2019 Utah Utes Schedule Initial Rank #17 Opponent Location Result (2) LSU# Atlanta, GA W 30-24 Middle Tennessee State Salt Lake City, UT W 34-20 California Berkley, CA W 56-7 Bye (9) Michigan State Salt Lake City, UT W 34-24 Bye (3) USC Los Angeles, CA L 45-43 Washington State Pullman, WA W 52-3 UCLA Salt Lake City, UT W 56-6 Arizona State Salt Lake City, UT W 63-9 Oregon State Salt Lake City, UT W 63-3 Arizona Tucson, AZ W 66-31 Washington Salt Lake City, UT W 48-10 Colorado Salt Lake City, UT W 66-13 Texas* Glendale, AZ #: Neutral site game in Atlanta, GA at Georgia Dome *: Fiesta Bowl Key Players Matt Harris (QB) 92 Overall: 95 speed, 92 acceleration, 88 throwing power, 87 accuracy, 88 juke move Lui Silva (RB) 90 Overall: 93 speed, 94 break tackle, 78 trucking, 83 juke, 86 elusiveness Nick Coe (TE) 92 Overall: 86 speed, 99 catching, 89 spectacular catch, 84 catch in traffic, 76 pass block, 79 run block Greg Ross (DE) 90 Overall: 83 power moves, 90 finesse moves, 86 block shedding, 88 tackle, 90 hit power Drew Williams (DT) 90 Overall: 90 power moves, 90 finesse moves, 89 block shedding, 85 tackle, 87 hit power Pre Season All Conference Malcolm Clancy (RT) 85 Overall: 79 Pass Block, 94 Run Block, 75 Impact Block Starting Lineup Offense QB: Matt Harris (92) RB: Lui Silva (90) WR: Leroy Jones (91) Eric Rivera (87) TE: Nick Coe (92) LT: Greg Edwards* (81) LG: Brian Green* (78) C: Luke Ray*(80) RG: Lionel Payne* (81) RT: Malcolm Clancy (85) Defense LE: Greg Ross (90) DT: Drew Williams (87) NT: Edwin Manning (90) RE: Joe Harris (87) LOLB: Jamie Adams (89) MLB: Antonio Alexander (88) ROLB: Jason McKenzie (85) CB: Greg Timmons (87) Will Stephens(87) FS: James Irby (88) SS: Kenard Godfrey (85) Key Injuries Player Injury Missed Time 2019 Recruiting Class 23 Available Scholarships Name Position Rank Caliber Overall Brandon Rush (JUCO) ATH (RB/CB) #556 Overall, #53 Athlete 81 (+1) Chip Smith MLB/OLB #328 Overall, #11 MLB 79 (+7) Rod Edwards FB #947 Overall, #3 FB 78 (+1) Brett Stewart WR #39 Overall, #8 WR 78 (+3) Brennan Robinson (JUCO) DT #1415 Overall, #113 DT 77(0) Derrick Johnson SS #73 Overall, #1 SS 76 (-1) Pat Stevenson ATH (DB) #161 Overall, #27 Athlete 75 (+4) Shaun Franklin OLB #321 Overall, #25 OLB 75 (+2) Chris Brown WR #85 Overall, #18 WR 74 (+1) Eric Terrell TE #142 Overall, #11 TE 73 (-2) Kyle Ginn TE #88 Overall, #5 TE 74 (-2) Gabe Thomson TE #825 Overall, #44 TE 72 (+7) Brad Bryant WR #218 Overall, #46 WR 71 (+1) Morgan Young WR #429 Overall, #85 WR 69 (+2) Jorge Rhodes DT #339 Overall, #26 DT 68 (-3) Season Leaders Passing: 197/269 2732 yards 27 TDs and 16 Interceptions Rushing: Lui Silva 192 carries for 1168 yards and 12 TDs Receiving: John Brown 56 catches for 896 yards and 7 TD's Sacks: Greg Ross 10 Sacks Tackles: Antonio Alexander 61 Tackles Interceptions: Will Stephens 5 Interceptions
In Season Recruiting Wrap Up Salt Lake City, UT- Coach Bulgy's absence last season really hurt Utah on the recruiting trail. A small class that didn't fill many holes on the roster left Utah with 23 available scholarships this season. Believe it or not the Ute's may actually fill all their slots this season. Utah is only starting 7 seniors, total on offense and defense, so there aren't a lot of starting spots that will be open in the starting lineup, so Utah can afford to take players who will want to redshirt before they will be ready to lead the Ute's onto the field. The coaching staff focused on players who were likely to choose Utah instead of shooting for difference makers. It could hurt them down the line. Or it could make it easier for them to chase difference makers over the next few seasons since the coaching staff knows there won't be glaring holes in the roster if they strikeout. The coaching staff focused on a few key positions; FB, TE, WR, and LB chief among them, and for that reason the vast majority of the signing will play one of those positions. In addition to those specific targets the staff chose to go after speed at all positions. The highest rated signee so far is a junior from the JUCO ranks, Brandon Rush. Rush will come in either as a defensive back or a running back. He can flat out fly (98 speed, 96 acceleration) so look for him to be back deep on kickoffs from the first game next season regardless of where the staff chooses to play him. If he plays running back his shiftiness could come into play (92 elusiveness, 92 spin, 95 juke) if the coaches decide to move him to defensive back his solid cover skills could help the Utah defense remain one of the top units in the country (84 Man, 87 Zone.) One way or another the staff will find a way to get the speedster on the field and let him make an impact. Utah has 2 linebackers committed already and are trying to sign one final player to bolster the depth in the second level of the defense. Chip Smith is the #11 MLB in the country, and he plays more like an outside linebacker or a deep dropping cover 2 LB in the mold of Sean Lee. He has excellent speed (85 speed, 88 acceleration) and while he's not a powerful tackler he does an excellent job bringing down the ball carrier (89 tackle 72 hit power.) His cover skills and speed will help him make plays sideline to sideline and keep him from being pulled off the field in passing situations. Shaun Franklin is the other committed LB, but he will slide into an OLB role. Fanklin is also a 3 star recruit, but he lacks the speed and cover skills that Smith has (77 speed, 66 man, 69 zone.) Both recruits will likely redshirt, but should be ready to step on the field and contribute their second season on campus. The Utes are also fighting OU hard for the #11 OLB Maurice White and his decision will likely come down to a signing day hat dance. The other position that Utah coaches targeted hard this season was the TE spot. Nick Coe has been an excellent player for 4 seasons in Salt Lake City, but a change in philosophy means Utah needed more TE's with a more varied skill set besides catching passes. They managed to find 3 this season that fit the bill. Kyle Ginn most closely fits what Utah has recruited for TE's in the past. He's small for the position 6'1" 224 pounds and excels in the passing game. He's not a bad blocker, but his small frame will make it tough to hold up against much larger defensive ends in the passing game. He is a prime candidate to move to FB after a redshirt season, and his future in football may be tied to him accepting a role as an H-Back at the collegiate level. Eric Terrell and Gabe Thompson represent a culture shift for the Ute's staff. Terrell stands 6'6" 257 and Thompson goes 6'6" 252 and while they both have the athletic ability to be standouts in the passing game; they also have the skillset to be end line blockers as well. Terrell is the #11 TE in the country; and if he can shake loose from the LB or safety covering him he has the speed to turn a short catch into a long reception (81 speed, 87 acceleration, 82 catch, 81 spectacular catch.) He is the weaker blocker of the two players slated to stick at the TE spot (69 pass, 70 run.) Gabe Thompson has been referred to several times by Utah coaches as the "prototype of what we want at that position." He's big, fast, blocks well and could turn into a matchup nightmare after a redshirt season (84 speed, 74 catching, 79 spectacular catch, 73 pass block, 72 run block.) Regardless of what happens with Ginn Utah has set themselves up to be will taken care of at the TE position for the next few seasons. The only reason Kyle Ginn may not be moved to FB is because the Ute's have a pretty good one committed already. Rod Edwards chose Utah over Oklahoma, in part because he knew he would get to