Utes' bowl picture unclear

Will Utah be going bowling, again?

Maybe. Maybe not.

It'll all depend on how the last three games of the season go. The Utes (5-4), who have a bye this week, enter the final stretch just one win shy of bowl eligibility.

That, however, may not be enough to secure the program a fifth consecutive bowl berth.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham estimates that a 6-6 record will probably not shore up an invitation. A 7-5 mark, he continued, is "a probably situation."

Certainty, therefore, is achieved at 8-4.

"(Then) there's no question you are going to go," Whittingham predicted.

Even so, running the table — defeating season-ending opponents Colorado State, Air Force and BYU — isn't Utah's top objective at the moment.

The Utes are determined to take things one game at a time.

"Our mindset is to get to six (wins). We've got five and we cannot look past the nose on our face. We've got CSU in 11 days and that is going to be our primary focus," Whittingham said. "We've just got to focus on one thing. If we can get to six, then we'll worry about whoever the next opponent is."

The overall picture, thanks to a 3-2 Mountain West Conference record, is relatively bright — all things considered. The league, after all, has four bowl agreements.

"Believe it or not, with all the ups and downs we've had this season, we are still sitting right there tied for second place — at least in the loss column, said Whittingham, who noted that most of the teams in the league are in the same boat. "It's still a wide-open race as far as jockeying for that second spot."

Conference-leading BYU, he acknowledged, has a commanding lead with no losses at this point.

MACK'S TURN: With backup tailback Mike Liti out with a serious knee injury, sophomore Darrell Mack moves up the depth chart behind starter Darryl Poston.

Mack hasn't played much this season and managed just 13 yards on five carries last week against UNLV.

"With Mike down, Darrell Mack has got to step up and contribute. That's something he has to do. He has no choice. It's his time to help us out," Whittingham said. "He's got to do the things we need him to do in the pass protection and all the things that are attached to the running back position in addition to running the ball."