This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Another year, another stumbling start to the Pac-12 slate for the Utes. Utah looked to have an easy home win last week against Washington State, cruising to an early 21-0 lead on big plays from the defense and special teams. Then the lead dwindled and dwindled some more until Wazzu left Rice Eccles Stadium with a 28-27 win and the Utes left with a bitter loss. Next up is No. 8 UCLA, which absolutely demolished ASU on the road last week in a dominant 62-27 victory. The Utes offense will have to pick it up quickly to keep up with Brett Hundley and company on the road and if it can't, Utah might be in for another long Pac-12 season. With that in mind, here's a position-by-position look at this week's matchup and which team will have the edge heading into Saturday's game:
Quarterback
Travis Wilson looked like he may be a breakout star after punishing teams on the ground and through the air the first three games of the season. Then came Washington State. In cold, rainy and windy conditions, Wilson looked inaccurate and flustered, failing to score a touchdown while passing for an ugly 165 yards on 18-of-38 completions. He was outdueled by Wazzu's Connor Halliday. who despite throwing two interceptions, had four touchdown passes and 417 yards through the air. Wilson will have his opportunities against a UCLA secondary that surrendered 488 yards to ASU backup quarterback Mike Bercovici, but he'll need to be accurate and poised on the road to give the Utes a chance.
After looking like a shell of himself in the first few weeks of the season and battling through an arm injury, Brett Hundley broke out against ASU. Hundley torched the young Sun Devil defense to the tune of 355 yards and four touchdowns on only 18 completions. He'll be eagerly anticipating facing a Utah secondary that eventually caved to Halliday despite holding up well early. If Hundley can spread the ball around and test Utah's man coverage depth, the Utes could be in trouble.
Edge: UCLA
Running Back
Devontae Booker was announced earlier this week as the Utes unquestioned starter in the backfield and for good reason. He's looked explosive and physical through the first few games of this season, fighting for extra yards on every rushing attempt. Booker was a wrecking ball against Washington State, rushing for 178 yards and the team's lone offensive touchdown. Bubba Poole has slowly been phased out and had only nine yards on five carries last week, but continues to be an option in relief. Booker will need to have another big game to extend drives and keep the ball out of Hundley's hands.
Paul Perkins has emerged as the bellcow for UCLA and had another big game against Arizona State, rushing for 137 yards on 14 carries. Perkins has 441 yards and two touchdowns this season and is averaging 110 yards per game on the ground. UCLA as a whole averages 175 yards rushing per game. The Utes must also commit resources to stopping Hundley, who can take off and run for big chunks of yardage, as well as do-it-all player Myles Jack, who is used sparingly in the rushing game. Although Booker is probably the most talented 'back on either team, Hundley, Jack and Jordon James give UCLA a better group overall.
Edge: UCLA
Pass Catchers
Dres Anderson came up empty against Washington State with zero catches, including a couple of late chances that could have sealed the game for Utah. The best weapon on the Utes offense will have to do better in this game and catch a few deep balls from Wilson to keep UCLA's secondary from cheating up to support the run game. Kenneth Scott continues to be a good safety blanket for Wilson as the duo connected on several crisp out routes for 70 yards on seven receptions. Kaelin Clay also appears to be improving each week in the receiving game and needs to have an impact this week to keep the Utes in it. It would also be nice if Utah got tight end Westlee Tonga involved in the passing game after he's gone MIA the last couple of games.
Jordan Payton has his coming out party against ASU, averaging a ridiculous 30 yards per catch after racking up 151 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions against the Sun Devils. Payton has big play ability and will need to be contained by either Dom Hatfield or Eric Rowe to keep the Utes from getting burned. Thomas Duarte and Devin Fuller provide good second and third options that could test the Utah secondary if the team continues to play primarily man-to-man coverage.
Edge: UCLA
Offensive Line
Utah's offensive line continues to be a steadying force for the offense, surrendering only one sack last week against Washington State. The Utes have given up eight total this season, good for sixth in the Pac-12. Utah should also have a good chance to keep Wilson upright this week against a UCLA defense that is dead last in the Pac-12 with only four sacks.
After struggling early and often in the first few weeks of the season, the Bruins' offensive front got a welcome reprieve from a struggling ASU defense. UCLA gave up only one sack on Hundley and kept him clean all night. However, the Bruins still surrender significant pressure, ranking dead last in the Pac-12 with 13 surrendered sacks. After generating three quarterback takedowns last week, the Utes have a clear advantage here.
Edge: Utah
Defensive Line and Linebackers
Gionni Paul continues to star as an impact defender, grabbing another interception against Wazzu. However, the quiet impact player for the 'backers continues to be Jared Norris, who had 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack against Washington State. Jason Fanaika had two tackles for loss and two sacks and continues to be a leader for the Utah defense, while Nate Orchard was held to an uncharacteristic low impact game. The interior defensive line will have to limit Perkins and the defense as a whole will have to get heat on Hundley early and often.
As was mentioned earlier, UCLA has a tough time getting to the quarterback and will need to do better against Wilson. Linebacker Eric Kendricks will have a big say on how the UCLA defense plays and will need to garner some pressure on Wilson while wrapping Booker up in the run game. Eddie Vanderdoes and Deon Hollins are two other guys to watch that could impact the Utes' offensive gameplan, while Jack is an omnipresent threat to make a big play in the defensive front seven.
Edge: Utah
Defensive Backs
Utah's secondary looked to be frustrating Halliday early on, especially with Rowe's pick six. However, as the game wore on, the Utes' depth was exposed as man coverage left spaces in the middle of the field wide open for Wazzu to exploit. Rowe and Hatfield will have to keep Payton and Duarte in front of them and win the battle at the line of scrimmage to jostle both receivers off their initial routes. The Utes also desperately missed Tevin Carter's recovery speed last week and will hope to have him back to face the Bruins.
The UCLA defensive backfield comes down to one guy: Ishmael Adams. Adams was a one man wrecking crew against ASU, grabbing an interception and impacting the special teams by scoring a return touchdown. Adams has two picks this season and will most likely shadow Anderson on the majority of his routes. Priest Willis is solid at the other corner spot and will likely battle with Scott for the majority of the game. However, the Bruins were also burned for 488 yards last week and may struggle again if Wilson can gain confidence early. This is probably the most evenly matched position battle on the field.
Edge: Even
Prediction: This is the worst possible time for the Utes to play the class of the Pac-12 South. UCLA looks like it's just hitting its stride while the Utes stumbled again to start off conference play. Wilson will have his chances against a leaky Bruins secondary, but the Utes as a whole will have a hard time generating offense on the road in a tough environment. Hundley will roll again for a big game and UCLA will cruise to a 35-20 win.