Utah’s first Big 12 season will also feature the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff — and the Utes are early favorite to secure one of those spots.
In the new Big 12, Utah is already widely considered a contender to win the conference. It was voted No. 1 in the Big 12 preseason media poll, ahead of new conference foes like Oklahoma State and Kansas State.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes wide receiver Money Parks (10), runs the ball for the Utes, in football action between the Utah Utes and the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, at Rice-Eccles Stadium, on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.
Aug. 29 — vs. Southern Utah
Game time: 7 p.m.
TV: Big 12 Now/ESPN+
Series history: 2-0
Last meeting: Utah won 73-7, on Sept. 10, 2022
Last Season’s Record: 6-5
About Southern Utah:
After losing redshirt senior quarterback Justin Miller to eligibility following the 2023 season, SUU will roll into fall camp with seven quarterbacks on its roster and no clear starter.
The Thunderbirds ended the 2023 season on a four-game win streak. In each of those four games, Southern Utah relied heavily on its ground game, where it averaged 256.5 rushing yards during that stretch.
On the defensive side of the ball, Southern Utah ranked second in the United Athletic Conference in total defense, allowing 23.7 points per game. The Thunderbirds also forced seven interceptions during their season-ending win streak.
Baylor line student's prepare to run onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerry Larson)
Sept. 7 — vs. Baylor
Game time: 1:30 p.m. MT
TV: FOX
Series history: 1-0, Utah
Last meeting: Utah defeated Baylor, 20-13 in Waco
Last season’s record: 3-9
About Baylor:
After a disappointing 3-9 campaign last season under head coach Dave Aranda, the Bears will look to bounce back in 2024. It wasn’t too long ago when Baylor was 12-2 and defeated Oklahoma State in the 2021 Big 12 Championship, but much has changed since then.
Last season the Bears struggled to run the ball, with now-senior running back Dominic Richardson tallying 125 carries for a team-high 519 rushing yards and a single touchdown. Without a prominent rushing attack, Baylor’s offense ranked second to last in the Big 12, just ahead of Utah’s in-state rival BYU at No. 14.
To revamp their passing offense, the Bears are banking on Toledo transfer quarterback DeQuan Finn to make an instant impact. He finished with 2,647 passing yards and 22 passing touchdowns last season.
Baylor also struggled mightily on defense in 2023, ranking last in the conference and allowing an average of 33.3 points and 184.9 rushing yards per game.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah State Interim head coach Nate Dreiling is interviewed on media day at the Jim and Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex, at Utah State University, on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024.
Sept. 14 — at Utah State
Game time: 2:30 p.m. MT
TV: CBS Sports Network
Series history: 75-28-4, Utah
Last matchup: Utah defeated the Aggies, 24-14, on Sept. 11, 2015
Last season’s record: 6-7
About Utah State:
It’s been an offseason of drama and turnover for the Aggies.
Former head coach Blake Anderson was terminated on July 3 for violating Utah State’s Title IX reporting policies.
Utah State will look to turn the page with new leadership under interim head coach Nate Dreiling, who arrived at Logan in January to become the program’s defensive coordinator. Despite the offseason scandal, USU still touts a talented roster led by Iowa transfer quarterback Spencer Petras on offense and star junior safety Ike Larsen on defense.
The Aggies finished with the No. 2 ranked offense and No. 11 ranked defense in the Mountain West Conference in 2023, marks they look to improve on heading into 2024.
FILE - Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman (7) throws a pass in front of running back Ollie Gordon II (0) in the first half of an NCAA college football game against BYU Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Stillwater, Okla. Bowman has started Oklahoma State’s last 11 games after Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy began the season with a three-QB rotation. Bowman is third in the Big 12 averaging 234 yards passing per game, though has more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (10). (AP Photo/Mitch Alcala, File)
Sept. 21 — at Oklahoma State
Game time: TBD
TV: TBD
Series history: 1-0, OSU
Last matchup: The Cowboys defeated Utah, 46-6, on Oct. 20, 1945
Last season’s record: 10-4
About Oklahoma State:
Led by head coach Mike Gundy, the Cowboys are one of the leading contenders for the Big 12 title in 2024.
