Just three weeks into the season, life in the Pac-12 is already getting interesting.
In a weekend that saw Stanford beat preseason-favorite USC just two weeks after losing to Northwestern, BYU nearly upset highly-ranked UCLA and Oregon give up 28-plus points for the third straight week, one thing is clear, the race for the conference title is wide open, specifically in the South division.
So much was made of the California schools prior to the season’s start, but both the Trojans and the Bruins looked vulnerable and beatable this past weekend. Looking at the rest of the South, you have an Arizona State team that got manhandled by Texas A&M in week one, an Arizona team that beat UTSA by only 10 points and Colorado, who is, well, Colorado.
Then there are the Utes, who now sit with a 3-0 record after getting past Fresno State 45-24 on Saturday night. Just like every other team in this division, they haven’t had that perfect of a start to the season. But what we do know is that not only can Utah compete for the South crown, it can also be a contender.
Now, I’m going to be the first to tell myself to calm down, don’t overreact. The Utes have looked good, but again, this team was picked to finish fifth in the division by the coaches in a preseason poll (though I’m of the mindset that preseason polls are stupid). These other teams clearly have talent, and maybe just need a couple of weeks to get rolling.
But at this point in the season heading into week four, is it so farfetched to say Utah has possibly looked better than the rest of the South over this three-week stretch? I don’t think so.
That said, this team still has flaws. I mean, if not for the special teams going back-to-back with those returns for touchdowns, who knows how the game could have ended in Fresno. Was it just me, or did it look like the Bulldogs gained some momentum before Cory Butler-Byrd and Britain Covey saved the day?
More specifically, Utah’s secondary is what needs the most work. When Fresno State quarterback Chason Virgil went down with an injury, that was the worst thing to happen for the Utes. The second backup Zack Greenlee, who seemed to have the better arm of the two, got into the game and immediately picked apart the secondary so much that on Greenlee’s six completions of the game, half of them went for touchdowns.
Utah might be lucky Greenlee didn’t play the entire game, because the contest may have played out differently (probably not). Either way, it’s clear that the corners and safeties need to put in some extra time and work to match the rest of the defense’s production.
Take a look at this team and you’ll find a senior quarterback in Travis Wilson (who should be back under center next week vs. Oregon), one of the better running backs in the country in Devontae Booker, a stout front seven that is great against the run and a defensive-minded head coach in Kyle Whittingham. The Utes have the makeup of a team that can make noise in Pac-12 play.
If the secondary can improve from what it’s been these first three weeks, there’s no reason the Utes can’t walk into Autzen Stadium next week and steal a victory from the Ducks.
Going a step further, there’s no reason Utah can’t find itself at the top of the South division at the end of the season.
@GriffDoug