Beavers need to key on is running back Joe Williams. If they let him get going, it might be enough to spark the Utes offense.
Because this game is the friendly confines of Reser, and Utah is replacing so much on offense, this matchup is very winnable for the Beavers. However, they need to assert themselves from the get-go and attack Utah with the run. Momentum will be the key to this game, and whichever team can sustain it the longest, will likely walk away a winner.