This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Now would be a great time for the Utah Utes to have a nonconference game against an easy opponent that would give the Utes a nice, big win to regain their confidence and end a two-game losing skid.

Unfortunately, Pitt might not be that team.

The Utes, who beat the Panthers 27-24 in overtime to open the 2010 season, travel across the country Saturday for a rematch at a time when Utah is wallowing in its mistakes.

"We have to figure out how to win our next game," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said following the loss to Arizona State. "It doesn't get any easier next week."

Both teams are coming off losses, with the Utes falling to Arizona State 35-14 and Pitt losing at Rutgers 34-10, but the Panthers look like the stronger of the two teams, at least on paper.

The Panthers upset No. 16 South Florida 44-17 two weeks ago and lost to Iowa and Notre Dame both by less than six points.

The Utes, meanwhile, are reeling after committing 10 turnovers in their past two games, both lopsided defeats.

Rarely have the Utes thrown in the proverbial towel, but Whittingham did so in Utah's postgame news conference, acknowledging that winning the Pac-12 South Division no longer is an attainable goal.

"It's a done deal," he said. "Going 0-3 in conference, that is an insurmountable figure."

Instead, the Utes must focus on taking better care of the football and earning enough wins to become bowl eligible.

That seems like a rather humble goal for a team that has had three 10-plus win seasons in a row, but that is reality in the Pac-12 when a team makes as many mistakes as the Utes are making.

"We have to coach better, without a doubt, and start finding ways to win," Whittingham said.

Utah had a team meeting following Saturday's loss where the players said they talked about the need to refocus and not let the season spiral downward.

"We're disappointed, but we're going to look at it as a new season," quarterback Jon Hays said. "We want to be bowl eligible and win the rest of our games and that is what we are going to go ahead and try to do."

Linebacker Brian Blechen said the Utes can't afford to dwell on the losses and must view the Panthers as a challenge to get back to playing the kind of football they were playing earlier in the season.

"It feels like it's all there in front of us," he said. "It's just about putting it all together and hanging onto the ball."

The Utes were matching ASU until the game got away from them in the second half when they committed three turnovers, all leading to ASU scores.

Cleaning up those mistakes is a bigger priority than anything else, Whittingham said.

"I put it on the coaches, we have to coach them better," he said. "ASU had good, athletic football players but we face that the rest of the year. It's the same thing, I sound like a broken record, but we're in a conference with a lot of good athletes and that isn't going to change week in and week out."

Pitt hasn't exactly avoided the turnover bug either. Quarterback Tino Sunseri is 104-for-159 for 1,039 yards and five touchdowns, but he has also thrown four interceptions, including three in Saturday's loss.

The run game is led by junior Ray Graham, who has 126 rushes for 734 yards and eight touchdowns.

Playing Pitt will be a challenge, Whittingham said, but getting his team back in the winning mode might be more difficult than any opponent the Utes face on the field.

"We've got to regroup right now," Whittingham said. "We've lost two in a row but it seems like we lost 10, that is how I feel, but we have to find a way to get back in the win column." —

Pitt's 2011 results

Sept. 3: Buffalo, W, 35-16

Sept. 10: Maine, W, 35-29

Sept. 17: at Iowa, L, 31-27

Sept. 24: Notre Dame, L,15-12

Sept. 29: S. Florida, W, 44-17

Oct. 8: Rutgers, L, 34-10 —

Up next

P Utah at Pittsburgh, Saturday 10 a.m.

TV: ESPNU