As the season comes closer, it is time to continue with my previews for each team. In this article, I will preview the Pac 12 South. I will preview each team by reviewing their 2018 season, going over their offensive and defensive personnel, and discussing their coaching staff. After all of that, I will predict each team’s record for the 2019 season. If you are looking for a specific team, I have previewed the teams in alphabetical order.

Arizona

Last Season

Arizona got off to a rough start in 2018, losing their first two games to teams they were favored against in BYU and Houston. After getting wins over some weaker opponents, they again fell once their schedule picked up. A one-point loss to UCLA put them at 3-5, meaning they needed three wins in their last four games to become bowl eligible. That desperation seemed to help out at first as the Wildcats blew out Oregon 44-15, and beat Colorado 42-34 heading into their bye week. Needing just one win to make a bowl game, the Wildcats began to fall flat as they were blown out by Washington State. They then blew a late lead in the Territorial Cup against Arizona State to finish a disappointing 5-7 (what kind of idiot would have predicted them to win the Pac 12 South? I know I would never do such a thing).

Offense

Quarterback Khalil Tate will return for the Wildcats in 2019 after rumors that he was going to transfer. Tate was one of the most electrifying players in the country in 2017, setting a national record for rushing yards in a game by a quarterback with 329. Tate would strike fear in opposing defenses and was considered a sleeper pick for the Heisman. For some reason, first year head coach Kevin Sumlin thought it would be a good idea to make him a pocket passer. While Tate did suffer an ankle injury later in the season that hampered his ability to run, he ran less for the entire season. Tate clearly looked uncomfortable sitting in the pocket and I hope Sumlin can realize he is best used as a runner and needs to run with him more. If that is done, expect Tate to have a monster season as one benefit of his change in play style was that his passing numbers did improve in 2018 (okay rant over now). Running back JJ Taylor returns after running for 1,434 yards on the season. With Tate and Taylor, Arizona has an offense that can be very explosive, as they were one of the best offenses in the country at generating big plays last season. Unfortunately, Arizona does have to replace their top four leading receivers from 2018. While Cedric Peterson looks to start at receiver and has some in game experience, the Wildcats will be relying on freshmen more than they would like. True freshmen Jalen Curry, Jalen Johnson, and Jaden Mitchell (yes I am aware that their names are extremely similar) will be looked upon to contribute. Curry was the highest rated recruit and only blue chipper Arizona signed, so he especially will have high expectations early on. On the offensive line, Arizona returns three starters. Josh McCauley, Cody Creason, and Donovan Laie all started every single game last season. Filling in the other two spots will be junior college transfers Josh Donovan and Paiton Fears.

Defense

Arizona will have some inexperience along the interior defensive line as they lose both Dereck Boles and PJ Johnson. JB Brown and junior college transfer Myles Tapusoa look to take over the starting gigs at defensive tackle. Defensive end Justin Belknap started and did well in 2017, but missed all of last season due to injury. Fellow defensive end Jalen Harris had a strong freshman season that he will look to build upon. The strength of Arizona’s defense will be in their duo at linebacker (they run a 4-2-5). Middle linebacker Colin Schooler is the best player on this defense and I think will be a breakout player in 2019. Last season, Schooler led the Wildcats by a massive margin with 119 tackles and 21.5 tackles for loss. Schooler also added two interceptions as well. Schooler’s partner in crime at the position will be outside linebacker Tony Fields, who finished second on the team in tackles in 2018 and looks to take a step forward this season as well. In the secondary, the Wildcats were hit with constant injuries last season. Safety Scotty Young missed some time in 2018 and saw his numbers drop from his freshman season, but will be a major contributor on this unit. Lorenzo Burns will likely be taking the number one cornerback spot after starting last season. The loss of Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles will be tough to overcome at cornerback, as he was third on the team in tackles and second in pass deflections in 2018. Senior Jace Whittaker looks to fill in at that cornerback spot left by Flannigan-Fowles. Lucas Havrisik will take the starting kicker spot after splitting it in 2018 and having kickoff duty. Punter Dylan Klumph will be gone, leaving true freshman Kyle Ostendorp as the likely starter. JJ Taylor will return as the primary kick returner and could end up taking punt returns as well.

