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Writer's pictureBruce Kelleher

Countdown to Kickoff Day 39: #12 Utah Utes

Updated: Aug 20, 2023

Quick prayer session for those who believe and aren't USC, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, or UCLA fans. Say it with me, “Lord, please allow Cam Rising to be healthy and play the whole season. I will ask nothing else for the rest of my life if you can make this happen.” Thanks.


College football fans deserve to see Cam Rising on the field to showcase his talent and will his team to another Pac-12 Championship. When Rising went down last year, Utah fans wanted nothing more than a speedy recovery for their star QB, but as his health remains up in the air and the potential for Brandon Rose or Bryson Barnes to start the opener grows, we are all reminded that we can’t always get what we want.


Keep your chin up Utes’ fans, even if Rising is out for week one, this team will be just fine against Florida in week one. Coach Kyle Whittingham will have this team ready, and when Rising comes back in week 1,2,3 or 4, he will be taking over an undefeated football team (knock on wood). Florida and Baylor are both tough tests, but Utah just has too many weapons on both sides of the ball and I really just don’t see them losing, even without Rising.


On offense, the Utes welcome back top target, and Brant Kuithe. Kuithe will be on the field for week one after tearing his ACL early in the 2022 season. They also will be returning a rushing attack that was #7 in yards/rush and #11 in rush yards/game. Once Rising is back on this field, I don’t see anyone in the Pac-12 being able to stop them.


With all the commotion going on about Caleb Williams/USC, Coach Prime/Colorado, Washington’s unbeatable offense, coaching changes around the conference, etc. Don’t be surprised if Utah uses their lack of presence in the media to their advantage. IF they can sneak out of the first X number of games without Rising without a loss, they can make some serious noise not only in the Pac-12 but for the CFP as well.


Prediction: It's a tough TOUGH schedule for the Utes in the PAC-12 as they are slated to play on the road against three Top-20 teams, and two of those are top-10 teams. I believe in the Utes though. 10-2 and a loss to USC in the Pac-12 championship game.


How Many Games Will Utah Win In 2023?

  • 10 or more

  • 9 or less


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