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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utes are coming off a 22-19 win over then-No. 14 Oklahoma State in Stillwater last week, showing out for their first game as members of the Big 12.
No. 10 Utah has had true freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson at the helm since Cam Rising went down with a hand injury against Baylor. Through his two-and-a-half games, Wilson has completed 48-of-82 passes for 550 yards, five touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Though unclear who the starter will be on Saturday, it is expected that Wilson will roll out for the Utes once again.
Utah will take on Arizona at Rice-Eccles Stadium this week, so how do they get the win even if Rising is a go?
Limit Tetairoa McMillan's damage
If the Utes can prevent McMillan from having a big game, it should set things up for the team everywhere else. McMillan has 23 catches for 453 yards and four touchdowns through three games.
Against New Mexico, McMillan surpassed the 300-yard mark, totaling 10 catches, 304 yards, and four touchdowns. A top candidate to win the Biletnikoff will be the most important person on the field for the Utes to watch.
There is no doubting Utah's defensive prowess. No team has scored more than 21 points through four games against the Utes, they've forced two teams to bench their starting quarterback, and they keep getting better.
Leading the Big 12 in defensive yards per game, the Utes defense is capable of limiting McMillan.
Whether Smith Snowden or Zemaiah Vaughn are tasked with McMillan remains to be seen, but limiting his impact will be crucial for Utah.
Other big impact players on defense will be safety Tao Johnson — who has been great for Utah this year, netting a total defense grade of 76.6, according to PFF – and redshirt freshman cornerback Cameron Calhoun, who has a coverage grade of 76.6 in three appearances.
Pressure Fifita out of the pocket
Quarterback Noah Fifita was a hidden gem for Arizona last year, completing 72.4% of passes. This year the young quarterback is down to 63.6%. The main reason? Teams are forcing him out of the pocket.
Fifita has a 59.9 run grade this year, according to PFF, which is 107th of all FBS quarterbacks. With just four rushing attempts on the year and three sacks taken, Fifita isn't very mobile, so forcing him outside the pocket will be crucial for Utah to stop an offense like Arizona's.
The Wildcats are just 8-of-18 on play-action passes this year, and 7-of-10 on screen passes. Fifita stays in the pocket as much as possible, and has just four runs on the year for 30 yards.
Van Fillinger is second in the country in sacks at 5.5, and leads the Utes in tackles with 20. Connor O'Toole (questionable) and Logan Fano have been effective in the pass rush while consistently putting pressure on the quarterback.
Let the playmakers do what they do
Whether it is Wilson or Rising taking snaps on Saturday night, the Utes offensive playmakers will be the difference.
Micah Bernard has been effective to start the year, totaling 456 rushing yards and averaging 7 yards per carry.
Brant Kuithe has been a red zone nightmare for defenses, bringing in four touchdowns, including the eventual difference maker against Oklahoma State last week on a 45-yard pass from Wilson.
Dorian Singer has been as advertised for Utah, totaling 200 receiving yards on the year without his QB1.
There is plenty of offensive talent for the Utes, and whoever is starting at quarterback has many weapons to propel them to a victory over a defense that gives up 27 points per game in Arizona.
Rice-Eccles Stadium will be rocking while the Utes will be looking for their second Big 12 win against the Wildcats. The game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. MDT on ESPN.
