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SALT LAKE CITY — The 2013 college football season just ended with the national championship game last Monday, but fans are already optimistically looking forward to what 2014 might bring for their favorite team.
Winter workouts are already underway for most teams, with spring football practices right around the corner.
How will the Utes fare in 2014? Only time will tell, but even the most optimistic fan has to be a little concerned when looking at the 2014 football schedule released Wednesday afternoon.
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The Utes open up against FCS Idaho State, but then the challenge begins - and really never lets up. Matchups with Fresno State and Michigan round out the nonconference slate, with the Utes first Pac-12 game coming against the Cougars (Washington State, that is).
Along with Washington State, Utah will face conference foes USC, Oregon and Arizona at home, while travelling to UCLA, Oregon State, Arizona State, Stanford and Colorado.
A three week stretch in the November schedule looks downright brutal - at Arizona State, home against Oregon, followed by a game at Stanford.
Noticably absent from this year's schedule is the rivalry game with BYU - the teams are taking a two year hiatus before resuming the annual series in 2016.
"When it comes to competing in the Pac-12 Conference there are no weeks off and a non-conference schedule that includes Michigan and Fresno State will be challenging as well," said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. "As was the case this past season, our schedule should prove to be among the toughest in the country, which is the kind of competitive situation you expect when you are a member of one of the nation's premier conferences. Both the players in our program and our incoming recruits look forward to competing at the highest level."
The complete 2014 schedule is below.
Utah Football 2014 Schedule | ||
Thu 8/28 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/idaho_state.png) Idaho State Bengals | Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT |
Sat 9/6 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/fresno_state.png) Fresno State Bulldogs | Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT |
Sat 9/20 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/michigan.png) at Michigan Wolverines | Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI |
Sat 9/27 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/washington_state.png) Washington State Cougars | Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT |
Sat 10/4 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/ucla.png) at UCLA Bruins | Rose Bowl, Los Angeles, CA |
Thu 10/16 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/oregon_state.png) at Oregon State Beavers | Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR |
Sat 10/25 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/usc.png) USC Trojans | Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT |
Sat 11/1 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/arizona_state.png) at Arizona State Sun Devils | Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ |
Sat 11/8 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/oregon.png) Oregon Ducks | Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT |
Sat 11/15 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/stanford.png) at Stanford Cardinal | Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA |
Sat 11/22 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/arizona.png) Arizona Wildcats | Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT |
Sat 11/29 | ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/colorado.png) at Colorado Buffaloes | Folsom Field, Boulder, CO |