Utes' odds of winning decrease even more

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Doubt few liked Utah's chances of winning at Oregon before Friday, now with news that quarterback Travis Wilson is out with a concussion, is anyone picking the Utes? I'm going with Oregon, believing the Ducks simply have too many weapons for Utah, even if quarterback Marcus Mariota isn't healthy. But really, this is a game where the weapons on Oregon's defense could hurt the Utes more than even those on offense. Utah's defense has played well enough, especially against the run, that under normal circumstances it can give the Utes a chance to win. But with Wilson out, as well as running back Kelvin York, Utah's already struggling offense is going to have a difficult time against the Ducks. It would have been nice for the Utes to have Wilson's running ability in this game. Instead, Adam Schulz, who has a strong arm but isn't as mobile as Wilson, will be leading the offense. He has a tough task ahead of him, too tough of a task. - Lya Wodraska