Utah Utes Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players
Utah Utes Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Utah season with what you need to know and keys to the season.
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Utah Utes Preview
Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham, 144-70, 18th year at Utah
18th year overall, 144-70, 2021 Preview
2021 Record: Overall: 10-4, Conference: 8-1
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Utah Top 10 Players | Utah Schedule & Analysis
Utah Utes Preview 2022
Ooooooh, so UCLA and USC are leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten – and they’re taking their grand total of one Pac-12 Conference championship over the last 13 seasons with them.
Oregon and Utah. Those are the two power players in the Pac-12 over the last four seasons, and at the time this is being written, those two can be a good base to keep the conference strong.
(However, by the time you’re reading this, there’s a shot Oregon already has 18 different Big Ten uniform combinations picked out and Utah is packing the furniture for the Big 12.)
Yes, Utah pivoted a bit a few years ago to add more of a downfield passing game – that tweak ended up coinciding with USC being down and the rest of the Pac-12 South struggling – and it all fit in perfectly with the brutish style of the toughest team in the Pac-12.
The Utes continue to put together great lines, great defenses, and great running games year after year under Kyle Whittingham, and nothing about that changes now.
Let’s say it does go to the Big 12. With or without Oklahoma and Texas, Utah is right there in the mix to be the best program in the league.
And if it stays in the Pac-12, with or without USC and UCLA, as long as this formula stays in place, and even without divisions, it’s still strong enough now to expect Pac-12 Championship appearances – including this season.
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Utah Top 10 Players | Utah Schedule & Analysis
Utah Utes Preview 2022: Offense, Defense NEXT
Utah Utes Preview 2022: Offense
The Utah offense blew up.
It was more dynamic, stronger at scoring, and was its normal brutally efficient self as it finished eighth in the nation in third down conversions, first in the Pac-12 in first downs, and averaged 431 yards and 36 points per game.
It’s a loaded O returning, starting with an offensive line with three expected starters back and two all-stars on the left side in Braden Daniels at tackle and Sataoa Laumea at guard. The line was fourth in the nation in pass protection and pounded away for 217 rushing yards per game. It’s Utah. The blocking will be fantastic.
In a time of tragedy for the program – 2020 leading rusher Ty Jordan passed away, and corner Aaron Lowe was lost a few months later – Tavion Thomas stepped up in place for Jordan and ran for, 1,108 yards and 21 scores. The 6-2, 238-pound all-star can handle the workload, and Micah Bernard averaged over six yards per carry on his 529 yards.
It was supposed to be Charlie Brewer’s passing game – the former quarterback only played in three games and is now at Liberty – but Cameron Rising stepped up and led the way to a Pac-12 title and within a whisker of winning the Rose Bowl.
Rising is missing his key midrange receiver – and star return man – Britain Covey, but leading receiver Brant Kuithe is back at one tight end spot and Dalton Kincaid and his team-leading eight touchdown catches returns at another spot. The wide receivers are young, but dangerous led by sophomore Devaughn Vele, who averaged 17 yards per catch.
Utah Utes Preview 2022: Defense
The defense might not have been able to stop Ohio State, but it was great against just about everyone else. The run defense was amazing, the pass rush was among the best in the nation and tops in the Pac-12, and there’s a whole lot of talent back.
However, heart-and-soul linebacker Devin Lloyd and running mate Nephi Sewell are almost irreplaceable. Florida transfer Mohamoud Diabate is going to give it a try for Lloyd in the middle – he made 170 tackles and 5.5 sacks for the Gators in three seasons.
The pass rush will come from several new spots, but it’s sophomore Van Fillinger who has to shine at one end – he’s the leading returning pass rusher with 5.5 sacks – but it was Lloyd and former end Mike Tafua who spent most of their time living behind the line.
As always, Utah has terrific big tackles to work with. 6-3, 297-pound sophomore Junior Tafuna will be the man man with former BYU Cougar Devin Kaufusi playing a bigger role after coming up with 13 stops.
The Utes have a superstar corner in Clark Phillips – he made 62 tackles with two sacks and 13 broken up passes – and safety Cole Bishop is coming off a 55-stop season. On the way to work in the mix at safety is Clayton Isbell, a star on the FCS level at Illinois State who can up with 62 tackles and three picks last season.
Utah 2022 Preview | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Utah Top 10 Players | Utah Schedule & Analysis
Utah Utes: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT
Utah Utes: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
Utah Utes: Key To The 2022 Offense
Keep on converting third downs.
The glitch was fixed after Cameron Rising got more comfortable in the starting quarterback when October came around, and now it all has to continue.
