ASU is plenty physical enough to match Utah at the line of scrimmage, has a veteran quarterback who won’t get rattled in the bedlam of Rice-Eccles and possesses enough playmakers to generate quick-strike, long-distance touchdowns. Meanwhile, we haven’t seen quite enough from quarterback Cam Rising to believe the Utes will keep pace for four quarters against an ASU defense that can generate pressure without blitzing.
A victory Saturday over Arizona State would leave Utah as the Pac-12’s only undefeated team in conference play, with head-to-head wins over USC and ASU and only one other legitimate contender in the division: UCLA, which visits Salt Lake City at the end of the month.
Win Saturday, and by the close of October, the Utes just might have full control of the South and a bowl berth locked up.