Coaching Staff

Kevin Sumlin is back for his second season as head coach. While I might have disagreed with how he used Tate at quarterback, I think he can still do good things for Arizona. Fans just need to hope he has learned from his mistakes at Texas A&M. Where there is more cause for concern from me is Noel Mazzone at offensive coordinator. Mazzone has been fired or not had his contract renewed at multiple different jobs and it baffles me how he continues to be hired as an offensive coordinator. On the defensive side, Marcel Yates returns for his fourth season as defensive coordinator.

Final Prediction

Arizona will be an interesting team to follow this season. It is a bit of a mystery on how Tate will be used this season and if he will play a different role than he did in 2018. The new faces at receiver suggest that Arizona could end up running the ball more. On defense, Arizona will look to improve with the players they have back. Their non-conference schedule is a bit tough as they make a trip to Hawaii, and host Texas Tech. The schedule in conference is a bit tough too as they have to play Oregon, Washington, and Stanford. While Arizona has talent, I just do not trust their coaching staff at all and fear they will fall victim to their tough schedule. Because of this, I have them finishing 5-7 on the season again.

Arizona State

Last Season

The Herm Edwards era at Arizona State started off with two wins, including an upset win against Michigan State. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, that was followed with a 1-4 skid over the next five games as they had to play against some of the better teams in the Pac 12. After their fourth loss in five games, Arizona State was able to turn things around and won their next three games over USC, Utah, and UCLA. The Sun Devils split their last two games, finishing the regular season 7-5. Unfortunately, they were unable to end the season on a high note as they lost to Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl, finishing 7-6.

Offense

After the graduation of three-year starter Manny Wilkins, the Sun Devils are left with some uncertainty at the quarterback position. Wilkins was a very good dual threat quarterback and respected leader on the team so his replacement will have big shoes to fill. That job is up for grabs right now as former backup Dillon Sterling-Cole and four-star freshman Jayden Daniels are battling to be the starter on opening day. While it is highly likely that Daniels will end up with the job at some point, there is some uncertainty as to who will start week one. With two easier games early and the potential he brings, I would go with Daniels but I could easily see Arizona State going the safer route with Sterling-Cole to start things off before switching to Daniels later on. Whoever the quarterback is, they will also get some help from running back Eno Benjamin. Benjamin had a breakout season in 2018, leading the Pac 12 with 1,642 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. In the receiving corps, Arizona State will have a very tough time replacing N’Keal Harry who had 73 catches for 1,088 yards in 2018. Harry was a big receiver that could overpower opposing cornerbacks and used his massive catch radius to grab any ball thrown near him. His impact at receiver will be tough to replace. Brandon Aiyuk finished second on the team in receiving yards last season and looks to be the number one receiver on this team. Frank Darby and Kyle Williams are also contenders. On the offensive line, Arizona State returns three starters on what was a pretty solid unit last season. Center Cohl Cabral was named second team All-Pac 12 in 2018, and has started the last two seasons. Tackles Steven Miller and Zach Robertson should be solid anchors for the unit as well.

