Utah has spent the last several weeks looking like a team on track for something bigger. But Saturday night against Houston could be the moment that exposes just how fragile that perfect record really is.
The Utes are 6-0, but the assignment in front of them feels different from anything they’ve handled so far. Houston arrives as the best team Utah has faced this season by a wide margin, and the Cougars bring the kind of coaching, quarterback play and pressure-tested résumé that can turn a clean record messy in a hurry.
There’s also a contrasting challenge for second-ranked BYU this week, though for different reasons. The Cougars are coming off their landmark victory over Notre Dame and now head across the country to play UCF, a matchup that screams trap game. The trip to Orlando comes after a physically and emotionally draining win, and the question is whether BYU can summon the same urgency again.
Utah’s concerns are more straightforward. The Utes have been sloppy in their last two games since the early-October bye, piling up 10 penalties and two turnovers in the win over Kansas, then adding two more turnovers in a victory at Colorado that was closer than it should have been. They also allowed 138 rushing yards and 5.8 yards per carry to a Colorado offense that had struggled badly on the ground before that.
The softer part of Utah’s schedule may be part of the explanation. September didn’t demand much, and even October hasn’t offered a real stress test. Utah’s strength of schedule sits at No. 101 in the ESPN computer rankings, and its three conference opponents - Iowa State, Colorado and Kansas - are 1-8 in league play.
Houston is a different animal. The Cougars have already been forced into high-leverage football twice, losing by 2 points at No.
8 Texas Tech and beating previously ranked Oklahoma State by 3 points after a fourth-quarter touchdown drive sealed it. In other words, Houston has already played in situations that look a lot more like Saturday night than anything Utah has seen.
The man steering that team is also a major problem for the Utes. Willie Fritz doesn’t carry the same public profile as some of the sport’s bigger names, but he has won everywhere he’s been, from junior college to the Football Championship Subdivision to Group of Six football and now the Power Four.
Houston was 4-8 in 2023 before his arrival, then went 4 wins in his first season and 10 in his second. Halfway through year three, the Cougars are 6-1 and were a field goal away from being unbeaten.
That matters because the Utes are about to face a staff that knows how to take away what an opponent wants to do. The expectation is that Houston will limit Utah’s strengths and force the Utes into places they haven’t had to operate much this season.
The quarterback matchup tilts the same way. Houston’s Conner Weigman is the best quarterback Utah has seen, and it isn’t close.
The former five-star prospect from Texas A&M has the size, mobility and arm strength to stress a defense in every phase, and he’s at his best late in games. Against Texas Tech, he threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns and led an 88-yard touchdown drive in the final minutes.
He has already played in a loud road environment, too, having dealt with the cowbells at Mississippi State during his final season at Texas A&M.
Utah, meanwhile, has also shown signs that opponents may be getting a better read on what it wants to do. The offensive overhaul under first-year coach Morgan Scalley and coordinator Kevin McGiven brought more creativity, including looks with Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin on the field together. That setup helped the Utes score 173 points in four September games.
But the last few outings have been less crisp, and that could mean the rest of the league is starting to catch up. The 27 points against Colorado stood out, and the recent penalties and turnovers only add to the suspicion that the Utes are no longer sneaking up on anyone. That’s a normal part of a season: as the sample grows, opponents find the tendencies, and the better staffs adjust.
Fritz and his assistants have a track record of doing exactly that.
In Other News...
Utah Suspends Jamal Wallace As Troubling Arrest Raises Bigger Questions
Utah defensive tackle Jamal Wallace has been out of the program since the athletics department was made aware of the situation on Oct. 11, a move that came quickly after his arrest and underscored how seriously the school is treating the matter. Wallaces case centers on allegations that he shared videos of a sexual encounter on Snapchat, and while the arrest has stirred concern around the program, he was not arrested on a sexual assault charge.
Wallace was booked on misdemeanor counts tied to allegedly distributing intimate images without consent, and he denied sexual assault during a police interview. He has not been formally charged as of the report, leaving the situation unresolved for Utah as it navigates both the legal process and the broader questions that come with an indefinite suspension of a player facing such troubling allegations. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs New Standard Showed Up When Oregon Tried To Pull Away
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Utah did not flip the game with one clean surge so much as by surviving the pressure moments and sticking with it long enough for the momentum to turn. The Utes found support across the rotation, with Malek Gomma providing a major lift after the break, and the finishing stretch became a test of poise as Oregon tried to keep control. In a game like this, the details matter, and Utahs next step will be proving it can make this standard feel less like one strong night and more like the baseline. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Heads Into Oklahoma State With A Growing Injury Problem
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Deion Sanders has already said Welchs situation is serious enough to warrant close attention, while Danny Scuderos availability has become a major concern as the season moves on. There is at least some movement in the other direction, with Sam Gadie showing up on the report as he works toward a possible return, and Lamont Lesters reduced role being tied to a full recovery. [Read more 🡒]