UTAH (4-3, 1-2) at TCU (4-3, 1-2)
Sunny and warm during the day and clear at night.
Today, 6 p.m. — Amon G. Carter Stadium (44,008/grass) — Fort Worth, Texas
TV: Versus (DirecTV Ch. 603, Dish Network Ch. 151, Comcast Ch. 34)
Radio: 700AM
PLAYER TO WATCH
CHASE ORTIZ, TCU: The senior defensive end leads the Mountain West Conference in sacks (0.71 per game) and tackles-for-loss (1.50 per game). Ortiz is a two-time, first-team all-conference honoree.
KEY MATCHUP
UTAH'S OFFENSE vs. TCU'S DEFENSE: The Utes may need to put plenty of points on the board to hop past the Horned Frogs. TCU has won 53 consecutive games when holding opponents to 17 points or less.
THE STAKES
For Utah ... The Utes are seeking their fourth consecutive victory — the longest in Kyle Whittingham's tenure as head coach. A win would also even Utah's conference record at 2-2 with four games.
For TCU ... The Horned Frogs are also trying to keep their conference hopes alive. A victory would put them at .500 in league play at the midway point. Another loss could be too much to overcome.
THE TRENDS
For Utah ... The Utes have dominated the ground game in their four wins this season. They've outrushed the opposition by an average of 202-71 yards per game. Tailback Darrell Mack has topped 100 yards in each outing.
For TCU ... The Horned Frogs are 37-5 at Amon G. Carter Stadium since 2000. Six of the past 11 teams to visit Fort Worth have failed to score a touchdown.
THE EDGE
Utah will win if ... the Utes can maintain the consistency they've built in recent weeks. Offense, defense and special teams have got to stay on the same page for the injury riddled program to continue its win streak.
TCU will win if ... the Horned Frogs can jump out to an early lead. They've outscored the competition 287-54 over the first half of their last 15 outings.
SCHEDULE
Date . . . . Opponent . . . . Result/Time (TV)
Aug. 30 . . . . at Oregon St. . . . . L, 24-7
Sept. 8 . . . . Air Force . . . . L, 20-12
Sept. 15 . . . . UCLA . . . . W, 44-6
Sept. 22 . . . . at UNLV . . . . L, 27-0
Sept. 29 . . . . Utah St. . . . . W, 34-18
Oct. 5 . . . . at Louisville . . . . W, 44-35
Oct. 13 . . . . San Diego St. . . . . W, 23-7
Oct. 18 . . . . at TCU . . . . 6 p.m. (VS)
Oct. 27 . . . . at Colorado St. . . . . 3:30 p.m. (MTN)
Nov. 10 . . . . Wyoming . . . . 1:30 p.m. (CSTV)
Nov. 17 . . . . New Mexico . . . . 3:30 p.m. (MTN)
Nov. 24 . . . . at BYU . . . . Noon (CSTV/MTN)
All times Mountain
NEXT UP: Winless Colorado State (0-6, 0-3) is on the road at UNLV on Saturday.
UTAH
OFFENSE
WR . . . . DERREK RICHARDS, SR. . . . . 26
. . . . Freddie Brown, Jr. . . . . 88
WR . . . . MARQUIS WILSON, JR. . . . . 2
. . . . Jereme Brooks, Fr. . . . . 85
. . . . Elijah Wesson, So. . . . . 8
WR . . . . BRIAN HERNANDEZ, SR. . . . . 16
. . . . Bradon Godfrey, Jr. . . . . 81
TE . . . . MATT SIMS, SR. . . . . 48
. . . . Dallin Rogers, Fr. . . . . 89
. . . . Colt Sampson, Jr. . . . . 45
LT . . . . ZANE BEADLES, SO. . . . . 68
. . . . Walter Watts, Fr. . . . . 71
LG . . . . C. SCHLAUDERAUF, FR. . . . . 72
. . . . Corey Seiuli, Jr. . . . . 74
C . . . . KYLE GUNTHER, SR. . . . . 63
. . . . Tyler Williams, So. . . . . 57
RG . . . . ROBERT CONLEY, JR. . . . . 66
. . . . Zane Taylor, Fr. . . . . 77
RT . . . . DUSTIN HENSEL, JR. . . . . 65
. . . . Walter Watts, Fr. . . . . 71
QB . . . . BRIAN JOHNSON, JR. . . . . 3
. . . . Tommy Grady, Sr. . . . . 15
. . . . Corbin Louks, Fr. . . . . 23
RB . . . . DARRELL MACK, JR. . . . . 6
. . . . Ray Stowers, Jr. . . . . 24
PK . . . . LOUIE SAKODA, JR. . . . . 35
. . . . Ben Vroman, So. . . . . 30
KR . . . . BRICE MCCAIN, JR. . . . . 1
