A look at the Pac-12’s first half:
Biggest surprise
It seems odd to label a Kyle Whittingham-coached team as the Pac-12’s biggest surprise but this time Utah applies. Picked second in the Pac-12 South in the preseason media poll, the Utes are the conference’s only team without a conference loss. Their journey to date has been a lesson in overcoming adversity.
The Utes started 1-2, losing September road contests to BYU and San Diego State. That same month, sophomore cornerback Aaron Lowe was shot and killed at a Salt Lake City house party. This came a year after the Utes had lost running back Ty Jordan in an accidental shooting in Texas.
On the field, Utah responded with a 42-26 rout of USC, the program’s first win in Los Angeles since 1916. The next week, after attending Lowe’s memorial service in Texas, the Utes took control of the South Division with a come-from-behind win over No. 18 Arizona State.
“We are sitting in a great spot right now,” Whittingham said after the Arizona State win. “We have a lot of football left, a lot of tough games. This thing’s just getting started, but right now we are in a great spot.”
Utes 2nd Half