No. 13 Utah and five-win Baylor share a mantra entering the Big 12 matchup on Saturday in Waco, Texas.
Still in the hunt.
The Utes (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) are not in ideal position with three games remaining because of losses to BYU and Texas Tech.
Baylor (5-4, 3-3) has its eyes on a spoiler role and a coveted bowl game.
Utah knows a loss likely erases the Utes from the fringe of the College Football Playoff.
Utah crushed Cincinnati last week, 45-14, in the Utes’ most emphatic Big 12 win since blowing out reigning league champion Arizona State 42-10 on Oct. 11.
The blowout of Cincinnati followed a 53-7 rout of Colorado, giving Utah an average margin of victory of 35.8 points per game in the Utes’ last four wins.
“It could get interesting here as we go along,” Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said of the tight conference race. “We’re concerned with it, but we’re not focused on it. We’re still in the hunt mathematically.”
Utah’s lopsided victories bookend a 24-21 loss to rival BYU on Oct. 18, however, which combined with the Utes’ 34-10 loss to Texas Tech on Sept. 20 complicates their pursuit of a berth in the Big 12 championship game.
Utah is one game behind each of BYU, Cincinnati and Texas Tech in the loss column. Texas Tech has two league games remaining, while the others have three.
Not only is Utah in the Big 12 title hunt heading into its final three games, but the reveal of the Utes’ place in Tuesday’s playoff rankings suggests a path to at-large consideration for the postseason. At No. 13, Utah is just beyond the coveted top 12, albeit with the Group of Five automatic berth and the top-ranked ACC team, Miami, behind the Utes.
Qualifying for a bowl game is the postseason objective for Baylor.
The Bears need at least one win in their final three contests, but it won’t be easy with Utah, 6-3 Arizona and 8-2 Houston on deck.
“This is just a huge game for us,” Bears coach Dave Aranda said. “This is a game we need to win. We’re in an instance where, similar to last year, we have to win all these games.”
Baylor knows how to finish with a kick.
Following a 2-4 first half of 2024 that included a 23-12 home loss to Utah, Baylor won six consecutive games to close at 8-4. The 2025 Bears aim to close on a four-game winning streak, having rebounded from consecutive losses at TCU and Cincinnati with a 30-3 romp against UCF last week.
Quarterback Sawyer Robertson, third in the nation in passing yards per game at 308.9, went 29-of-40 for 267 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s rout.
Robertson has thrown multiple touchdown passes in every game this season, and has gone the last two weeks without throwing an interception after tossing three in the loss at TCU.
The Utah pass defense has been largely dominant, ranking sixth nationally at 156.8 yards per game and only six touchdowns allowed against eight interceptions.
Jackson Bennee’s three picks lead the Utes.
But while Utah has remained defensively stout, a hallmark of Whittingham-coached teams in his 20 years at the helm, this Utes squad is among the program’s highest-scoring ever.
They rank seventh nationally at 39.6 points per game, powered by a multifaceted rushing attack. Running backs Wayshawn Parker and NaQuari Rogers have carried for five and eight touchdowns and averaged 67.4 and 38.3 yards a contest.
Dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier is rushing for 65 yards per game, complementing his 198.5 passing yards an outing.
–Field Level Media
