By Dan Angell

dangell@journalnet.com

Idaho State (2-5) at Utah (3-4)

When: 7:05 p.m.

Where: Jon M. Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City

What’s at Stake: Idaho State gets another chance at a larger conference foe, and this one is a team it knows how to beat. In fact, Utah is the only school from a larger conference that the Bengals have defeated under Joe O’Brien. Last year, the Utes came to Pocatello, and the Bengals notched a 72-68 victory, Idaho State’s first win over Utah in 50 years.

Key matchup: Idaho State guard Amorrow Morgan vs. Utah guard Carlon Brown: These two 6-foot-5 guards are their teams’ best at scoring, and both sides will need a big night from them to get a victory. Utah is a very tall team, but the Utes’ offense runs through Brown. If he’s not scoring, it’s good news for Idaho State.

Three things about Utah

1. The Utes have four players who are at least 6-foot-10, topped by 7-foot-3 David Foster and 7-foot Jason Washburn.

2. Utah is both 0-1 against the Big Sky and 0-1 against Gem State opponents. In addition to the loss to Weber State, the Utes fell 94-87 to Idaho to open the season.

3. Utah is a perfect 13-0 against Idaho State in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

Three in the Key

1. Don’t Quit Attacking: The Utes boast Foster down low, and he can be an intimidating inside presence. Utah coach Jim Boylen said he expects to lead the Mountain West Conference in blocked shots, and Foster is a big reason why. But Weber State kept driving at the giant, and although Foster blocked 10 shots, the Wildcats won the game. The Bengals would do well to learn from their rival’s determination and duplicate it.

2. Use Your Experience: Boylen said he doesn’t plan to bring up the fact that the Utes lost to the Bengals last year because most of his players weren’t part of that game. The same can’t be said of the Bengals. Idaho State needs to use its knowledge of how it won last year and repeat what worked well for them. Confidence is important in a hostile arena.

3. No Lapses: In four of Idaho State’s five losses, they’ve suffered a lapse lasting 10 minutes or more. That’s fatal against a team like Utah, especially on the road.

Bottom Line: Mountain West opponent or not, this is a winnable game for Idaho State. But Utah needs this game badly as well. If the Utes lose again to the Bengals, things might really get ugly for Boylen in Salt Lake City. Expect this game to be like Bradley: Idaho State will have a chance late. What they do with it is anyone’s guess.

Prediction: Utah 75, Idaho State 72