The Utes had a much-needed bye week last week, following a 21-7 loss to Washington. The Utes will have to play better than they did against Washington, to beat Washington State. Utah proved that they could slow down one of the best offenses in the sport, despite losing multiple defensive players during the game. They will have to do it again, as Washington State can score from anywhere on the field. There will be some interesting matchups to keep an eye on this week!
Zack Moss – RB
Moss has proven that he can be a productive back, and he should be very productive against Washington State, who has yet to prove they can play good defense against upper tier opponents. Moss will have to help the defense out by carrying the ball often and productively. Utah’s best defense this week may be winning the time of possession.
Chase Hansen – LB
Hansen is the leader of the Utah defense, he plays well consistently, and they rely on that. He will have to play almost the perfect game on Saturday because Washington State can do things to throw a defense off. Hansen will have to be disciplined, otherwise, he will do the team more harm than good. If he plays like he’s played the last few weeks, he should light up the stat sheet in a high octane game. Hansen is exactly what the NFL is looking for in a nickel linebacker, so games like this are worth a lot of future money to him.
Bradlee Anae – DL
Bradlee Anae came into the season as a player I was excited to watch, but he hasn’t played the way I hoped he would. Against Washington, he didn’t register a single tackle, in a game I wanted to see him dominate. He can still turn the season around, but he’s going to have to play his way out of the production slump.
Julian Blackmon – DB
Blackmon has played out of his mind. Julian Blackmon is a long, rangy corner, who plays the ball with reckless abandon. He nearly shuts down one side of the field. He isn’t the best corner in college, but in the role, he is asked to play, he excels. As the NFL falls more and more in love with long corners, Blackmon has a chance to make himself a lot of money against a pass-happy offense in Washington State. I expect him to make a name for himself this week.