Defense

On the defensive front, Arizona State will have some new faces as they lose a ton of depth including two starters in defensive tackle Renell Wren and defensive end Jalen Bates. DJ Davidson and Shannon Forman look to split time at defensive tackle, but both of them still have work to do before equaling the impact Wren had. At defensive end, Roe Wilkins, a graduate transfer from Rice will likely take one of the spots. Wilkins was a three-year starter for the Owls. Jermayne Lole and George Lea look to also start or at least crack the rotation at defense end. At linebacker, Merlin Robertson returns after leading the Sun Devils in tackles and tackles for loss as a true freshman. Robertson’s impact was noticed as he won Defensive Freshman of the Year for the Pac 12. Unfortunately, Arizona State does lose Jalen Harvey at linebacker (also played safety some) who finished second on the team in tackles. Darien Butler and Tyler Johnson will return as the starters at the outside linebacker spots after they each had solid freshman seasons of their own. Chase Lucas returns at cornerback and looks to keep his spot as the top corner on the team. Lucas finished last season with 62 tackles and five pass deflections. Kobe Williams is also back after starting at cornerback in 2018. Aashari Crosswell returns at safety after a stellar freshman season. Crosswell finished 2018 with nine pass deflections and four interceptions, leading the team in both. Brandon Ruiz returns at kicker for the Sun Devils after going a perfect 45/45 on extra points and 18/20 on field goals within 50 yards. Lafayette transfer Michael Turk will be taking over punting duties, and has big shoes to fill after Michael Sleep-Dalton’s graduation. Aiyuk will continue to be the main return specialist.

Coaching Staff

After not coaching at all since 2008 and not coaching in college since 1989, Herm Edwards took the head job for the Sun Devils before last season. Edwards had mixed results coaching in the NFL, but has the fiery motivational coaching style that seems to often work in college. After a solid first season, it will be interesting to see how things go in year two and beyond for Edwards. Rob Likens returns for his second season at offensive coordinator. Likens had a solid group of skill position players in 2018, but he will need to show off his coaching chops a bit more this season. Danny Gonzales is back for his second season at defensive coordinator. Gonzales led a strong San Diego State defense in 2017, but has not yet yielded the same results in Tempe. That being said, the defense was young last season and should improve given time.

Final Prediction

Arizona State has a lot of pieces returning on offense, but will miss some of the star power that they had last season. How their offense performs will likely come down to quarterback play and coaching. Defensively, there is a lot of youth as seven starters will be either freshmen or sophomores. Some of those players have proven themselves already, but others still need to. The Sun Devils have a fairly easy conference schedule, avoiding Washington and Stanford. They also get some 50/50 games at home. I expect the Sun Devils to again finish 7-5, but look to be on an upward trajectory.

Colorado

Last Season

For Colorado, 2018 was a tale of two vastly different seasons. The Buffaloes looked promising out of the gate as they beat in-state rival Colorado State and former Big 8 rival Nebraska. After three more wins including one over a solid Arizona State team, the Buffaloes were 5-0 and ranked in the top 25 polls. Sadly, things went downhill from there. Colorado lost at USC and at Washington the following week. While those losses were a bit expected, blowing a 31-3 lead over Oregon State was not. After that, the season just turned into a full on tailspin as the Buffaloes lost seven consecutive games to finish 5-7 and missed out on a bowl game.

Offense

At quarterback, Steven Montez is back for the Buffaloes after being a full-time starter for the last two seasons. Montez airs the ball out quite a bit, throwing for 2,849 yards on 11 yards per attempt and a 65% completion percentage. While that style can lead to success, it can lead to some mistakes as well. Thankfully for Montez, his top three targets return from last season, the most important of which being Laviska Shenault, who quite possibly could be the best receiver in the country. Shenault played just nine games in 2018 but had 86 catches for 1,011 receiving yards and six touchdowns while also running the ball out of the wildcat 17 times for 118 yards and another three touchdowns. Shenault often carried Colorado’s offense, and will be expected to do the same this season. KD Nixon was a great complimentary piece at receiver in 2018 and took over the number one receiver spot when Shenault was out. Nixon had 636 receiving yards in 2018. Tony Brown and redshirt freshman Dimitri Stanley will round out the rotation at receiver. Auburn transfer Jalen Harris looks to take the starting spot at tight end. At running back, the Buffaloes will have to replace Travon McMillan, who went over 1,000 rushing yards in 2018. The next man up at running back will look to be sophomore Alex Fontenot who only had 11 carries last season. Freshman Jaren Mangham is expected to play a role in the backfield as well. Beau Bisharat got some carries at running back in 2018, but is moving to more a tight end/H-back role this season. I would still expect to see Bisharat get some carries. The offensive line returns three starters, but the loss of Aaron Haigler will be tough to fill. Tackle William Sherman (not the Civil War general in case you confused the two) looks to be the best player on the line with Tim Lynott and Oklahoma State transfer Arlington Hambright being players to watch.

