No. 15 Utah comes off bye to face Oregon State

Published

No. 15 Utah (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) at Oregon State (2-3, 1-1), Saturday at 8 p.m. EDT (Pac-12 Network).

Line: Utah by 14.

Series record: Oregon State leads 11-9-1.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

Oregon State has been buoyed by a big win at UCLA last weekend. Quarterback Jake Luton threw a career-high five touchdowns and ran for another in the dominant 48-31 victory. It was the Beavers' first Pac-12 victory since last October's win at Colorado. Utah is coming off a bye, after rebounding from a loss to USC with a win at home in over Washington State.

KEY MATCHUP

Utah's passing defense against Isaiah Hodgins. The Utes' defense overall is ranked 14th in the nation, and they are particularly adept when it comes to run defense. But they're ranked fifth in the league for passing yards allowed (228.6), which the Beavers could exploit. Hodgins has 632 receiving yards this season for fifth nationally, and is averaging 126.4 receiving yards a game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Utah: Running back Zack Moss is 176 yards away from passing Eddie Johnson (1984-88) as the Utes' leading career rusher, but he's still officially a question mark against the Beavers because of an injury that kept him out of the game against the Cougars.

Oregon State: This is Luton's sixth season of eligibility after injuries marred his Oregon State career, and he's making the most of it. So far he's thrown for 1,297 yards and a career-best 14 touchdowns, and has yet to throw an interception. After his six total touchdowns against the Bruins, he was named the Pac-12's Offensive Player of the Week.

FACTS & FIGURES

Oregon State has committed just one turnover, fewest in the nation. ... Utah has a three-game winning streak over Oregon State, including the 19-14 victory in Corvallis in 2016. ... Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley also hasn't thrown an interception this season. ... Oregon State running back Artavis Pierce has back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. ... Utah senior Bradley Anae has 21 career sacks, fourth among active FBS players. ... Utah has held all of its opponents this season to under 100 yards rushing. ... Oregon State's 48 points against UCLA were the team's most since scoring 49 against California in 2013.