see the field more often in red and white than he would in crimson and cream. Edwards is very big for the position at 6'1" 257 pounds, but brings a little speed to go along with it (80 speed, 80 acceleration.) If he catches a pass on the outside, God help the defensive back who tries to get in his way. Edwards can also help out in pass protection and as a lead blocker when necessary (73 pass, 75 run.) With Treangen set to graduate this season Edwards may get to start as a true freshman. Utah signed a few WR and it's easy to see what the coaches were shooting for with their choices. Speed. And lots of it. Utah has chosen to go after big posession receivers in the past, but they chose several players with outstanding speed to target this season. Brett Stewart is the highest rated and he has solid speed and decent hands (92 speed, 77 catching.) Chris Brown has made a habit of beating corner backs at the high school level (get it? haha) but he is almost a throwback to the old way of doing things with his 6'3" 210 pound frame and lack of top end speed (87.) While Brown was signed despite his lack of top end speed the final 2 commits were signed specifically for their speed. Brad Bryant comes in at 6'1 214 pounds and has excellent speed (94.) He does have a little "Hard Hands Hanon" in him as he couldn't catch AIDS from a $5 hooker. Morgan Young is the lowest rated incoming WR, but he's also the fastest (95) if the staff can teach him to catch he has the potential to be the best NFL prospect of the incoming unit. With the recent philosophy shift Utah has been trying to bring in players who will fit the new scheme as opposed to the old one. They are also trying to bring in players to build depth so they won't have a problem going for potential All-Americans. "Our philosophy this season was that at some point we would need to have a big class like this. We have the depth to allow most of these guys to redshirt this season and mature a little bit before we need them to contribute. Let's get guys who want to be here and we can shoot for the big time guys when we only have 10 or 12 scholarships to fill. That's not to say there aren't difference makers in this class, we have several guys who we think will be excellent players for us over the course of their career, but we were a young team this season and bringing in guys who won't transfer because they were redshirted is very important." This strategy of recruiting backups may backfire on the Utah staff the same way it did on Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys in the late 90's, but we won't know for sure until a few seasons down the line.
2019 Season In Review Utes Win 2nd BCS Game Salt Lake City, UT- Utah fans have started to get used to their team being one of the top units in the country. The Utes have come a long way from Urban Meyer and Alex Smith leading an upstart mid major program to an undefeated season, and have come to expect excellence from their squad. After 2018's debacle the fans were clamoring for a rebound season and they got one. Utah was one field goal away from an undefeated season and potential Pac 12 and National Title berths. In week 8 Utah made USC sweat out a 2 point win in Los Angeles before coming up just short. That loss ended up being the lone blemish on a 12-1 season and Top 5 finish. There were several players who performed well and led Utah to the excellent season they had this year, as in most option offenses the quarterback is without a doubt the straw that stirs the drink and Matt Harris had an excellent junior season. Harris was on the verge of a 3000/1000 season, before falling 30 yards shy of the 3000 yard passing mark. Harris wrapped up the season with a 197/269 for 2973 yards 31 TD's and 17 interceptions. He added 1344 yards and 15 TD's on the ground. Harris will be weighing the merits of the NFL vs spending another season in college. He would be better off spending one more season in Utah to mature a bit more, and Utah will definitely be better off with him in Red and White. Lui Silva showed off the skills he has quietly built in almost complete anonymity over the last four seasons. Silva is a very talented running back who has been overshadowed by the considerable talents of Harris the past few seasons. The redshirt junior out of Oklahoma carried over 200 times this season for 1285 yards and 12 TD's. The rushing game was augmented by the thunder and lighting of Brandon Jackson and Eugene Kilpatrick who both scored 9 times. Jackson racked up 447 yards on 75 carries while Kilpatrick flashed excellent speed en route to 505 yards on just 33 carries for a 15 yard per carry average. It's not often that a junior college player comes in and out performs a former recruit, but that's exactly what John Brown did this season. Brown transfered from East Misssissipp Community College and outshined every wide receiver on Utah's roster. He flashed the speed that made him a coveted player, and better hands than the coaches and scouts expected by hauling in 56 passes for 896 yards and 7 scores. Eric Rivera was his closest competition with 38 grabs for 556 yards and 5 TD's. Nick Coe showed the pass catching ability that may make him a coveted player in the upcoming NFL draft by grabbing 32 passes 458 yards and 4 scores. Defensively Utah made a huge jump this season from last year and has a legit claim as the best unit in the country. They finished with the #1 rushing defense, and a top 30 passing defense. The defense exceled this season at taking the ball away and recorded 20 interceptions and 8 fumble recoveries. Utah also made a concerted effort to get after the quarterback and totaled 51 sacks on the year, led by Greg Ross' 15. Tyler Riley and Joe Harris finished on the brink of double digit sacks with 9 a piece. Antonio Alexander led the team in tackles with 61 and Jason McKenzie had an all time great season with 49 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, a fumble recovery and 2 defensive TD's from the OLB spot. Utah's defense will miss the two of them in the middle next season. As scary good as Utah's defense was this season they stand a chance to be even better next year. Edwin Manning will graduate, and so will Alexander and McKenzie, but the other 8 starters will return to lead a potentially dominant unit. The front line was led by the aforementioned Greg Ross, and DT Drew Williams. Williams created havoc in the middle all season long and finished the year with 26 tackles, 15 behind the line of scrimmage, 6 sacks and a fumble recovery. Both Ross and Williams are slated to return, but the promise of NFL riches may cause them to hesitate. The defensive line was the catalyst for the inflated statistics elsewhere. The pressure from just the front four allowed all 3 linebackers to drop into coverage regularly and kept the defensive backs from having to stick with a wide receiver for 10 seconds every play. Will Stephens, Jason McKenzie and Kenard Godfrey were reaped the biggest rewards from the pressure. Stephens led the team with 5 picks, McKenzie was second with 4 and Godfrey was tied for third with Kellen Holmes with 3. The defensive backs were able to be more aggressive in their coverage and attack the ball in the air, knowing that the front four would tighten up the closer the opposition got to the endzone. Over the final 7 games of the season Utah outscored their opponents 414-75 for an average score of 59-10. And that includes the closest game of the last half of the season a 66-31 victory over Arizona in Tucson. If the coaches can coax the defense to play with that kind of fire all season long Utah's defense has the potential to be an immovable object.
