No. 16 Utah seeks offensive revival against California
California (3-3, 1-2 Pac-12) at No. 16 Utah (4-1, 1-1), Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Networks)
Line: Utah by 11 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Tied 6-6.
WHAT´S AT STAKE?
Utah is seeking to get back on track on offense after bottoming out at Oregon State. The No. 16 Utes rank last in the Pac-12 in passing offense and total offense. Meanwhile, California is hoping to ride a much-improved offense toward claiming its first win in Salt Lake City since 1963.
KEY MATCHUP
Will California be able to run the ball against Utah? The Bears are churning out 217.3 yards per game on the ground, ranking second in the Pac-12, and are outgaining opponents by 101.5 yards rushing per game. The Utes have allowed only 67.0 yards rushing per game, ranking third nationally. Utah has not allowed more than 131 yards rushing in a single game this season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
California: It´s safe to say sophomore RB Jaydn Ott is a barometer for success for the Bears. California is 2-0 in games where Ott has eclipsed 100 rushing yards this season. Ott leads the Pac-12 with 556 rushing yards and is averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Utah: With Cam Rising not expected back any time soon, freshman QB Nate Johnson will need to take a major step forward for the Utes to have a realistic shot at another Pac-12 title. Johnson endured a nightmarish outing at Oregon State, completing just 8-of-23 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
FACTS & FIGURES
Utah has committed only three turnovers this season, which is tied for fourth among FBS teams. ... California leads the Pac-12 and ranks third nationally in plays per game (77.3) and total plays (464). ... Utes defensive end Jonah Elliss leads the Pac-12 with 7.5 sacks. Ellis ranks second nationally in total sacks. ... Ott (558), Isaiah Ifanse (348) and Ashton Stredick (199) have combined for 1,105 rushing yards through six games for the Bears. ... This is just the second meeting between California and Utah since 2016. The Utes shut out the Bears 35-0 in 2019. ... Jack Bouwmeester has booted nine punts longer than 50 yards, the most by a Utah punter in a season since 2018. ... California leads the Pac-12 with 14 turnovers gained.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
