Trying to overcome the psychological impact of losing a game, coaches often say they try to keep an opponent from “beating them twice." Physically, though, Utah’s football team may have that effect.
It happened this month with Arizona State. The Sun Devils were 5-1 before losing at Utah, then falling at UCLA. The theory, as researched by Pac-12 expert Jon Wilner of The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.), is the Utes take a physical toll on opponents that carries over. In the past four seasons, Pac-12 teams are 10-15 the week after playing Utah, including 3-12 on the road.