. . . . ELIJAH WESSON, SO. . . . . 8
DEFENSE
LE . . . . MARTAIL BURNETT, SR. . . . . 93
. . . . Alex Puccinelli, Sr. . . . . 13
DT . . . . KOA MISI, SO. . . . . 41
. . . . Casey Sutera, Sr. . . . . 91
NT . . . . GABE LONG, SR. . . . . 94
. . . . Kenape Eliapo, So. . . . . 92
RE . . . . PAUL KRUGER, FR. . . . . 11
. . . . Greg Newman, Jr. . . . . 56
RLB . . . . S. SYLVESTER, SO. . . . . 10
. . . . Mike Wright, So. . . . . 20
MLB . . . . JOE JIANNONI, SR. . . . . 44
. . . . Mike Wright, So. . . . . 20
SLB . . . . M. MOKOFISI, SR. . . . . 22
. . . . Kepa Gaison, So. . . . . 46
. . . . Nai Fotu, Fr. . . . . 42
CB . . . . SEAN SMITH, SO. . . . . 4
. . . . Justin Jones, So. . . . . 29
CB . . . . BRICE MCCAIN, JR. . . . . 1
. . . . R.J. Stanford, So. . . . . 25
FS . . . . ROBERT JOHNSON, SO. . . . . 17
. . . . RJ Rice, Jr. . . . . 7
SS . . . . STEVE TATE, SR. . . . . 28
. . . . Joe Dale, So. . . . . 12
NB . . . . R.J. STANFORD, SO. . . . . 25
. . . . Terrell Cole, Jr. . . . . 21
P . . . . LOUIE SAKODA, JR. . . . . 35
. . . . Ben Vroman, So. . . . . 30
PR . . . . DERREK RICHARDS, SR. . . . . 26
. . . . Brian Hernandez, Sr. . . . . 16
The Utes report no major injuries from last week's win over San Diego State. Welcome news for a team that has lost nine starters to injury since August.
TCU
OFFENSE
WR . . . . MARCUS BROCK, SR. . . . . 3
. . . . Walter Bryant, Jr. . . . . 1
WR . . . . ERVIN DICKERSON, SR. . . . . 21
. . . . Jimmy Young, Fr. . . . . 88
WR . . . . DEREK MOORE, SR. . . . . 13
. . . . William Cage, Jr. . . . . 30
WR . . . . DONALD MASSEY, JR. . . . . 2
. . . . Jeremy Kerley, Fr. . . . . 85
LT . . . . M. NEWHOUSE, SO. . . . . 70
. . . . Robert Clark, Jr. . . . . 66
LG . . . . MATTY LINDER, SR. . . . . 64
. . . . Preston Phillips, Jr. . . . . 60
C . . . . BLAKE SCHLUETER, JR. . . . . 75
. . . . Tony Savino, Sr. . . . . 74
RG . . . . G. MONTGOMERY, JR. . . . . 65
. . . . Josh Karlin, So. . . . . 73
RT . . . . NIC RICHMOND, SO. . . . . 79
. . . . Marcus Cannon, Fr. . . . . 61
QB . . . . ANDY DALTON, FR. . . . . 14
. . . . Marcus Jackson, So. . . . . 11
TB . . . . AARON BROWN, JR. . . . . 23
. . . . Justin Watts, Jr. . . . . 32
FB . . . . WILLIAM JACKSON, SR. . . . . 47
. . . . Chris Smith, So. . . . . 36
PK . . . . CHRIS MANFREDINI, SR. . . . . 44
. . . . Drew Combs, So. . . . . 58
KR . . . . AARON BROWN, JR. . . . . 23
. . . . DONALD MASSEY, JR. . . . . 2
DEFENSE
LE . . . . CHASE ORTIZ, SR. . . . . 93
. . . . Jerry Hughes, So. . . . . 98
NT . . . . KELLY GRIFFIN, FR. . . . . 69
. . . . Cory Grant, Fr. . . . . 57
DT . . . . CODY MOORE, JR. . . . . 56
. . . . John Fonua, Jr. . . . . 90
RE . . . . MATT PANFIL, JR. . . . . 42
. . . . Allen Christopher, So. . . . . 91
SLB . . . . DAVID HAWTHORNE, SR. . . . . 46
. . . . Robert Henson, Jr. . . . . 51
MLB . . . . JASON PHILLIPS, JR. . . . . 39
. . . . Daryl Washington, So. . . . . 41
SS . . . . BRIAN BONNER, SR. . . . . 6
. . . . Stephen Hodge, Jr. . . . . 29
FS . . . . STEVEN COLEMAN, JR. . . . . 4
. . . . Tejay Johnson, Fr. . . . . 40
WS . . . . DAVID ROACH, SR. . . . . 27
. . . . Brian Bonner, Sr. . . . . 6
LCB . . . . NICK SANDERS, SO. . . . . 20
. . . . Alex Ibiloye, Fr. . . . . 9
RCB . . . . RAFAEL PRIEST, SO. . . . . 10
. . . . Torrey Stewart, Sr. . . . . 15
P . . . . DEREK WASH, SR. . . . . 11
. . . . Anson Kelton, Fr. . . . . 38
PR . . . . BRIAN BONNER, SR. . . . . 6
. . . . Marcus Brock, Sr. . . . . 3
DE Tommy Blake, the MWC preseason defensive player of the year, is on a medical leave of absence. He has not played in the last three games. TE Shae Reagan (leg fracture) will not play.