No. 10 Utah is putting its undefeated season on the line this Saturday against No. 14 Houston, and this game is absolutely loaded with major Big 12 implications. This isn’t just any regular game for the Utes either; Houston comes into Rice-Eccles Stadium with an undefeated 5-0 all-time record against Utah, a streak that dates back to 1977 for their first meeting in Utah.
Top 10 Dreams on the Line
Utah is sitting pretty at 6-0 on the season and cracking the top 10, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it has been smooth sailing. The Utes had a real struggle in Colorado that left more questions than answers, and while they looked strong against “subpar competition” early on, both the offense and defense have shown some vulnerabilities against Kansas and Colorado in their last two games. They absolutely need to clean that up before Saturday because Houston isn’t coming to Salt Lake City to play nice. This Houston visit is just the sixth time these two schools have met on the gridiron, and only the second time they’ve played in Utah. The stakes couldn’t be higher: this game could be a huge tiebreak with BYU and Arizona still on Utah’s schedule.
For Houston, their 6-1 record looks even better when you consider they just knocked off a red-hot Oklahoma State team, which catapulted them from No. 20 to No. 14 in the AP Poll. Honestly, if not for a matter of inches against Texas Tech, we could be talking about an undefeated Houston team rolling into this game, making it a top 10 vs. top 10 showdown. The Cougars are absolutely desperate for a win here. Tallying another loss will more than likely eliminate them from competing for a Big 12 championship game, especially with conference leaders Utah, BYU, and Texas Tech still undefeated.
Quarterback Battles and Defensive Gaps
When you look at what to watch for, Houston’s potent scoring attack is at the top of the list. Quarterback Conner Weigman is coming off a second-half shootout against Oklahoma State where he completed 24 passes, and he’s been slinging it with 283 yards passing against Texas Tech and 343 yards against Oklahoma State. Weigman is likely looking to expose that Ute secondary, and honestly, the evidence is there that he might be able to do it.
Just two games ago, Utah allowed a shocking 333 yards through the air, almost all of it in the second half, when Kansas’ quarterback Isaiah Marshall made it a much closer loss than the score indicated. Then, in Utah’s most recent game, former Ute Isaac Wilson was allowed to throw for 256 yards in a game that came down to the last play. If the Utes want to keep their perfect season alive and protect that top 10 spot, the secondary has to be locked in. While Utah has a healthy run game, they will have their work cut out for them defending Amare Thomas and the Houston receiver corps.
This Saturday’s kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. MDT, and you can catch it on ESPN or stream it via the ESPN app with a participating TV provider. The weather forecast is for mid-50s to start, dropping to 50 degrees by the end. It is going to be a battle in Salt Lake City, and if Utah’s defense isn’t ready, that undefeated Houston record could absolutely crush their top 10 season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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