Houston AP 14C 16 at Utah AP 10C 9
Houston at Utah kicks off Saturday, Oct 24 at 10:15 PM EDT on ESPN. Utah is favored by 6.5. The Gotta See It Meter calls it a must-watch: 84 of 100 (Thunderdome), mostly on how good both teams are and power-conference matchup.
- Date
- Saturday, Oct 24, 2026
- Kickoff
- TV
- ESPN · Cable · ESPN app
- Venue
- Rice-Eccles Stadium
- City
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Week
- Week 8
- Conference game
- Yes
- Line
- Utah −6.5 · O/U 57.5
- Forecast
- 52°F · wind 1 mph · 2% precipitation
Thunderdome
Houston6–1
Wvs Oregon St.33–20
Wvs Southern77–6
Lat Texas Tech26–28
Wat Ga. Southern42–28
Wvs UCF27–17
Wat Kansas State35–16
Wvs Oklahoma St.35–32
at Utah
Nothing since.
Utah6–0
Wvs Idaho66–14
Wvs Arkansas43–10
Wvs Utah State33–0
Wat Iowa State31–17
Wvs Kansas41–24
Wat Colorado27–24
vs Houston
Nothing since.
What to expect
These two combine for 79.5 points a game and Houston plays fast — 72.4 snaps a game, 18th nationally. Vegas set the total at 57.5. The last 5 meetings have averaged a 16.8-point margin.
Blowout riskNah
PaceSpeed LimitBoth Speed Limit
SeriesCall 911avg margin 16.8 over 5 meetings
The matchup
season averages · national rank in FBS below each · the fuller bar leads · through Week 7
| Houston | Utah | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 39.312th | 40.28th | |
| Points allowed | 21.045th | 14.811th | |
| Yards per play | 6.716th | 6.714th | |
| Yards allowed per play | 5.796th | 4.725th | |
| Plays per game | 72.418th | 72.319th | |
| Turnover margin | +515th | +333rd | |
| 3rd down conversion | 61.4%1st | 53.2%8th |
More stats +11
| Houston | Utah | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rushing yards per game | 220.416th | 220.317th | |
| Passing yards per game | 264.736th | 266.333rd | |
| QB completion rate | 68.0%22nd | 67.4%32nd | |
| QB yards per attempt | 9.019th | 8.435th | |
| O-line rank | 4thline yards · sack rate | 29thline yards · sack rate | |
| D-line rank | 21ststuff rate · havoc | 39thstuff rate · havoc | |
| Sacks | 1365th | 1098th | |
| Interceptions | 634th | 812th | |
| Forced fumbles | 438th | 288th | |
| Penalties per game | 6.671st | 6.361st | |
| Time of possession | 33:339th | 33:388th |
The series
Houston leads 5–0 over the last 5
| Year | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Houston 17–14 | 3 |
| 1978 | Houston 42–25 | 17 |
| 1977 | Houston 34–16 | 18 |
| 1971 | Houston 42–16 | 26 |
| 1966 | Houston 34–14 | 20 |
How to watch
| Network | ESPN |
|---|---|
| Stream | Cable · ESPN app |
| Kickoff | 10:15 PM EDT |
| Where | Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT |
What the Meter sees
| How good both teams are (#14 vs #9)Both teams' poll votes, with a bonus when both are ranked — a marquee matchup on paper | +56.6 |
|---|---|
| Power-conference matchupTwo of the big four on the same field — the bump, plus the floor every power-conference team carries | +14.0 |
| Where it's onESPN — a network puts its best games where everyone can find them | +6.0 |
| Conference gameLeague standings are on the line | +5.0 |
| Vegas says it's closeClosing spread of 6.5 — the tighter the number, the bigger the bump | +2.8 |
| Gotta See It Meter™ | 84 |
Still Ball0–5Worth a Flip6–17I'll Bite18–33Ready to Rumble34–59Thunderdome60–99Maximum100
Quick answers
- What time does Houston vs Utah start?
- Saturday, Oct 24 at 10:15 PM EDT.
- What channel is Houston vs Utah on?
- ESPN.
- How can I stream Houston vs Utah?
- Streaming on ESPN app.
- Who is favored in Houston vs Utah?
- Utah by 6.5. The total is 57.5.
- Where is Houston vs Utah played?
- Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, UT.