Arizona (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) at No. 10 Utah (4-0, 1-0), Saturday, 10:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Utah by 12 1/2.
Series record: Utah 26-20-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Following a bye week, Arizona officially opens Big 12 play against fellow league newcomer Utah. The Wildcats routed the Utes 42-18 a year ago to snap a six-game losing streak in the series. Utah looked impressive in a 22-19 win over Oklahoma State and is eager to dish out revenge. Arizona could use an upset win to resolve questions about its offense following a 31-7 loss to Kansas State two weeks earlier.
KEY MATCHUP
Can Arizona’s front seven stop Utah’s resurgent rushing attack? The Utes piled up a season-high 249 yards on the ground against Oklahoma State. Micah Bernard led the way with a career-best 182 yards on a career-high 25 carries. The Wildcats have allowed 222.5 rushing yards per game against FBS opponents this season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arizona: Moving the chains against Utah will come down to how much Tetairoa McMillan is involved in the offense. McMillan tallied 116 yards and a touchdown on eight catches versus the Utes a year ago. He has nine career games with 100 or more receiving yards and leads the Big 12 with 151.0 receiving yards per game.
Utah: Will Bernard make it four in a row? Bernard is the first Utah running back since Ty Jordan in 2020 to put up three straight 100-yard rushing games after having just two 100-games in his career entering the season. He leads the Big 12 with 456 total rushing yards while averaging 6.9 yards per carry.
FACTS & FIGURES
Utah leads the Big 12 with 3.0 sacks per game. Utes defensive end Van Fillinger tops the league with 5.5 sacks through four games. … Arizona QB Noah Fifita needs three touchdown passes to pass Matt Scott for 12th place in the school’s career passing touchdowns list. … Utah leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally in time of possession (36:21). … Arizona’s last road win against Utah came in 2014. … Utah is one of three Big 12 teams – along with UCF and Kansas State – rushing for at least 200 yards per game while holding opponents under 100. The Utes average 206.3 rushing yards and allow 93.8 yards on the ground per contest.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
