Utah is well aware of the destruction that took place in Autzen Stadium on Saturday. The bomb that was Washington State forced Oregon to make every mistake seemingly possible.
Does that mean that the Utes (3-1) will have a relaxing Friday evening in Rice-Eccles Stadium?
Not in the mind of Utah safety Dave Revill.
“I think that they are even more dangerous because they will have all week to work on what they did wrong,” Revill told The Daily Utah Chronicle.
Revill was named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 29 for his part in Utah’s 28-21 win over Colorado State two days earlier.
And like the Cougars, Utah has no trouble causing havoc on opponents. The Utes intercepted two passes over the weekend and forced the Rams to fumble the ball four times.
“When you force six turnovers and score on two of them, then you should win the game,” Revill said. “If we do it again we should be able to win.”
Beyond the mess of turnovers and interceptions, Utah has deeper feelings about Friday’s match up, especially for junior wide receiver Paris Warren, a former Duck in the 2001 season.
Warren sat out last year because of transfer rules, and since his return into the Utah lineup has averaged 81.7 receiving yards per game in 24 total catches.
And on the other side of the ball, cornerback Arnold Parker has his work cut out in dealing with wide receiver Demetrius Williams. The Oregon sophomore has accounted for 508 yards already and averages 18.8 yards per catch.
“This will be one of the defining points in Arnold’s career,” Utah head coach Urban Meyer told The Daily Utah Chronicle. “He works so hard, and he is really fast. I think he will have a good game.”
Establishing a solid presence at the quarterback spot is also crucial for the Utes. Junior quarterback Brett Elliot, a Lake Oswego native, broke his wrist in the final play of Utah’s game against Texas A&M on Sept. 6.
Elliot is questionable to play against the Ducks.
If the Utes remain strong behind sophomore Alex Smith — who has led Utah in two straight wins over the past two weeks — they look to be all right.
In games against Colorado State and California, Smith looked like he had started games last season. The 6-foot-4-inch quarterback has completed 73 percent of his passing attempts and is averaging a 126.7 passing yards per game since replacing Elliot.
Utah is aware of Oregon’s talent despite the Ducks’ many mistakes last week. The Utes look to defeat Oregon in Salt Lake City for the first time since a 24-17 win in 1991.
“Oregon is fast, and their team speed is the advantage they have on us,” Meyer said. “They also have guys at about 320 pounds on the defensive line.”