Preview: Utah's physicality, loud stadium will test Cougs

What: No. 19 Washington State (8-2, 5-2) at Utah (5-4, 2-4)

Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,807), Salt Lake City, UT.

When: Sat., Nov. 11, 2:30 p.m. PT (3:30 MT)

TV/Radio: Pac-12 Network (JB Long, Anthony Herron, Lewis Johnson); Washington State IMG Sports Network (Matt Chazanow, Jason Gesser, Bob Robertson, Jessamyn McIntyre).

Washington State and Utah square off on the gridiron in a Pac-12 cross-divisional clash for the first time since 2014. WSU quarterback Luke Falk makes his long-awaited return to the Beehive State after starring at Logan (UT) High School as a record-setting sophomore and senior.

Utah will test the Cougars two principal ways: their Stanford-like physicality in the trenches and the expected raucous atmosphere inside Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The Utes have always taken pride in being one of the best Pac-12 teams along the line of scrimmage, and this year is no different even though the Utes have gone to more of a spread attack this year. Nonetheless, Utah is 4-0 in 2017 when they have more rushing yards than their opponent.

Running behind a stout offensive line (four of Utah’s five O-linemen have started every game), Utah running back Zack Moss is eighth in the Pac-12 in rushing (82.2 ypg). Defensively, Utah is ranked in the top four in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (23.1 ppg), total defense (345.8), rushing defense (156.0) and passing defense (189.8).

Utah has put a number of defensive linemen into the NFL in recent years. Senior DT Lowell Lotulelei could be the next one. He is a three-time All-Pac-12 selection (first team in 2014) and four-year starter who has played in 47 of 48 games in his career (missed one game in 2016 due to an injury) with 39 starts.

“They are a very physical team,” Mike Leach said of Utah. “They are very similar to the team we just played (Stanford). They are very physical in both trenches. Their offensive line and defensive line (are good). They have a good running back and the quarterback runs around a little bit. It will be a very physical game, I suspect.”

Saturday should mark the 50th consecutive sellout at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The streak extends back to the 2010 season opener before the Utes joined the Pac-12 and includes 46 standing room-only crowds. Over the last seven seasons, the conference has quickly come to learn how difficult winning at Rice-Eccles Stadium truly is. Last week, UCLA was trounced, 48-17, by the Utes in front of the usual red-clad crowd in Salt lake City.

“It’s a nice stadium in a very pretty setting,” Leach said. “The only thing I see that makes it’s a tough place to play is it’s loud. I view it as the second loudest place in the conference after Oregon.”

NOTES:

-- Washington State and Utah each own seven wins in the 14-game history between the two programs. The Cougars have won the last two meetings, erasing a 21-point deficit to post a 28-27 win in Salt Lake City in 2014 after claiming a 49-37 win in 2013 in Pullman.

-- Utah is 0-2 against the Pac-12 North this year with losses to Stanford and Oregon.

-- Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is now in his 13th year as Utah head coach. He replaced Urban Meyer in 2005 after Myer accepted the head coaching job at Florida.

-- Utah leads the nation in three categories: field goals made (21), net punting (44.91 yards) and punt return defense (-4.00). Translation: the Utes special teams are pretty good. Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky, last year’s Ray Guy Award winner as the country’s best punter, has had just three punts returned—all for negative yardage (-12 yards total). First-year junior PK Matt Gay is 21-of-24 on field goals and has four 50+ yard field goals.

-- Sophomore QB Tyler Huntley is 5-2 as the starter this season. He missed two and a half games with an injury before returning against Arizona State on Oct. 21. Huntley has passed for 1,648 yards (235.4 ypg) with 12 touchdowns and 6 INT. Huntley’s 66.7 percent completion rate ranks third in the Pac-12 and eighth in the nation.

PAC-12 WEEK 11 SCHEDULE (Nov. 10-11 )

Washington at Stanford, 7:30 p.m. (Fri.)(FS1)

USC at Colorado, 1 p.m. (Fox)

Washington State at Utah, 2:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)

Arizona State at UCLA, 6:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)

Oregon State at Arizona, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN2)

(All Times Pacific)

PAC-12 NORTH STANDINGS:

Washington 5-1 (8-1)

Washington State 5-2 (8-2)

Stanford 5-2 (6-3)

California 2-5 (5-5)

Oregon 2-5 (5-5)

Oregon State 0-6 (1-8)