2010 Utah Utes football team
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah
during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
. The team was coached by sixth year head coach Kyle Whittingham
and played their homes game in Rice–Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah
. They were members of the Mountain West Conference
. 2010 was the Utes' final year in the Mountain West, as they will begin play in the Pac-12 in 2011.
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, Utah received votes, but not enough to make the top 25 list. The Mountain West Conference media picked Utah to finish second in conference. TCU
was the unanimous choice to finish first in conference and received all 31 votes for first place. BYU
was picked to finish third and Air Force
was picked to finish fourth.
named Utah's 2010 recruiting class the best in the Mountain West Conference
. The complete list is available below:
made several changes to his coaching staff. J.D. Williams, the cornerback
coach in 2008
, left the team, leaving an open position on Whittingham's staff. Whittingham hired Brian Johnson
, the 2009 Sugar Bowl
MVP, as the new quarterback coach. Johnson replaced Dave Schramm
as quarterback
coach. Schramm will now be the tight end
coach and the co-offensive coordinator
. Aaron Roderick
will join Schramm as co-offensive coordinator and will continue his duties as wide receiver
coach. Jay Hill will replace Williams as cornerback coach.
Eddie Wide, Caleb Schlauderaff
and Zane Taylor from the Offensive line, and defensive back
Brandon Burton
.
Watch List: guard
Caleb Schlauderaff and center
Zane Taylor. The Football Writers Association of America
votes on the Outland Trophy, which goes to college football's best interior lineman each year. The 2010 award winner will be announced on December 9, 2010.
Cornerback
Brandon Burton was named to the Jim Thorpe Award
Watch List. The Jim Thorpe Association
awards the Jim Thorpe Award each year to the player it votes as college football's best defensive back
.
Wide receiver
Shaky Smithson was named to the Paul Hornung Award
Watch List. The award, in its first year, will be awarded to the college player that it deems the most versatile.
Placekicker
Joe Phillips was named to the Lou Groza Award
Watch List. The Lou Groza Award goes to the top placekicker in college football. It is named for Lou Groza
who played 21 season in the NFL
and graduated from Ohio State
.
Running back
Eddie Wide was named a candidate for the Doak Walker Award
. The award goes to the nation's top running back.
also agreed to join the Pac-10, which increased the number of schools in the conference to 12. Once Colorado and Utah officially joined the conference, the conference changed its name to the "Pacific-12 Conference" (Pac-12). The Utes football team began playing in the Pac-12 during the 2011 season. Consequently, the 2010 season was the last season Utah played in the Mountain West Conference
.
The formal announcement was made on June 17, 2010 in a ceremony at Rice–Eccles Stadium. The ceremony included Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott
, Utah Athletic Director Chris Hill
, University of Utah President Michael K. Young, and Utah Governor Gary Herbert, among other dignitaries.
Utah defeated Pittsburgh 27–24 in overtime
on September 2. Placekicker
Joe Phillips successfully kicked a 21-yard field goal to secure the victory. The game matched Utah, from the Mountain West Conference
(MWC), against Pittsburgh, from the Big East Conference
in the season's first game for both teams. This was the second meeting between these two teams. The previous time they met was in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl
, a game Utah won 35–7 to complete Utah's 2004 undefeated season
. Utah entered this game with a 17-game home winning streak and a 7–0 record against the teams that are currently in the Big East Conference.
Pittsburgh scored first in the game after Shaky Smithson fumbled a punt
on the 28-yard line to give Pittsburgh possession of the ball. Five plays later, Pittsburgh scored a touchdown
when Dion Lewis
rushed three yards for the score. On its next possession, Utah responded with an 11-play scoring drive. Wide receiver
Jereme Brooks scored a touchdown with a 19-yard reception from Sophomore quarterback
Jordan Wynn. Utah scored another touchdown before halftime to take a 14–7 lead on a 3-yard pass from Wynn to Brooks.
