The 17th ranked Utes head to San Jose to take on the Spartans of San Jose State at 8:30 PM Saturday Night. The Utes look to add to their current 15 game overall winning streak and 8 game road winning streak while the Spartans look to rebound from last week's disaster vs. USC. For the second straight week the Utes will face a WAC opponent and for the first time they will play on the road. Utah leads the all-time series 4-1, with San Jose State's lone win coming in 1974.Storylines
- Battle of the Brothers: Utah senior defensive tackle Kenape Eliapo faces off against his younger brother, San Jose State guard Ailao Eliapo. Both brothers played high school football together at South San Francisco High.
- Utah's Offense vs. San Jose State's Defense: After putting up over 500 yards of offense last week vs. Utah State, the Utes face a stiffer test against the Spartan's defense. Although the Spartans gave up 53 points to USC last week, they did hold the mighty Trojans scoreless for about the first 20 minutes of the game. Will Terrance Cain continue to manage the game effectively and limit turnovers in his first hostile environment? How many touches will Matt Asiata get after a whopping 38 last week? Does the Spartan Defense have the depth to stay with Utah or will they wear down throughout the game?
- San Jose State's 2 Quarterback Attack: Will Spartan coach Dick Tomey continue to employ two quarterbacks throughout the game or will he settle on one go-to guy? Snaps so far have been split between Kyle Reed and Jordan La Secla.
- The Utes Defense vs. Big Plays: Will the Utes tighten up on defense and prevent the big plays that happened against Utah State from repeating themselves?
This game features two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions. The Utes have not lost a game in nearly 21 months, maintaining the nation's longest current win streak of 15 games. San Jose State has not won a game in nearly 11 months, losing their last 4 games while being collectively outscored 142-30. In their last 3 games, the Utes have looked impressive beating Alabama, BYU, and Utah State. The Spartans have totaled -19 rushing yards in their last 4 games combined.
Get the point?
Now obviously this is a new year with new players and new possibilities. The Utes are still young and still have some growing pains they surely will endure throughout the season. San Jose State has some talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball, that will be able to hang with the Utes for a considerable amount of time. However, like last week, Utah's depth and talent of the 2's and 3's will eventually take over and a seemingly close game could get out of hand.
I expect the Ute offense to continue their consistency and be able to effectively move the ball downfield. There will be some hiccups and 3-and-outs here and there as expected, but I just don't foresee the Spartans having enough depth and talent to control Utah's numerous weapons. I expect to see Terrance Cain continuing to employ the short passing game like last week, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him air it out a bit more. Matt Asiata will once again be a big factor in the offense's success. If he can consistently get about 4-5 yards a carry, that will allow Cain to relax and do his thing at a higher level. I don't expect Asiata to get as many touches as last week and maybe we'll get to see a little more Eddie Wide, and possibly Sausan Shakerin.
The Ute defense should have little trouble containing the Spartan offense. If the Utes can prevent the big plays I don't see San Jose State being very effective at all. Koa Misi's return will only bolster an already stiff defensive line. Don't expect the Spartans to get many rushing yards (It took them 31 carries to get 9 whole yards against USC) and I can't see the quarterbacks being much more successful. Also, if the Utes can contain their pristine 3rd down defense, they will be unbeatable no matter how poorly the Utes offense performs.
- Utah's offense will put more than enough points on the board to secure the victory although the game might stay close for a quarter or two.
- Utah's defense will do the bulk of the damage by stifling the Spartan rushing attack and providing ample pressure on the QBs.
- Utah's defense will be directly responsible for at least 7-10 points.
- Special Teams will continue to impress and we might see a big game-changing play on a kickoff or punt return
