SALT LAKE CITY – The dreams of an unprecedented three consecutive conference championship for Utah Football were shattered by a reality that hit hard, but not surprisingly.
The Oregon Ducks showed their worth in the hunt for this year’s Pac-12 title with a convincing 35-6 victory over Utah. The Ducks (7-1, 4-1) all but eliminated Utah from the race, leaving them with no chance of winning the conference championship. The game took place at Rice-Eccles Stadium in front of a crowd of 53,586, which was the third largest in Utah’s history.
DOMINANT DUCKS 🦆@oregonfootball coasts to victory vs No. 13 Utah 💪 pic.twitter.com/W4fM2uZlSu
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 28, 2023
The harsh truth is that Utah lacked the necessary firepower to compete against the favored Ducks. Oregon’s only loss this season came by just three points against undefeated Washington. It’s important to put things into perspective and acknowledge that the current version of the Utah team is not good enough at this time.
“They took it to us,” admitted coach Kyle Whittingham, who believed the game was even more one-sided than the score indicated. “We really didn’t do much of anything in the game.”
Utah’s best play came on special teams when Mikey Matthews caught a kickoff in the end zone and threw the ball backward to Dijon Stanley, who then returned it for 49 yards. However, this momentary spark was overshadowed by an interception thrown by Bryson Barnes on the ensuing possession, leading to another Ducks touchdown and sealing their victory.
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This game was a messy affair for Utah, resulting in a rare one-sided blowout loss at home. Oregon set the tone early by marching 75 yards on six plays for a touchdown on their first possession, and it only went downhill from there for the Utes.
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 28, 2023
You might be wondering if a healthy Cam Rising at quarterback, throwing to his tag-team partner Brant Kuithe, could have kept Utah’s three-peat dreams alive. Maybe, but no one can say for certain.
However, Coach Whittingham doesn’t believe in using injuries as an excuse, as he often emphasizes.
There’s no use arguing with the motorcycle-riding boss with the impressive biceps, as seen during his exciting appearance on the Pat McAfee show. Friday’s appearance was the highlight for the Utes over the past two days.
It can be debated whether former defensive coordinator Urban Meyer’s opinion of Whittingham being college football’s best coach is true. But one thing is clear: Whittingham, who is just three weeks away from turning 64, is the coolest coach around.
However, even the coolest coach can only do so much with the resources available this season. In most cases, the team with the better players comes out on top.
Taking a glass half-full perspective, it’s important to remember that the Utes (6-2, 3-2) are not a terrible team. They still have the possibility of playing in a bowl game and a decent chance of achieving nine wins this season, although reaching ten wins seems unlikely.
Before Utah QB Bryson Barnes was tossing the pigskin, he worked on a pig farm.
A farm with 12,000 pigs to be exact 😳🐷 pic.twitter.com/7xiRlwEVhb
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 28, 2023
Nevertheless, getting thoroughly defeated at home is embarrassing for the Utes. And even with the injuries on defense, which included the loss of linebacker Lander Barton, it’s hard to make excuses for their performance.
Oregon’s dominance in the trenches, a fact that always bothers Whittingham, was evident. Utah’s defense struggled to contain the Ducks, especially player-of-the-year contender quarterback Bo Nix (24 of 31 for 248 yards and two touchdowns).
Even USC’s reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams couldn’t carve up Utah’s defense the way Nix did. With excellent protection from his offensive line, Nix had the upper hand throughout the game, resulting in 390 yards of total offense for the Ducks.
“Credit to their O-line,” remarked Utah linebacker Karene Reid. “The scheme was there; we just have to be more aggressive.”
To make matters worse, Utah’s running game was almost non-existent. After strong performances in consecutive wins over Cal and USC, the Utes struggled to gain any ground and couldn’t rely on their passing game to compensate for it.
Ja’Quinden Jackson and Sioni Vaki combined for a dismal total of only 76 rushing yards. It was a disappointing and surprising performance.
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