The Resilient Utes Clinch First-Ever Pac-12 South Title

The Oregon Ducks managed to hold on for a 31-29 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils to give the Utes their first ever Pac-12 South championship! In the eight years since joining the conference, the Utes have had close calls and heartbreaking moments falling just short of winning the Pac-12 South a couple times. The worst of them was in 2015. The Utes were one score away from clinching the South but took a loss to USC which gave USC the tie-breaker for the title even though the two teams had the same record.

With all the adversity the Utes have faced this year, this is a well-deserved accomplishment for coach Kyle Whittingham and the rest of the team. The Utes have overcome the loss of their two best and most used offensive players, QB Tyler Huntley and star RB Zack Moss. The team also started out 0-2 in conference play and faced the toughest Pac-12 North crossover schedule of any team in the Pac-12 South.

Coach Whittingham said this of his team after the win in Boulder, “I don’t know if I’ve ever been around a team that handles adversity any better than these guys; they’ve got a lot of guts and a lot of toughness,”

The possibility exists for the Utes (8-3, 6-3 Pac-12) to have some regrets about their three losses this season, but they should feel only satisfaction about what they’ve done in two games since losing quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss to injury.

They rallied to beat Oregon, in a season-defining fourth quarter last weekend. And in this episode, Utah’s defense responded to the loss of star linebacker Chase Hansen to a questionable targeting penalty in the first quarter with a phenomenal performance. The Ute offense, mildly dismayed with its first-half showing in a tie game, was nearly unstoppable in the third quarter, turning three possessions into 175 yards and 17 points for a 24-7 lead.

This night will certainly be remembered by the history books because of the Pac-12 South Title but, now all focus shifts to the rivalry game against BYU. While It would mean much for the Utes as a program to win a Pac-12 Championship and clinch a spot in the Rose Bowl, they certainly can’t overlook the Cougars.

You tell me though, Is this rivalry game really irrelevant or are Utah fans just saying that to belittle BYU? Let me know in the comments.