Life in the Pac-12 South ain’t easy: All but one team finished last season ranked in the Top 25, Utah among them at No. 21. If the Utes can firm things up behind center, another Top 25 push is in the cards, but they’ll have to survive (at least some of) their trips to Oregon, USC, Washington and Arizona first.

Offense

How the Utes beat you: In the highflying, air-it-out Pac-12, Utah goes against the grain, with its top offensive weapon the bruising, aggressive senior RB Devontae Booker, who isn’t shy about contact. And even when opposing defenses do wrap him up, there’s no guarantee Booker will go down: His 815 rushing yards after contact last year was 196 more than that of any other Pac-12 player. No running back in the conference recorded more touches than Booker (292), and though opposing D’s knew to expect him (nearly 35 percent of first-down plays were Booker rushes), he still managed 4.7 yards per first-down carry and 5.2 overall. With a line that returns three starters, and with a large share of the receiving corps departing (51 percent of yardage), that run-heavy formula will carry into ’15.

How you beat the Utes: Booker is effective even in losses (132.8 ypg in Utah’s four defeats in ’14), but he didn’t make up for the shaky play of senior QB Travis Wilson (44.0 QBR in losses). Even in wins, Wilson didn’t light it up: 7.7 ypa (No. 73 in the FBS), with just 41.3 percent of completions gaining 10-plus yards (No. 95). He just hasn’t proved he can handle pressure situations: Since 2013, he has a 47.1 completion percentage on third and seven or longer (No. 90).

Defense

How the Utes beat you: “Hold on to your ass and get the ball out quick,” one Pac-12 offensive coordinator said of his approach to handling Utah’s pressure-packed defensive attack. The Utes sacked the passer more than anyother FBS team last year—55 times in all, including 21 on third down—a level of disruption that ended with opposing quarterbacks managing the 15th-lowest QBR in the FBS (31.7). Utah’s top sacker from 2014, All-American Nate Orchard, is gone, along with coordinator Kalani Sitake, but the front seven returns five members who recorded 4-plus sacks. So drop-off in pressure, if there is any, should be minimal—especially when Kyle Whittingham, not typically your most effusive head man, has this to say

about the players set to take over the trenches: “We’ve got as good a defensive line as we’ve ever had this year.”

How you beat the Utes: Overall, Utah was stout against the run, allowing just 3.8 ypc (No. 31). But vs. the spread option? Against Arizona: 298 rush yards allowed, even with QB Anu Solomon lost to injury at halftime. At Arizona State: 239. Against Oregon: 269. No other team cracked the 200- yard rush mark against the Utes all season. The linebacker in the middle of the run defense: the head coach’s nephew Jason.