Defense

On the defensive line, the Buffaloes loss three pretty solid players in defensive tackle Javier Edwards and defensive ends Israel Antwine and Chris Mulumba. While those losses lead to less depth on the defensive line, Colorado does return the star of that unit in defensive tackle Mustafa Johnson. In 2017, Johnson had 52 tackles, (quite a bit for a defensive tackle) 15.5 tackles for loss, and 16 quarterback hurries. If new starters Terrence Lang and Jalen Sami can be decent enough to where opposing offensive lines can not entirely focus on Johnson, this defensive line unit should be good. At linebacker, Colorado returns Nate Landman, who amassed 104 tackles and 15 tackles for loss in 2018. While Landman was quite the playmaker, Rick Gamboa was a reliable tackler that will be missed from last season’s team. The same also goes for Drew Lewis. Carson Wells saw time at linebacker last season and will fill one of the spots. The other will spot will likely go to Jash Allen, (I promise you that is not a typo, his name is Jash not Josh) one of the top junior college players in the country last season. At safety, Evan Worthington and Nick Fisher both were primary starters in 2018 and will be tough to replace. That task will likely fall to Aaron Maddox, a backup last season, and true freshman Mark Perry. At cornerback, Delrick Abrams is back and will most likely be the number one cornerback on the team. Fellow cornerback Dante Wigley graduated and replacing him will be either former backup Chris Miller or true freshman KJ Trujillo. One player I am very excited to watch is safety Davion Taylor. After not even starting at his junior college, Taylor made a mark at Colorado in 2018, finishing with 57 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hurries. While Taylor technically plays safety, he is sent to blitz often and makes big plays. Taylor is a freak athlete that runs track for the Buffaloes in the spring and should have had more time to develop his more football centric skills this past offseason. James Stefanou and Evan Price split kicking duties in 2018 and both return, with Stefanou likely separating himself. Alex Kinney returns at punter. Ronnie Blackmon returns as the main return man.

Coaching Staff

After firing Mike MacIntyre, Colorado brings in former Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker as head coach. Tucker was the defensive coordinator for Georgia, and for three different NFL teams as well. Tucker most recently turned Georgia’s defense into one of the best in the country (and the best statistically in 2017). Tucker is looking to change the culture in Boulder, and has the pedigree that should get players to buy in. Jay Johnson was hired to be the offensive coordinator after working with Tucker at Georgia as an offensive analyst. Before that, Johnson was offensive coordinator at Minnesota and Louisiana before that where he has groomed some solid quarterbacks and offensive units. Former Georgia Southern head coach Tyson Summers was hired on to be the defensive coordinator after working as a defensive quality control coach under Tucker at Georgia.

Final Prediction

Colorado’s lack of success since moving to the Pac 12 goes to show how much a bad coaching hire can tank a meddling program, much less multiple ones. Luckily for Colorado, Tucker’s hiring is one I think fans should be excited about. People forget that if not for Shenault’s injury last season, Colorado could have definitely won at least a couple more games than they did. With the talent they have on offense and a head coach that has turned around defenses before, I think Colorado will surprise people in 2019. I think Colorado is going to turn some heads and finish 7-5. While that might not look impressive for most teams, it will be just their second winning season in the last 10 years.

