SALT LAKE CITY-Saturday, Utah football, fresh off the heels of a 41-10 win over Weber State August 30, plays Northern Illinois for the first time in history.
The game against the Huskies at DeKalb, Ill., is also the Utes’ first all-time game against a team from the Mid-Athletic Conference (MAC).
This is also a rare foray into the state of Illinois for the Utes. The only other time the Utes have played in the state saw them lose to the Illinois Fighting Illini at Champaign, Ill. in 1988.
Of late, the Utes have been successful in road openers, having won their last five.
In Utah’s dominant performance against Weber State, they surrendered only 59 yards and three first downs to the Wildcats. As of the second week of FBS (Division I-A) college football, these are both the best marks in the nation.
Since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, the Utes are 27-1 in non-conference games.
