Utah And Cal Both Experiencing Uncertainty at Quarterback This Season

The quarterback position was one that both teams were hoping would be a strength, but has ended up being a mystery

Utah is returning from their bye this week, and is greeted by a frisky Cal (3-3) team that would love to pull off an upset in order to help themselves make it to a bowl game.

The Utes (4-1) are hoping to come back stronger, as in their last game two weeks ago they were manhandled by No. 19 Oregon State. The Beavers feasted on Utah's two backup quarterbacks Nate Johnson and Bryson Barnes, who have been filling in for the injured Cam Rising. The veteran quarterback blew out his knee in last year's Rose Bowl against Penn State, and despite hints that he'd return for Week 1, hasn't been cleared to appear in a game yet this season much to the frustrations of coach Kyle Whittingham and fans. 

Heading into the Week 7 game at Cal, Utah's quarterback situation still remains a mystery with only those in the building knowing who will be behind center. The players in the mix to start are Johnson, Brandon Rose who was expected to start against Florida but went down with an injury, or of course, Rising if healthy. Barnes suffered an injury against Oregon State.

As for Cal, they have now started three different quarterbacks in their last three games. They started the season with TCU transfer and elite athlete Sam Jackson V, but quickly turned to NC State transfer Ben Finley after Jackson went down with an injury. It was then Finley who got the start against Auburn, but he ended up getting pulled in favor of Jackson. Their win over Idaho saw Jackson start again, but Finley got the nod against No. 8 Washington. After an injury to Finley, it was Jackson who started against Arizona State, and to mix things up, freshman Fernando Mendoza started against Oregon State. 

It appears it will be the 6-foot-5 freshman out of Miami getting the nod against Utah, as Cal's Justin Wilcox and offensive coordinator Jake Spavital both raved about his showing against Oregon State that saw him throw for 207 yards while completing 65% of his passes and throwing two touchdowns. He will face a tough Utah defense that ranks as the No. 13 defense in the country, and prides itself on forcing offenses to throw due to the fact they eliminate the run.  

As for Utah, whoever is playing quarterback for them is facing a Cal defense that ranks No. 79 in total defense and has given up an average of 44 points per game the past three weeks. Meaning, this is a prime opportunity to get what has been a stagnant offense going for Utah, as they rank No. 125 in total offense in the country ranking above just one Power 5 team in Iowa.