Utah's road to repeating as Pac-12 champions will be built on the shoulders of a highly skilled and experienced team.
The Utes will once again be the class of the league and be a preseason favorite to hoist the championship trophy again in December.
The schedule will test Utah in 2022, but it isn't anything the Utes aren't equipped to handle.
Notable road opponents include Florida, Oregon, Washington State, and UCLA. USC, San Diego State, and Oregon State headline the home slate.
Week 1 – Sept. 3 at Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) New Gators head coach Billy Napier will make his debut against the Utes. Florida is coming off a 6-7 season where it lost five of its last seven games.
Week 2 – Sept. 10 vs. Southern Utah (Salt Lake City) Utah has not lost to a current Big Sky Conference team since falling 28-17 to Idaho in 1993. The Thunderbirds aren't going to be the team to end that winning streak. . Utah beat the T-Birds 24-0 when the two in-state foes last met in 2016.
Week 3 – Sept. 17 vs. San Diego State (Salt Lake City) Revenge will be on Utah's mind after the Aztecs outlasted the Utes 33-31 in triple overtime a year ago. Offensively, San Diego State will need to find a successor to running back Greg Bell who racked up 1,091 yards on the ground last season.
Week 4 – Sept. 24 at Arizona State (Tempe, Ariz.) The Sun Devils may take a step back after seeing several key players hit the transfer portal – including quarterback Jayden Daniels, who joined LSU in the offseason. The Sun Devils have never lost three games in a row to the Utes.
Week 5 – Oct. 1 vs. Oregon State (Salt Lake City) Utah suffered its only loss to a Pac-12 opponent last season when the Beavers pulled away in the second half for a 42-34 victory. Oregon State's biggest task will be replacing B.J. Baylor in the backfield. Baylor led the Pac-12 with 1,336 rushing yards last season.
Week 6 – Oct. 8 at UCLA (Los Angeles) The Bruins are coming off their best season to date under Chip Kelly. UCLA went 8-4 overall and finished second to Utah in the Pac-12 South. Utah has won five straight in the series, averaging 46.8 points per game in those contests.
Week 7 – Oct. 15 vs. USC (Salt Lake City) Expectations are sky high for the Trojans in year one under Lincoln Riley. The former Oklahoma head coach made a name for himself with a high-flying, high-octane offense that helped the Sooners dominate the Big 12. The Trojans have lost three of their last four road contests against Utah.
Week 9 – Oct. 27 at Washington State (Pullman, Wash.) Utah survived a spate of turnovers to upend the Cougars 24-13 last season, their third straight win in the series. Washington State will have a new starting quarterback in Jake Dickert's first full season as head coach.
Week 10 – Nov. 5 vs. Arizona (Salt Lake City) The Wildcats put together an impressive recruiting class entering Judd Fisch's second year at the helm. Arizona will be a team on the rise with Washington State transfer quarterback Jayden de Laura leading a totally revamped offense. Arizona has lost five straight to Utah, most recently falling 38-29 a year ago.
Week 11 – Nov. 12 vs. Stanford (Salt Lake City) Utah dominated the Cardinal in every phase of the game en route to a 52-7 blowout victory last season.Stanford won't likely find answers against Utah's tough defense, even if it makes major strides in the right direction this season.
Week 12 – Nov. 20 at Oregon (Eugene, Ore.) Can the Ducks close the gap with Utah? The Utes plucked the Ducks in a pair of blowout losses last season. Oregon totaled 17 points and 515 yards over the two contests. The Ducks have a new head coach in Dan Lanning and a new quarterback in Bo Nix.
Week 13 – Nov. 27 at Colorado (Boulder, Colo.) Since renewing the Rumble in the Rockies in 2011, the Utes have had Colorado's number. The Buffaloes have beaten Utah twice in the last 13 meetings between the two rivals. Utah defeated Colorado 28-13 last season after holding the Buffaloes to 148 total yards and nine first downs.
Week 13 – Nov. 27 at Colorado (Boulder, Colo.) Colorado will need a huge step forward from returning starting quarterback Brendon Lewis or Tennessee transfer JT Shrout to improve one of the nation's worst offenses a year ago.