Greg McElroy picks winner of Utah-Kansas matchup in Week 14

Greg McElroy predicts Utah will defeat Kansas due to a dominant rushing attack and offensive line play.

ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy picked the winner of the Week 14 matchup between the Utah Utes and Kansas Jayhawks. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The No. 13 Utah Utes travel to Lawrence to face the Kansas Jayhawks in a pivotal Week 14 matchup with significant postseason implications. Utah aims to solidify its standing as a potential College Football Playoff at-large team while Kansas fights for bowl eligibility in a do-or-die scenario. The game kicks off Friday afternoon and marks the first meeting between these programs since 1996.

On Wednesday's episode of ESPN's Always College Football podcast, analyst Greg McElroy broke down the contest, noting that the Utes entered as a healthy double-digit favorite against Kansas head coach Lance Leipold and the Jayhawks.

McElroy highlighted the challenge facing the home team and specifically questioned whether the Jayhawks have the personnel to slow down one of the nation's most potent ground attacks.

McElroy predicted a victory for Utah and cited the physical mismatch at the line of scrimmage. He dismissed the idea that the Utes would underperform for a second consecutive week following a close call against the Kansas State Wildcats. The ESPN analyst argued that the only path to a Kansas victory involves a high-scoring shootout and concluded that the Jayhawks simply cannot stop the run.

Utah Utes rushing attack creates statistical mismatch to drive victory

McElroy highlighted the physical mismatch at the line of scrimmage as the deciding factor. He praised the Utah offensive line, also known as the Wasatch Front, which was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award. Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham has publicly praised the group as arguably the best offensive line he has ever coached. This unit paves the way for an offense averaging nearly 280 rushing yards per game.

The backfield features excellent depth with running back Wayshawn Parker and quarterback Devon Dampier. Dampier and backup quarterback Bird Fickland help stress opposing defenses. This presents a massive problem for a Kansas defense that allows nearly 175 rushing yards per game and nearly five yards per carry.

On the other side, Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels must play the spoiler in his final home game. McElroy acknowledged that Daniels has been the engine of the resurgence for Kansas but faces a problematic pass rush that has recorded 30 sacks this year.

Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) has accounted for 26 total touchdowns this season. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The numbers support the prediction that Utah has a distinct advantage. The Utes rank sixth in the FBS in scoring offense with 42 points per game. They are also efficient in crucial situations and convert nearly 53 percent of third downs. In the red zone, they score touchdowns on 82 percent of drives. Conversely, Kansas allows opponents to score on roughly 89% of red-zone trips.

Both teams enter this contest coming off high-scoring affairs. Utah defeated Kansas State 51-47 last week behind 259 passing yards from Dampier. Kansas is coming off a 38-14 loss to the Iowa State Cyclones, where the defense gave up 38 points.

The Utes will face the Jayhawks on the road on Friday at 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.