No. 12 Utah seeks to extend unbeaten start vs. Weber State

2023-09-15 00:57

Utah is looking to put together a complete game on offense after relying on stifling defense to earn consecutive victories over Florida and Baylor

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Weber State at Utah, 2 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Networks)

Line: N/A according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Utah leads 6-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Utah is looking to put together a complete game on offense after relying on stifling defense to earn consecutive victories over Florida and Baylor. Weber State is seeking a win over an instate FBS opponent for a second straight season after dismantling Utah State 35-7 a year ago.

KEY MATCHUP

Weber State’s explosive run-first offense will face a Utah defense that’s has yielded 134 total yards on the ground this season. The Wildcats are averaging 200 rushing yards and 34.5 points per game while Utah has allowed only two touchdowns through its first two games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Weber State: RB Damon Bankston ranks second in the FCS with 131.5 rushing yards per game. Bankston tallied a season-high 144 yards on the ground in a 34-17 victory over Northern Iowa and is averaging 7.5 yards per carry through his first two contests. He has 1,095 career rushing yards in 24 career games with the Wildcats.

Utah: If Cam Rising isn’t cleared to play, QB Nate Johnson will get his first career start. Johnson led the Utes on back-to-back fourth quarter touchdown drives in a 20-13 win over Baylor. He threw for 82 yards on 6-of-7 passing against the Bears while adding 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

FACTS & FIGURES

Utah is 54-12-2 against the current members of the Big Sky Conference but has never lost to a Big Sky team besides Idaho. … Weber State has reached the FCS Playoffs six out of the last seven seasons. … Utes RB Ja’Quinden Jackson has three 100-yard games in his last five starts. Jackson rushed for a career-high 129 yards on 19 carries against Baylor. … Wildcats CB Abraham Williams leads the FCS with a 51.3-yard kickoff return average. He was a consensus All-American in 2022 after returning four kickoffs 100 yards for touchdowns. … True freshman WR Mikey Matthews leads Utah with eight receptions. Matthews is the first freshman to lead the Utes in receptions since 2018.

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll