Utah Utes: Post Spring Ball 2024 Record Prediction

Author:
Austin Eames
Apr 25, 2024

Call it biased or call it prophecy (probably not), but this is the FanNation All Utes offical post-spring camp prediction for the Utah Utes. Utah's roster looks primed for a big season and all signs point to a chance at competing for a Big 12 Conference Championship.

Here is the Utes' 12-game regular season record prediction:

Southern Utah (Aug. 29th) - Home

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Chris Kwiecinski / The Spectrum via

WIN (1-0)

The last time Cam Rising took on the Southern Utah Thunderbirds — his team won 73-7. I don’t expect the 2024 edition of this in-state contest to be very different. The Utah Utes are more talented than Southern Utah in every facet of the game. I hate to sound overconfident, but there’s a reason this game is the season opener.

Baylor (Sep. 7th) - Home

WIN (2-0)

2024 Big 12 projections have the Baylor Bears among the bottom teams in the conference. Dave Aranda’s team went 3-9 in 2023 and doesn’t look to be wildly improved at this point in the offseason. Last year’s match against the Utes and Bears was a close 20-13 Utah victory, this year should be different. Cam Rising’s return and Utah's home-field advantage fuel a large victory.

Utah State (Sep. 14th) - Away

WIN (3-0)

Iowa transfer Spencer Petras was recently named the Aggies' starting quarterback over former Ute Bryson Barnes. No matter who starts for the Aggies, the Utes should come out on top. Utah owns the ‘Battle of the Brothers’ series boasting a 75-28 all-time record over their northern brethren. Utah is 9-1 in the last 10 games and will keep that trend going, entering Logan with their most talented roster in years.

Oklahoma State (Sep. 21st) - Away

LOSS (3-1)

Utah’s first (and only) loss of this prediction comes at the hands of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Here, despite having a talented defensive line and explosive offense, Utah simply can’t contain reigning Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon II. A close game until the end, decided by one or two scores, Utah eventually falls in Stillwater to an Oklahoma State team eager to steal a win before playing Kansas State the week after.

Arizona (Sep. 28th) - Home

WIN (4-1)

After what they did to Utah last season, Arizona won’t have it easy returning to Rice-Eccles Stadium. Fueled by their embarrassing 42-18 home loss to the Wildcats, Utah should come out with all cylinders firing during this contest. The main difference giving Utah the edge (compared to last season) is a revitalized offense led by Rising, Brant Kuithe, and Dorian Singer.

Arizona State (Oct. 11th) - Away

WIN (5-1)

The Arizona State program is in a state of disarray entering the 2024 season. Much like Dave Aranda’s Baylor squad, ASU went 3-9 under the guidance of Kenny Dillingham in 2023. The Sun Devils also lost the player who they thought would be their leader of the future, as four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada announced his transfer to Georgia. Amidst all this strife, the nail in the coffin is the fact that ASU will be under NCAA sanctions for recruiting violations. Utah wins this game handedly, improving their record to 5-1 in six games.

TCU (Oct. 19th) - Home

WIN (6-1)

TCU regressed in 2023 after a Max Duggan-led Cinderella national championship run the season prior. This game might be a trap game for the Utes as the Horned Frogs will be far better than their 2023 record (5-7) suggests. Regardless, if Utah can stay away from any costly blunders, this game should be theirs. The Utes have arguably the most talented offense in the Big 12, if this remains the case (barring any injuries), TCU’s defense should be overwhelmed.

Houston (Oct. 26th) - Away

WIN (7-1)

The first of Utah’s two consecutive games against schools with a Cougar mascot should be a victory. Houston won only two Big 12 games in 2023 and even if they double that number in 2024, I don’t see one of their wins coming against a talented Utah roster. Willie Fritz’s head coaching hire and efforts in the transfer portal should help Houston, but they fall in this game to a head coach with significantly more experience at their respective program.

BYU (Nov. 9th) - Home

WIN (8-1)

Potentially the most exciting regular season game of the year for Utah is this first edition of the Big 12 'Holy War'. These games are always unpredictable, yet Utah is favored to win here due to several significant advantages. First, they benefit from an extra week of rest, having had a bye the previous week. Second, Utah has a strong home-field advantage. Lastly, motivation plays a key role: Cam Rising has not yet faced BYU, and for a player aspiring to be Utah’s greatest quarterback ever, a win against the 'team down south' is essential.

Colorado (Nov. 16th) - Away

(WIN 9-1)

Yes, they have Shedeur Sanders, yes they have Travis Hunter, and yes, Deion Sanders is their head coach; but Colorado isn’t on the same level as Utah. Utah beat the Buffaloes last season with Luke Bottari as their starting quarterback (I understand Sanders also didn’t play). Moreover, Colorado only won a single conference game in 2023. Despite Colorado having talented players on both sides, Utah has a deeper roster, with more talent spread evenly throughout the roster. The Utes take this one.

Iowa State (Nov. 23rd) - Home

(WIN 10-1)

This will be one of Utah’s tougher games of the season. By this time, stakes will be high as teams compete for bowl game berths and/or a conference championship opportunity. Athlon Sports’ Steve Lassan gives a good argument for why the Iowa State Cyclones shouldn’t be underrated in 2024:

“Coach Matt Campbell's team is in good shape for '24. The offense returns quarterback Rocco Becht, running back Abu Sama III, and receiver Jayden Higgins. The defense also brings back a solid core from a unit that led the Big 12 in fewest yards per play (5.22) in '23.”

Despite their recent come-up and returning talent, Utah edges out a victory over Iowa State fueled by hopes of competing for a Big 12 Championship title.

UCF (Nov. 29th) - Away

(WIN 11-1)

This final game against UCF marks the end of an eight-game Utah win streak to close out the season. The proponents of Utah’s victory over the Knights are the same ones that contributed to their success all season long: A talented group of offensive playmakers (Rising, Kuithe, Singer, King, Bernard, Alford, Lyons, Pittman, Parks, etc.), menacing defensive line, and fantastic coaching from Whittingham, defensive coordinator Morgan Stalley, and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig.

Utah has been so close for so long. In and of itself this is a funny sentence considering the team won back-to-back conference championships in 2021 and 2022. But we’re talking about a College Football Playoff, and 2024 is Utah’s year to do it. If Utah can stay healthy, their season should be a success, hopefully, ending in a conference championship and a chance at a National Championship.

Final Record:

Regular Season: 11-1

Conference: 8-1

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