Inexperience Under Center / Youth Under Center

Throw all the stats and records out the window-what the Utah-Arizona match-up may come down to is which young sophomore quarterback is most prepared for primetime. Both Utah’s Brian Johnson and UA’s Richard Kovalcheck have seen limited playing experience during their brief collegiate careers, and both their raw talent and inexperience will be on full display in Friday’s nationally televised opener.

While Johnson inherits an offensive system that has been one of the most productive in the country for the past two seasons, Kovalcheck has an edge in experience. The third-year sophomore took over as the Wildcats’ starter last season, starting the final four games of the year and leading the team to a pair of late-season victories.

However, Kovalchek completed just 49.3 percent of his passes and now faces the daunting task of trying to earn his third career victory against a team that hasn’t lost in nearly two years.

Johnson, on the other hand, put up solid numbers last season but played only during garbage time, when a Utah victory was already well in hand. The talented 18-year-old sophomore takes over an offense used to scoring points-and lots of ’em-but will Kovalcheck’s added experience prove the deciding factor?

Chris Bellamy