UCLA

Last Season

2018 and the Chip Kelly era did not get off to a good start for UCLA. The Bruins whiffed on all three non-conference after losing a close game to Cincinnati, and getting blown out by Oklahoma and Fresno State (one of these was expected and one was not). After a loss to Colorado, UCLA looked a bit better by being competitive against Washington. After five losses, the Bruins finally won their first game in a slaughter over California, and took down Arizona the next week. After three more losses, the Bruins upset rival USC. After a loss to Stanford to end the season, the Bruins finished 2018 with a 3-9 record that looked a bit more encouraging at the end of the season.

Offense

After splitting time last season as a true freshman, Dorian Thompson-Robinson will now take over as a full time starter at quarterback. Thompson-Robinson was a highly touted recruit, and was a solid dual threat as a freshman. While he did show flashes as a great athlete, he needs to clean up his passing game and work to minimize dumb plays through the air in order to take the next step. At running back, Josh Kelley is back after wreaking havoc on opposing defenses toward the end of last season. In 2018, Kelley racked up 1,243 rushing yards on 5.5 yards per carry. Kelley should also be helped out by the return of Kazmeir Allen. Kelley does get the lions share of carries, but Allen’s speed adds a dynamic to the offense. The absence of Caleb Wilson at tight end will be tough to fill in. Wilson led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 2018, which is rare for a tight end. Theo Howard will look to return and now not only be the number one receiver, but number one pass catching threat on the team. Sophomore Chase Cota and slot receiver Demtric Felton will both be back after getting some starting experience last season. One of them will likely need to emerge as another reliable receiver. Devin Asiasi will take Wilson’s spot at tight end. On the offensive line, tackle and three-year starter Andre James will have to be replaced, likely by freshman Sean Rhyan. Besides James, every other starter on the offensive line from last season returns, the best of which being guard Chris Murray.

Defense

UCLA returns all three starters on the defensive line from last season. At defensive tackle, Atonio Mafi (who is a massive individual, weighing around 375 pounds) earned the starting spot midway through his freshman campaign last season and held the job down well. Mafi needs to continue to use his size to his advantage and command double teams in order to free up defensive ends Otto Ogbonnia and Osa Odighizuwa, who both return after starting last season. Odighizuwa has more tackles and tackles for loss between the two, and will probably be the best player on this unit. At linebacker, all four starters return as well. Krys Barnes was the leading tackler in the group last season, while Keisean Lucier-South led the group in sacks and tackles for loss. While Barnes and Lucier-South are the standouts of the unit, Tyree Thompson and Odua Isibor will be solid as well as Thompson finished fourth on the team in tackles last season and Isibor started as a true freshman. Darnay Holmes is back at cornerback and while he has not quite lived up to his five-star status out of high school, he has definitely been a good player for the Bruins, amassing three interceptions and 11 pass deflections last season. While Holmes will take the number one cornerback spot, the second spot will also fall to a returning starter in Elijah Gates. Quentin Lake is back at free safety after finishing third on the team in tackles last season. Lake is a versatile player as well, finishing second on the team in tackles for loss and second in pass deflections. Replacing strong safety Adarius Pickett, last season’s leading tackler, will be tough, but Stephan Blaylock looks up to the task. At kicker, JJ Molson was a perfect 35/35 on extra points, but was shaky once he hit 40 yards on field goals, only hitting 7/12 from beyond that distance. Maryland transfer Wade Lees will take the job at punter after Stefan Finloft graduated and Andrew Strauch graduate transferred. Holmes and Felton will likely split return duties again this season.

Coaching Staff

Chip Kelly was a massive hire for UCLA at head coach. Kelly was an offensive guru during his time at Oregon and is returning to the west coast after two unsuccessful NFL stints (I still think he was fine as an NFL coach). Bruin fans are hoping that Kelly can do the same thing for UCLA that he did at Oregon. The concern about Kelly is his ability to recruit as UCLA’s last two recruiting classes have been a bit underwhelming. After Kelly initially took the position himself, he gave the title of offensive coordinator to former offensive line coach Justin Frye. Even with Frye’s promotion, Kelly will still call plays. Frye was the offensive line coach at Boston College before his stop in Westwood and has never held a coordinator position before. Jerry Azzinaro will be back for his second season as defensive coordinator. Azzinaro worked as a defensive line coach for Kelley for the San Francisco 49ers and at Oregon.

