Football Plays at No. 8 Oregon State

QUICKLY

> Utah (2-4, 0-3 Pac-12) faces undefeated and No. 8-ranked Oregon State (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12) on Saturday, Oct. 20 in Corvallis, Ore. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time in Reser Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Radio is ESPN700 AM (espn700sports.com) and SIRIUS/XM (94/199).

> Utah is off to an 0-3 Pac-12 Conference start with losses to Arizona State, USC and UCLA. Last year, the Utes started 0-4 in conference play before winning their next four Pac-12 games, starting with a 27-8 victory over Oregon State.

> OSU, ranked No. 8 in the BCS and A.P. polls and 11th in the USA Today Coaches' poll, is the third ranked opponent Utah has played this season. Utah beat No. 25 BYU and lost to 13th-ranked USC. Kyle Whittingham is 8-9 in his career against A.P. Top 25 teams.

> OSU is Utah's highest ranked opponent since No. 4 TCU in 2010 (a Ute loss).

> With four victories in the last five games against OSU, Utah has narrowed the series deficit to 6-9-1. The teams split their last two decisions in Corvallis with Utah getting its only win there in 1991 and OSU winning in 2007. For complete series notes, see page 2.

> Kyle Whittingham is 2-1 against Oregon State with wins in Salt Lake City in 2008 and 2011 and a loss in Corvallis in 2007.

> Utah has started three different quarterbacks this season: Junior Jordan Wynn started in the first two games before declaring his retirement from football after his second-straight season-ending shoulder injury, senior Jon Hays started the next three games and true freshman Travis Wilson got his first start last week at UCLA.

> Utah leads the nation in forced fumbles (13) and fumbles returned for a touchdown (3). Opponents have fumbled the ball 21 times total.

IN THE HUDDLE

Last week against UCLA, Travis Wilson became the fourth true freshman quarterback to start a game for Utah since the NCAA restored freshman eligibility in 1972. The others were Jordan Wynn (2009), Scott Cate (1982) and Ken Vierra (1981) ... Four true freshmen have played in and started at least one game for Utah this season: Wilson, linebacker Reshawn Hooker, offensive lineman Jeremiah Poutasi and punter Tom Hackett ... Expected to be available this week after missing the last two games with an injury is offensive lineman Vyncent Jones. Jones, who played in the first four games and started two at right guard, is listed as the backup center on the new depth chart ... 17 players have caught passes for Utah this season, including QB Wilson, and four players have completed passes (Wilson, Wynn, Jon Hays and DeVonte Christopher).

TWO-MINUTE DRILL

Utah is third in the Pac-12 and 35th in the country in total defense (350.7). The Utes are fourth in the Pac-12 in rushing defense (124.2) and 34th nationally ... Utah held UCLA's Johnathan Franklin to 79 rushing yards, marking just the second time this season that Franklin--who entered the game ranked seventh in the nation in rushing (133.3)--was held under 100 yards ... Utah's most productive scoring quarter is the second (38 points), its biggest point advantage has come in the third (34-10) and its worst quarter is the first, when the Utes have been outscored 55-28 ... Utah has attempted just one field goal in the last three games and has not made a field goal since the third game of the season against BYU ... Dating back to last season, Utah is 9-0 when John White rushes for 100 yards, something he has done just once this season (vs. Northern Colorado).

OUTSIDE THE LINES

The last time Utah started three quarterbacks in a season was in 2000, when T.D. Croshaw started the first two games, Daniel Arcenacaux started the next six and Lance Rice started the last three ... Utah and OSU have played two common opponents this season in Brigham Young and UCLA. Utah is 1-1 against the duo, beating BYU 24-21 and losing to UCLA 21-14. The Beavers are 2-0, beating UCLA 27-20 and BYU 42-24 ... Utah defensive linemen Dave and Joe Kruger's father Paul lettered at Oregon State from 1986-87 ... Utah does not have any Oregon natives on its roster ... Utah has not played a road game on Oct. 20 since 1984. The Utes are 8-4-1 (3-3 on the road) all-time on Oct. 20 ... Utah has made 10 bowl appearances since 2000, going 9-1 with a 2-0 record in BCS bowl games. Utah is one of just three teams to win six bowl games in the last seven years (with Florida and TCU).

STAR OF STEELE

Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei was named a first-team Midseason All-American by Phil Steele Publications. He and five teammates made Phil Steele's midseason all-Pac-12 team: Lotulelei the first team, offensive tackle Sam Brenner and linebacker/defensive end Trevor Reilly the second team, and center Tevita Stevens, defensive end Nate Fakahafua and punter Sean Sellwood the third team.

UTE-TWEETS

The Utes will stay in Eugene Friday night and bus to Corvallis on Saturday #utes ... Whittingham is 8-11 all-time vs. Pac-12 schools (4-8 as a member of the Pac-12) #utes ... The last time Utah returned three fumble recoveries for touchdowns was in 2003 #utes ... Utah's 89 wins in the last 10 years is tied with Oregon for 12th-most nationally #utes ... The Kyle Whittingham Show is Wednesday at 6 pm at Harmon's City Creek. It is free to the public. #utes.