The last time Utah and UCLA collided on the gridiron, it was Ute quarterback Travis Wilson’s first collegiate start. He threw for 220 yards, zero touchdowns and an interception as Utah dropped its third straight Pac-12 game of 2012.
Wilson has grown exponentially as a quarterback since then, so the Utes are expecting a much different game when they square off against the Bruins tonight at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Utah will have its hands full with UCLA’s Brett Hundley, who is working on his Heisman résumé for 2013. The Bruins’ gunslinger will pose the biggest threat the Utes’ secondary has seen thus far, but Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said Wilson can go toe-to-toe with Hundley.
“[Hundley is] a lot like our guy, like Travis [Wilson]. I mean, their numbers are almost exact when you compare the two as far as throw game,” Whittingham said. “They are within a point or two of each other in pass efficiency … What Travis brings to the table and makes him difficult to defend, Hundley does the same thing for the Bruins.”
Wilson actually has a slight edge in passing efficiency. He’s producing a 166.62 rating compared to Hundley’s 165.9. Not only that, but Wilson also has the advantage in every passing statistic. He’s thrown for 1,118 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions; Hundley counters with 848 passing yards, eight scores and three picks.
Quickly being recognized as a true dual-threat quarterback, Wilson is also beating Hundley in every rushing category. He has run for 251 yards and five touchdowns, putting Hundley’s 157 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to shame.
Despite holding a statistical lead on Hundley, Wilson remains humble when comparisons to the guy on the Heisman watch list arise.
“It’s definitely a huge compliment,” Wilson said. “Brett Hundley, he’s a great QB. He’s really smart. He makes really amazing plays, and it’s gonna be great going against him.”
Wilson has been gaining national recognition for his offensive prowess through the first third of the season, but he can’t take all of the credit. Utah’s offense as a unit has been firing on all cylinders. In particular, the offensive line has been giving Wilson time to connect on big plays and allowing running backs to break off huge chunks of yardage on the ground.
“We’ve seen the things that Travis can do for our offense,” said offensive lineman Junior Salt. “When we hold that extra block for a couple seconds, we have playmakers all across the board: our running backs, our receivers, our tight ends. It all starts in the trenches.”
Whittingham agrees with Salt. He said the key to victory on Thursday night will be the same as always — winning the battle on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
Utah’s defensive line leads the Pac-12 in sacks per game and is second in total sacks. Whittingham said continuing that trend will lead to success. He also acknowledged that UCLA’s defense is no joke.
“They’re good across the board on defense,” Whittingham said. “Their secondary is athletic, their backers are active, so there really isn’t anything that you can say is a weakness on their defense.”
Clad in black along with Utah faithful at the game, the Utes will charge into Rice-Eccles Stadium Thursday night with confidence and a chip on their shoulder.
“Last year is last year and we need to move forward, but at the same time, we have it on our backs, that loss from last year,” said junior defensive end Nate Orchard. “We’re gonna do everything we can to shake it off, and this is our chance to go forward and hopefully get the victory.”