The teams traded field goals
in the third quarter to bring the score to 17–10. A few minutes into the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh scored another field goal to narrow the score to 17–13. The Utes scored a touchdown on their next possession when Wynn completed a pass to DeVonte Christopher for a 61-yard scoring strike and a 24–13 lead with 7:59 remaining in regulation. Just 48 seconds later, the Panthers responded with a touchdown on a 44-yard pass from Tino Sunseri to Jon Baldwin. Pittsburgh then scored a two-point conversion
off another pass from Sunseri to Baldwin, to narrow the score to 24–21. On Utah's ensuing possession, it was unable to use the rest of the remaining time. When Pittsburgh took over, it moved the ball to the 13-yard line. From there, Dan Hutchins kicked a 30-yard field goal with no time left in regulation to tie the game at 24–24.
In overtime, Pittsburgh took possession of the ball first. On the first overtime play from scrimmage, Safety Brian Blechen intercepted a Sunseri pass to end Pittsburgh's overtime possession. During Utah's possession, Utah ran 6 straight run plays to move the ball to the 4-yard line. From there Phillips hit the 21-yard field goal for the victory. Utah won its first season opener against a team ranked in the AP Poll
with the defeat of the No. 15 ranked Panthers.
After the game, the MWC named two Utah players as its "Players of the Week". Sophomore wide receiver DeVonte Christopher was named the offensive player of the week. Christopher had 8 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 19.4 yards per reception. Freshman Brian Blechen was named defensive player of the week. In addition to his interception in overtime, Blechen had five tackles, including two solo tackles.
Utah entered the game with an 18-game home winning streak and a perfect record against UNLV in Salt Lake City. UNLV's two wins in the series were in 2007
and 1979. During this September 11 game, the Utes continued their winning ways with a 38–10 defeat of the Rebels to push their home winning streak to 19 games and their record for the year to 2–0 (1–0 MWC). UNLV dropped to 0–2 (0–1 MWC) and has an 0–8 record against the Utes in Salt Lake City.
Backup quarterback Terrance Cain started the game for the Utes; starting quarterback Jordan Wynn sat the game out with a thumb injury. Cain had started 8 games during the 2009 season
before being replaced by Wynn. Cain completed 13 of his 20 pass attempts during the game. He had two touchdowns, no interceptions, and threw for 207 yards total.
After UNLV tied the game at 3–3, Utah responded with 21 straight points. Eddie Wide scored a touchdown on a 3 yard rush. Wide helped the team again with 37 seconds remaining in the half. On a Utah punt, wide forced a fumble and then was able to recover the ball on UNLV's 20 yard line. On the next play, Jereme Brooks caught a pass from Cain to take a 17-3 halftime lead.
Antoine "Shaky" Smithson had two touchdowns during the game, which was an improvement over his game against Pittsburgh in which he had two fumbles. His first touchdown was a 55-yard reception from Terrance Cain. His second touchdown was a 77-yard punt return. Both scores occurred during the third quarter. After the game, the Mountain West Conference named Smithson as its special teams player of the week. He fielded a total of five punts for 128 yards or 25.6 yards per return.
Entering the game, Utah held a lead of 13–12–1 for games played in Albuquerque, New Mexico
. Utah had won the last three meetings. In this September 18 game, Utah defeated New Mexico 56–14 to improve to 3–0 (2–0 MWC). New Mexico dropped to 0–3 (0–1 MWC).
Utah had three turnovers
compared to New Mexico's one, but still managed to win decisively. Utah's first possession ended with a fumble by running back Eddie Wide. Utah's second possession almost had a similar end when running back Matt Asiata
fumbled on the one yard line, but the ball was recovered by Utah tight end
Brad Clifford. Two plays later, Utah had the first score of the game when Asiata rushed for a one yard touchdown.
One of New Mexico's two scores was on another Utah fumble. The first play from scrimmage after half time was a completed pass from Terrance Cain to receiver Luke Matthews. Matthews was hit by cornerback Anthony Hooks forcing the fumble. Safety A.J. Butler then returned the ball 27 yards for New Mexico's first score of the night, to narrow the game to 21–7. 40 seconds later, Utah responded with a 75 yard touchdown reception from Cain to Jereme Brooks. One minute after that, Utah linebacker Matt Martinez intercepted quarterback Tarean Austin's pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown.