Utah started 1-2 for a slew of reasons. The run defense had issues with BYU and San Diego State – more on that in a moment – and the offense couldn’t control games like it’s usually so good at doing.
The offense failed to convert 40% of its third down chances in any of the first four games, and it hit the mark and did more in each of the last ten games.
23-0. That’s what Utah is over the last eight seasons when it converts 50% or more of its third down chances.
Utah Utes: Key To The 2022 Defense
Stop the run. Always.
This isn’t a tough formula for the Utah defense. Keep on dominating with the pass rush, be more physical and get off the field, and hold up against the run.
It’s hard to argue with having the best run defense in the Pac-12 and allowing just 3.7 yards per carry, but when the Ute defense got run on, the team usually lost.
San Diego State ran for over 200 yards and 4.5 yards per pop. BYU ran for 231 yards and five yards per carry, and Oregon State rumbled for 260 yards and over six yards a carry. Those were the three regular season losses.
Ohio State was too busy throwing to run – it only ran for 110 yards – but averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
Going back to 2017, Utah is 0-8 when giving up 200 yards or more.
Utah Utes: Key Player To The 2022 Season
C Paul Maile, Jr.
Nick Ford was a special interior blocker.
The 6-5, 317-pound Jacksonville Jaguar was a three-time All-Pac-12 blocker and the leader of a line that paved the way to two Pac-12 Championship appearances and a conference title last year. He stepped up at center, but he worked at guard and saw a little time at tackle, too.
The 6-2, 304-pound Maile started three times last year at center when the line had to shuffle a bit, but now he has to step in for Ford and try to replace the production. If he’s good, the line will be all but set.
By the way, the season starts at … Florida.
Ford is one key part who needs to be replaced, but not quite as huge as …
Utah Utes: Key Transfer
LB Mohamoud Diabate, Sr.
All Devin Lloyd did was make 250 tackles with 15.5 sacks and 43 tackles for loss with five picks as the star of the Utah defense over the last three seasons.
Diabate might not be another Lloyd, but he came up with 170 tackles with 5.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss over the last three years at Florida. He’s got great parts around him, so as long as he can come up with close to 80 tackles and hold up in the middle, he’ll be doing his job.
Utah Key Game To The 2022 Season
USC, Oct. 8
The Utes finally beat USC in the greater Los Angeles area.
They had problems for years against the Trojans – including in a 28-21 loss in the 1993 Freedom Bowl – but that all ended last year. The Utes rolled 42-26 last year, and while it didn’t lock in the Pac-12 South, it certainly helped.
Now there aren’t any divisions, and with a trip to UCLA the week before, and with a date at Oregon in November, there can’t be a misfire here.
Utah Utes: 2021 Fun Stats
– Penalties: Opponents 104 for 923 yards – Utah 67 for 632 yards
– Sacks: Utah 42 for 279 yards – Opponents 13 for 85 yards
– Red Zone TDs: Utah 52-of-73 (71%) – Opponents 24-of-47 (51%)
Utah 2022 Preview
Offense, Defense Breakdown
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Utah Top 10 Players | Utah Schedule & Analysis
Utah Utes Season Prediction, What Will Happen NEXT
Utah Utes Season Prediction, What Will Happen
How much momentum can Utah keep from last year’s fantastic run to a Pac-12 championship and the Rose Bowl?
There might be some massive parts missing, but 15 starters and both kickers are expected to be back, the system keeps on working under head coach Kyle Whittingham, and no one will outphysical this bunch on the lines.
Great line play, great coaching, players who fit, lots of experience. That should all work again. The schedule is tough, but it’s not unmanageable.
Set The Utah Utes Regular Season Win Total At … 8.5
Remember, as great as last year was, Utah won nine games. This year’s team isn’t quite as good, but pull off a few key October wins and the Pac-12 title shot should be on the table.
Starting out the season at Florida is a problem, and San Diego State – yeah, it’s a home game against a Mountain West team – is going to be very, very dangerous. The Aztecs won 33-31 last year.
The Arizona State game is in Tempe. The UCLA game is in Pasadena. Worst off all, Oregon might be a wee bit miffed after the way it got steamrolled over two times last year – the date is in Eugene.
However, there’s no Washington, and there’s no Cal to face – that’s not bad. Despite last year’s loss to Oregon State, that’s a winnable home game, as are the dates against Arizona and Stanford.
If the Utes can avoid a misfire at Washington State or at Colorado, and if they can take care of home against USC, a third trip to the Pac-12 Championship in four seasons should be right there.
Utah 2022 Preview
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Utah Top 10 Players | Utah Schedule & Analysis
