Friday, September 18, 2009

I've seen a couple of predictions out of Oregon that have the Ducks winning tomorrow. You can see those predictions here and here. Oregon is favored by 4.5 points the last time I looked.

I'll buck the trend and go with the Utes, for a couple reasons. First, there are the obvious reasons. Utah has the nation's longest winning streak at 16 games, has won its last nine on the road and is 6-2 against the Pac-10 since 2003. It has also done extremely well in big road games played in front of supposedly loud fans. (Michigan, Louisville and the Sugar Bowl sure got quiet in a hurry thanks to Utah's play).

Now for the not-so-obvious reason, Terrance Cain.

I've spent some time working on a feature story on Cain this week that is due to run next Tuesday.

On Wednesday I had an interesting conversation with Morgan Scalley, Utah's recruiting coordinator who found Cain while recruiting some receivers at Blinn Community College.

Only, it wasn't the receivers Scalley noticed the most, but Cain.

"He had a quick release and the ability to make a play with his legs," Scalley said. "He had poise as a quarterback and never got ruffled. As a safety when I played, I'd watch that on film, when this kid is feeling pressure does he have a tendency to stop looking off the safety? This kid, he was just a calm cool sucker who won games."

He won enough games, remember, to earn junior college's Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Scalley's first impressions were backed up by both former offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig and current defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake.

"He didn't want to face that kid," Scalley said.

Honestly, Cain hasn't wowed me as a quarterback. But maybe the secret to his success as Scalley and both coach Kyle Whittingham have indicated is that he isn't the wowing type. He is level-headed and so robotic in his play that rarely does he make you notice him, unless maybe you are a coach looking for that kind of consistent play.

Maybe that is just the kind of attitude the Utes need out of their quarterback to get a win in what will be a rowdy atmosphere Saturday.

So I'm going with a Utah win. Course, I figure there really isn't a way for me to lose here, if I'm wrong, it's Scalley's fault, not mine!