For the second consecutive game, Antoine "Shaky" Smithson returned a punt for a touchdown. With 9:48 remaining in the third quarter, Smithson scored a touchdown off of a 73 yard punt return. After the game, the MWC named Smithson as its Special Teams Player of the Week. Smithson returned a total of four punts for 140 yards or 35.0 yards per return. Cornerback Lamar Chapman was named as the MWC Defensive Player of the Week. Chapman had 8 tackles, including 7 solo tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, and one sack.
On September 25, Utah defeated San Jose State to improve to 4–0 (2–0 MWC) and drop San Jose State to 1–3 (0–0 WAC
). Utah entered the game with a 19 games winning streak at home. This was the second time Utah played San Jose State as its homecoming
opponent. The previous time, San Jose State won 24–6 in 1974.
Jordan Wynn returned as Utah's starting quarterback after missing the two previous games with a thumb injury. He helped Utah have its largest margin of victory since a defeat of UTEP by the same score in 1997
. Utah had no turnovers and one five yard penalty during the game.
Utah scored on its first play from scrimmage when Reggie Dunn ran 43 yards for a touchdown on a reverse
play. On the ensuing kickoff, Brandon Diver returned the ball 71 yards. Several plays later, the Spartans scored their only points of the game when Waid Harrison scored a 20-yard field goal.
During the second quarter, Utah scored 4 touchdowns to take a 28–3 lead at the half. Two of the scores followed San Jose State punting mistakes. On 4th and 6 from their own 32 yard line, Spartan's quarterback Jordan La Secla punted the ball into the back of his own lineman. Reggie Topps returned the ball 10 yards for a touchdown. On San Jose's next possession, punter Jens Alvernik's punt was blocked by Mike Honeycutt. The ball went out-of-bounds at the San Jose State 24 yard line, for no net gain on the punt. Three plays later, Eddie Wide rushed 8 yards for a touchdown.
Utah scored three touchdowns during the second half to reach 56 points. Matt Asiata
, Tauni Vakapauna, and Beau Burton, respectively, scored on rushing touchdowns.
In this October 9 game, Utah defeated Iowa State 68–27 to improve to 5–0 (2–0 MWC) and drop the Cyclones to 3–3 (1–1 Big 12
). Utah had 593 yards of total offense, 168 yards on kick returns, 156 yards on punt returns, and 109 yards on interception returns. Altogether, Utah amassed 1,026 yards. The 68 points Utah scored was the most Iowa State had ever allowed at home. Utah had a bye
the week preceding the Iowa State game. Entering the game, Kyle Whittingham's teams were 5–0 in games following bye weeks. These two teams had met four time before, all in the 1970s. The teams met in 1970, 1972, 1975, and 1976 with Iowa State winning all four games.
At the end of the first quarter, Iowa State led 14–10 after capitalizing on two Utah turnovers. Utah scored 31 points in the second quarter to take the lead for good in the game. Those scores came from a number of different Utes. Shaky Smithson took the ball on a reverse play and then threw a 53-yard touchdown to DeVonte Christopher. Matt Asiata
and Eddie Wide scored on rushes of 1 yard and 2 yards, respectively. Smithson scored when he caught a 61-yard pass from quarterback Jordan Wynn. Cornerback Brandon Burton
intercepted a pass from Austen Arnaud and returned the ball to the Iowa State 8-yard line. With only 1 second remaining before the half, Utah then immediately kicked a field goal; Joe Phillips successfully connected on a 25-yard attempt to give Utah 41–14 halftime lead.
After halftime, another Phillips field goal pushed Utah's lead to 44–14. Iowa State then responded with a 4-play, 65-yard touchdown drive. Collin Franklin caught a 36-yard pass from Austen Arnaud to score the touchdown, but Utah blocked the extra point attempt. Utah scored on the ensuing kickoff when Reggie Dunn returned the kickoff 100-yards for a touchdown. Eddie Wide scored one more touchdown in the third quarter off of a 5-yard rush to make the score 58–20 entering the fourth quarter.
