SALT LAKE CITY — There’s expected to be rain and wind — and lots of it — at Friday’s Pac-12 Championship game between Utah and Oregon at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The Utes are preparing for it. They’ve been practicing with wet footballs and have been on the outdoor grass field all week long, spending just a few practice periods indoors.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham also noted the importance of wearing the right cleats for the conditions.
“We’re fairly confident it’s going to be rainy,” he joked. “Right now I think it says 100%. So it’s pretty good chances.”
Whittingham has also seen reports where wind could be a growing factor as well.
“That really wreaks more havoc on the throw game than does rain,” he added. “Unless, like I’ve said earlier, it’s a torrential downpour. Then that could obviously cause problems. But, wind, we’ll see. Whatever the elements are we’ve got to deal with it.”
Field conditions aren’t a concern.
“It’s the same for both teams,” Whittingham said. “So, no.”
The National Weather Service forecast calls for showers and temperatures in the 50s Friday night when the Utes and Ducks kick things off (6 p.m., Ch. 4) at the home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Weather.com projects winds around 22 miles per hour. The area is supposed to get rain in the days leading up to the game.
“You practice with a wet ball, you wear the right shoes. At the end of the day nobody wants to hear excuses, you’ve got to go out and make plays,” said Utah receivers coach Guy Holliday. “It’s still going to come down to the team that makes the most plays that will win the game. So that’s our philosophy. It’s not going to change our game plan. We’re going to approach the game as we always have, you know, try to do whatever it takes to win the football game.”
Claiming the program’s first Pac-12 championship is first and foremost Utah’s primary concern — regardless of the weather and the opportunity, perhaps, to participate in the College Football Playoff where the Utes are ranked fifth entering the final weekend.
“That’s the biggest thing for us, making history. It’s definitely what we want to do,” said senior running back Zack Moss. “The Pac-12 has always been the biggest thing for us, so far. Whatever else comes with that is a blessing and we’ll attack that in the right way and manner when it comes.”