The No. 23 California Golden Bears (5-0) travel to play the No. 5 Utah Utes (4-0) this week in a clash between two undefeated teams. This game will feature the Pac-12’s top passer, Jared Goff (1,630 yards, 15 TDs). Players will take the field Saturday, Oct 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET and it will air on ESPN.
Utah won easily over Oregon 62-20 in their last game. Travis Wilson had an outstanding performance passing the ball in the win, completing 18 of 30 passes for 227 yards and four TDs. He did some damage on the ground, running for 100 yards and a TD on six attempts. California managed to get the win as well, beating Washington State 34-28. Kenny Lawler had a big game for the Golden Bears, totaling six receptions for 105 yards and two TDs.
The Utes, a seven-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when California visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is unavailable at the moment.
Heading into Week 6 of the college football season, the Utes are 4-0 Straight Up (SU) and 3-1 Against The Spread (ATS). A vital source of success for the Utes this season is the passing game, where they complete 70.8% of their passes. Turning to the Utes defense, a few key spots could be deciding factors this week. One of the keys to the game will be whether the Golden Bears can protect the ball against the ambitious defense of the Utes, who rank seventh in the nation with 2.8 turnovers per game. Utah’s special teams are one of its strengths. They earn 120.8 return yards per game, putting them 18th in Division I.
Across the field, the Golden Bears have 5-0 SU and 3-2 ATS records this season. California has found a lot of success through the air. Its 358.4 passing yards per game ranks ninth in Division I. Expect an up-tempo, fast-paced offense from California. They rank 18th in the country with an average of 78.8 plays per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Utah, ATS Winner – California
Notes
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Utah’s last 15 games.
Utah is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
Utah is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home.
Both teams are 3-0 SU when leading at halftime this season.
The Utah defense has forced an average of 2.8 turnovers per game this season, but California is a perfect 4-0 SU when turning the ball over at least 2 times in a game.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Utah is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 32nd-ranked rushing attack will face the 41st-ranked run defense of California, while its 40th-ranked run defense will look to contain the 68th-ranked rushing game of the Golden Bears.