2020 Utah Utes Schedule Initial Rank #2 Opponent Location Result Auburn Bumblefuck, AL W 68-0 Vanderbilt Nashville, TN W 38-24 #1 LSU Salt Lake City, UT W 31-17 Bye #2 USC Salt Lake City, UT W 52-15 Bye Washington State Pullman, WA W 66-10 Washington Salt Lake City, UT W 20-10 UCLA Los Angeles W 48-41 Arizona State Tempe, AZ W 62-10 California Salt Lake City, UT W 69-0 Arizona Tucson, AZ W 48-14 Oregon State Salt Lake City, UT W 63-0 Colorado Boulder, CO [/SIZE] Key Players Matt Harris (QB) 99 Overall, 96 speed, 89 throwing power, 90 throwing accuracy, 89 juke, 87 spin Lui Silva (RB) 95 Overall, 94 speed, 99 break tackle, 81 trucking, 90 elusiveness, 87 stiff arm, 89 spin, 86 juke Eric Rivera (WR) 93 Overall, 88 speed, 99 catching, 87 spectacular catch, 91 catch in traffic, 94 route running Greg Ross (DE) 95 Overall, 86 Power Moves, 95 Finesse Moves, 90 Tackle, 95 Hit Power Joe Harris (DE) 92 Overall, 90 Power Moves, 94 Finesse moves, 84 Tackle, 92 Hit Power Drew Williams (DT) 96 Overall, 94 Power Moves, 94 Finesse Moves, 87 Tackle, 92 Hit Power Pre Season All Conference 1st Team HB: Lui Silva WR: Eric Rivera WR: John Brown LE: Greg Ross* DT: Drew Williams CB: Will Stephens* FS: James Irby SS: Kenard Godfrey* P: Eric Penn Ret: Eugene Kilpatrick 2nd Team QB: Matt Harris HB: Brandon Jackson LE: Tyler Riley RE: Joe Harris LOLB: Jamie Adams CB: Greg Timmons * Preseason All-American Starting Lineup Offense QB: Matt Harris (99) RB: Lui Silva (95) FB: Rod Edwards (78) WR: Eric Rivera (93) Bradley Carey (88) TE: Johnathan Patterson (80) LT: Greg Edwards (85) LG: Brian Green (84) C: Luke Ray (86) RG: Lionel Payne (86) RT: George Horne (87) Defense LE: Greg Ross (95) DT: Drew Williams (96) NT: Charles Ginn (85) RE: Joe Harris (92) LOLB: Jamie Adams (93) MLB: Corey Rawlins (83) ROLB: Brian Russell (80) CB: Greg Timmons (93) Will Stephens(92) FS: James Irby (92) SS: Kenard Godfrey (90) Key Injuries Player Injury Missed Time 2020 Recruiting Class 22 Available Scholarships Name Position Rank Caliber Overall Anthony Harris ATH (WR/RB) JUCO (S) #34 ATH, #270 Overall 80 (+2) Steven Price ATH (WR/CB) #4 ATH, #9 Overall 78 (+1) Vincent Duncan ATH (WR/CB/QB) #13 ATH, #42 Overall 78 (+3) Antonio Harris CB #3 CB, #62 Overall 78 (+1) Bill Sisk MLB #3 MLB, #107 Overall 76 (+1) Brian Hairston QB #4 QB, #78 Overall 75 (-1) Ryan Greer MLB/OLB #15 MLB; #475 Overall 68 (-2) Season Leaders Passing: Matt Harris- 189/267 for 2741 yards 27 TD's and 15 Int Rushing: Matt Harris- 146 Carries for 1286 yards and 17 TD's Receiving: John Brown- 48 catches 731 yards and 7 TD's Sacks: Greg Ross- 17 Tackles: Jamie Adams- 53 Interceptions: Greg Timmons & Will Stephens- 3
Utah Looks to Improve Start Season at #2 Salt Lake City, UT- Utah had an excellent season last year, they won 12 games and topped Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. Their success from last season, and the fact they return almost their entire roster means they get the benefit of starting very high in the polls. This season the Ute's look to be one of the best teams in the country...on paper. Utah has the potential to challenge for the Pac 12 and National title. But as Bear Bryant once said, "Potential just means you ain't done shit yet." The offense for Utah appears to be loaded. They have 2 quarterbacks who would start for any team in the country, and would make that offense very difficult to prepare for. They go a legit 6 deep at running back, have excellent speed on the outside from the WR spot, an offensive line that has played together for a full season already and 3 TE's who can get open, catch the ball and block. It will be tough for any defense to key on one segment of the offense and be successful shutting the Utes down. Offensively the leaders will be Eric Rivera, Lui Silva, and Matt Harris. Harris will return to lead the offense for his fourth and final season in Salt Lake. He has improved by leaps and bounds each seson and this offseason was no different. He'll be the fastest QB in college football, and shooting for a 3000/1000 season. He will be the best QB Utah has had under center since Alex Smith. And so will his backup. Courtney Wyatt has never played significant time for the Utes. He redshirted the first season Harris took the reins and hasn't been able to wrest control of the offense away since. But if Harris were to go down with an injury Wyatt would be able to take the reins and the offense wouldn't miss a beat. Wyatt toyed with the idea of going pro after last season, but decided against it. Lui Silva will be lined up at HB for the final time in college this season. The redshirt senior has rewritten the Utah record book, and could go down as an all timer in SLC. He's a rare player for college football; big, fast, agile, and allergic to injuries. Silva has put on weight every season in Utah and it has always been good weight. He's gotten bigger and faster, and he breaks tackles with much more regularity. Behind him will be redshirt sophomore Brandon Jackson. Jackson came in as a athlete, and he has made the coaches look brilliant for moving him from MLB to RB. He's up to 5'11'' 236 pounds and he has become a man child with the ball in his hands. He's added a little speed, and that coupled with his size makes him very difficult to bring down. He's one of the most punishing runners in college football and has added a devastating stiff arm to go along with his power running. Eugene Kilpatrick will be the #3 back and he'll be the lightning. He only carried 33 times last season but topped 500 yards and scored 9 TD's. The oppositions defense will have to account for two big powerful backs and a sprite who can really run and excels at making players miss. If any of them go down Steve Ross (94 overall) Damien Barry (93 overall) or Ryan Morgan (90 overall) will step in and keep the offense from slowing down. A couple years ago Utah's offensive philosophy shifted from having receivers who were big targets with sure hands to faster players who could make the defense pay for overplaying the power run and option game. This will be the first season we see those results firsthand. The two outside guys, Eric Rivera and Brad Carey are of the old thinking. Rivera goes 6'2" 212 and Carey is 6'5" 210 and neither will drop a pass he gets his mitts on. Inside though is a completely different story as John Brown (99 speed) is back in the slot, and he will be joined by another speedster in Brandon Rush (98 speed). Utah doesn't go 5 wide often but when they do redshirt freshman Bo Robinson (97 speed) will step into the third inside WR role. Last season opposing defenses brought safeties into the box to stop the run game. It didn't help much, but it did slow down the offense every now and then. If defenses try that this season one of the speedsters will be streaking past them as Harris finishes his play fake. The TE spot has been under control the last few seasons thanks