It's Discovery Time For Utah On Both Sides Of The Ball

Having to break in a new quarterback, running back and secondary, it makes sense that Utah may not have as high of expectations. But that's not the case, as there is belief the Utes can find themselves

The old adage is that defense wins championships. While that has proven to be true, unfortunately for Utah and head coach Kyle Whittingham it hasn't quite been as simple as that.

Over the past two seasons, the Utes have had the Pac-12's best defense and one of the tops in the nation. But twice they've come up short of winning the conference title game despite making appearances in both of them after winning back-to-back Pac-12 south division titles.

This season promises something entirely different as Utah will be reloading its typical vaunted defense, meaning that a bunch of inexperienced freshmen and sophomores are expected to play vital roles.

So now Whittingham and co. will have a chance to reverse that old adage and prove that a talented offense can in fact win a championship — and it all begins with Saturday's season opener vs. USC. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. MT and will air on ESPN.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

OFFENSE
The offense is loaded where it matters most — the trenches. Utah's offensive line is expected to be among the best in the conference, led by all-conference nominees in Nick Ford and Orlando Umana. 

The Utes also have a handful of talented skill players who can catch the ball, most noticeably in potential All-American Brant Kuithe and wide receivers Bryan Thompson and Britain Covey. 

It's an ideal starting point for a team looking at breaking in a new starting quarterback and running back. 

The quarterback situation has largely come down to senior Jake Bentley and sophomore Cam Rising — with many torn between who ends up as the day one starter (My guess is Rising). 

Either way, the quarterback will have a somewhat easy job behind that offensive line and bevy of pass catchers. It will be up to him to control the game and act best as a distributor of sorts. 

The running back situation has come down to Devin Brumfield, Jordan Wilmore and Ty Jordan, three players capable of changing the game. Right now head coach Kyle Whittingham is going with a committee approach but there's hope that one guy emerges as the lead.

The offense is in a situation to be dominant, which is exactly what the Utes need considering the youth of their defense. If Rising (or Bentley) and a running back can emerge as legit starters, Utah could very well have the offense carrying the defense.

DEFENSE
Replacing nine starters is going to be no easy task, especially when the majority of those replacements are going to be underclassmen. How this defense is going to shape up remains to be seen as the young-ins are going to have to learn on the fly.

Utah's strength will be on the defensive line, where Mika Tafua — he possesses all-Pac-12 potential and seems to be the next great Ute defensive lineman — returns as a starter and Maxs Tupai has seen action beforehand. Hauati Pututau and Viane Moala are phenomenal anchors in the middle, making it difficult for opposing offenses to run the ball

Courtesy of Utah Athletics

Devin Lloyd is the lone returning starter at the linebacker position, where he will be joined by Nephi Sewell, a converted safety. The secondary features five new starters, led by big-time cornerback commit in true freshman Clark Phillips.

Utah's defense is without a doubt going to go through some growing pains, and opening up your first game of the season against USC isn't ideal. The Utes will have to discover which combinations of defenders work. 

In the end though, a few stops of USC's defense would go a long way into the mental growth of the Utes and potentially pulling out the victory.

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