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BYU at Utah Football Picks

Written November 21, 2008 by Jack Jones

BYU against Utah is a big rivalry in the Mountain West Conference and this year at least one of the teams is playing for a lot more than just pride and a lot more than just the Mountain West Conference title. The Utah Utes are currently 11-0 and are on the cusp of earning a BCS Bowl bid, if only they can hold off their bitter conference rivals. BYU had their BCS buster dreams dashed fairly early on with a loss to TCU, but the Cougars have still been good this year, earning a 10-1 record and getting ranked 16th in the nation. Utah is a 7 point favorite over BYU this week with the total set at 54 points.

BYU brings a formidable passing attack to the table against the Utes this week. So far they’ve racked up 319 yards per game through the air, just one part of an offense that gains 447 yards of total offense per game and scores just over 36 points per game. The one weak spot for the Cougars on offense may be the running game, which has been merely average, and below average on the road, gaining just 110 yards on the ground in road games this season.

The Cougar defense is ranked in the top 25 in points allowed by their defense this year, holding opposing teams to just 18 points per game. They have held up well against the run, allowing just 147 yards per ground from opposing running backs. The BYU passing defense has also fared pretty well, allowing just 198 passing yards per contest, bringing their total yards allowed to a respectable 345. The Cougars will get all they can handle and more this week against a Utah team that’s been every bit as good as anyone they’ve faced.

Utah can match BYU in terms of offensive production. The Utes score about 36 points per game and have gained an average of 403 yards per game to this point in the season. So far, the Utes have been able to spread the ball around quite nicely. Their running game averages 172 yards per game and the passing attack gains right at 230 yards per game, making them a very difficult unit to stop. They’ll be facing a BYU defense this week that has put up some impressive numbers this year. The Utes are 7 point favorites at home this Saturday.

Defense is where the Utes have really excelled this season. So far they are ranking better than BYU in total points allowed per game at just 16.6, and they’ve allowed only 94 rushing yards per game. The passing defense hasn’t been as good, but it’s been very effective, holding opposing QBs to just 190 passing yards per game. So, the Utes are giving up only 285 yards per game and just 16 points per game, while scoring 36 points per game? It’s no wonder they are 11-0 for the first time in their history this year!

This won’t be an easy win for either team. Utah has more to lose in the game, so it will be all about how they respond to that pressure. BYU would love nothing more than to send the Utes home without the conference trophy and without a BCS Bowl bid, but they’ll have a tough road on the road this week.

Editor’s Note: Jack Jones wants you to pick up his premium play on the BYU/Utah Game! Jack’s in depth analysis is included with the pick!

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