Utah (2-2, 0-2 Pac-12) at No. 14 Stanford (4-1, 2-0), 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Line: Stanford by 5.
Series record: Tied 4-4.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
The Utes are looking for their first conference win after losing to Washington and Washington State. The Cardinal are trying to bounce back from their first loss of the season last week against Notre Dame.
KEY MATCHUP
Utah pass D vs. Stanford WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside. The Utes have one of the stingiest defenses, leading the conference in pass efficiency and ranking second in scoring. Figuring out how to keep the 6-foot-3 Arcega-Whiteside out of the end zone will be tough. He uses his size to overpower defenders on fades and ranks second in the nation with eight TD catches.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Utah: QB Tyler Huntley. The Utes are scoring just 22.3 points per game and need more consistent play from their quarterback. Huntley has completed 77 of 129 passes for 821 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Huntley is a threat running and had 88 yards rushing last week against Washington State.
Stanford: CB Paulson Adebo ranks second nationally and leads the Pac-12 with 2.4 passes defensed per game. He’s a physical cornerback who will make things tough on Utah WR Britain Covey, who is second in the Pac-12 with 6.8 catches per game.
FACTS & FIGURES
Utah has won two of three in the series since joining the Pac-12 with all three games decided by six or fewer points. … The Utes have lost eight of their last 10 Pac-12 games. … The Utes are 3-0 all-time at Stanford Stadium. … Utah is tied for the Pac-12 lead for fewest penalties with 25. … Stanford has won 11 straight home games. … The Cardinal are one of four FBS teams not to have lost a fumble this season. … Stanford averaging just 3.4 yards per carry and could be without star RB Bryce Love, who is nursing an injured ankle.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Please read our comment policy before commenting.