The No. 18 Utah Utes are now one of only four Pac-12 teams that remain undefeated. After beating Fresno State 45-24 last Saturday, the Utes improved to 3-0 heading into their Pac-12 opener against No. 13 Oregon.
Coming off a relatively comfortable 61-28 win over Georgia State, the Ducks will be tested against Utah, a team that threatened to spoil Oregon’s national championship run last season.
Although the Ducks eventually won 51-27 at Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium last November, they started slow on both sides of the ball. Had it not been for Kaelin Clay’s goal-line gaffe and Joe Walker’s subsequent return for a touchdown in the second quarter, things might have been drastically different. Instead, that play turned a 14-0 Utes lead into a 7-7 tie, giving the Ducks new life.
Oregon faces a Utah offense reliant on its rushing attack, led by running back Devontae Booker. Defensively, the Utes allow 18.3 points per game, fourth best in the conference. Meanwhile, the Ducks’ defense ranks dead last in that category, allowing 33.7 points per game.
Here are the matchups to watch in Saturday’s contest:
Devontae Booker vs. Oregon front-seven
Missed tackles have been a problem throughout the Ducks’ defense this season, most notably in their loss at Michigan State. The Ducks face another run-heavy team with Utah. With an unsettled situation at quarterback between Travis Wilson and Kendal Thompson, the Utes lean heavily on Booker. Last week against Fresno State, Booker totaled 212 all-purpose yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also rushed a season-high 31 times. If containment and tackling troubles persist for Oregon, Booker could run wild.
Oregon offensive line vs. Utah defensive line
The Ducks have struggled in the trenches in nearly every loss over the past few seasons. The same was true against Michigan State, where Vernon Adams Jr. danced around the pocket all night trying to avoid the pass rush. Part of Adams’ struggles were due to him holding the ball too long, but his offensive line wasn’t much help. Utah defensive coordinator John Pease constantly rotates his defensive lineman in and out during games. The Utes are deep at this position, while the Ducks’ offensive line continues to gel with three new starters.
Players to watch:
Oregon:
Vernon Adams Jr. 
Adams sat out last week’s win over Georgia State, nursing an injury to his index finger. Jeff Lockie got his first career start at quarterback. Offensive coordinator Scott Frost said on Monday that there is no risk of further injuring Adams’ finger. Though the Ducks have yet to name a starter, Adams appears to have a good chance to redeem himself on Saturday after throwing two picks in the Michigan State loss.
Tyree Robinson
Robinson capitalized on erratic passing from Georgia State quarterback Nick Arbuckle, intercepting two passes, including one returned for a touchdown. The safety has struggled with tackling, like much of the defense, but Robinson showed a knack for finding the football against Georgia State.
Utah:
Gionni Paul
The senior linebacker has shown up across the stat sheet through three games for the Utes. In addition to 27 tackles — second best on the team — Paul has one interception and one recovered fumble.
Follow Will Denner on Twitter @Will_Denner