Final Prediction

UCLA’s 3-9 finish last season shows just how starved for talent the team was under Jim Mora. With another year under his belt and the talent returning, I would expect Kelly to start showing signs of rebuilding this program in 2019. The offense returns a great running back in Josh Kelley to build around, and the defense has 10 starters back. This was a young team last season, but the experience those young players gained will be beneficial to this team now. While they have a fairly tough non-conference schedule that includes a trip to Cincinnati and games against San Diego State and Oklahoma, they avoid having to play Washington and Oregon in conference play. I predict the Bruins to claw their way to a 6-6 finish and look much improved from last season.

USC

Last Season

The 2018 season was a bit of a nightmare for USC. Early losses to Stanford and Texas were concerning, but it looked line the Trojans had pulled it together after they beat Washington State, Arizona, and Colorado. After losing to Utah and Arizona State, USC was 4-4 and needed to split their last four games to salvage a bowl berth out of this tough season. After beating Oregon State, they needed just one more win. Unfortunately, USC never got that win. The Trojans fell to California for the first time since 2003, and fell again to rival UCLA. A loss to Notre Dame ended the nightmare season for USC with the Trojans watching bowl season from home.

Offense

After being just the second true freshman to start the season opener, JT Daniels had an up and down season. Daniels threw for 2,672 yards, but a 59% completion percentage is not to great for a quarterback that is not a runner. Daniels also only had a touchdown to interception ratio of 14/10. That being said, Daniels had to fight through injury for some of the season, and his numbers should improve with good health. Improvement should also be made with someone not named Tee Martin as his offensive coordinator. Aca’Cedric Ware led the Trojans in carries and rushing yards last season and will be gone. In his place, Stephen Carr and Vavae Malepeai will be the two main running backs on the team next season. Malepeai and Carr could very well split carries until one of them distances themselves. USC returns their top three leading receivers from 2018. Michael Pittman led the team in receiving yards and was often able to use his 6’4” frame to his advantage. Tyler Vaughns had a solid 2018, but his numbers dipped from 2017 likely due to him missing a couple of games. Amon-Ra St. Brown had a very strong freshman season and has developed strong chemistry with Daniels as the two were high school teammates. Sophomore Devon Williams will likely take the starting receiver spot left by the graduation of Velus Jones. If he is granted a waiver, five-star freshman Bru McCoy could also take that position. McCoy signed with USC, transferred to Texas, then decided to go back to USC this summer after being enrolled at Texas in the spring. His waiver process is still awaiting approval, and it is up in the air on if he will get it. Where USC struggled last season was on the offensive line. They also only return two starters from last season on that unit. Tackle Chuma Edoga was a good player on a bad line and will definitely be missed. USC is hoping changing offensive line coaches and offensive coordinators will help solve the problems on the offensive line as there is talent on the unit.

Defense

On the defensive line, USC returns some talent. Defensive end Christian Rector missed some time last season, but still put up decent stats. Rector will probably be the best player on this defensive line unit. The other defensive end spot could go to true freshman Drake Jackson, who is a crazy athlete for his size. Marlon Tuipulotu and Jay Tufele both had strong showings at defensive tackle last season with Tufele being named second team all Pac 12. At linebacker, USC loses two very good players and well respected leaders on last year’s team in Cameron Smith and Porter Gustin. Smith led the Trojans in tackles for two straight seasons, and Gustin missed half the season with injury, but still led the team in tackles for loss. John Houston returns at middle linebacker and was second on the team in tackles last season. Palaie Gaoteote took over the starting spot at outside linebacker after Gustin’s injury and will be back for his sophomore season. The Trojans lose both starters at cornerback from last season in Iman Marshall and Isaiah Langley. The two were the top two finishers on the team in pass deflections and Marshall was named second team all Pac 12 last season. Greg Johnson was a backup last year and started when Langley was injured and will take one spot. The other spot will likely go to redshirt freshman Isaac Taylor-Stuart while freshman Max Williams should also get some looks. The loss of free safety Marvell Tell will be tough to overcome as Tell was a mainstay in USC’s defense. Filling in will likely be Isaiah Pola-Mao who missed most of last season with injury. Talanoa Hufanga will return after starting last season at strong safety. Kicker Chase McGrath tote his ACL early last season but will be back and ready to go in 2019. His replacement, Michael Brown is back as well. The Trojans lose punter Reid Burdovich, leaving freshman Ben Griffiths as the likely guy to take the reigns. Vaughns will likely be the main return man for the Trojans in 2019.

