Utah lost a superstar unexpectedly over the offseason. Need a few games in to find offensive identity.
Brewer struggled to get it going.
Rising came in and immediately the offense popped. Dominating the game for the latter half and driving the game from a large deficit to an OT.
Reeling off wins like they did after that showed Utah with Rising was a much better fit and a far better team.
That's why in the end the polls hardly acknowledged the first few losses.