Joe Phillips scored one more field goal in the fourth quarter on a 33-yard attempt. Backup running back Sausan Shakerin scored Utah's last score to make the score 68–20. Iowa State responded with a touchdown drive for the final score of the evening. Iowa State's backup quarterback James Capello scored on a 19-yard rush.
After the game, two Utah players were named as Mountain West Conference Players of the Week. Quarterback Jordan Wynn was named as Offensive Player of the Week. Wynn completed 23 of 31 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns. Shaky Smithson was named as Special Teams player of the Week. Smithson returned five punts for 145 yards and an average of 29.0 yards per punt return. Smithson had his longest punt return of the season with a 78 yard return to the 2-yard line. He also returned two kickoffs for 41 yards and had a 61-yard touchdown reception. Smithson had a total of 261 all purpose yards during the game.
Utah defeated Wyoming on October 16 to improve to 6–0 (3–0 MWC). Wyoming dropped to 2–5 (0–3 MWC). Entering the game, this was the longest running series Utah had played with an out of state school. It ranked as the third most played, behind Utah State
and BYU.
Utah won the game despite having three turnovers and having an extra point blocked while forcing no turnovers from Wyoming. All three turnovers were interceptions of quarterback Jordan Wynn. Wynn completed 16 out of 25 passes for 230 yards and had two touchdown passes. The first touchdown pass game during the first quarter when Wynn connected with receiver Luke Matthews for a 45 yard reception. The second one was during the second quarter when DeVonte Christopher caught a 16 yard pass.
While placekicker Joe Phillips had an extra point during the second quarter, he did make his only field goal attempt. Phillips connected on a 48 yard field goal in the second quarter to make the score 10–0. The kick was Phillips 17th consecutive successful field goal.
The Utes defeated the Rams 59–6, on October 23, to improve their record to 7–0 (4–0 MWC) and drop Colorado State to 2–6 (1–3 MWC). Entering the game, Utah had a 20 game home winning streak. This was the 79th meeting of these two teams, which has been the fourth longest series for Utah.
Utah gained 648 yards of offense, which was the fifth highest total in school history, as Utah won its 21st consecutive home game, a MWC record. The defense forced two turnovers during the second half to help extend Utah's 24–6 halftime lead. Utah did not allow any second half points and forced two Colorado State turnovers: in the third quarter, Derrick Shelby caused a fumble as he sacked quarterback Pete Thomas, and in the fourth quarter, Conroy Black intercepted a Thomas pass. Both turnovers lead to Utah touchdowns. The 53 point margin of victory, was Utah's largest over Colorado State since 1955.
For his performance against Colorado State, the MWC named Jordan Wynn as a Co-offensive Player of the Week. Wynn completed 23 out of 29 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Wynn played less than three quarters of the game.
Utah defeated Air Force 28–23 on October 30. The win improved Utah's record to 8–0 (5–0 MWC) and dropped Air Force to 5–4 (3–3 MWC). Entering the game, Utah had won six of the last seven meetings with Air Force, despite trailing in the overall series. Air Force is the only Mountain West Conference
team to have won the majority of its games against Utah.
Utah's defense caused Air Force to commit five turnovers, which helped Utah to win the close game. Utah relied heavily on its running game to defeat Air Force; the Utes rushed the ball 51 times for 179 yards, while only attempting 23 passes. On the Utes' opening drive, they opened with seven consecutive runs by Matt Asiata
, followed it with a 5-yard pass from Jordan Wynn to Jereme Brooks, and then finished the drive with five consecutive runs by Eddie Wide, including Wide's 1-yard touchdown run. The Utes took a 14–10 lead into halftime.