Coaching Staff

Clay Helton is returning for what will be his fourth season as head coach at USC. I do not know if there is a head coach in a power five conference with a hotter seat in 2019 than Helton. While his record is decent, many people feel as though Helton has underperformed significantly during his time at USC when considering the talent on his teams. The Trojans will need to impress if Helton wants to keep his job. Graham Harrell was a solid hire at offensive coordinator, but is not that good when you realize they could have had Kliff Kingsbury. That being said, Harrell (who still gives me nightmares as a Texas fan) was a solid hire. Harrell is a disciple of the air raid offense. He played for Mike Leach, the founder of it, and has run it during his time as offensive coordinator at North Texas to great success. With the receiver talent the Trojans have, Harrell will have the opportunity to succeed. Clancy Pendergast is back for his fourth season as defensive coordinator.

Final Prediction

USC will undergo some changes in their offensive strategy, but it should be changes for the better. With the receiver talent and a former five-star quarterback, the air raid offense should work well for the Trojans. On defense, the Trojans lose two veteran leaders in Smith and Gustin but still return some talent as well. This season will be a make of break year for the team and also Helton’s job. The team will be under pressure from day one. I expect the Trojans to go 8-4 this season, surviving a tough early schedule and coming on late. I do not know if it will be enough for Helton to keep his job, but it will be an improvement from last season.

Utah

Last Season

After two wins against lesser competition, Utah lost to Washington and Washington State, making them a mediocre 2-2. The Utes were able to right the ship with a 40-21 upset win at Stanford. That win started a win streak for Utah as they then blew out USC, beat Arizona, then won by 31 at UCLA. With injuries piling up, the Utes sadly fell to Arizona State, but were still a solid 6-3. Utah then won against Oregon, and won the Rumble in the Rockies game (pretty cool rivalry name I have to say) against Colorado. The regular season ended with a comeback win over rival BYU in the Holy War (also a pretty cool rivalry name). In their first Pac 12 Championship game appearance, the Utes sadly fell short in an ugly game against Washington and saw more of the same in the Holiday Bowl against Northwestern to finish 9-5. Despite ending on a disappointing note, it was definitely an impressive season for Kyle Whittingham and the Utes.

Offense

Tyler Huntley returns at quarterback for the Utes is what will be his third season starting. Huntley missed some time last season, but still completed 64% of his passes, and threw for 1,788 yards on 7.6 yards per attempt. Where the strength of the offense lies is in running back Zack Moss. Moss ran for 1,096 yards in 2019 while playing in just nine games. Moss is a pretty strong and powerful runner that is the bell cow that Utah needed at times. When Utah turns to ground and pound mode, which they often do, they turn to Moss and have success. While Moss is a very good back, Armand Shyne graduate transferring leaves some depth to be desired at running back. Coaches are hoping either TJ Green, the third string back from last season or true freshman Jordan Wilmore can provide some support. Britain Covey led the Utes with 60 receptions for 637 yards last season and will return this season. Jaylen Dixon was second on the team in each category and will also return this season. While Dixon and Covey’s short frames make them difficult to throw to in the red zone, they have 6’3” Samson Nacua back who led the team in receiving touchdowns. Tight end Cole Fotheringham made his biggest impacts in the run blocking game and he also returns. On the offensive line, the Utes only return two starters from last season. Tackle Darrin Paulo is a solid player, and center Orlando Umana has some big game experience, but having to start two redshirt freshmen on the offensive line can be concerning and Utah will probably have to do that.