to Nick Coe's abilities as a blocker and receiver. Utah brought in two new TE's this season to try and replace him, and they fit the mold of big athletic TE's who block and run. Johnathan Patterson is a fireplug at 6'1 251 and the redshirt sophomore out of California has developed into a solid pass catcher and blocker with excellent speed for the position. Gabe Thompson will join him in two TE sets this season because he is a better blocker than fellow true freshman Eric Terrell. Both are 6'6" and 250 pound plus, but Thompson has very good speed for an incoming freshman and has solid hands. If Thompson or Patterson break free from a LB or safety they have the speed to take the pass all the way. New fullback Rod Edwards may slide into an H Back role a little this season. He gives Utah a third player who can line up at bigger than 250 with speed, pass catching and blocking ability. Last season Utah started 4 freshmen and redshirt fresmen on the offensive line. That move will start to pay dividends this season as 4 of 5 starters return and the lone new starter was a swing lineman who played every spot last season. Greg Edwards is back to hold down the LT spot and the massive sophomore keeps growing. He's up to 6'7" 359 pounds and has developed into a solid well-balanced tackle who can maul defenders in the run game or slow down elite pass rushers. George Horne is the lone new starter and he'll slot in at right tackle. Horne is a pass blocker, but has the skills to be good enough in the run game to make solid blocks on the first and second level. Lionel Payne and Brian Greene both started as true freshmen last season and will be back to hold down the guard spots this season. Payne and Greene are similar to Horne; they're both pass blockers first with enough strength to move defenders off the ball in the run game. Redshirt sophomore Luke Ray is the returning starter at center. While he's a little big for the position at 319 pounds he brings good athleticism and solid blocking all the way around. The scary thing for teams around the country is that all 5 starters are an 84 or better, and all 5 are slated to spend 2 more seasons in SLC. This unit will be able to mature together and begin to move as one person. Last season Utah had one of the most dominant defense in the country the last half season. Following the loss to USC the Utes never gave up more than 31, and averaged only giving up 10 a game. They forced lots of turnovers, played with speed and ferocity and looked like the best unit in the country. The good news for Ute fans is that most of those players return this season. The defensive line was the key last season, and they look to be a strength of the defense again this season. Greg Ross broke the single season school record for sacks last season with 15, and he looks to build on his resume with another solid year. He's too small to play defensive end in the NFL so this could be his final season of football. He is excellent at disengaging from the blocker and tracking down the QB. Last season teams tried to double team him, that didn't work because it opened up holes in the protection for Joe Harris to break down. Harris is the defensive end with loads of next level potential. He's much bigger than Ross at 6'6" 254 pounds, but brings the same level of pass rushing ability with a better set of power moves when he's on the attack. The may be the best pair of defensive ends in college football this season, and each should keep the other from being double teamed in pass rush situations. Drew Williams has over developed himself. He's a small, lightweight former prospect who has turned into a solid if unspectacular 267 pounds. And a set of moves that allow him to clog holes in the run game and collapse the pocket from the middle on pass rush plays. He's too tall for the position at 6'6 but he plays lower than that and gives the Utes a 3rd starter on the DL with an overall in the 90's. Charles Ginn will be the second defensive tackle and he's liliputian compared to most defensive tackles today at 247 pounds. Brennan Robinson will be the first man off the bench when he's needed, and if Utah has to go four deep massive Marcus Crowder will slide into the rotation. Crowder comes in at 6'4" 363 pounds and should have no problem stuffing holes. Linebacker will be the weak link on the defense this season but Jamie Adams will be back to anchor the unit from the LOLB spot. Adams is very good in coverage and has solid speed, but he is considered a run stopper. He excels at bringing the ball carrier down, and usually with excellent force. Brian Russell will be the ROLB and he isn't nearly the player Adams is. He has great speed, and block shedding ability, but that is about all he does at better than replacement level. In the middle senior Tremaine Thomas and sophomore Corey Rawlins are still fighting for the starting nod. Rawlins may win out despite his lack of speed because he is very good in coverage and would park a 6'6" MLB square in the middle of the field. The last few seasons have seen Utah with two excellent over size corners on the outside. Greg Timmons and Will Stephens are both 6'3" and they have turned into lockdown corners on the outside. They are excellent in man and zone coverage and are mirror images of each others skills (Timmons 99 zone, and 92 man; Stephens is the exact opposite.) Backing them up in nickel situations is a 3rd big corner 6'2" Mark Heinz to cover slot guys. The small corner is Dee Carter and he comes in at 5'11" and will see the field in dime packages. The safeties are somewhat interchangeable, but James Irby is back for his final season in SLC and he has become the prototypical free safety. He's very fast, covers well and is larger than average for the position at 6'1" 213 pounds. Kenard Godfrey makes his return to the strong safety spot, but he will probably make his money as a free safety in the NFL. He's is one of the fastest players on the team, and covers better than several corners. He will play one final season as a strong safety and then make the move to free safety next season. Utah will be very talented all the way across the board, and there is at least one 90 overall player at every level of the offense and defense except for the offensive line. They are one of the two or three most talented teams in the country...on paper, and could realistically shoot for a conference and national title. There will be several teams standing in their way. A week 2 matchup with LSU in Houston looms as a big test, and a game with division rival USC could topple all their goals. Not to mention Vanderbilt's new coach QClassic 22. This could be a very exciting season for the Utah faithful if the team can put their talent to use week in and week out. Whether they can or not remains to be seen. This writer predicts a 10 win season and BCS berth as the bare minimum to not call this season a waste.
