Weber State Hopes To Start 2018 With Upset Of Utah
Aug 28, 2018, 7:48 PM | Updated: Feb 14, 2023, 12:45 pm
OGDEN, Utah – After posting the best season in school history, the Weber State football program is ready to reach even greater heights. They’ll open the 2018 campaign on the road against Utah, an FBS opponent who is looking to make a splash themselves.
It seems however, that every season or so an FCS squad is able to knock off a team from the top-level FBS. Head coaches from both teams were aware of that.
“Yes sir, every year,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. “Somebody will get it done this year. Some FCS will beat an FBS. You can just about guarantee it.”
Weber State knows it very well. They nearly knocked off Cal on the road last season. However, head coach Jay Hill doesn’t see that experience as an advantage going into this year’s major matchup.
“You know Coach Whitt isn’t letting his team overlook anybody,” said Hill, who previously worked as an assistant under Whittingham. “It doesn’t matter what jersey comes out of the tunnel, he’s not going to let his team overlook anybody.”
The Wildcats are a talented team, ranked No. 8 in the national FCS rankings, but have several major hurdles to overcome early if they’re going to pull off the upset.
The host of the matchup, Utah, is expected to contend for the Pac-12 South title this season with a deep, seasoned roster full of returning impact players on both sides of the ball.
Also, the Wildcats will be rolling with a freshman quarterback taking his first snaps. The initial depth chart released on Monday listed Kaden Jenks as the starting signal caller. The Roy High graduate did win 27 straight games in high school while leading the Royals to two state titles, but nothing will compare to taking his first collegiate snaps in a presumably sold-out Pac-12 stadium.
Challenges aside, Weber State’s confidence is high heading into the matchup.
“I feel like we are the team to watch,” said Wildcats running back Treshawn Garrett. “We do play Utah, but they also have to play us. Being an FCS school and being in the Big Sky, we’re looked down on but there’s a lot of schools in the FCS that upset FBS schools all the time so why not us.”