Defense

Where Utah’s defense will shine this season will be along the defensive line. Defensive end Bradlee Anae will probably be the best player on this defense. Anae was quite the playmaker in 2018 as he had 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Anae will draw a lot of attention from opposing offensive lines, leaving an opportunity for Maxs Tupai to emerge as well. Defensive tackle Leki Fotu is a behemoth at 6’5” 327 pounds, and used that size to be a very good defensive tackle, being named first team all Pac 12 last season. Fellow defensive tackle John Penisini is no slouch either, as he was named second team all Pac 12. At linebacker is where the Utes might struggle defensively. Chase Hansen had 114 tackles and 22 tackles for loss en route to being named second team all-American, and will be gone. The same goes for Cody Barton, who led the team with 116 tackles. The middle linebacker spot will likely fall to either sophomore Sione Lund or Mique Juarez, a graduate transfer from UCLA. At the other linebacker spot in Utah’s 4-2-5 defense, Javelin Guidry was a starter last season and will return at the spot. Guidry is more of a coverage oriented linebacker and excels at that duty (he also has an awesome name). Utah also loses some prime talent in the secondary. Safety Marquise Blair was a second round draft pick, and Corrion Ballard filled up the stat sheet. Both will be missed by Utah. Julian Blackmon is returning and will transition from cornerback to free safety. The spot at cornerback left by Blackmon will go to Tareke Lewis while Jaylon Johnson returns as a starter and should be the number one cornerback. At rover safety, Francis Bernard will get the nod. Bernard started at BYU in 2016, but lost a year after transferring and was a backup for the Utes in 2018. Another thing Utah will miss is their amazing special teams play from last season. Kicker Matt Gay and punter Mitch Wishnowsky won the Groza and Ray Guy awards respectively through their career and both were selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, a rare thing for special teams players. Gay hit 45/45 extra points and 26/31 field goals including three over 50 yards. Wishnowsky averaged 45.2 yards per punt and downed 24 inside the 20. Both positions will be filled by freshmen. Jadon Redding will take kicking duties while former Australian Rules Football player Ben Lennon will take over at punter.

Coaching Staff

Kyle Whittingham has been the head coach at Utah for the last 14 seasons and boasts a 120-61 record. Whittingham inherited a very strong program from Urban Meyer and kept it strong, including during its transition to the Pac 12. Whittingham’s teams have always been consistent and tough outs. After offensive coordinator Troy Taylor took the head coaching job at Sacramento State, the Utes hired Andy Ludwig. Ludwig was the offensive coordinator at Utah from 2005-08, and was previously the offensive coordinator at Vanderbilt. Ludwig has bounced around different offensive coordinator jobs, but has never quite hit his stride anywhere. Hopefully he can do well his second time in Salt Lake City. Morgan Scalley is back for his fourth season as defensive coordinator.

Final Prediction

The 2018 season was a pretty good one for Utah, but it definitely looks like it could be improved upon. Utah returns the stars of their offense in Huntley and Moss. On defense, their defensive line can wreak havoc on opponents, leaving a wider margin for error with their less experienced back seven. Whittingham is an experienced coach that has had plenty of winning teams. I think Utah can not be counted out on winning the Pac 12, and could be an under the radar playoff contender if things break right. I predict Utah to benefit from an easy schedule and go 11-1 in the regular season, but lose to Oregon in the Pac 12 Championship.

Here are my final standing predictions

Utah 11-1 USC 8-4 Colorado 7-5 Arizona State 7-5 UCLA 6-6 Arizona 5-7

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