Utah vs. Arizona: Prediction, Preview, Betting Odds
Week 5 of the college football season is here. Utah plays Arizona, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Saturday, Sept. 28; 9:15 p.m. (CT); Rice Eccles Stadium; Salt Lake City, UT
TV: ESPN
Records: No. 10 Utah (4-0, 1-0); Arizona (2-1, 0-0)
Last Week: Utah 22, Oklahoma State 19; Arizona idle
Series History: Utah leads, 26-20-2
Last Meeting: Arizona 42, Utah 18 (2023)
Fun Fact: Last year’s 42-18 win for Arizona ended the longest winning streak for Utah in this series, which lasted six meetings from 2016-2022.
Utah vs. Arizona Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: Utah (-11)
Over/Under: 47.5
Key Players
Arizona Wildcats
QB Noah Fifita
Arizona’s offense hasn’t looked anything like it did to end the season last year, and perhaps that’s got more to do with the loss of players like Jonah Coleman and Jacob Cowing. However, the more likely answer is that Noah Fifita and his new offensive coaching staff haven’t clicked the way he did under Jedd Fisch. Fifita’s thrown two interceptions to just one touchdown over the last two games and his completion percentage is down from nearly 73% last year to 63.4% this season. The sample size is small, but Fifita will have to be back to his old self if the Wildcats are going to pull off an upset.
S Dalton Johnson
The Arizona defense was put through the wringer in their last game, as Kansas State’s rushing attack ran around, over, and through them for 235 yards (5.7 ypc). The defensive line is severely undermanned compared to last year’s group, but there is still plenty of talent in the back end. One of those talented pieces is junior safety Dalton Johnson. Last year against Utah, Johnson led the Wildcats with 11 tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss. If they’re going to make it two in a row over the Utes, Arizona needs Johnson to be a factor.
Utah Utes
RB Micah Bernard
Isaac Wilson did a good job managing the game last week against Oklahoma State, but it was running back Micah Bernard who led the Utes offense to victory. With a career-high 182 yards on 25 carries, Bernard shouldered the burden on the road and made the plays necessary to keep Utah ahead of the sticks. Whether Cam Rising is back or not, the running game for Utah will be a factor in this game. Expect Bernard to get the ball early and often against the Wildcats.
DE Van Fillinger
Senior defensive end Van Fillinger leads the Big 12 in sacks (5.5) through four weeks of the season and has recorded at least one sack in every game thus far. Considering he plays defensive end, it’s almost as impressive is the fact that Fillinger also co-leads the team in total tackles (20) and solo tackles (10) to this point. When Arizona’s offense tries to air it out in this game, Fillinger will be the name to watch for Utah’s pass rush.
KEY STORYLINES
Arizona Wildcats
Can Arizona sustain offensive drives? Arizona’s first drive against Kansas State ended in a touchdown and lasted a full seven and a half minutes. Then, their final eight drives ended as follows: Punt (TD return), Interception, Punt, Punt, Punt, Turnover on Downs, Turnover on Downs, and Turnover on Downs. That kind of performance isn’t going to win them any games, let alone against opponents like K-State or Utah. The Utes defense might be the best in the league, but Arizona is going to have to find a way to sustain drives if they hope to keep this game within striking distance.
Utah Utes
Is Cam Rising back? All week long leading up to Oklahoma State, reports were reassuring fans that their star quarterback would be making his return against the Cowboys. Then, the morning of the game, he was a “game-time decision” and then ultimately sat out after warmups. The Utes still managed to win without him, but getting Rising back on the field is going to be a major storyline for Utah. The longer he has to sit out, the more questions there will be. At what point does it become a distraction?
PREDICTION: Utah 28, Arizona 17
I’m making this prediction under the presumption that Cam Rising doesn’t play in this game. If he does, I’d feel good about the Utes winning this game by three scores and the over hitting. However, I think the Utah staff will let Rising take his time and give Wilson a chance to keep developing his craft. The Utah running attack should be able to control this game enough that he’s able to build a lead and keep it without much trouble. Meanwhile, the Utah defense is the best unit that Arizona will have faced this season. While they’ll have some tricks up their sleeve early on, thanks to the bye week for preparation, I think the Utes’ defense clamps down after a quick start and strangles the Wildcats’ offense over the second half of the game.
