Three Keys To Victory For Utah Football Against Southern Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – It’s finally game week for the No. 12-ranked Utah Football program! With the game on Thursday night, here’s a look at three keys to victory for the Utes.

Considering the matchup with the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, this will hold a different tone than future iterations of this article.

𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟏 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 ⚪️🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/K8Vp5yynFR

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 26, 2024

The 2024 season is long-awaited in Salt Lake City. Kyle Whittingham’s ball club is considered the favorite in the new Big 12 Conference, as well as a College Football Playoff contender.

RELATED: How To Watch Utah Utes Football Vs. Southern Utah Thunderbirds

Getting off to a good start is important to the 2024 season. Here are the three keys to Utah’s season opener against the Thunderbirds.

Key Utah Football players shaking off the rust

Utah has some unique dynamics with this squad that make this game more important than a matchup like this typically would be. One of those is the fact that multiple key players are returning from significant injuries sustained last season.

Quarterback Cam Rising, tight end Brant Kuithe, and defensive end Logan Fano among others are all returning from injuries that cost them extended amounts of time.

There is a lot of anticipation and excitement over simply seeing those guys returning to the field this season. Seeing those players in action, getting them back into the flow of competition, and shaking off the rust will be vital.

Execute as cleanly and precisely as possible

Given the advantage Utah has in this matchup, a lot of the focus should be on how cleanly the team executes in all phases of the game.

That’s not just how well the quarterback throws passes. That involves how cleanly the offensive line performs in the trenches. It’s seeing how quickly and correctly the receivers line up prior to the snap. Along the defensive line, it’s about how cleanly they get off blocks and create disruption in the backfield. It’s the avoidance of sloppy, self-inflicted penalties.

There are so many things along those lines that will be key to Thursday’s game. It’s important to see Utah win and win comfortably but perhaps more important is seeing this squad execute as cleanly as possible.

Getting off to a strong start

The final key is a potential result of the previous two factors. Shaking off the rust, executing cleanly, and getting off to a quick start will be the keys to Utah’s game on Thursday.

Utah has the sort of depth that coaches would love to utilize in the game as early as possible. Getting off to a quick start could lead to an early night for the veterans on the team. Then, that would give Utah a look at the potential future of the program as well.

The schedule gets tougher after this with Baylor coming to town next week. Opportunities for young guys to see the field may not be as viable after this. So getting the young guys on the squad as many reps as possible in this one should be a focus.

Again, these three keys will be different than most three keys to victory for Utah this season. This is a contest where Utah is simply an overwhelming favorite. As long as they execute the way they’re capable of, Thursday night should be a lot of fun for Utah fans.

Utah Football Schedule

Utah will kick off the season against Southern Utah on August 29. You can find Utah football’s conference schedule here.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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