Week 6: Oregon State at Utah

The Mountain West Conference finally faltered against the Pac-10 last weekend, but there's one more opportunity for the underdog league to make a big statement against its coastal neighbors.

It's all because of Oregon State's upset of then-No. 1 USC. Suddenly, the Beavers are carrying considerable credibility as they visit Utah in a Thursday night game.

Utah's coaches and players are repeatedly describing the game as "big," which they could not have done before OSU knocked off the Trojans. The timing could not be better for Utah, actually. The Utes need their opponents to look good to help them move up in the polls, and they certainly liked seeing how Michigan rallied to beat Wisconsin, four weeks after losing to Utah in a season opener.

There's also a precedent for Oregon State's pushing another team toward the Bowl Championship Series. In 2006, Boise State's 42-14 win over the Beavers became more impressive several weeks later when OSU upset USC.

In Utah's case, the Beavers already have some cachet. OSU may have lost to Stanford and Penn State (while beating Hawaii) to begin the season, but looked like a completely different team against USC. The Utes' ferocious run defense will be challenge by OSU freshman Jacquizz Rodgers, who gained 186 yards on 37 carries against USC.

Utah's offense has been inconsistent, but is still averaging 38 points. In last weekend's 37-21 win over Weber State, a neighboring Football Championship Subdivision school, Johnson completed 18 of 22 passes for 194 yards. Even though USC's Mark Sanchez struggled at times and threw an interception that basically clinched OSU's win, he still passed for 227 yards.

So even with limited preparation following its Saturday game, while the Beavers have a full week after their Thursday contest, Utah should be well positioned for another Mountain West victory over the Pac-10. The league went 4-0 against the Pac-10 on Sept. 13, with wins by BYU over UCLA, TCU over Stanford, New Mexico over Arizona and UNLV over Arizona State. The previous week, BYU had edged Washington.

The dominance ended rather abruptly last Saturday when California pounded Colorado State 42-7.

Things to watch

Offensively, quarterback Brian Johnson and running back Matt Asiata will be eager to face OSU again. As a junior college transfer, Asiata sustained a broken leg on the fourth carry of his Utah career and was sidelined for the season in last year's opener. Johnson, who had sat out the previous season after having knee surgery, was knocked out of the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. It was 7-7 at the time, and the Utes ended up losing 24-7.

Besides not having to travel, Utah should be reasonably fresh for a short week. The Utes played mostly reserves in the fourth quarter Saturday, when Weber State gained 154 of its 359 total yards and scored two late touchdowns.

After knocking off USC in 2006, the Beavers followed with a 44-10 win over Arizona State.

Key player (Beavers) — Jacquizz Rodgers, RB

Utah has shut down every opponent's running game, from Michigan to Air Force, and Rodgers will face a big challenge. The Utes are allowing only 60 rushing yards per game and 231 total yards, ranking fifth in the country in each category.

Key player (Utes) — Louie Sakoda, PK/P

In any close game, Sakoda is a huge factor. He has made 10 of 12 field-goal attempts this season, with the only misses coming from long distances in windy conditions at Air Force. He's also an excellent punter who can affect field position.

Utah by 10