What's Next For Utah And Saturday's Showdown With Arizona State?
This is going to be a very long week for the Utah football program.
After suffering its first season-opening loss since 2007 in its 33-17 defeat to No. 19 USC, the Utes will be itching to get back to practice and on the field next Saturday to break their current three-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
But their opponent is still to be determined — and that's the best case scenario as of right now.
Utah is supposed to face Arizona State on Saturday, Nov. 28 — kickoff is still TBD. But that game is in serious doubt as the Sun Devils have been devastated by a massive outbreak of COVID-19 cases ravaging the program.
According to reports from ASU beat writers, around 20 or more players and coaches have tested positive for the virus. This number does NOT include the players who are being held out due to contact tracing, which could destroy the number of scholarship players available.
The positive tests began coming in on Wednesday, Nov. 11, with the huge number hitting on Friday, Nov. 13.
Arizona State canceled its Nov. 21 contest against Colorado way back on Sunday, Nov. 15 after not having the minimum number of scholarship players available.
Since players must isolate for 10 days from first positive tests, it stands to reason that the Sun Devils could have a majority of their players sidelined until the Monday of the Utah game week at the earliest — and that's only if nobody else has tested positive since then.
It's unknown if anyone in the Arizona State program has tested positive this past week.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is expecting an update from the conference on Sunday regarding the situation.
"Overall, a tough way to start the season," Whittingham said postgame against USC. "Not sure who we will play next week. We'll find out later tonight or tomorrow."
So what's next for Utah?
The most likely scenario would see Utah facing off with Washington this weekend.
The Huskies are set to play rival Washington State in the annual Apple Cup on Friday, but that game is also in serious doubt. The Cougars were forced to cancel yesterday's game with Stanford as a COVID-19 outbreak struck the program and they didn't have the minimum number of scholarship players available.
If the Cougars can not field a team against the Huskies, it would be expected that the Pac-12 would then make a new game featuring Utah-Washington. It stands to reason that the game could be played on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. MST (Washington-Washington State time slot) or on Saturday during the Utah-Arizona State time slot.
Where this game will be played would also need to be discussed as both programs were set to play on the road.
Conventional wisdom would suggest that the game would be held at Rice-Eccles Stadium considering the Huskies have played at home the past two weeks and their Week 5 contest is at home as well. Yes this would give Utah three consecutive home games to begin the season, but that scenario beats out four consecutive home games for the Huskies.
But this is the Pac-12 conference we are talking about, and more often than not conventional wisdom goes out the window quite a bit.
Another potential opponent is reigniting the Holy War for this upcoming season.
The logistics are extremely simple compared to Utah facing a program within the Pac-12. BYU has an open date this weekend and is just 45 minutes south of Salt Lake City so the the airports, airplanes and hotels would be taken out of the equation.
A major hurdle standing in the way of this potential matchup is the Cougars COVID-19 testing protocol. When the Pac-12 backtracked on its status of not playing out-of-conference opponents this week and allowed for these matchups to take place, it came with the caveat that conference opponents must adhere to the same sort of testing regimen.
The Cougars do not.
BYU tests three times a week, while the Pac-12 requires daily testing. For any matchup to take place, the Cougars must begin testing every day, starting on Sunday — and this is largely an unknown if they're doing so.
It should also be noted that the Pac-12 will try to schedule an inter-conference game, even one as complicated as making Utah-Washington work, before giving the Utes an opportunity to play the Cougars.
Aug 29, 2019; Provo, UT, USA; Utah Utes defensive end Mika Tafua (42) reacts to a sack on Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Zach Wilson (1) in the second quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Even if the Holy War was to be played, would it be worth it for either program?
Utah is coming off a rough loss to USC in which the Utes turned the ball over FIVE times and the offensive line was thoroughly outplayed by the Trojans. Utah also has a 10-game winning streak in the series, and it's hard to imagine them wanting to put that on the line against a BYU team ranked No. 9 in the country and sitting at 9-0 on the season.
Right now, the Cougars have just one win over a top-25 team (a resounding 34-point victory over Boise State). The national exposure and statement a game against the Utes might be too much to pass up on, even if it meant a loss would probably knock the them out of the College Football Playoff and New Year's Six Bowl game altogether.
Between playing against Arizona State as scheduled or not playing at all, it's anybody's guess as to what will happen for the Utes this week. Clarity is expected this weekend and in the early part of the week, but if we've learned anything from this pandemic, anything is possible and it's best to not expect a thing.
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