On offense, OSU touts one of the strongest units in the conference with preseason Heisman contender and junior running back Ollie Gordon II leading the way. Gordon II finished 2023 with a league-high 1,732 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns, which earned him the 2023 Doak Walker Award and a unanimous All-American nod.
OSU starting quarterback Alan Bowman is set to return for his seventh season, like Utah quarterback Cam Rising, in 2024. He was a guiding force in Oklahoma State’s midseason resurgence that ultimately led it to wins over Oklahoma, Kansas and Kansas State. He finished with 3,460 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2023.
The Cowboys defense ranked 10th in the Big 12 and allowed 28.6 points per game a season ago.
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita throws the football against Utah during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Sept. 28 — vs. Arizona
Game time: TBD
TV: TBD
Series history: 25-20-2, Utah
Last matchup: The Wildcats beat the Utes 42-18 on Nov. 18, 2023
Last season’s record: 10-3
About Arizona:
The Wildcats are coming off a strong season in the Pac-12, which they capped off with a dominant win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl and a 7-2 conference record.
Sophomore quarterback Noah Fifita projects to be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12, finishing with a 72.4% completion rating, while passing for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2023.
Arizona’s defense is led by junior linebacker Jacob Manu, who finished with 116 total tackles and one interception last season. His efforts helped land the Wildcats with the fifth-best overall defense in the Pac-12 a season ago.
Oct. 11 — at Arizona State
Game time: 8:30 p.m. MT
TV: ESPN
Series history: 12-22, Arizona State
Last matchup: Utah defeated ASU 55-3 on Nov. 4, 2023
Last season’s record: 3-9
About Arizona State:
Coming off its second consecutive 3-9 season, the Sun Devils and head coach Kenny Dillingham are looking for a fresh start in the new Big 12.
Despite a reduced number of scholarship slots available — a punishment handed down from the NCAA following recruiting violations made under former ASU head coach Herm Edwards — the Sun Devils went to work in the transfer portal. Dillingham’s marquee addition this offseason was obtaining former Colorado running back Alton McCaskill, who has the potential to uplift a rushing attack that ranked 10th in the Pac-12 in 2023.
After losing quarterback Jaden Rashada to the transfer portal, Arizona State will now look to redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Levitt to lead its passing attack in the Big 12. Levitt played four games in 2023, completing 15 of his 23 passes for 139 passing yards and two touchdowns.
The Sun Devils’ defense was middle of the road last season, allowing 133.5 rushing yards (7th in conference) and 263.3 passing yards per game (9th in conference).
TCU quarterback Josh Hoover (10) passes under pressure by Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman (28) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Oct. 19 — vs. TCU
Game time: TBD
TV: TBD
Series history: 5-3, Utah
Last matchup: TCU defeated Utah, 47-7, on Nov. 6, 2010
Last season’s record: 5-7
About TCU:
Coming off an appearance in the national championship two seasons ago, the Horned Frogs had a down year in 2023.
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes will lean on presumed starting quarterback Josh Hoover, who threw for 2,206 yards and 15 touchdowns with nine interceptions at the tail end of last season.
The Horned Frogs’ defensive line will be their strength in the defensive trenches heading into the 2024 season, despite losing star defensive tackle Damonic Williams to Oklahoma via the transfer portal this spring. Their 26 sacks a season ago were tied for sixth in the conference alongside UCF.
Oct. 26 — at Houston
Game time: TBD
TV: TBD
Series history: 4-0, Houston
Last matchup: Houston defeated the Utes, 42-25, on Sept. 23, 1979
Last season’s record: 4-8
About Houston:
In its first season in the Big 12, UH was near the bottom in almost every category, en route to a 13th-place finish in the conference.
The Cougars offense ranked 12th in the Big 12 last season, averaging 23.7 points per game, and their defense was second to last just ahead of Baylor. Houston hired head coach Willie Fritz this offseason to begin a rebuild following its first losing season since 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Houston will return starting quarterback Donovan Smith in 2024 after he passed for 2,801 yards and 22 touchdowns.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) puts in yards before being pushed out by Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Beau Freyler (17) during an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Provo, Utah.