War Eagle? Utah Rolls Tigers 68-0 Auburn, AL- The first game of the season went about as well as it could have for the Utah Utes. They started their tour through SEC country (Utah's first 3 games are at Auburn, at Vanderbilt, and against LSU in Houston) with a 68-0 shellacking of the Auburn Tigers, and very nearly scored more points than Auburn had yards. The season started off with a bang as senior kick returner John Brown returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a TD, after fumbling the catch. Utah's offense got off to a slow start however, only managing to put a FG between the uprights. The second quarter saw John Brown score for the second time, on a 10 yard pass from Matt Harris. And Harris scramble in for his first TD of the season. Another FG by Penn sent Utah to the break up 27-0. The 3rd quarter was more of the same. Auburn struggled to move the ball, their QB finished 20/40 for 112 yards, and all 3 ball carriers tallied negative yards rushing. In fact, their average yards per play (2.8/pass, and -3.4/run) gave them a (-.3) yard average per offensive snap. Auburn only managed 78 yards of offense on the day. Utah only sccred 3 sacks, so despite Auburn being behind and throwing the ball all over the field, the defensive backs made good plays all game long. Utah put up 3 TD's in the third quarter; 2 TD runs by Lui Silva, a 10 yarder and a 6 yarder, and Harris found TE Johnathan Patterson for a 4 yard TD. In the 4th Utah scored 2 more TDs. A 20 yard run by Brandon Jackson and a 4 yard pass to redshirt freshman Bo Robinson. Eric Penn tacked on 2 more field goals for the final score. Offensive Player of the Game Matt Harris: 18/27 for 265 yards 2 TD's and 1 Interception; added 14 carries for 85 yards and 1 TD on the ground Defensive Player of the Game Greg Ross: 5 tackles, 1 sack, 3 tackles for loss
Utah Sails Past Commodores Utes Top Vandy 38-24 Nashville, TN- Utah took down the second team in their SEC 2020 tour by knocking off the Vanderbilt Commodores and handed new coach Willie Lump Lump his first loss in black and gold. Utah won this week 38-24, in a game that was closer than that, and will take on #1 LSU next week. The two teams on played a clean game on Saturday; no turnovers, and no penalties. Just a hard fought football game. Vandy racked up the passing yards as Sean Rodgers found his TE Thornburg several times for big gains and he led Vandy in both catches and yards tallying 7 for 141 and 1 TD. Both quarterbacks played well; Rodgers finished 14/19 for 260 yards and the 1 TD, while Harris went 14/16 for 181 yards and 2 scores. The biggest difference was that Utah was able to run the ball well, while Vandy struggled most of the game. Utah's TE was their leading receiver as well, but Johnathan Patterson only caught 4 passes for 56 yards and an 8 yard score. Vandy's running back Wali Washington had some very nice runs, but they were short powerful attacks, and he only ended up with 13 carries for 36 yards and a score. His Utah counterpart, Lui Silva carried two more times but ended up with 123 yards, including a 47 yard dash in the fourth that all but sealed the game. Matt Harris helped Utah to total 261 yards rushing by adding his 9 carries for 128 yards and a score to the mix. Harris broke two long runs that added up to all but 3 yards of his total however. A 70 yard run that ended in a shoestring tackle on the 5 yard line, and a 55 yard score on an option run. Great game qclassic 22. That TE is a hell of a player, I hope one of my guys turns into a player as good as he is.
Utah Knocks Off #1 LSU 2 Late Picks Seal Win Salt Lake City, UT- For the first time in school history a non-conference #1 ranked opponent visited Rice-Eccles field, and the Utes pulled off a stunning upset by taking down their third SEC team in a row, the LSU Tigers 31-17 in a game much closer than the final score indicated. Utah struggled to move the ball all game long. LSU shut down the vaunted run game of the Utes and held the Utah rushing attack to 104 yards, and only 272 yards total offense. For the second week in a row Utah struggled to run the ball, and outside of a few big plays from Matt Harris didn't have a lot going for them on the ground. Lui Silva only had 37 yards on 14 carries, and Brandon Jackson only managed 3 yards on his 4 touches. Harris was pinpoint in the passing game going 13/15 for 168 yards and 3 scores. TE Johnathan Patterson was the leading receiver hauling in 3 passes for 71 yards and a score including several tough 3rd down conversions. LSU was on track all day offensively, Robinson and Browning both topped the 100 yard mark with just 14 carries, and Robinson had a solid day passing at 12/19 for 128 yards 1 TD and 2 picks. In the end it was the 2 picks that did the Tigers in. Utah and LSU battled back and forth all game long. Utah took the first lead of the game on their first drive when Harris found Eric Rivera for a 6 yard score. LSU took their time moving down the field, and after being stopped on 3rd down, the final play of the first quarter, kicked a field goal for their first points of the day. LSU's defense forced a 3 and out from the Utes and again moved the ball at will. This time the Tigers found a way to punch in a TD with a pass from James Robinson to Adam Holley from 3 yards out and a 10-7 lead. Utah moved down the field slowly and tried to milk as much time from the clock as possible once they hit scoring range, but had to kick a field goal with :39 left on the clock, which was plenty of time for LSU to get within field goal range, but not enough time for them to be able to call a timeout and kick a tie breaking field goal. And Utah and LSU went into the half tied at 10. Utah came out firing and held LSU to a punt on the Tigers first drive. The Utes faced a long field, but moved their way down on the back of a long conversion when Harris found Johnathan Patterson for a 25 yard gain on 2nd and 20. Patterson came up big again later in the drive when Harris found him at the edge of the endzone for a 7 yard score that put Utah up 17-10. LSU didn't mess around on their next drive when Robinson dropped back to pass, found no one, and took off for a 50 yard scramble that moved LSU into scoring range. LSU used some good play calling to move to 3rd and goal from inside the 5 when Robinson punched in a sneak from 2 yards out to knot the game back up. Utah had been pounding away at LSU's defense all game long without much to show for it. The Tigers front seven had been eating up anything on the ground all day. Matt Harris finally broke free on a long run on Utah's first drive of the fourth quarter when he broke loose for a 40 yard run off an option keeper. It put Utah squarely in field goal range and gave Coach Bulgy the guts to give up on the run game for the day. Utah passed the remaing few plays of the drive until Harris found senior WR John Brown in the corner of the endzone for a 24-17 lead. LSU took the ensuing kickoff and were moving down the field well. A few passes, some good runs, but Utah forced the Tigers into a 3rd and long around the 30 yard line. Robinson dropped back to pass and threw the ball directly to linebacker Jamie Adams who returned the wayward throw 79 yards for a score and a 31-17 lead. LSU had one more last gasp posession, but it ended with an interception in the endzone by Kenard Godfrey and the Utes were able to run down the remaining 2 minutes of the game. Great game BPHusker, really enjoyed that one. I knew I needed to come up with at least one turnover in the fourth to be able to pull that one out. It was a great back and forth ball game.
