Three Keys to Victory for No. 22 Utah Against No. 17 Arizona

With their Pac-12 title hopes dwindling, the Utah Utes will be taking on arguably the hottest team in the conference, and maybe even the country in the No. 17 Arizona Wildcats.

The Utes have a tall task ahead of them, but they can certainly end the Wildcats' win streak. Here are the three keys to a Utah win over Arizona.

1. Guard Tetairoa McMillan like your life depends on it.

Arizona has a unicorn in sophomore receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

At 6 '5, 210 pounds, McMillan is a deep ball nightmare who also has the ability to beat corners with sharp route running. McMillan has a touchdown in each of Arizona’s last three games, including over 100 yards in last week's battle against Colorado.

Matched up against the former No.1 recruit in the nation, Travis Hunter, McMillan had several highlight-level catches including a one-handed web gem for the touchdown.

Travis Hunter is elite but he's on the wrong end of two of the best catches I've seen this year pic.twitter.com/FFNbuBq0jE
— Kevin Borba (@Kevin__Borba) November 11, 2023

To make matters worse, Arizona quarterback, Noah Fifita, targets McMillan often, as the two have years of chemistry under their belts. Fifita and McMillan were high school teammates at Servite HS (CA), and have had years to develop trust for one another, which shows when the two are on the field together.

Utah should make it their priority to mark McMillan anytime he steps on the field. A player as talented as the sophomore from Hawaii can flip the script of the game, and if the Utes aren’t careful, that’s exactly what might happen.

Utah needs to ensure McMillian isn’t given many chances to catch the ball, because odds are, if it's coming his direction, he will.

2. Generate pressure to slow down Arizona’s high-powered offense

This season, Utah has one of the most efficient defenses in the country. Led by defensive mastermind Morgan Scalley, the Utes have been able to find ways to provide consistent pressure on quarterbacks all season long.

Through ten games, the Utah defense is No.1 in the nation at stopping opponents on third down. Currently, the Utes are giving up third-down conversions at a rate of just 25.6%. That’s only 33 conversions on 129 opponent attempts.

Moreover, “Sack Lake City” is real, as the Utes are currently averaging 3.0 sacks a game, led by Jonah Elliss, who has 12.0 sacks on the season and was just named a semi-finalist for both the Lombardi and Chuck Bednarik Award.

The Utes are going to need all the pressure they can muster against Arizona’s high-powered offense that has been humming over the last few weeks. The Wildcats are averaging 32.6 points over their last four games, with over 400 yards of total offense in each game over that same period

Arizona has also shown they can score in a multitude of ways. Last week against Colorado, they had over 200 yards and two touchdowns by both the run and pass.

Consistent pressure on Fifita will be the Utes' best option in diminishing the threat of Arizona’s high-powered offense. If Utah can force Arizona to run the ball, the game is theirs behind one of the country’s strongest run defenses

3. Let Sione Vaki cook

This one is simple. Sione Vaki is one of the most versatile players in the country, and at this point in the season, Utah should let him run wild.

Vaki was just named a finalist for the highly prestigious Paul Hornung Award given to the nation’s most “versatile” college football athlete. This versatility is apparent every single time the sophomore steps on the field. Especially on offense.

SEE YOU LATER ⚡️

Sione Vaki hit the jets for a @Utah_Football TD pic.twitter.com/v18iG76dfX
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 11, 2023

In a limited number of offensive touches thus far, Vaki has 239 yards on the ground for two touchdowns and 211 yards receiving for three touchdowns. As a pass-catcher, he is currently averaging a whopping 21.1 yards per reception.

When you have a player as talented as Sione Vaki, you should put him on the field every chance you get. The perfect complement to the Utes’ bruiser, Ja’Quinden Jackson, Vaki electrifies the offense unlike anyone currently on the roster.