Pac-12 preview: the biggest keys to UCLA-Utah

All eyes are on Cam Rising, regardless of whether he takes the field in Utah’s game against UCLA.

There are three Pac-12 games this weekend between ranked teams. One of them is UCLA-Utah.

We went to our Pac-12 panel and asked the question, point-blank: What is the biggest key to UCLA-Utah?

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Don Smalley, Ducks Wire: If Cam Rising plays. The Bruins are good and Dante Moore is the real deal. No wonder Oregon wanted him so badly. Utah won’t beat UCLA with the backup QB. Don’t be shocked if the Bruins win.

Zachary Neel, Ducks Wire: I think the biggest key for UCLA will to be to limit mistakes offensively. They have the talent to beat Utah, but putting a true freshman QB in this caliber of game gives me a little bit of pause. If Dante Moore can play a clean game, I think the Bruins come out on top.

Matt Wadleigh, Trojans and Buffaloes Wire: The status of Cam Rising. If he plays, Utah’s chances go up significantly. If not, I’m going to roll with UCLA to get the win. The Utes need Rising to suit up, and Dante Moore and the Bruins have begun to figure things out.

Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire: Cam Rising. Can he play, and will he play well if he does indeed take the field for the Utes? If Rising doesn’t play, Nate Johnson’s running ability becomes central to the game’s outcome.

Catch all of Ducks Wire’s Pac-12 team previews for the 2023 season:

Arizona — Arizona State — California — Colorado — Oregon State  — Stanford — UCLA — USC — Utah — Washington — Washington State