#1 vs #2 in Pac 12 Game of the Year Salt Lake City, UT- For the past few seasons Utah and USC have been the class of the Pac 12 Conference. The winner has gone on to the conference title in each of the past 4 seasons (3 of which have been won by USC.) And they have had the best talent in the coference since Coach Bulgy and Coach Sun entered the conference. This season they meet as not just the top two teams in the division, or conference, but the top two teams in the country. The loser will face an uphill battle to make the conference title game, and making and winning a BCS bowl is a small consolation. Just ask last seasons' Utah team. The Pac 12 has traditionally been an offensively dominant league. Tailback U, The Blur Offense, Drew Bledsoe, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Bill Walsh, John Elway, OJ Simpson, Keyshawn Johnson. On top of that it has always been a USC dominated league. Sure Washington, or UCLA will rise up on occasion, but this is and always has been USC's league. Utah is trying to change that. Because the Pac 12 is so offensive we chose to look at the defenses first. Utah picked up right where they left off last season. Opening up with a 68-0 shutout of Auburn, followed by wins over two more talented SEC teams, Vanderbilt and LSU. Vandy and LSU were both successful moving the ball against Utah, but the Utes were able to keep them out of the endzone more often than not. It all starts up front for the Utes. Greg Ross and Joe Harris are the most talented tandem of defensive ends in the country, and paired up between them are two very good senior defensive tackles in Drew Williams and Charles Ginn. All four players can get after the passer and do a good job of clogging holes in the run game. The front four are joined by a back four that is again talented enough to be mentioned among the top units nationwide. Will Stephens and Greg Timmons are very good corners, and they are joined by 2 fast and athletic safeties in James Irby and Kenard Godfrey. The four of them soack up most of the field in passing situations, and don't make a habit of dropping balls they get their hands on. The weak link is undoubtedly the linebacking corps. Jamie Adams and Brian Russell play at the two outside slots, and Adams has matured into a very useful player. He has good speed, tackles well, and covers as well as some safeties. He will make a fortune next season when the NFL draft comes around. Antonio Burke has moved a yard and a half back from his normal defensive end spot, to middle linebacker, and the conversion has been solid so far. Since this unit will be up against the USC offense and not defense we're going to move to the other team and side of the ball. Sean Oliver is one of the best passing quarterbacks in the country. He has a good arm, but his pinpoint accuracy is what sets him apart and makes him a target for NFL teams looking for a quarterback. He reminds a lot of scouts of Drew Brees because of his size, and he's paired with the best wide receiver corps in the country. Roshaun James, Shannon Watkins, Paul Callahan, and Stephen Brewster are all big, strong wide receivers who are sure handed. And Brewster adds exceptional speed to the mix. Pairing a good quarterback who is on target with all his passes and wide outs who catch everything allows the Trojans to force balls into tighter coverage than most squads. Adding in a tight end with offensive tackle size makes the Trojans passing attack the most feared in the country. David Gray is the heir to Tailback U, and while he doesn't live up to the Charles White, OJ Simpson, Reggie Bush lineage he is solid in his own right. He doesn't have blinding speed, but he's shifty and breaks tackles very well. Robert Rust is a small power back at 5'9" 207 pounds, but he is very slippery even if he doesn't have the speed to outrun the defense for a long run. The offensive line battling with the Utes defensive line will be fun to watch. The Trojans have several players who make old fans remember the good old days of Anthony Munoz. They were young and dominant last season and they have only matured this season. They form a good pocket and can blow defenders off the ball. This battle will be fun to watch. The Trojans have one of the top offenses in the country, and Utah has one of the top defenses. Those games are always fun to see. USC has spent most of their time recruiting on the offensive side of the ball the past few seasons, and while the defense is talented it's not on the same level as the offense. Chris Bowling and Patrick Morrow hold down the defensive end spots. Morrow will be a great player, but he's a true freshman this season. Bowling is a senior and he is a very good player. He gets after the quarterback well, and holds the line in run defense. Ricky Adams is the nose tackle and holds up well in the run game. The linebackers are a senior laden group with 3 seniors among the four starters. Justin Dawson might be the fastest linebacker in the country, and sticks to tight ends like glue. Jeff Williams holds down the opposite linebacker role and while he lacks the athletic gifts of Dawson he does a very good job holding the edge in the run game and getting after the passer in the pass game. 250 pound Anthony Williams joins them in the middle and Williams is exceptionally fast for his position as well. Williams and Dawson are both sideline to sideline players who can also stuff inside run plays. The back four are the weakness of the USC defense. Daniel Burrell is an excellent player at the corner position, but the rest of the defensive backs aren't much to write home about. There isn't a ton of speed in the back end and the lack of it hamstrings the defense to a certain degree. All four players excel in coverage and do a great job sticking to receivers, but a fast receiving corps may be able to get behind them. USC's defense has been the hallmark of the program since Pete Carroll stalked the sidelines. This iteration leaves a little to be desired in the form of talent, but Coach Sun has coached up worse groups before and there is no doubt this group will be ready to go on Saturday night. Utah's offense has struggled the past few weeks. Vanderbilt and LSU did an excellent job shutting down the run game and forcing Utah to pass. Utah has made some changes to the lineup in an attempt to spark the run game, and it will be interesting to see if Coach Bulgy made the right call. While Sean Oliver is one of the best passing quarterbacks in the country, he is matched with, maybe, the best scrambler in the country in Matt Harris. Harris is faster than most wide outs, and throws as good as anyone in the country. If he's given time he can pick the defense apart, and if not he's got the wheels to get out of trouble. Eugene Kilpatrick is stepping into the starting lineup this week following several weeks of ineffectiveness from Lui Silva. Kilpatrick will bring his speed to the field in an attempt to ring up the long runs that have been missing the past few weeks. Silva will slide into the #2 role with Brandon Jackson taking the fall to #3. All 3 running backs would be starters at almost any program in the country, but it will be interesting to see if the speed from Kilpatrick can be a gamechanger. On the outside Utah has added speed the past few seasons, and the two big posession receivers are joined by 2 fast slot men. When only two receivers are in the formation John Brown slides into the #2 role and joins Eric Rivera. When 3 receivers come in Bradley Carey enters the formation and Brandon Rush pairs with Brown on the inside when the Utes go four wide. At tight end youth and athleticism are the words of the day. Johnathan Patterson is a redshirt sophomore who was converted from a running back. His blocking skills are still a work in progress, but he has retained his shiftiness and speed. Gabe Thompson is the second TE in two tight sets. The true freshman lacks the speed Patterson has, but he is very large at 6'6" 252 pounds. He's already a better blocker and is working on his hands. The offensive line has the potential to turn into a dominant unit over the next few seasons. All 5 starters are sophomores, redshirt or otherwise. They are better at pass protection than run blocking, but they are solid in all areas. This game is too tough to call because the two offenses are very good and the defenses have the potential to shut them down. Utah and USC have battled it out the past few seasons for conference supremacy and the depth all the way up and down the roster coupled with two very good coaches make it look like that won't be changing anytime soon.
