Time, Place and [Radio Waves in] Space • A bowl berth is on the line for two Pac-12 South teams in the 2017 regular-season finale at Rice-Eccles Stadium as Utah hosts Colorado. The game is scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. Saturday. You can watch on FS1 or listen on ESPN 700 AM.
Line • Utah is a 10.5-point favorite over the visiting Buffaloes.
Records • Utah (5-6, 2-6 in Pac-12); Colorado (5-6, 2-6 in Pac-12)
Opposing coach • Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre is in his fifth year in Boulder. The Buffaloes are 25-37 during MacIntyre’s time at the helm, but the former San Jose State coach has helped Colorado turn around the program since arriving in 2012. The Buffaloes won the Pac-12 South in 2016, helping MacIntyre earn Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors. Colorado returned to the AP Top 25 last year for the first time in 11 seasons. MacIntyre has led this rebuild just after finishing another in the Bay Area. MacIntyre led the Spartans to their first 10-win season in 25 years before his hiring in Boulder. MacIntyre’s coaching record is 40-58.
Utah ties • Redshirt freshman outside linebacker Sam Benin is a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder out of North Logan. Bennion played at Logan High School before embarking on a two-year LDS Church mission in Chile in 2014. Bennion enrolled at Colorado in the spring of 2016 after completing his LDS mission.
Pregame quotable • Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre on what’s on the line Saturday against Utah: “Since I’ve been here, they’ve always been pretty close. Utah’s won three out of four we’ve played. It’s always been a close game. And coach Kyle [Whittingham] does a phenomenal job with his team. I think both places are hard places to play at. I think it makes it for a fun evening. ... It’s an excellent season-ending game.”
Media guide nugget • The 2017 season is the 50th anniversary of Colorado’s famed mascot, Ralphie the buffalo. There have been five Ralphies and together they have led the Buffaloes out onto the field for 336 games, including 283 home games, 24 bowl games, 16 Rocky Mountain Showdown games in Denver, nine regular-season road games and four Big 12 Championships.
Telling stat • Colorado running back Phillip Lindsay, recently named a Doak Walker Award finalist, is fourth in the country in total rushing yards (1,402) and has 13 rushing touchdowns this year. But most telling, Lindsay also leads the country in rushing attempts with 283 in 11 games, which will provide a stiff test for the Utah defense. Utah held Lindsay in check, holding him to 55 yards on 12 attempts last year.
Buffaloes offensive outlook • It starts with Lindsay, who is one of the premier running backs in the country. Utah defensive stars like Chase Hansen and Lowell Lotulelei spoke glowingly about Lindsay, calling him one of the top running backs the Utes will see in 2017. Quarterback Steven Montez has thrown for 2,780 yards and 18 touchdowns this year. He’s also thrown nine interceptions but is completing 61 percent of his passing attempts. Wideouts Bryce Bobo (640 yards, 58 receptions, eight touchdowns) and Shay Fields (623 yards, 46 receptions, four touchdowns) are the talents Utah must account for on the outside.
Buffaloes defensive outlook • Colorado’s inside linebacker tandem of Drew Lewis and Rick Gamboa is the heartbeat of the defense. Together they are tied for seventh in the Pac-12 in total tackles with 83 a piece. Defensive back Evan Worthington leads the team in interceptions with three and is behind Lewis and Gamboa in total tackles with 75. The Buffaloes have 13 different players who have registered at least one sack.
Injury report • Wide receiver Shay Fields (concussion) is probable for Saturday’s game, according to The Boulder Daily Camera. Cornerback Isaiah Oliver (leg) and safety Ryan Moeller (hip) both are considered day-to-day. Freshman tight end Jared Poplawski (ACL) and freshman linebacker Jonathan Van Diest (ACL) are out for the season. Whittingham said earlier in the week that he expected game-time decisions on as many as three to four starters. The Utes were without Kylie Fitts, Hansen and Casey Hughes at Washington last week. Marquise Blair suffered a season-ending leg injury against UCLA on Nov. 3. Hansen said this week he’s been practicing as if he’ll be ready to play Saturday against the Buffaloes.
Three Big Questions
1. Can the Utah offense replicate what it did in Seattle? The loss no doubt was a slug to the gut, but the Utes played their best all-around game of 2017 last week at Husky Stadium even in defeat. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Huntley proved why he was the No. 1 choice out of fall camp, extending plays and making deep throws down the field against one of the best defenses in college football. With everything on the line this week, can Huntley and Co. do it again? The Buffaloes are among the worst teams in the Pac-12 against the run, which could mean a standout game for Zack Moss (827 yards, 168 carries, seven touchdowns), who is 173 yards short of a 1,000-yard rushing season.
2. Will Utah be able to bottle up Lindsay? The Utes kept Colorado’s star running back at bay, holding him to just 55 rushing yards on 12 carries a year ago in Boulder, Colo. The Buffalo back certainly will be looking to shoulder the load and push his team to a win and one more game in the black-and-gold in the final regular-season game of his storied career. Utah held Washington to just 123 yards rushing on 32 attempts despite being undermanned last week. Lindsay is more of an every-down back who will want to wear down the Utah front as the game progresses Saturday evening.
3. Should Whittingham stay aggressive in do-or-die game? “The Timeout” will go down as one of the most controversial decisions in Whittingham’s 13-year tenure as coach at Utah. But the Utes were in a position to win the game at Washington due to Utah’s aggressive game plan. The Utes were 3 for 3 on fourth-down play-calls, executed an onside kick and a fake punt. Should Whittingham stay the course and roll the dice at home as a 10.5-point favorite in a game that will determine if Utah makes a fourth straight bowl game? Or should he play it more conservatively and again bet on his defense in front of the Rice-Eccles Stadium faithful?
