Utah vs. Utah State: Prediction and Preview
Week three of the college football season is here. No. 12 Utah plays Utah State, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Saturday, Sept. 14; 3:30 p.m. (CT); Merlin Olson Field at Maverik Stadium; Logan, Utah
TV: CBS Sports Network
Records: No. 12 Utah (2-0); Utah State (1-1)
Last Week: Utah def. Baylor, 23-12; Utah State lost to USC, 48-0
Series History: Utah leads 79-29-4
Last Meeting: Utah 24, USU 14 (2015).
Fun Fact: The author of this preview attended the last Utah-Utah State matchup in 2015 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Also, the Utes are 25-12 when the game is played in Logan.
Utah vs Utah State Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: Utah (-20.5)
Over/Under: 46.5
Key Players
Utah Utes
RB Micah Bernard
Quarterback Cam Rising left last week’s game with a hand injury that isn’t considered too serious. Still, there could be questions about him up to game time. That probably means the Utes will lean on Bernard, who already has 151 yards rushing in two games. The senior has been with Utah for a long time, dating back to 2019 when he was a redshirt. He missed most of last season due to injury. But, in the two years prior he had more than 500 yards rushing. This season is his chance to show he can be the primary back.
DE Van Fillinger
One of the areas Utah had to shore up after last season was its pass rush. Well, Fillinger got the memo. Through two games the senior has three sacks and four tackles for loss, to go along with eight total tackles. He’s even broken up a pass. He’s been productive in the past. Last season he had three sacks. In 2022 he had five sacks before he missed the back half of the season due to injury. He had 5.5 sacks in 2021 and earned All-Pac-12 freshman honors. A high-performing season with no injuries puts him in position to interest NFL scouts.
Utah State Aggies
WR Jalen Royals
The Aggies have a high-level performer in Royals, as the senior leads USU with 11 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown. He had five catches against Robert Morris and six against USC, so it’s not like he loaded up on the FCS opponent, either. After a year at Georgia Military, he joined the Aggies, and he is now the 39th player in school history with 1,000 career receiving yards. He’s coming off a 2023 in which he was an All-Mountain West First-Team selection after he had 71 receptions for 1,080 yards and a school-record 15 touchdown catches.
S Vincent Jordan
He’s been busy, with a team-leading 21 tackles after two weeks. He had ten against Robert Morris and 11 against USC. So, like Royals, he proved he could do great work against a ranked opponent in the Trojans. He’s on his third school, as he played at Eastern Illinois (2020-22) and New Mexico State (2023) before transferring to the Aggies. At EIU, he was a Hero Sports FCS sophomore All-American, and at NMSU, he was honorable mention Conference USA after he had 65 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and 3.0 tackles for loss.
KEY STORYLINES
Utah Utes
Everyone will be on Cam Rising watch this week, though it appears he dodged a significant injury when he was driven into a hydration station on the Baylor sideline last week. With Rising on the field, the offense looks well-balanced. With true freshman Isaac Wilson at the controls, a little less so. The Utes want to lean on their run game, so if Rising is limited or can’t go, the Aggies are likely to get a heavier dose of Bernard and the other backs. To this point, the Utes remain a top Big 12 contender. A solid road win over a state rival would be a nice springboard into the league opener.
Utah State Aggies
The abrupt dismissal of Blake Anderson in July stemmed from alleged violations of Title IX regulations, per the Associated Press. It’s never ideal to lose your head coach two months before the season. The Aggies made Nate Dreiling the interim head coach. He is also USU’s defensive coordinator and he only joined the program this year, as he left New Mexico State to join Utah State. He has a tough road ahead of him. He’s never been a head coach, and he’s learning the ropes of a new program and a new job on the fly. If there is good news, the Utes went 6-7 last year, so expectations aren’t sky-high.
PREDICTION: Utah 42, Utah State 21
It’s a bigger game for Utah State than Utah (BYU is clearly Utah’s top rival). For that reason, I expect the Aggies to come into this one looking to play their best game so far this season. In fact, I could see this game starting close, especially if Rising cannot play or is limited. This is a great opportunity for the Utes to let the ground game shine and gradually pull away for a victory.