Utah Takes Down USC Salt Lake City, UT- Utah knocked off visiting USC Saturday to take a lead in the division race and put themselves in the driver's seat for the Pac 12 title. The Utes were able to pull off the win thanks to a balanced offensive attack that netted them 253 yards passing and 291 yards rushing to rack up 544 yards against the USC defense. John Brown and Johnathan Patterson were the stars of the day. Brown hauled in 6 passes for 95 yards and scored on a 35 yard run for good measure. Patterson grabbed 5 passes for 74 yards from the TE spot. Matt Harris had a solid day throwing for 253 yards and 2 scores, but he tossed 2 interceptions as well. Harris also took the run game on his back carrying 17 times for 137 yards and a score. Defensively Greg Ross, Antonio Burke and Will Stephens paced the defense. Ross had 5 tackles and 2 sacks, Burke had 6 tackles and a sack, and Stephens had 3 tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception. The defense held the USC attack to 262 yards of total offense and the passing game had its lowest output of the season with 174 yards through the air. USC was held to 1/13 on 3rd down conversions, and just one TD all game long. Utah is on a bye week this week, but will take on Washington State in Week 7.
Utah Gains First Commit Tallahassee, FL- Steven Price became the first commitment for the Utah Utes this season when he decided to pull the trigger and end his recruitment. The athlete and #9 player in the country is a man without a position right now. He plays wide receiver and corner for his high school team, and will undoubtedly play one of those roles for Utah as well. Utah has done well in recent years with taller corners, and Price could become the next in line. He stands 6'3" and has great speed for his size (94.) His ball skills could serve him well in coverage (76 catching, 74 spectacular catch, 77 in traffic, 88 man, 85 zone.) "Coach told me that they want bigger guys on the outside, and he really likes that I know how to go up and get the ball. His words were that he likes wide receivers to line up at corner. And that's me for sure." Utah told the recruit he will most likely redshirt next season before taking the reins the following year.
Utah Knocks Off Cougars Wazoo Goes Down 66-10 Pullman, WA- Utah continued their unbeaten streak taking down the Washington State Cougars 66-10 on their home field. The defense held WSU to 216 yards of offense, 190 of which came in the first quarter, while the offense rolled to 533 yards. Utah's offense has been well balanced this season, and Saturday was no different. The passing game totalled 280 yards and 3 scores, while the run game rang up 253 yards and 4 scores. Matt Harris continued his assault on the Utah record books by gaining 92 yards on the ground and 278 through the air. Harris has been upset the last few weeks that he has fallen off the Downtown Athletic Club's radar for the Heisman Trophy, so be on the lookout for a dominating performance soon. John Brown had another good game and the speedster caught 5 passes for 73 yards and a score. Eric Rivera also played well grabbing 4 balls for 64 yards, but he was unable to find the endzone. Lui Silva had a bounceback game and may have secured a starting spot again. He carried just 5 times for 78 yards and scored once on the ground and made the defense pay on his one reception a 15 yard score. Eugene Kilpatrick couldn't shake loose from a WSU defense that played above their heads and slowed him down all day, but he did showcase his speed on a punt return TD from 66 yards out. Utah is now 5-0 and faces the Washington Huskies at home next week.
Second Recruit Chooses Utah Vincent Duncan Commits Salt Lake City, UT- Vincent Duncan from Crown Point, IN has decided to attend Utah for his collegiate career. Duncan is the #13 athlete and #42 overall player. Utah, Florida and Arizona State offered him scholarships, and each school had him pegged at a different position. Utah will play the 5'11" 207 pounder at quarterback, while ASU wanted him as a wide receiver, and Florida saw a defensive back. Duncan has solid speed (92 speed, 89 acceleration) and running skills (79 elusiveness, 77 juke) and combines those skills with a good knowledge of the passing game and a good arm (85 throwing power, 83 accuracy.) Duncan figures to redshirt for the Utes, and depending on a few other targets could end up at QB, WR, or CB. "He's a little shorter than we would like for our QB to be. But we have to bring in 2 QB's this season, and until our other targets make their decision we have him pegged for the QB slot." The other targets are most likely Brian Harrison, and Utah is fighting the Auburn Tigers for the #4 QB out of Alabama. And the #9 athlete Michael Carter from Ohio. Neither is as fast as Duncan, but both have much better size.
#1 Utah Squeaks Past #10 Washington Utes Win 20-14 Seattle, WA- Washington turned out to be the Utes biggest test of the season so far. The game could have easily been a blowout, but Utah turned the ball over in the redzone 3 times, including 2 interceptions by Matt Harris, and a strip sack TD that allowed Washington to stay in the game. The Utah offense struggled against Washington's 425, Harris couldn't pass the ball well, and the safeties did an excellent job coming off blocks and chasing down run plays to the opposite side. Lui Silva made his return to the starting lineup, and despite missing the entire third quarter with an injury ran 19 times for 114 yards and a score. Harris ran 17 times for 99 yards including a 74 yard score to start the third quarter. The defense got after Washington QB Pedro Gonzalez and sacked him 9 times. 4 each for Greg Ross and Charles Ginn and 1 by Mark Heinz. The defense played a solid game and while Washington had some big plays they weren't able to string enough together to put up a big day offensively. U Dub tallied 292 yards of offense 265 of which came through the air and only scored once when Jordan Salyer scored from 44 yards out in the third to narrow the gap to 20-14. Despite the struggles with turnovers Utah still managed 436 yards of offense; 165 passing and 271 rushing. Utah will play UCLA in Pasadena next week.
