SALT LAKE CITY — If it goes as now planned, the Utah football schedule will be shorter and harder than previously scheduled.
After losing the rivalry game vs. BYU and showdowns with Montana State and Wyoming when the Pac-12 opted to cancel all nonconference games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Utah will reportedly pick up another conference opponent.
That foe — Pac-12 powerhouse Oregon — happens to be the one that prevented the Utes from having a chance to play in a New Year’s Day bowl or the College Football Playoff last season.
The Pac-12 is likely to add a 10th conference game after forcing its teams to whittle down their schedules, The Mercury News recently reported. Over the weekend, Stadium reported that those additional conference games will include: Oregon-Utah, Arizona-Cal, Arizona State-Stanford, Colorado-Oregon State, UCLA-Washington and USC-Washington State.
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This would give the Utes a shot to avenge the painful 37-15 loss to the Ducks in the conference championship game last December. Utah won 32-25 in 2018 at Rice-Eccles Stadium but has fallen in six of its last eight meetings with Oregon.
As it stands, here is the Utes’ Pac-12 football schedule:
• Sept. 26 at California
• Oct. 2 vs. USC at home
• Oct. 10 at Washington State
• Oct. 17 vs. Washington at home
• Oct. 29 at UCLA
• Nov. 7 vs. Arizona at home
• Nov. 14 vs. Oregon State at home
• Nov. 21 at Arizona State
• Nov. 28 at Colorado