Branden Carlson leads surprising Utah against Oregon State

Branden Carlson continues to raise his level of play while becoming the symbol of Utah's improvement.

The overachieving Utes are in second place in the Pac-12 as they begin a crucial two-game swing in the Pacific Northwest, starting with a Thursday night game against Oregon State at Corvallis, Ore.

Utah (14-7, 7-3 Pac-12) was predicted to finish 10th in the 12-team conference but is flying high at the league's midway po