Maybe Saturday alone will not define Utah’s season, but if it doesn’t rally and figure some things out ahead of the Trojans visiting, that’s what you’re going to remember about 2022.
. A needless roughing the passer penalty at the most inopportune time gave momentum back to UCLA, which never gave it back. Cam Rising was very good, save for a poorly-thrown interception. There were a couple of drops that would have gone for big gains, the kick return coverage was subpar all day.The CFP is now eliminated from the discussion. A potential Pac-12 title defense on Dec. 2 in Las Vegas, while still very much in play, enters this week seeming just a little wobbly with No.
Utah’s raw numbers in terms of total defense entering the day are actually fantastic, ranking No. 1 in the Pac-12 and 13th nationally at just under 279 yards per game. That number has a lot to do with, and Kyle Whittingham alluded to this a few weeks ago, SUU and San Diego State not looking to throw the ball much, so the passing defense number, which was at one point 90 yards per game, probably was not indicative of, well, anything at that point.
As Thompson-Robinson released the ball, Karene Reid was closing in, but he didn’t stop. The result was Reid making enough contact where a roughing the passer penalty was warranted. Egregious? No. Needless? Yes. A game-altering moment at a time where Utah’s defense was all but off the field? You bet. Yassmin dropped the pass at the 10 as he appeared to begin slightly turning up the field before he’d possessed the ball. Had he caught the ball and turned, it might have been a touchdown. At worst, he is tackled at or inside the 5, and Utah is in business.
A year ago, the Pac-12 was split into divisions, with the winner of each playing in the Pac-12 championship game. Utah had to worry about finishing ahead of five other teams. It had already beaten Arizona State. The loss in Corvallis was a speed bump, but beating UCLA the following week at Rice-Eccles meant it had the head-to-head tiebreaker over its two main South threats.
• Tavion Thomas showed up on Saturday, then Utah went away from him. Seven carries for 46 yards in the first quarter, seven more for 35 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter, then just four more carries the rest of the way. UCLA is one of the best teams in the country in terms of pressuring the QB, so Utah went run-heavy early to ease some of that pressure on Rising. The Utes trailed the entire second half, so they started throwing more.
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