Utah football: 2 bold Utes predictions for Week 5 vs. Oregon State

There are only four matchups between ranked foes in Week 5 of the college season. The most intriguing one of those duels might be on Friday night between the tenth-ranked Utah Utes and No. 19 Oregon State Beavers. Utah football is coming off an impressive win over a ranked Pac-12 foe after taking down the UCLA Bruins 14-7 at the Rose Bowl. Oregon State, meanwhile, lost its road matchup against a ranked Pac-12 opponent, falling to the Washington State Cougars 38-35.

This matchup will be fascinating to watch. Utah has one of the best defenses in all of college football. The Beavers' defense isn't too shabby, either, although it got diced up by Cam Ward and crew last week. This game surely will be close—that's one direction. But a battle of this magnitude warrants a couple of predictions bolder than that for Utah football.

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2. Cam Rising does not play

Cam Rising has yet to play this season after suffering a torn ACL in Utah's Rose Bowl appearance last season. He's unfortunately no stranger to injury with this being the second injury that has forced him to miss an extensive amount of playing time in Salt Lake City. He missed all but 14 snaps in his first season with the Utes after suffering a shoulder injury in 2020.

But when Rising has been able to suit up, he's been fantastic. For his career, he is completing 64.1% of his passes, averaging 7.8 yards per attempt and has thrown for 46 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions. He also does great work on the ground. In his two seasons as a starter, Rising has run for 953 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

The good news for Utah is that Rising is progressing. He practiced in full last week. He warmed up for last week's tilt against the UCLA Bruins. He is getting closer. But with Utah having a bye next week and meeting Cal thereafter, it would make sense to give Rising a little more time and to ease him back into a game with less stakes than this one.

1. Utah wins anyway

If the concern is how the Utes will fare against a ranked team on the road, well, they've already answered that question. Back in Week 1, they went into one of the most hostile environments in college football and took down the Florida Gators in Gainesville. Yes, those are the same Gators who handled the then-11th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers 29-16 in The Swamp.

The next week, Utah went on the road again and took down the Baylor Bears by a final score of 20-13. Yes, it did take two touchdowns in the final two minutes for Utah to pull off that upset, but still. The Utes found a way to win, like they so often have under coach Kyle Whittingham.

Utah wins off the back of their defense, which ranks tenth in the nation in yards allowed per game with 263.8. What makes that mark even more impressive is the fact that three of their four opponents have been power five teams, and two of those three opponents were foes that are either currently ranked or were at the time. The Utes are +5 in the turnover battle through three games.

Nate Johnson, Utah's starting quarterback in Rising's absence, has committed only one turnover this season. Meanwhile, DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State's starting quarterback, has three interceptions the last two weeks and has completed barely half his passes since a dazzling debut against San Jose State.

This game will almost certainly be close, but betting against Whittingham and the Utah Utes is a fool's errand.