This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated.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 consistently competitive games, Utah's series with Colorado has been the best matchup in the Utes' Pac-12 era. In terms of memorable scenes, during and after the games, nothing comes close to Utah's battles with Washington State.
The Utes and Cougars will meet again Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. That's where WSU coach Mike Leach publicly embarrassed his offensive lineman in 2012. After a 49-6 defeat, Leach made each of them appear in a postgame interview session.
Last November, the Cougar linemen performed much better as Utah failed to sack quarterback Connor Halliday on any of his 62 pass attempts. Enduring elements of WSU's 49-37 win include two interceptions of Ute fill-in quarterback Adam Schulz being returned for touchdowns in the first quarter and Schulz's passing for 347 yards (Utah's top mark in the Pac-12 era) and three touchdowns. Afterward, the Utes' Trevor Reilly, Jake Murphy and Schulz came to the interview room and spoke independently about how they had "disappointed" or "let down" various groups such as Utah's seniors and alumni.
No apologies were needed after the Utes' trip to Pullman in 2011, when they outlasted the Cougars 30-27 in overtime in a snowstorm. Halliday made his first career start that day and played the whole game, but later was discovered to have sustained a lacerated liver after absorbing a hit in the second quarter.
So who knows what awaits the Utes and Cougars on Saturday night. The biggest issue will be pass protection. WSU sacked Oregon's Marcus Mariota seven times last week in a 38-31 loss. If the Cougars can pressure Wilson to that degree, Utah's fast-paced offense could struggle. On the other side, Halliday is difficult to sack because he gets rid of the ball quickly, but the Utes will have to do something to disrupt him.
The calendar works against the Utes, who haven't won a conference game prior to Oct. 12 in their Pac-12 tenure. Breaking through in September would be a good sign.
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