UCLA Can't Hold Off Utes Utah Finishes 28 Point Comeback Pasadena, CA- Utah got off to their worst start of the season and before the first quarter was finished they were trailing the upstart UCLA Bruins 28-0, and couldn't hang on to the ball. At one point the Utah offense ran 4 straight plays that resulted in turnovers. The uphill battle never fazed them and they were able to come back and pull of a win 48-41. Utah's first posession started off well. The offense hit 3 passes for big gains and Lui Silva ripped off a couple big runs to get them into position to put a TD on the board first. Unfortunately Silva coughed up the rock at the 2 yard line going into the endzone and UCLA took over. The Bruins moved 90 yards in 5 plays to put the first score on the board and take a 7-0 lead. QB Joey Jackson scored two more times in the first following Utah turnovers and UCLA ended the quarter with a 28-0 lead when Billy Ball returned a wayward pass 74 yards for a TD. That was Matt Harris' 3rd pick of the quarter and Utah's fourth turnover of the first 15 minutes. The Utes finally got on the board when Matt Harris scored from 7 yards out to narrow the gap to 21, the defense forced a quick 3 and out from UCLA on the ensuing posession and Brnadon Jackson was able to punch one in from a yard out to narrow the gap to 14. Utah forced another stop and was in position to make it a one score game with just under 5 minutes to go when Matt Harris threw his 4th pick of the game, and second off a tipped ball. This turnover led to another UCLA TD run by Joey Jackson and another 3 score deficit. UCLA missed the extra point but still gave themselves a 20 point lead with 3:02 left in the first. Utah was forced to punt on their next posession and miraculously stopped UCLA as well and the Utes were able to score with :30 left in the half to narrow the gap to 13. The only scoring in the third was a 21 yard FG by Eric Penn and Utah was able to narrow the gap to a 13 point deficit, until Matt Harris fumbled the ball on a scramble which led to another score by the surging Bruins and UCLA had a 41-24 lead entering the fourth quarter. Utah's offense came alive in the 4th. After scoring on their first drive and forcing a punt on the first drive of the final quarter; Eugene Kilpatrick was able to turn the corner on a punt return and never met resistance to narrow the gap to 41-38. The next five minutes were scoreless for both teams, but Utah was able to take the lead when Brandon Jackson slipped through a hole and scored from 15 yards out and Utah took their first lead of the game at 45-41 with 1:50 left in the fourth. For some reason UCLA took their time moving down the field and Utah was able to force a 4th and 15 following a huge sack by Greg Ross. UCLA tried to force a pass to the sideline, but Will Stephens made a diving swat and got the ball back for the Utah offense with :38 seconds to play. "I just told the guys that they were letting everything they played for slip down the drain. They were able to rally, and it was good to see the fight they have. I told them the deficit was like a big meal, we weren't going to get the whole meal in one bite. But bit by bit we could eat the whole thing and have some dessert too. They had me nervous until the end. Games like this are why coaches all have gray hair."
Utah Takes Down Sun Devils Utes Win 62-10 Tempe, AZ- Utah obliterated the Sun Devils on their home field Saturday. This is the team Utah fans thought they were getting at the beginning of the season, and lucily it seems the real Utes may have shown up just in time. The defense was very good all day, holding ASU to 0 yards rushing and 256 yards passing. The Utah offense racked up 269 yards in the air and 313 on the ground. No one player had an outstanding day rushing or receiving, just a total team effort. Lui Silva carried 11 times for 40 yards, Brandon Jackson carried 5 times for 37, Eugene Kilpatrick carried 5 times for 73 yards and a TD. Matt Harris was the leading rusher with 120 yards on just 7 carries. John Brown and Jonathan Patterson led the receivers with 4 catches for 81 yards and 6 catches for 79 yards repectively. Greg Timmons made a fantastic interception on a pass across the middle, grabbing the pass with one hand. The defense had one hiccup on the day. With 4:41 left and facing a 3rd and long the Sun Devils chunked a pass deep into the endzone, Will Stephens never saw it and never made a play on the ball. ASU's WR made the grab and averted a shutout for the Sun Devils. Utah will take on Cal next week back in Salt Lake, with numerous potential commits in attendance.
Utah Routs Golden Bears Utah 10-0 After Shutout Salt Lake City, UT- Utah showed how good they are this season by routing the California Golden Bears 69-0. Cal only managed 153 yards of total offense and never got past midfield on the day. Matt Harris jumped to the lead in the Heisman race following a 317 yard 5 TD performance passing and topping 100 yards rushing on just 11 carries and scoring twice more. TE Jonathan Patterson had the best performance of the season hauling in 8 passes for 116 yards and 3 scores. Eric Rivera had a good game as well with 4 catches for 81 yards and 2 scores. The Utah defense was dominating all day. They held Cal to 35 yards rushing and only 118 yards passing, and James Irby returned an interception 74 yards for a score. Several prospects were in attendance for the contest, and two of them comitted following the win. MLB Bill Sisk, and CB Antonio Harris will be joining the Utes next season and hope to continue the stellar play Utah has showed all season.
Arizona Falls To Utah Four Corners Trophy Stays In SLC Salt Lake City, UT- Utah continued storming through the Pac 12 with a suffocating defense and big play offense against Arizona on Saturday. Utah turned the ball over 5 times, and Arizona still couldn't score more than 14 or top 300 yards of total offense. John Brown was the star of the offense. Brown hauled in 9 passes for 153 yards and 2 scores. Matt Harris threw for 320 yards and 3 TD's and ran for 198 yards and 2 more scores, but he threw 4 interceptions and also fumbled the ball away once. Despite the defense being handed short fields numerous times they were stout all day. Arizona's hurry-up offense was able to rack up 294 yards of offense; 220 passing and 74 rushing. But they only found the endzone twice, and gave up a safety in the fourth quarter as well. The Utah defense held the Cats to 1/13 on 3rd down and 1/3 on fourth.
Utah Shuts Out OSU Beavers Slapped Around at Home Corvallis, OR- Utah showed Oregon State what a title contender looks like Saturday rolling into Oregon and not giving up a single point while shelling the Beavers defense on the way to 1 63-0 win. Utah outgained the Beavers 677 to 142 and held OSU to (-11) yards rushing while the Utes racked up 348 yards and averaged almost 10 yards per carry. OSU averaged 2.5 yards per play, while Utah averaged over 10. OSU was held to a 2/13 conversion rate on 3rd down and Utah went 5/7. It was a shellacking. Matt Harris continues to put a stranglehold on the Heisman. He threw for 318 yards and 3 TD's and ran for 150 and 4 TD's, including a 79 yard score in the 4th that wrapped the game up and erased any hope OSU may have had. Steve Ross made his one carry count, breaking for a 78 yard score on Utah's first second half posession. Brandon Rush continued the trend of a different WR stepping up each week by catching 5 passes for 111 yards, unfortunately the TD's went to Bradley Carey who caught 5 passes for 90 yards and 2 scores and John Brown who caught one as well. Greg Timmons had 2 interceptions, one he returned for a 73 yard score. Timmons ended OSU's best scoring hope of the day after Harris threw his only interception of the day. Harris found TE Eric Terrell at the 1 yard line all alone on an out route, but the pass slipped through his hands and was grabbed inches from the turf by an OSU LB. He returned the ball to the Utah 34 before being wrapped up and brought down. Utah missed picking up a fumbled ball on first down, sacked OSU on second, and Timmons intercepted the 3rd down pass and took it to the house. From that point forward Utah's defense was lights out. Utah will wrap up the regular season against Colorado in Boulder next week, take a week off and then face the Oregon Ducks in the Pac 12 title game in SLC.
