The last time No. 3 Oregon and No. 23 Utah faced each other, the stakes were high as the two met one another in the 2019 Pac-12 Championship Game. The Ducks steamrolled the Utes 37-15 in that conference title game while ruining their College Football Playoff aspirations in the process. This time around, it’s Utah that can scramble Oregon’s CFP hopes as the two square off Saturday night in a game with division title implications for both schools.
Oregon can clinch the Pac-12 North with a victory, while a win would give the Pac-12 South to Utah. Either way, a potential rematch in the league title game on Dec. 3 will remain a possibility, regardless of which team wins this regular-season meeting. While a loss would not eliminate the Ducks from conference title competition, it would almost certainly end their hopes of appearing in the CFP for the first time since 2014.
It will, far and away, be the biggest test to date for Utah, which has no wins over teams currently in the CFP Rankings. Oregon owns a Sept. 11 road victory against No. 4 Ohio State, but the Ducks have not beaten a ranked team since and have looked susceptible at times in the last two months. It all sets up what should be a tight battle between the only ranked Pac-12 teams.
LIVE updates: Follow along with all the action between the Ducks and Utes on Saturday night at this link here.
Oregon vs. Utah: Need to know
Run battle: Both teams are run-oriented on offense and solid at defending the run, which means this game could be decided by which team can impose its will up front. Oregon ranks 10th nationally in rushing offense and is tied for second nationally with 31 rushing touchdowns. Utah ranks 18th nationally in rushing offense and fourth nationally in yards per rush at 5.86. The Utes are deeper at running back with Tavion Thomas, Micah Bernard and T.J. Pledger combining to form a bruising trio. Since Oregon’s CJ Verdell was lost for the season in Week 5, the Ducks have relied heavily on Travis Dye as the senior has proven capable of handing the workload.
Thibodeaux factor: After going two games without a sack, Oregon star edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux made his presence felt with two sacks in the Ducks’ win over Washington State last week. One of those sacks stymied a Washington State drive early in the fourth quarter and helped force the Cougars to settle for a field goal. The Ducks took over the game from there. Making a similar impact against the Utes may be a challenge, though. Utah has allowed just 10 sacks all season, which is tied for 10th-best nationally. Thibodeaux is good against the run, but he’s elite as a pass-rusher and mitigating his impact will be important for Utah.
Rising star: This could be a national breakout game for Utah quarterback Cam Rising. After beating out Baylor transfer Charlie Brewer for the job early in the season, Rising has thrown 14 touchdowns versus just two interceptions. He’s proven to be a running threat, too. After signing with Texas in the class of 2018, Rising redshirted in his lone season with the Longhorns, then redshirted again at Utah as a transfer in 2019. He played sparingly last season but has finally proven himself as a fourth-year sophomore. Now he faces an Oregon defense tied for 11th nationally in interceptions with 14, and he will be tasked with out-dueling Oregon’s battle-tested quarterback Anthony Brown.
How to watch Oregon vs. Utah live
Date: Saturday, Nov. 20 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium — Salt Lake City
TV: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Oregon vs. Utah prediction, picks
Featured Game | Utah Utes vs. Oregon Ducks
Utah’s only loss in the last two months came against an Oregon State team that is one of only two teams in the conference that averages more yards rushing per game than Utah. Now the Utes must face the other one in Oregon. The Ducks should win a close one. Prediction: Oregon (+3)
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