Utah State vs Utah College Football Week 2 Preview, TV Schedule, Prediction

By Tyler Brett
travis wilson
Russ Isabella – USA TODAY Sports

TV Schedule: Friday, September 11 9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT

Line: Utah (-13)

The Utah Utes renew their in-state rivalry with the Utah State Aggies on Friday night after taking a one-year hiatus from the series. Utah used a strong defensive performance in Week 1 to make their way back into the top-25 while the Aggies struggled to survive their Week 1 matchup against FCS Southern Utah and face a serious challenge to tighten things up on the road against the Utes.

Against the Michigan Wolverines, Utah utilized their strong defense to get the job done and seal a 24-17 win. The Utes recorded three interceptions, including a pick-six in the fourth quarter from Justin Thomas. The secondary will get even stronger in Week 2 after the team reinstated 2014 starting DB Dominique Hatfield following a suspension stemming from off-field issues this offseason. Offensively, quarterback Travis Wilson put together a strong performance to lead the Utes, completing 24 of 33 passes for 208 yards with a 14-yard rush for a touchdown as well.

Utah State, meanwhile, needed a 4th-quarter punt return for a touchdown to escape an upset in their 12-9 win to open the season. Quarterback Chuckie Keeton returned to the field after missing the final 11 games of 2014 with knee injury and looked very rusty, completing just 16 of 33 passes for 110 yards with an interception and rushing for just seven yards on six carries. The senior has played well against the Utes in the past, including 399 total yards and three touchdowns in their last meeting in 2013. He will need to find that playmaking ability again to give Utah State a real shot in this one.

The Aggies have been able to go toe-to-toe with the Utes in the last two meetings but face a daunting challenge on Friday night. Utah State will have to show incredible growth from Week 1 to Week 2 if they hope to challenge a Utah team that looks to be a legitimate Pac-12 South contender in 2015.

Prediction: Utah 26, Utah State 13

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