The Colorado win is the caution flag for Utah, though. The Utes led by 13 at halftime in front of 52,489 at Folsom Field, gave most of it back in the second half, and still had to stop a Hail Mary on the final play to stay unbeaten. They're 3-0 in Big 12 play as of now. Even so, that game shows they can be dragged into a close one late by a team that keeps throwing.
Cincinnati's season has gone up and down. The Bearcats scored 42 at West Virginia and lost because they gave up 45. They managed just 7 in a 34-point loss at Arizona. Before those 2, they beat Miami (OH) and Kansas State at home by a combined 9 points. At Nippert they're 3-0 in the games we can see. Away from home they've struggled. That makes the venue the most important fact for the home side.
Utah's offense has been efficient rather than explosive. It put up 43 on Arkansas and 41 on Kansas, and has scored at least 27 in every game we can see. The question is whether Utah's defense can do to French and Tabb what Texas Tech couldn't. That defense shut out Utah State and held Iowa State to 17. In the second quarter against the Red Raiders, the Bearcats scored 21 points and the game got away from Tech. Utah's best defensive habit has been keeping games from snowballing like that.
The forecast says mid-70s and cloudy with little wind, which is mild for the last day of October, so weather shouldn't affect either passing game. Utah has the record and the rest. Cincinnati has the momentum, the home crowd, and a quarterback who just had the game of his life against a top-10 team. Whether that carries over to a second straight Saturday is the story of this game.