We are now inside five days from kickoff, so it's time to take a look at this week's opponent: The Utes of Utah.
Date and Time: August 30th, 2007 :: 7:02
TV: Fox Sports Northwest
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
All-time series: Oregon State leads 4-8-1
Last meeting: 1992 (Utah 42, OSU 9)
Last Year: 8-5 overall, 5-3 Mountain West (Tied for 3rd)
Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham (15-10 in 2 years at Utah)
Returning Starters: 16: 9 offense, 5 defense. Kicker, punter.
Offense, in a nutshell: QB Brian Johnson is back after a redshirt year in 2006 that he spent nursing his knee. There is depth at receiver and running back, and the offense could be dangerous. Luckily, the Beavers have a talented defense to stop it.
Defense, in a nutshell: The Utes are now without All American CB/RB Eric Weddle, the hub of their defense from last year. They only return five starters to the defense, and will start several sophomores. The linebackers have the most experience, but both the line and the secondary are relitevely young.
Utah wins if: QB Brian Johnson returns with the same talent he had in 2005, and they get their running game settled. The Ute offense will likely have a rough time against the Beaver defense, but if everything comes together for Utah, it could be a different story.
GO BEAVERS!
--JB--