This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

Adjustable, unbeaten Utah faces a decision in the run-up to Saturday night's game here against the 5-0 Cal Bears, a choice that will play a large role in the Utes winning or losing, not just now but in the weeks ahead. It could define their season:

Do they go throttle up, opening the offense in the same manner they did at Oregon? Or … Do they ease off a bit, playing more conservatively, protecting themselves against mistakes?

The answer seems obvious, given Cal's explosive attack with quarterback Jared Goff, receivers Kenny Lawler and Bryce Treggs, and the rest of the Bear Raid offense that so far has put point totals of 73, 35, 45, 30 and 34 on its opponents, a total that ranks eighth in the country.

Goff might be college football's best QB. A lot of NFL scouts think so. Thus far, he's thrown for 1,630 yards, hitting on 125 of 178 passes for 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. Goff averages 9.16 yards per attempt. Overall, Cal ranks ninth in the country in passing offense, averaging 358 yards per game. Goff is susceptible to sacks, having been dropped 11 times. Still, in total offense, the Bears rank 10th nationally, with an average of 528 yards.

With all that firepower coming at them, the Utes got to go willy-nilly, got to go for it, got to keep up, right?

Here's the flip side:

Cal ranks No. 1 in the country in turnovers gained and eighth in turnover margin. It doesn't have the best defense in the land, but it feeds off the other guys' screw-ups, repeatedly setting opportunity up on a tee for Goff's drives, long and short.

The Bears have caused 18 turnovers by their opponents, eight fumbles, which ranks first, and 10 interceptions, which ranks second. They're first in defensive touchdowns. They're seventh in total sacks, having popped opposing quarterbacks 18 times for a loss of 115 yards.

On the other hand, Cal's defense is allowing 250 passing yards a game. In total, the Bears are 71st in average yards yielded, giving up 387. (Utah isn't much better, allowing 373 yards.)

So, if you're Kyle Whittingham, if you're Aaron Roderick, what do you do?

You trust Travis.

You keep him healthy and interested and at the center of everything.

You allow him to burn out the balloon slicks and stomp the accelerator.

It's been noted often — and with some degree of shock — that Travis Wilson leads the country in QBR, a formula that takes into account darn near everything a quarterback faces and does, including just about every factor and situation, from down and distance to field position to clock and score to scrambling and running abilities, and figures in turnovers, including fumbles.

So far, Wilson, analytically and all things considered, is playing the quarterback position better than anyone else. His total rating of 93.8 is a couple points higher than USC's Cody Kessler. (Goff ranks 14th, with a rating of 80.)

That's why it's OK to go ahead and let Wilson do what he does, at least what he's doing now. The days of coaches clipping back the quarterback — relying on defense and special teams and the run game — because he threw 16 interceptions in 2013 are over. If Utah wants to reach its full potential in 2015, its approach — if not the same exaggerated results — against the Ducks must be maintained and replicated, come what may.

Cal has gotten fat this season by disrupting offensive patterns and taking advantage of those disruptions. The Utes, then, will have to lean on an offensive line that has kept Wilson clean, allowing just one sack, and rely on the senior QB to go on throwing and running, making good decisions without handing the ball to Devontae Booker on every critical down, and failing success there, counting on punter Tom Hackett to reverse the field.

Against the Bears, it's a little more precarious for the Utes this time around. There is that flip side.

But at this point, given the favorable position in which they've placed themselves, ranked as highly as they are, getting the national attention they've gotten, and preparing to roll up against the rest of a difficult Pac-12 schedule, double-clutching or chickening out on offense, no matter who they play, is a direction they shouldn't go. Running from possible mistakes, getting conservative the way they did last season, is the biggest mistake they could make now.

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.