This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The burden of history on the backs of the Utes for Saturday's game against Washington is roughly the size and weight of a baby grand.

Either that, or the folks in Vegas think someone or something has recently chucked an anchor overboard, putting a drag on 7-1 Utah, as the 4-4 Huskies were installed as slight favorites for the game in Seattle.

The last time the Utes were 'dogs … well, that didn't go so smoothly at the Coliseum.

At least in that particular case, Utah wasn't hauling a sad losing legacy along with it, having beaten the Trojans just last season. In the case of Washington, as Kyle Whittingham noted on Monday, the Utes have never defeated the Huskies. They're oh-for-eight all-time. And — bad 1970s comedy-dramas starring Dick Van Patten for $500, Alex — eight is enough.

Still, there are doubters floating around, despite Utah's stellar record and No. 13 national ranking.

Why exactly would U-Dub be favored here? The Huskies have the worst offense in the Pac-12. They've lost to two teams the Utes handled in past weeks — Oregon and Cal — and, although they beat USC, they also dropped games to Boise State and Stanford. They've lost two of their past three, with that bad offense often blowing engine parts all over the road.

The one win, though, came this past week against Arizona, a team they crushed, 49-3. It was all Wildcats for a couple of minutes, Arizona getting a field goal on its opening drive, and then … the Huskies fired off seven consecutive touchdowns, all while their tough defense, which gets tougher in the red zone, swung the hammer on an opposing attack that had come into that game leading the Pac-12 in scoring, averaging 42 points.

That's not happy news for the Ute offense, an offense that Whittingham said needs improvement.

Washington, the league's top scoring defense, allowed only 28 rushing yards to Arizona in the first half on 20 carries and yielded 127 for the game. Utah must exceed that for a chance to win. The Cats managed to throw for 203 yards, but, ultimately, it did them no real good, as they straight couldn't score.

There was plenty of scoring the other way. Husky freshman quarterback Jake Browning passed for 263 yards on short fields and for four touchdowns, and ran for another, putting in his best work of the season.

Two points of significance: 1) Against Arizona, the Huskies forced multiple turnovers, and 2) Against previous FBS competition this season, they had been outscored in the first half, 85-30. Against the Wildcats, they led, 21-3.

What does that mean for the Utes?

Nothing revolutionary.

It means they have to find a way to run the football, mixed with timely passing. It means they would be greatly advantaged to get and keep a first-half lead. It means an old standard remains: Go ahead and throw it around, but don't get goofy — and careless — with the football.

Whittingham agreed: "When we turn the ball over zero times, we have a great chance of winning."

Based on a season's worth of evidence, Utah is better than Washington. It has no business being the underdog, no business losing.

Outside of scoring defense, where, as mentioned, the Huskies are first (and Utah second), the Utes are the Pac-12's top defensive group, giving up 363 yards a game.

But, Whittingham said, these two teams mirror one another, each relying on defense and special teams, and kind of just getting by on offense. "They're playing really good defense," he said. "… They're probably playing their best ball of the season."

Offensively, Washington is Pac-12 oooogly. It ranks eighth in rushing and 12th in passing. The Utes, who have stumbled at times when in possession, rank fifth in rush offense, eighth in pass offense and ninth overall, none of which is much to sing about. But it is better than sinking to the bottom of the pond, where the UW attack sits, despite its newfound buoyancy against Arizona.

The two remaining challenges for the Utes dance somewhere in the near spaces and far reaches of their minds: They are playing on the road and running straight into the teeth of that lousy history. They have already shown that, other than the slop-fest at USC, winning away from Rice-Eccles isn't insurmountable, and, as for what's happened in the past, none of that, none of those previous eight defeats, sit(s) in the current Utes' collective lap. Those lie at the feet of Utah teams of bygone years, none of which will take the field on Saturday.

Eight really is enough.

History, as far as these Utes are concerned, can take a flying leap. Unless, of course, it can't.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.