Utah Utes vs Oregon Ducks: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA

When: Friday, December 6th at 8pm EST

How (TV): ABC

Utah Utes (Away)

❌ 3 total touchdowns
❌ 2 receiving TDs, 1 rushing TD
❌ Team-high 122 yards
❌ #RoseBowl @pac12 Player of the Week!

Congrats to @Utah_Football TE, Brant Kuithe! pic.twitter.com/Tpfmqs56mn

— Rose Bowl Game (@rosebowlgame) December 2, 2019

Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham {All-Time: 131-62 | UTAH}

Regular Season Record: 11-1 Overall; 8-1 Pac-12

The Utah Utes enter the conference title game in hopes of breaking the Pac-12’s playoff drought. The Utes will need more than a win on Friday night, likely needing Georgia and possibly Oklahoma to lose their conference championship games. On the bright side, however, a win over Oregon will guarantee nothing less than a Rose Bowl bid, which would be the first in program history.

The Utes closed out their regular season with a dominant, 45-15 victory over Colorado. Quarterback Tyler Huntley was efficient in his final start at Rice-Eccles Stadium, completing 14 of 17 passes for 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Utah’s all-time leading rusher, Zack Moss, added 88 yards on the ground along with a score, while freshman tight end Brant Kuithe caught both of Huntley’s touchdown throws in addition to a rushing touchdown.

On the defensive end, Utah was able to put the clamps on Colorado, limiting the Buffaloes to 217 total yards. Colorado’s quarterback Steven Montez took a handful of hits, with Devin Lloyd, Bradley Anae, and Mika Tafua each tallying 1.5 sacks. Senior linebacker Francis Bernard contributed the lone turnover of the night, forcing a fumble from Colorado receiver Dimitri Stanley, which was recovered by fellow senior, Terrell Burgess.

Just the third player (@DATBLACKMOMBA13 & @Jonathanstewar1) in program history with ✌️ kickoff returns for a TD in a season.

Make that ✌️ Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors this year for @_mykael2. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/3YW2GuGfRr

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) December 2, 2019

Head Coach: Mario Cristobal {All-Time: 46-54 | FIU, ORE}

Regular Season Record: 10-2; 8-1 Pac-12

Although their playoff hopes were crushed after an upset loss to Arizona State two weeks ago, the Oregon Ducks enter this game with plenty of reasons to be optimistic. With their first double digit win season since 2014 and a shot at their first Rose Bowl since that same year, the Ducks are not too far away from reliving the days of the Chip Kelly era.

Oregon is coming off a hard fought win in The Civil War against hated rival Oregon State, beating the Beavers 24-10. Senior quarterback Justin Herbert had a quiet night, throwing for just 174 yards and a touchdown to junior receiver Johnny Johnson III. Sophomore running back Travis Dye added 91 rushing yards on 12 carries, while redshirt sophomore back Cyrus Habibi-Likio iced the game with a 20 yard touchdown run with just over a minute to play.

The Ducks and their tenth ranked scoring defense kept Oregon State from getting within striking distance late in the game, limiting the Beavers to five third down conversions on 16 tries. Oregon’s talented secondary kept the Beavers’ receivers out of the end zone, despite giving up 243 passing yards to quarterback Tristan Gebbia, while also limiting star running back Jermar Jefferson to 81 yards on the ground.

In 32 games between the two schools, Oregon has managed to win 22 of those matchups, including six of nine since 2000. The last time the two teams faced off against each other was last season when the Utes took down the Ducks 32-25 behind a six field-goal effort from former kicker Matt Gay. Current backup quarterback Jason Shelley started for an injured Tyler Huntley, running for a pair of two-yard touchdowns in that game.

This game will be the third time Oregon and Utah will face off while both are ranked, and the first time ever they will play each other on a neutral field.

Utah Roster Notes

There are no recent roster changes to report for Utah.

Oregon Roster Notes

Senior center Jake Hanson is expected to play after missing the Oregon State game with an undisclosed injury suffered against Arizona State.

Head-to-Head: Zack Moss (UTAH) vs Troy Dye (ORE)

The matchup to focus on in this conference title game will be between a pair of star seniors, as Oregon’s Troy Dye will aim to neutralize Utah’s primary offensive playmaker in Zack Moss. With the two future pros having faced off against each other three times leading up to Friday’s game, each player will be able to draw on a wealth of experience to give themselves an edge over one another.

Zack Moss

Running back | 5-10, 222lb | Hallandale HS | Hialeah Gardens, FL | Senior

Having nearly every school rushing record, Zack Moss is arguably the best running back in program history. The Floridian is a nightmare for opposing defenders, as he often prefers to run through them as opposed to outrunning them. His strong build allows him to break multiple tackles on his runs, however, he also has the ability to read blocks before attacking holes to maximize his yardage. His physicality also makes him a useful blocker in pass protection, an attribute that could gain him favor in the eyes of NFL scouts.

Troy Dye

Middle Linebacker | 6-4, 226lb | Norco HS | Norco, CA | Senior

Despite arriving in Eugene as a three-star recruit, Troy Dye quickly became a mainstay in Oregon’s defense, earning Freshman All-America honors in 2016. His experience as a four-year starter has allowed him to develop the necessary skills to excel at his position at the next level, even though he may be slightly undersized. His athleticism and awareness allows him to react to plays before they develop, whether that may be on play-action passes or trick plays./p>

Utah vs Oregon Predictions and Odds

Find the latest odds for Utes vs Ducks below. The odds are provided by New Jersey sportsbooks bet365 NJ, DraftKings, and SugarHouse NJ.

Good luck! 

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