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No. 20 Utah visits 4-1 Oregon State Thursday
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Published: 10/16/2014  at  4:25:00 AM
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UTAH UTES (4-1)
at OREGON STATE BEAVERS (4-1)

Kickoff: Thursday, 10:00 p.m. ET
Line: Utah -2.5 Total: 53.5

No. 20 Utah looks to build off a huge road victory on Thursday night when it visits 4-1 Oregon State.

Both teams are coming off a bye week following a win to open October. The Utes (4-1 ATS) were able to take down 13-point favorite UCLA by a 30-28 score on Oct. 4, thanks to a defense that sacked Bruins QB Brett Hundley 10 times. While they did a great job of getting pressure, they weren’t able to capitalize, forcing only one turnover. However, under head coach Kyle Whittingham, the defense has shown the ability to crank it up a bit when they haven’t forced turnovers. The Utes are 29-14 ATS when forcing only one turnover with Whittingham as the coach. The Beavers (4-1 ATS) bounced back from a tough loss at USC by hanging on for a 36-31 road defeat of Colorado on Oct. 4. Oregon State QB Sean Mannion has thrown for 11,740 passing yards in his career, which ranks 3rd in Pac-12 history. Last season against Utah, Mannion threw for 443 yards and five touchdowns in a thrilling 51-48 road victory. That improved the Beavers to 4-1 ATS (3-2 SU) in this series since 2007, which includes a 21-7 victory in their last meeting in Corvallis in 2012. Oregon State has been very good after the bye under Mike Riley, going 19-7 ATS.

Which one-loss team will prevail on Thursday night? For the answer, connect to College Football Best Bets for all the StatFox Experts picks throughout the 2014 regular season and bowl season. StatFox Brian is heating up with a 67% ATS mark (6-3) in Best Bets over the past two weeks.

The Utes offense ranks 19th in the country in scoring (39.6 PPG), 35th in rushing (202.2 YPG) and 82nd in passing (217.8 PPG). The leader on the offense is RB Devontae Booker (88 carries, 513 yards and 4 TD). After tallying only 179 rushing yards in his first three games, he has rushed 334 yards the past two games, including 156 yards and a touchdown versus UCLA. The quarterback situation is questionable right now after QB Travis Wilson (788 passing yards, 7 TD and 0 INT), suffered a head injury. Wilson had given up on his football career in the summer after too many injuries, but had a change of heart and is playing good football. If he is unable to go, junior QB Kendal Thompson (284 passing yards, 2 TD and 1 INT) will be the guy. Thompson is more of a dual-threat than Wilson, forcing defenses to have to respect his running ability. The team's top target through the air is senior WR Dres Anderson (15 catches, 290 yards and 4 TD) who creates mismatches on the outside with his speed. WR Kenneth Scott (22 catches, 228 yards and 3 TD) is proving to be a talented No. 2 option. With the potent rushing attack of the Utes, the receivers are going to have opportunities for one-on-one coverage. The defense of the Utes has been solid, allowing only 21.4 PPG (38th in FBS). DE Nate Orchard (34 tackles, 9 TFL, 8.5 sacks) is proving to be one of the elite defensive players in the country. He does a terrific job of getting after the quarterback, but he also makes a lot of plays in the run game. The leading tackler on the team is LB Jared Norris (45 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks). With these two providing pressure in the pocket, the secondary does not have to cover for extended times. DB Tevin Carter (16 tackles, 3.5 TFL and 2 INT) is an explosive player in the secondary, but he is questionable with an undisclosed injury. This defense played well against the Bruins, but is facing a different challenge in Oregon State's high-octane air attack.

The Beavers rank 48th in FBS passing (260.8 YPG), 81st in scoring (28.2 PPG) and 104th in rushing (132.4 YPG). The offense starts with QB Sean Mannion (118-of-182, 1,304 passing yards and 5 TD), who is closing in on the Pac 12 record for most passing yards in a career. The rushing game should remain strong with RB Terron Ward (59 carries, 343 yards and 6 TD) upgraded to probable from his wrist injury. Not only has he proven to be a talented runner, but he also has nine catches for 100 yards. Junior RB Storm Woods (59 carries, 342 yards and 3 TD) is also vital to the rushing game. When these two are together on the field, it creates a lot of mismatches in the middle. WR Victor Bolden (24 catches, 230 yards and 1 TD) has the most catches on the season, but the team has yet to find a true No. 1 after Brandin Cooks left for the NFL. The defense allows 23.4 PPG (54th in nation) and 331.4 total YPG, with LB Michael Doctor (29 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2 PD) being the leading tackler on the team. The Beavers have not been able to get a lot of pressure on the quarterback, but DE Obum Gwacham does have a team-high four sacks. In the loss to the Trojans, the defense gave up 200 rushing yards. With the Utes having some uncertainty at the quarterback position, they are going to look to run the ball. The defense of Oregon State will have to be ready to stop the run.


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