Game Preview
After suffering its first loss of the season on the road against Washington State, Oregon State will look to bounce back when it hosts Utah.
Utah is coming off another strong performance, their fourth straight win to open the season while waiting for the return of starting quarterback Cam Rising. In that game, Utah held UCLA to just 14 points on offense and won by a score of 14-7. But can the Utes stop Oregon State’s powerful rushing attack on the road?
The Utes are still patiently waiting for Rising to recover from a knee injury, and in the meantime, Nate Johnson has been outstanding. While Johnson hasn’t been a major threat through the air yet, he has been a menace on the ground, totaling over 200 yards and three touchdowns on only 41 carries this season.
Behind a seasoned Oregon State offensive line, the Beavers’ most dangerous offensive weapon is running back Damien Martinez, who averages over seven yards per carry. Against the Utes’ formidable defense, which ranks in the top 15 in EPA/Rush, he’ll try to generate some forward momentum.
The Beavers were unable to stop the Washington State passing game on the road against the Cougars, losing by a score of 14-0. While I still expect Oregon State to push for the PAC-12 title, the loss of two NFL-caliber cornerbacks has me worried about the passing game of Utah.
Even with Rising making his first game back after missing nine months with an ACL injury, Utah’s offense won’t be able to push the Beavers in that way. With quarterback turmoil and a short week, this is a tough situation for the Utes. Without Rising, the team’s already weak passing offense will be severely hampered.
If Johnson gets the nod, we might not see the Utes challenge the weak area of the Oregon State defense. However, Oregon State’s Beavers have a top-15 offensive line in terms of yards allowed.
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Utah Utes vs Oregon State Beavers Game Information
- Date: 09/29/2023
- Time: 09:00 PM ET
- Location: Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR.
- How to Watch Utah vs Oregon State: FS1
- Live Stream: fubo.tv
