Idaho State quarterbacks Matt Struck and Gunnar Amos are not quite like USC's Kedon Slovis or Washington State's Anthony Gordon, the passers Utah will face in Pac-12 play before September ends.
Yet everything about the way Utah's secondary performed in Saturday's 31-0 victory was encouraging, after the Utes had allowed some big yardage totals in the first halves of games against BYU and Northern Illinois. ISU posted 80 yards through the air, after Struck passed for 402 yards and four touchdowns in a season-opening defeat of Division II opponent Western Colorado.
The Bengals would have recorded ever fewer yards, but Ute linebacker Andrew Mata'afa missed a great chance for an interception in the last five minutes.