Late in the third quarter, Utah seemed to take control of the game. Utah took a 21–10 lead with 4:25 remaining in the third, when Wynn completed a 36-yard pass to Luke Matthews. About a minute later, Brian Blechen intercepted a pass from Tim Jefferson and returned it to the Air Force 18-yard line. 6 plays later, Utah scored a touchdown to take a 28–10 lead. However, Air Force would keep Utah from scoring the rest of the game and scored two more touchdowns to make the game closer. Quarterback Tim Jefferson scored a touchdown off of a 59-yard run. Air Force prevented Utah from gaining a first down on Utah's ensuing possession, and 72 seconds later, Air Force scored another touchdown on its next play from scrimmage. Jefferson completed a 49-yard pass to Kyle Halderman, with 10:30 remaining in the game. However, both teams' defenses kept the other team from scoring the rest of the game and Utah was able to secure the win.
After the game, the MWC named Safety Brian Blechen as its Defensive Player of the Week. Blechen had 9 tackles, of which 6 were solo tackles. One of the assisted tackles was for a loss. He also had one interception and one fumble recovery.
TCU defeated Utah 47–7 on November 6 and took sole possession of first place in the MWC. TCU improved to 10–0 (6–0 MWC), and Utah dropped to 8–1 (5–1 MWC). Utah had won all three games the two teams have played in Salt Lake City. In 2009 TCU
beat No. 16 Utah
55–28 at Amon G. Carter Stadium
. The previous time these two teams met at Rice–Eccles Stadium, No. 10 Utah
defeated No. 11 TCU
13–10.
ESPN's College GameDay was at Rice–Eccles Stadium on the morning of November 6 to preview the days college matchups. Approximately 10,000 fans were present to watch the live airing of the show.
This was the first meeting ever between these two teams.
Entering the game, Utah had won the last four meetings against San Diego State, and was 7–6–1 for games played in San Diego.
This is the second longest series in Utah football history after the Utah–Utah State
series. For games in Salt Lake City, Utah holds a lead of 35–17–3. Over the last 10 games, the teams have split the series 5–5.
Utah accepted an invitation to play in the 2010 edition of the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas. Utah's opponent was Boise State. Utah had been 2–0 in the Las Vegas Bowl.
MWC Second Team
MWC Honorable Mention
All-American team. Walter Camp is one of the selectors the NCAA recognizes to determine Consensus All-Americans.
:
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
. The team was coached by sixth year head coach Kyle Whittingham
Kyle Whittingham
Kyle Whittingham is the head football coach of the University of Utah Utes. Prior to becoming the head coach at Utah, Whittingham served as Utah's defensive coordinator for ten seasons. He was named head coach of Utah after Urban Meyer left for the Florida Gators in 2004...
and played their homes game in Rice–Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. They were members of the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
. 2010 was the Utes' final year in the Mountain West, as they will begin play in the Pac-12 in 2011.
Schedule
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Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | RV | 20 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 15 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 20 | RV |
| Coaches | 24 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 23 |
| Harris | Not released | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 19 | ||||||
| BCS | Not released | 9 | 8 | 5 | 14 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 19 | |||||||
Preseason
In the preseason Coaches' Poll, Utah was ranked No. 24 (tied). In the preseason AP PollAP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, Utah received votes, but not enough to make the top 25 list. The Mountain West Conference media picked Utah to finish second in conference. TCU
2010 TCU Horned Frogs football team
The 2010 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by tenth year head coach Gary Patterson and played its home games at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas...
was the unanimous choice to finish first in conference and received all 31 votes for first place. BYU
2010 BYU Cougars football team
The 2010 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars, led by head coach Bronco Mendenhall, played their home games at LaVell Edwards Stadium and were members of the Mountain West Conference...
was picked to finish third and Air Force
2010 Air Force Falcons football team
The 2010 Air Force Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by fourth year head coach Troy Calhoun and played their home games in Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado...
was picked to finish fourth.
Recruiting
Rivals.comRivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
named Utah's 2010 recruiting class the best in the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
. The complete list is available below:
Coaching changes
During the offseason, Kyle WhittinghamKyle Whittingham
Kyle Whittingham is the head football coach of the University of Utah Utes. Prior to becoming the head coach at Utah, Whittingham served as Utah's defensive coordinator for ten seasons. He was named head coach of Utah after Urban Meyer left for the Florida Gators in 2004...
made several changes to his coaching staff. J.D. Williams, the cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
coach in 2008
2008 Utah Utes football team
The 2008 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by 4th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, plays its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium...
