The No. 11 Utah Utes are set to kickoff against the Baylor Bears at 1:30 on Saturday, in a non-conference matchup despite both being in the new Big 12. This happened due to a long-established scheduling agreement and Utah having a short window to adjust their games with the move to the conference.
Let's take a look at the position battles for this week’s contest:
Quarterback
Dequan Finn is a talented dual-threat quarterback. That type can cause Utah issues, but he also takes a ton of risks. There’s zero debate with this battle, as Cam Rising looks like he didn’t miss a beat, after missing the 2023 season. Rising is like having a coach on the field.
Running Backs
The pieces are there for Utah, but there’s still plenty of questions. Baylor’s top running Dominic Richardson is likely out with an injury, and the Bears’ group is solid but not great. We’ll give this one a tie, with the temptation of giving the edge to Utah.
Wide Receivers
This group is closer than it may seem, but the combination of Dorian Singer and Money Parks is great than the trio of Monaray Baldwin, Ketron Jackson Jr., and Ashtyn Hawkins. Utah has yet to get Syracuse transfer Damien Alford involved, which should only be a matter of time.
Tight Ends
Baylor is high on their tight ends, but as the whole country knows, Utah continuously has an embarrassment of riches at the position. Utah wins this in a landslide, even if you’re just factoring in Brant Kuithe against the whole Baylor tight end room.
Offensive Line
This one is a wash currently as Utah’s offensive line didn’t dominate SUU like they should have. Both teams played FCS opponents, so the true test for each line comes this weekend.
Defensive Line
Utah, zero questions asked. I’d even take Utah’s second-string defensive line over Baylor’s first-team. That's not even a slam against Baylor, as all of Utah’s former Pac-12 opponents would be nodding in agreement to that statement.
Linebackers
Linebacker Matt Jones is a steadying presence for Baylor, but Utah will trot out two of the better linebackers in college football: Karene Reid and Jackson Barton.
Secondary
This is a push. The secondary might be the strength of Baylor’s defense, but their defense was one of the worst in college football in 2023. Utah needs to replace injured starter Kenan Johnson, but the talent is there at a historically strong part of the defense for Utah.
Special Teams
This is a close one, but Utah gets the edge. Both Utah’s Cole Becker and Baylor’s Isaiah Hankins are reliable kickers. Hankins is especially solid from around 50 yards out. Becker has that capability as well, but he was limited with his range most of last season due to an injury. Utah gets the edge through their punting, as Jack Bouwmeester has the bigger leg.
For in-depth breakdowns on Utah's opponent, the Baylor Bears, and why the position battles shook out this way, Matt Patton scouts the Baylor Bears and Dustin Birch takes a deep look inside the numbers for Baylor.
