The Allstate Sugar Bowl
#6 University of Utah
vs.
#4 University of Alabama
Friday, January 2, 2009 - 8:00PM EST
The Super Dome - New Orleans, LA
FOX-TV
Depending how you look at this game, you either see a over matched Mountain West Conference team against the runner-up to the SEC crown. Or, you see a hot mid-major conference team poised for a nice upset of a suddenly more vulnerable major conference team.
I see it as a potentially great game to watch. If...and only if, Utah plays to their potential. Alabama is a very good team. One that can score quickly and play very tough defense. How tough?
National Rankings: Defense
| Average | Ranking | |
| Rushing D | 78.85 | 4 |
| Passing D | 101.63 | 13 |
| Total D | 256.92 | 3 |
| Scoring D | 13 | 6 |
They're not USC, but they can pretty much play with anyone. And until a 9 point loss to Florida, they cruised through a touch SEC schedule. They run the ball much better then they pass it. Their offense ranks 56th overall in the country averaging 196 yards on the ground and 170 through the air per game.
National Rankings: Offense
| Average | Ranking | |
| Rushing Off. | 196.46 | 23 |
| Passing Off. | 170.69 | 96 |
| Total Off. | 367.15 | 56 |
| Scoring Off. | 31.15 | 30 |
Speaking of cruising through a schedule, albeit not quite as tough, Utah had no problem disposing of all 12 teams they played this year, including Michigan.
I think Utah came into this year with a hope to be able to challenge BYU for the title. Well, the last game of the year, they had no problem with that, winning 48-24.
Utah comes into this game with both a very talented offense led by Brian Johnson at QB who sits at 18th in the nation in passing efficiency. They run and throw the ball well. And they also score a lot of points.
National Rankings: Offense
| Average | Ranking | |
| Rushing Off. | 168.42 | 41 |
| Passing Off. | 236.83 | 41 |
| Total Off. | 405.25 | 31 |
| Scoring Off. | 37.42 | 15 |
Those numbers stack up very well against what Alabama can do on offense. Of course, they'll need to play their best game of the year to be able to put anywhere close to their average points against Alabama's defense...especially on the ground.
But Utah is not just a one-trick-pony. They can play defense too.
National Rankings: Defense
| Average | Ranking | |
| Rushing D | 104.83 | 14 |
| Passing D | 108.64 | 22 |
| Total D | 295.92 | 18 |
| Scoring D | 17.25 | 12 |
I really like the way this game is shaping up, statistically. Odds are neither squad is going to get to their average scoring numbers. Each defense's strength is what the other team does well on offense.
There is no common opponent to judge this game by, so season averages and stats are all we have. And here they are.
 |  | |
| Scoring: Points/Game | 31.2 | 37.4 |
| Scoring: Games - Points | 13 - 405 | 12 - 449 |
| First Downs: Total | 248 | 259 |
| First Downs: Rushing - Passing - By Penalty | 128 - 104 - 16 | 108 - 137 - 14 |
| Rushing: Yards / Attempt | 4.77 | 4.23 |
| Rushing: Attempts - Yards - TD | 535 - 2554 - 32 | 473 - 2001 - 23 |
| Passing: Rating | 125.77 | 149.73 |
| Passing: Yards | 2219 | 2842 |
| Passing: Attempts - Completions - Interceptions - TD | 304 - 177 - 7 - 10 | 373 - 252 - 9 - 26 |
| Total Offense: Yards / Play | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| Total Offense: Plays - Yards | 839 - 4773 | 846 - 4843 |
| Punt Returns: Yards / Return | 13.08 | 6.53 |
| Punt Returns: Returns - Yards - TD | 48 - 628 - 3 | 32 - 209 - 1 |
| Kickoff Returns: Yards / Return | 19.62 | 22.97 |
| Kickoff Returns: Returns - Yards - TD | 34 - 667 - 0 | 33 - 758 - 0 |
| Punting: Yards / Punt | 40.25 | 41 |
| Punting: Punts - Yards | 57 - 2294 | 51 - 2091 |
| Interceptions: Returns - Yards - TD | 15 - 305 - 4 | 17 - 328 - 3 |
| Fumbles: Number - Lost | 18 - 9 | 20 - 8 |
| Penalties: Number - Yards | 50 - 453 | 80 - 726 |
| Time of Possession / Game | 32:06.69 | 32:39.33 |
| 3rd Down Conversions: Conversion % | 42.35% | 46.11% |
| 3rd Down Conversions: Attempts - Conversions | 170 - 72 | 167 - 77 |
| 4th Down Conversions: Conversion % | 80% | 64.29% |
| 4th Down Conversions: Attempts - Conversions | 10 - 8 | 14 - 9 |
| Red Zone: Success % | 84.91% | 90.38% |
| Red Zone: Attempts - Scores | 53 - 45 | 52 - 47 |
| Field Goals: Success % | 70.4% | 91.3% |
| Field Goals: Attempts - Made | 27 - 19 | 23 - 21 |
| PAT Kicking: Success % | 95.7% | 98.1% |
| PAT Kicking: Attempts - Made | 46 - 44 | 53 - 52 |
| 2-Point Conversions: Success % | 33.33% | 50% |
| 2-Point Conversions: Attempts - Made | 3 - 1 | 2 - 1 |
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