Four things to know about TCU football’s next opponent, the Utah Utes

TCU begins the most daunting part of its schedule with a trip to Utah, one of the most daunting environments in all of college football.

Had the Horned Frogs handled their business against Houston and UCF, this would’ve been a prime opportunity for TCU to keep itself in the Big 12 race and maybe earn a top-25 ranking. Instead, the Horned Frogs find themselves desperately needing a win to keep their bowl hopes alive.

Meanwhile, Utah has gone from being picked as the preseason favorite in the league to just 1-2 in its first three games, the same conference record as TCU and Houston. Both teams are technically still alive for a possible berth in the Big 12 title game, but the loser will certainly be eliminated and will have to readjust its goals.

Here’s four things to know about the Utes:

House of horrors

The Utes don’t lose often at Rice-Eccels Stadium, especially to unranked competition. Before the loss against Arizona on Sept. 28, Utah had won 31 straight games against unranked opponents. Ranked opponents have also had their struggles in Salt Lake City with great players like former USC quarterback Caleb Williams being unable to pull out a victory in such a hostile environment.

TCU has two road wins this season, but playing at Stanford and at Kansas (in Kansas City, not Lawrence) doesn’t compare to what they’ll see Saturday night in Utah. It’s an environment that compares closer to what the Horned Frogs saw last season in road trips to Iowa State, Kansas State and Texas Tech.

The Horned Frogs lost each of those games by an average of 15.3 points. TCU also already has a road stinker this year when the Horned Frogs were blown out in Dallas by SMU. Competing against the Utes is tough enough, but the crowd will only make the challenge more daunting.

Rising or falling?

A big reason the Utes were expected to contend in the Big 12 was the return of quarterback Cam Rising. When Rising was healthy in 2021 and 2022, the Utes reached two straight Rose Bowls and won 10 games each season. Rising missed all of 2023 and the Utes fell back to 8-5.

Injuries have plagued Rising again this season as he played in the first two games, but then missed the next three. Rising returned to action last Friday against Arizona State and looked like a player that still isn’t healthy. Rising completed just 16 of his 37 passes for 209 yards and three interceptions.

Rising, who suffered a hand injury, didn’t have the same velocity on his passes which led to the turnovers and missed opportunities. Utah announced on Monday that Rising would be out indefinitely. That means Utah will turn to Isaac Wilson, the younger brother of Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson, against TCU.

Wilson went 2-1 as a starter filling in for Rising, including leading the Utes to a win on the road at Oklahoma State. The true freshman quarterback has had growing pains with seven interceptions and six touchdowns. Wilson is also only completing 55.7% of his passes. Wilson being in the lineup increases TCU’s chances of an upset.

Some things never change

While the Utes’ offense has been a work in progress, Utah’s defense is once again one of the nation’s best at the midway point of the year. The Utes are only allowing 17 points per game, top-20 in the country and No. 3 in the Big 12. The Utes are equally tough against the run as they are against the pass.

Opponents are averaging less than four yards per carry and just 118.7 rushing yards per game. The Utes secondary is only allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 49.4% of their throws and average 172 yards passing. It’s a fundamentally sound defense that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and plays with a lot of physicality.

The Utes have 13 sacks and have allowed the fewest first downs and third down conversions in the Big 12. Van Fillinger is the top playmaker on the unit with 29 tackles and 5.5. sacks. Six different Utes have picked off a pass this season led by Elijah Davis, who has two. This could easily be the best defense TCU faces this season.

Improved skill talent

The quarterback situation has overshadowed the fact the Utes have a number of impressive skill players. At running back, the Utes lost former Duncanville star Ja’Quinden Jackson to Arkansas, but there’s been no drop off in the run game as Micah Bernard has stepped up in a big way. Bernard has 676 yards on the season, almost eclipsing Jackson’s season total last season. Bernard is averaging better than 6.5 yards per carry.

The Horned Frogs have struggled against elite running backs and Bernard will be another tough challenge. At receiver Utah added former Arizona and USC receiver Dorian Singer to the roster. Singer was a 1,000-yard receiver at Arizona, but saw his numbers drop dramatically at USC. At Utah, Singer is back to being a No. 1 receiver and leads Utah with 30 receptions for 435 yards.

The Utes also have another quality tight end with Brant Kuithe. Kuithe was a three-time All-Pac 12 selection and could be in line to be All-Big 12 with 313 yards and two touchdowns so far this season. If the quarterbacks can get them the ball, Utah has enough playmakers to put up points if TCU isn’t prepared.