Football Plays at Arizona Saturday

10/14/2013 12:00 AM | Football

Oct. 14, 2013

Whittingham on the Jim Rome Show Tuesday at 11:03 MDT
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SALT LAKE CITY--

Complete Release in PDF

Quotes from Coach Whittingham's Weekly Press Conference

QUICKLY

> Utah (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12) plays Arizona (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12) in Tucson on Saturday. Kick time is 7:00 p.m. MST (8:00 p.m. MDT) in Arizona Stadium. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks. Radio is ESPN700 AM. Satellite radio is Sirius 139/XM 197.

> Utah received 47 votes in this week's Associated Press poll, marking its first mention in the poll since 2010. Utah received 18 votes in the USA Today Coaches' poll.

> Last week's win over No. 5 Stanford was Kyle Whittingham's 75th as Utah's head coach. Whittingham, 75-34 in his ninth season, earned his first regular-season win against Arizona in the 2005 season opener. His first career victory came in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl as Utah's co-head coach.

> Saturday's game at Arizona marks Utah's first trip out of the state this season. It is the latest out-of-state opener for the Utes since 1947 when they played Wyoming on Oct. 25 in Laramie. The last time the Utes stayed in state so late in the season was in 1998 (they played in Laramie on Oct. 3).

> Utah has played just one road game this season, beating BYU in Provo on Sept. 21. The Utes will play four of their final six games on the road.

> Utah's 1-2 Pac-12 start is its best in three years as a conference member. The Utes got off to 0-4 starts in both of their first two seasons.

> Utah, which leads the series with Arizona 20-16-2, saw a three-game streak snapped last year in Salt Lake City (34-24). Utah's first Pac-12 road win came against Arizona in Tucson in 2011 (34-21). For complete series notes, see page 2.

TWO MINUTE DRILL

No. 5 Stanford is the highest ranked opponent Utah has ever beaten at home. The win was Utah's second all-time victory against a top-five team team (Utah beat No. 4 Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl) ... Stanford came into the game with the nation's second-longest winning streak at 13 games ... Utah's win over the Cardinal improved its three-year record against the Pac-12 North to 5-5. The Utes are 3-8 overall against South division teams and 0-1 this season, losing to No. 12 UCLA 34-27 ... Utah co-offensive coordinator Brian Johnson got the first start (and win) of his record-setting career against Arizona in 2005 as an 18-year-old sophomore. Johnson owns the Utah record for victories by a starting quarterback, going 26-7... The Utes have two players on their roster from Arizona: redshirt freshman offensive lineman J.J. Dielman (Ahwatukee/Desert Vista HS) and true freshman defensive back Clarence Smith (Buckeye/Youngker HS) ... Saturday's game is Utah's fifth night game. The Utes have played just two day games, beating Weber State and Stanford ... Utah is 5-2 in games televised by the Pac-12 Networks in the two years of the network.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

Utah QB Travis Wilson (311 passing yards) and safety Eric Rowe (16 tackles) both set career highs in last year's loss to Arizona ... Dres Anderson is tied for the national lead in receptions of 50 yards or longer with five and Wilson's seven pass plays of 50 yards or longer ranks third in the country. The team ranks third nationally in plays of 50 yards or more with nine ... Utah has won 49 consecutive games when leading at halftime, which is the second-longest streak in the country behind Oregon.

LEADERS OF THE PAC

Utah leads the country in fewest fumbles lost (1), and leads the Pac-12 in sacks (20), sack average (3.33), red zone offense (.909), field goal percentage (1.000/11-11), PATs (1.000/27-27) and onside kicks (1.000/2-2) ... Utah has the best kicking duo in the conference. First-year placekicker Andy Phillips is the only kicker in the nation to make 11-of-11 field goals to date (including 4-of-4 from 40-yards or longer) and is 27-of-27 in PATs, while sophomore punter Tom Hackett leads the Pac-12 in punt average (44.1), punts of 50+ yards (9) and punts inside the 20-yard line (14).

IN THE HUDDLE

Junior defensive end Nate Orchard was named the Athlon Sports National Defensive Player of the Week and freshman kicker Andy Philips was named the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week for their part in Utah's Oct. 12 win over Stanford. Orchard had two sacks, two forced fumbles and five tackles, while Phillips was 2-2 in field goals (long of 48 yards)--scoring Utah's final six points in its 27-21 win--and 3-3 in PATs ... Junior tight end Jake Murphy, who was on the John Mackey watch list, is out for the season after breaking his wrist against UCLA on Oct. 3. Also out for the past two games has been senior tight end Westlee Tonga, leaving two newcomers at the position: true freshman Siale Fakailoatonga and JC transfer Greg Reese. Utah did not start a tight end for the first time this season against Stanford, instead starting two running backs: Bubba Poole and Karl Williams ... Utah's starting five offensive linemen (Jeremiah Poutasi, Jeremiah Tofaeono, Vyncent Jones, Junior Salt and Siaosi Aiono) have played every offensive snap for the past four games ... Eight true freshmen have played: DE/LB Pita Taumoepenu, SN Chase Dominguez, DT Sam Tevi, LB Uaea Masina, DB Hipolito Corporan, TE Siale Fakailoatonga, WR Dominque Hatfield and RB Marcus Sanders-Williams. Dominguez is the only starter.

OUTSIDE THE LINES

The Kyle Whittingham radio show is Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN700. It will be broadcast live from Harmon's City Creek and is free to the public ... Whittingham can be heard live on the Jim Rome Show Tuesday at 11:03 MDT (choose "listen live" at top right) ... Utah's Athletic Facebook Site has surpassed 96,000 followers.