Practice footballs sit in a cart as the Utes and the Trojans prepare to play at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.
Practice footballs sit in a cart as the Utes and the Trojans prepare to play at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

By Jeff Call

No. 14 Utah (8-3, 6-2) at Colorado (1-7, 1-10) 

Kickoff: 2 p.m. MST

Venue: Folsom Field

TV: Pac-12 Network

Livestream: https://pac-12.com

Radio: KALL 700

Series: Utah leads 33-32-3

Weather: Mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the low 50s.

The trends

For Utah: The Utes have won five games in a row against Colorado and nine of the last 10. 

For Colorado: The Buffaloes have scored a total of 34 points in their previous three games against Oregon, USC and Washington. 

Colorado averages 15.1 points per game on offense while giving up 42.6 points per game. The Buffaloes yield an average of 495.9 yards per game while gaining just 291.1 per game.

What to watch for

Utah is coming off a humbling 20-17 loss at Oregon. How will the Utes respond against a game in which they’re favored by 30 points? Can they get their offense back on track after scoring only one touchdown against the Ducks? 

A spot in the Pac-12 championship remains a possibility, if everything falls Utah’s way Saturday.

As for one-win Colorado, it’s been a long season and it has an interim head coach, Mike Sanford Jr. Will he remain at Colorado? Or will he be searching for a new job soon?

Key player

Colorado running back Alex Fontenot in the second half of an NCAA college football game Nov. 5, 2022, in Boulder, Colo.
Colorado running back Alex Fontenot in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Boulder, Colo. | David Zalubowski, Associated Press

Alex Fontenot, Colorado running back: The senior has rushed 58 times for 304 yards this season and one touchdown. 

Quotable

“It’s our last regular season game. The old adage is you can’t let Oregon beat us twice. You can’t have a hangover, you can’t feel sorry for yourself. You’ve gotta pick yourself back up and get ready for the next one.” — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham

“We’re living in the present, we’re making everything about the players. But obviously, you get down towards the end of it and all of a sudden, it’s obviously very clear that we’re not in the postseason – there’s no bowl opportunities – and you have to really wake up every day and even as a staff, even myself as the head coach, you’ve got to really stay truly in the present.” — Colorado interim head coach Mike Sanford Jr.

Next up

Utah TBD

Colorado concludes its regular season Saturday

Utah schedule

Sept. 3 — Florida 29, Utah 26

Sept. 10 — Utah 73, Southern Utah 7

Sept. 17 — Utah 35, San Diego State 7

Sept. 24 — Utah 34, Arizona State 13

Oct. 1 — Utah 42, Oregon State 16

Oct. 8 — UCLA 42, Utah 32

Oct. 15 — Utah 43, USC 42

Oct. 27 — Utah 21, Washington State 17

Nov. 5 — Utah 45, Arizona 20

Nov. 12 — Utah 42, Stanford 7 

Nov. 19 — Oregon 20, Utah 17

Nov. 26 — at Colorado (2 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Network)