UTAH LOOKS TO STAY ON TOP
Since the start of the 2018 season, Utah has the best conference record
In the Pac-12, it is Southern California that has grabbed most of the headlines this offseason and it’s typically the Trojans and Oregon that get the majority of the hype.
The best team in the conference over the last four years, however, has arguably been Utah.
This summer, Buffzone.com is previewing each of Colorado’s opponents for the 2022 season and in this final installment, we look at Utah.
Since the start of the 2018 season, Utah has the best conference record (26-9), the secondbest overall record (34-14; just behind Oregon’s 35-13) and has reached the Pac-12 title game in each of the last three full seasons (not counting the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign).
Last year, Utah won its first Pac-12 title, crushing Oregon, 38-10, in the championship game.
Despite losing some significant contributors, the Utes expect to be one of the best teams in the conference, if not the country, once again.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham, now in his 18th season, has built a powerhouse program in Salt Lake City, with defense and a strong running game as the foundation.
Putting Utah over the top last year was quarterback Cameron Rising. A former Texas transfer, he took over as the starter in Week 4 of the 2021 season and wound up being first-team allconference.
Although the Utes lost dynamic receiver/returner Britain Covey and three-time All-pac-12 center Nick Ford to graduation, they should be tough to stop this year. Rising is back, as are running backs Tavion Thomas and Micah Bernard. One of the best tight end tandems in the coun