Nov. 9 — vs. BYU
Game time: TBD
TV: TBD
Series history: 51-29-4, Utah
Last matchup: BYU defeated Utah, 26-17, on Sept. 11, 2021
Last season’s record: 5-7
About BYU:
Led by head coach Kalani Sitake, a former Utah graduate assistant coach, and starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff, the Cougars are coming off their first losing season since 2017.
BYU struggled in its first season in the Big 12, garnering a 2-7 conference record, with its pair of wins coming against Texas Tech and Cincinnati. In the Cougars’ seven conference losses, they gave up a whopping average of more than 38 points per game.
If Sitake wants to improve in 2024, plugging the holes in BYU’s rush defense is a top priority. Last season the unit ranked 12th in the conference in overall run defense, allowing an average of over 177 rushing yards per game.
The Cougars recruited heavily on their defensive front this offseason by signing Weber State transfer edge rusher Jack Kelly and UCLA transfer edge rusher Choe Bryant-Strother from the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Despite Retzlaff’s emergence as BYU’s starting quarterback heading into 2024, BYU brought in three quarterbacks to fill out its depth chart via the transfer portal, including former USF and Baylor quarterback Gerry Bohanon. If Retzlaff suffers an injury or underperforms, Bohanon could be someone the program opts to put under center this season.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, right, gestures to the crowd after scoring a touchdown as Colorado offensive lineman Camden Dempsey, front left, and guard Jack Bailey look on in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Nov. 16 — at Colorado
Game time: TBD
TV: TBD
Series history: 35-32-3, Utah
Last matchup: Utah defeated CU, 23-17, on Nov. 25, 2023.
Last season’s record: 4-8
About Colorado:
After a strong start to the 2023 regular season, alongside the media attention given to the Buffaloes due to the personality of head coach Deion Sanders, Colorado ended its 2023 campaign on a six-game losing streak, including a season-ending loss to the Utes.
Expectations remain high for the Buffs heading into this season, however, with the likes of star quarterback Shadeur Sanders, a Heisman hopeful, and two-way cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter on the roster. The star duo are projected to be potential NFL draft picks following the conclusion of the 2024 season, giving the Buffaloes one of the most talented star duos in the country.
Outside of them, though, Colorado’s roster remains largely unproven. Sanders, for the second season in a row, has brought in another upheaval of CU’s roster, bringing in nearly 40 new scholarship players from various programs across the nation. In its freshman class, five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton headlines the Buffaloes’ 2024 recruiting class.
Iowa State wide receivers Jayden Higgins (9) and Jaylin Noel (13) celebrate after Higgins scored a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Kansas State Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Nov. 23 — vs. Iowa State
Game time: TBD
TV: TBD
Series history: 4-1, Iowa State
Last matchup: Utah defeated the Cyclones, 68-27, on Oct. 9, 2010
Last season’s record: 7-6
About Iowa State:
Iowa State remains one of the most consistent teams in the Big 12 ahead of the 2024 regular season.
The program is four years removed from a 9-3 season in 2020, where it lost 27-21 to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game. Since then the Cyclones have posted two 7-6 seasons under head coach Matt Campbell, who has been with the program since 2015.
ISU enters this season as a dark horse contender to be in the Big 12 title race come November. Its defense ranked third in the conference last season, allowing just under 23 points per game.
If the Cyclones wanted to take another step, it’d need considerable improvement on offense, which ranked 10th in the Big 12 in 2023.
Central Florida head coach Gus Malzahn leads his team on to the field before their NCAA college football game against Kansas State on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Travis Heying)
Nov. 29 — at UCF
Game time: at 6 p.m. MT in Orlando, Florida
TV: FOX
Series history: Never played
Last season’s record: 6-7
About UCF:
Entering his third season with Central Florida, Gus Malzahn is looking to improve his 6-7 record from a year ago.
The Knights brought in Arkansas transfer quarterback KJ Jefferson this offseason, who was one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the SEC in 2022. He finished 2023 with 2,107 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while completing 64.2% of his passes with the Razorbacks.
Paired with incumbent starting running back RJ Harvey, who had a team-high 1,416 rushing yards last season, UCF has a chance to be one of the best rushing offenses in the entire Big 12 in 2024.