This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Judging by their nonconference performance, the Utah Utes have raised the standards of the 2014 football season.
Whether or not that becomes a problem is up to them.
Merely becoming bowl-eligible is no longer an acceptable gauge for the Utes, because of what they've done against Idaho State, Fresno State and Michigan. They need only three wins in nine Pac-12 games to qualify for a bowl bid, and they certainly seem to have advanced beyond that stage.
Five conference wins would be monumental for Utah and four would be satisfactory. Three wins would make the Utes eligible, with no guarantee of a slot in one of the Pac-12's contracted bowls. But right now, Utah looks better than a 6-6 team. More should be expected of the Utes, who have to live up to their current level of play.
"I just think we've improved across the board," Ute coach Kyle Whittingham said Monday.
Whittingham knows the Utes (9-18) have won one-third of their conference games in three seasons of Pac-12 membership, and the league is only getting better. Yet there are reasons to believe the Utes are better equipped to compete in this conference, as they prepare for Saturday's game vs. Washington State:
• Consistent quarterbacking
Travis Wilson is 4-9 as a starting quarterback in Pac-12 games, but that's somewhat deceiving because he was thrown into a tough situation as a freshman and affected by injuries in three games as a sophomore. As long as he remains vertical, instead of flying through the air horizontally, as he did Saturday at Michigan, the Utes will be well-served at the position.
Utah's offense generated only 286 yards, but Michigan's defense is sound, having held Notre Dame to similar yardage. Pac-12 defenses generally won't be as tough.
• One-year wonders
A weird phenomenon in college football is contributing to Utah's improvement. Receiver/kick returner Kaelin Clay and safety Tevin Carter have only one season of Division I eligibility, and they're sure maximizing it. Clay has returned three kicks for touchdowns. Carter intercepted a pass against Michigan and is among the team's leading tacklers.
• Athletic ability
Whittingham continually has talked about needing to increase his team's speed, and it's happening. The Utes have more capable playmakers among the receivers, and the secondary's coverage has improved. Utah just looks more like a Pac-12 football team now — although the available evidence is strictly against other opponents.
Washington State's all-out passing scheme will test the skill and depth of Utah's secondary, beyond the work of cornerbacks Eric Rowe and Dominique Hatfield.
• Special teams
With a phenomenal kick returner (Clay), kicker (Andy Phillips) and punter (Tom Hackett), Utah's specialists undoubtedly rival any team's collection. One or more of them is bound to make the difference in a close game at some point.
Whittingham properly credits their talent for Utah's special teams success. They're also making him look good, after he personally replaced former coordinator Jay Hill, now Weber State's coach.
• Pac-12 parity
This factor can become a curse, as much as a blessing, because the conference is so deep. But there's no overwhelming, untouchable team, as Washington State helped demonstrate in a 38-31 loss to No. 2 Oregon.
The top tier of the Pac-12 South — UCLA, Arizona State and USC — has appeared vulnerable at times. Divisional play is where the Utes have to improve. They're 4-11 against South rivals in three seasons, with two wins coming against Colorado.
Those divisional games will come later, following Washington State's visit, but beating the Cougars would be a good start. The Utes' first Pac-12 win in any season has never come prior to their third game, but there are suggestions that this year might be different.
Twitter: @tribkurt —
Washington Stateat Utah
P Saturday, 6 p.m.
TV • Pac-12 Network