What To Expect In Utah Football’s Season Opener
Aug 28, 2024, 1:40 PM | Updated: 5:27 pm
Brant Kuithe #80 of the Utah Utes drops a pass against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds during the first half of their game September 10, 2022 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Football is almost here with Thursday’s season-opening matchup against Southern Utah down to just hours from kickoff. After looking at a handful of previous FCS matchups, here’s a better picture of what to expect from Utah in this contest.
Utah has played at least one FCS opponent for years now. Weber State and Southern Utah have actually alternated as the FCS matchup every season since 2021. Utah’s won comfortably in each of these games.
Are you ready for @Utah_Football's season opener tomorrow?!
Here's everything you need to know whether you are attending the game or watching from home.https://t.co/CNctW4tubr
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 28, 2024
Obviously, tomorrow is important for a number of reasons. There are a handful of key figures returning from injuries. This team is expected to compete at a high level and getting off to a strong start is important. That will center around the details and level of execution we see from the squad.
Still, there are more detailed things we can look for to set better expectations for the game and how it should play out.
What to expect from Utah tomorrow
With the sort of FBS vs FCS matchup, there is always a massive difference in rosters. For example, starters at FCS schools would be battling for spots on the bottom of most FBS rosters. Utah has a significant advantage in that regard.
RELATED: Three Keys To Victory For Utah Football Against Southern Utah
With the games they’ve played in recent years, Utah’s won pretty comfortably. Using advanced metrics from those games can provide a better idea of what to expect and look for in tomorrow’s matchup.
| 2021 | Utah – 41 | Weber State – 10 |
| Overall Yards Per Play | 7.5 | 4.29 |
| Big Play % | 38.46% | 7.94% |
| Negative Play % | 8.33% | 11.11% |
| Overall Success % | 51.70% | 36.50% |
| 2022 | Utah – 73 | Southern Utah – 7 |
| Overall Yards Per Play | 8.42 | 1.93 |
| Big Play % | 25.35% | 2.27% |
| Negative Play % | 12.68% | 15.91% |
| Overall Success % | 62.00% | 22.70% |
| 2023 | Utah – 31 | Weber State – 7 |
| Overall Yards Per Play | 5.81 | 3.02 |
| Big Play % | 10.96% | 2.38% |
| Negative Play % | 5.48% | 14.29% |
| Overall Success % | 49.30% | 23.80% |
For comparison’s sake, here is a look at three different FBS vs FCS matchups from within the Big 12 Conference last season.
| Kansas State – 45 | SEMO – 0 | |
| Overall Yards Per Play | 8.28 | 3.6 |
| Big Play % | 21.13% | 9.52% |
| Negative Play % | 5.63% | 17.46% |
| Overall Success % | 56.30% | 39.70% |
| TCU – 41 | Nicholls State – 6 | |
| Overall Yards Per Play | 6.31 | 3.51 |
| Big Play % | 17.14% | 6.67% |
| Negative Play % | 12.86% | 8.00% |
| Overall Success % | 50.00% | 38.70% |
| Texas Tech – 41 | Tarleton St. – 3 | |
| Overall Yards Per Play | 5.78 | 4.28 |
| Big Play % | 13.89% | 11.25% |
| Negative Play % | 8.33% | 6.25% |
| Overall Success % | 52.80% | 45.00% |
Obviously, all you need to look at is the score to know the difference in these sorts of games. Taking a closer look at some of the advanced measures gives us a decent idea of how this game should look.
Utah should obviously control this game. There should be a fair amount of big plays (rush plays that gain 12+ yards and pass plays that gain 15+ yards). There will also be a small number of negative plays. More often than not, Utah should be moving the ball pretty efficiently. All while seeing the opposite on the other side of the ball.
What to know about SUU
SUU is a program that has experienced a lot of tough years recently. That reached it’s breaking point after a 1-10 season in 2021, which led to a coaching change and the hiring of Delane Fitzgerald.
Since Fitzgerald was hired prior to the 2022 season, Southern Utah has become a fairly competitive ball club. The T-Birds improved to 5-6 in year one and 6-5 in year two, which included a 24-21 loss to Arizona State, as well as a 41-16 loss to BYU.
The T-Birds are moving on from longtime quarterback starter Justin Miller. There will likely be a two-QB system in-place for the T-Birds this season featuring Bronson Barron (pocket passer) and Jackson Berry (athlete).
This season they will be led by a solid running back tandem in Braedon Wissler and Targhee Lamson. The two combined for nearly 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. The run game will be the key to Southern Utah’s success this season.
Defensively, linebacker Kohner Cullimore will lead the way for the SUU defense. He’s considered the top backer and is known to be rather physical. Cornerback Lacerea Pleasant-Johnson will be a familiar name for Utah fans. LPJ has settled in at SUU and will be counted to play at a good level this season.
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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