While No. 13 Utah is still in the hunt for a Pac-12 championship, things seem somewhat tenuous heading into the final three weeks of the regular season.
Injuries have piled up. The run game has lacked consistency.
And the Utes have a huge showdown against one of the hottest teams in the country, No. 6 Oregon, next week at Autzen Stadium.
But before that, Utah hosts Stanford Saturday (8 p.m. MST, ESPN) at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Senior Night.
Should the Utes rest key players that aren’t fully healthy against the struggling Cardinal?
Or should they be trying to build more momentum going into the game against the Ducks?
Quarterback Cam Rising played last week in a 45-20 victory over Arizona after sitting out the Washington State game. But he wasn’t 100% and he didn’t look as sharp as usual.
The status of tight end Dalton Kincaid, who missed the Arizona game, is uncertain. Utah’s other star tight end, Brant Kuithe, is out for the season.
Running back Tavion Thomas played in the second half last week but he’s been relegated to a reserve role. Freshman Jaylon Glover and converted quarterback Ja’Quinden Jackson both played well against Arizona but both suffered injuries against the Wildcats.
Utah rolled up 306 rushing yards. Freshman quarterback Nate Johnson made his collegiate debut and ran for two TDs.
Managing all of the injuries hasn’t been easy for offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig.
“It’s been a great challenge and it’s been very rewarding, watching the players step up. It’s been a different guy each week that has shown up,” he said. “I’m proud of our players’ efforts and the next-man-up mentality that this squad has.
“Every season is different. Every game is different. Every week is different,” Ludwig added. “There are challenges and without a doubt there have been challenges in this particular season. But I’m very proud of the players’ work ethic.”
On Monday, coach Kyle Whittingham announced that defensive end Van Fillinger, the team’s sacks leader, suffered a season-ending injury.
“It’s a big loss. I love that kid,” defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley said of Fillinger. “It hurts any time you lose a guy like that who it means that much to. He’s worked so hard to get to where he is. But he understands that having a negative attitude about the whole thing isn’t going to help the healing process. We love him and we’re there for him. He knows that. We can’t wait to get him back.”
Now, Utah’s D-line will have to fill that void the rest of the season.
“We’ve got to limit the big plays, particularly in the run game. That’s where Van is just so dominant,” Scalley said. “He’s become such a good pass rusher. We’ve seen the tools that our defensive ends have. Now, I guess the rest of the country gets to see it.
“We’re excited for these guys. We’ve got to continue that. … It’s the next-man-up mentality. That’s why you recruit and that’s why you develop.”
One of the defensive linemen that’s come up big this season is sophomore Jonah Elliss.
“Jonah was all over the place (against Arizona). He’s a terrific athlete,” Whittingham said. “I’m convinced that if we decided to, he’d be a great middle linebacker. That’s how athletic and fast and agile he is. Right now, he’s doing a great job on the edge for us. He’s a valuable commodity for our defense.”
Utah’s defense has had its ups and downs this season. But Scalley is pleased with the progress.
“We’ve become a better tackling team. We’ve done much better at creating some pressure on the quarterback and taking the ball away. Still giving up too many explosive plays to my liking. That’s on us as coaches,” he said. “It’s a fun group to coach because they don’t complain and they do everything we ask them to do. You see the progress every single week. We’ve got very good coaches on the defensive staff, so we’re lucky there.”
Since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, Utah has had a lot of success against Stanford, posting a 4-1 record.
When asked why that is, Whittingham said, “Couldn’t say other than we’ve played well against Stanford. We’ve had some of our better performances against Stanford.”
Whittingham is hoping his team can continue winning and building momentum by beating the Cardinal again — before taking on Oregon next week.
Utes on the air
Stanford (3-6, 1-6)
at No. 13 Utah (7-2, 5-1)
Saturday, 8 p.m. MST
Rice-Eccles Stadium
TV: ESPN
Radio: ESPN 700