, left the team, leaving an open position on Whittingham's staff. Whittingham hired Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson (quarterback)
Brian Delance Johnson is an American football quarterbacks coach for the University of Utah. He played college football at Utah and was drafted by the New York Sentinels in the UFL Premiere Season Draft in 2009....
, the 2009 Sugar Bowl
2009 Sugar Bowl
The 2009 Allstate Sugar Bowl was the 75th annual edition of the annual college football bowl game that is part of the 2008–09 bowl season of the Bowl Championship Series 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
MVP, as the new quarterback coach. Johnson replaced Dave Schramm
Dave Schramm (American football)
Dave Schramm is from San Diego, California and is currently the running backs coach for the University of Utah Utes football team...
as quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
coach. Schramm will now be the tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
coach and the co-offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. Aaron Roderick
Aaron Roderick
Aaron Roderick is from Bountiful, Utah and is currently the wide receivers coach for the University of Utah Utes football team. He played college football, as a receiver, at Ricks College and BYU.-Coaching career:...
will join Schramm as co-offensive coordinator and will continue his duties as wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
coach. Jay Hill will replace Williams as cornerback coach.
MWC All-Preseaon team
Utah had four players named to the Mountain West Conference's All-Preseason team. Three of the players are on the offense and one is on the defense. The players named are running backRunning back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Eddie Wide, Caleb Schlauderaff
Caleb Schlauderaff
Caleb Schlauderaff is an American football guard for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft...
and Zane Taylor from the Offensive line, and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
Brandon Burton
Brandon Burton
Brandon Burton is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings. He was considered one of the best cornerback prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft. Burton was selected with the 139th pick in the fifth round of the draft by the Minnesota Vikings.-Early years:Burton attended Clear Creek High...
.
Watch lists
Two Utes were named to the 2010 Outland TrophyOutland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
Watch List: guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
Caleb Schlauderaff and center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
Zane Taylor. The Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
votes on the Outland Trophy, which goes to college football's best interior lineman each year. The 2010 award winner will be announced on December 9, 2010.
Cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Brandon Burton was named to the Jim Thorpe Award
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
Watch List. The Jim Thorpe Association
Jim Thorpe Association
The Jim Thorpe Association is based in Oklahoma and is named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe.-Jim Thorpe Award:The organization has awarded the Jim Thorpe Award to the top defensive back in college football since 1986....
awards the Jim Thorpe Award each year to the player it votes as college football's best defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
.
Wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Shaky Smithson was named to the Paul Hornung Award
Paul Hornung Award
The Paul Hornung Award is a college football award that was created in January 2010 by the Louisville Sports Commission with the support of Paul Hornung, a native and resident of Louisville, Kentucky and member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
Watch List. The award, in its first year, will be awarded to the college player that it deems the most versatile.
Placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Joe Phillips was named to the Lou Groza Award
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
Watch List. The Lou Groza Award goes to the top placekicker in college football. It is named for Lou Groza
Lou Groza
Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns....
who played 21 season in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and graduated from Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
.
Running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Eddie Wide was named a candidate for the Doak Walker Award
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
. The award goes to the nation's top running back.
Pac-12
During the offseason, Utah successfully negotiated with the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) to join the conference for all conference sports. ColoradoColorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
also agreed to join the Pac-10, which increased the number of schools in the conference to 12. Once Colorado and Utah officially joined the conference, the conference changed its name to the "Pacific-12 Conference" (Pac-12). The Utes football team began playing in the Pac-12 during the 2011 season. Consequently, the 2010 season was the last season Utah played in the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
.
The formal announcement was made on June 17, 2010 in a ceremony at Rice–Eccles Stadium. The ceremony included Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott
Larry Scott
Larry Scott, nicknamed "the Legend", born on October 12, 1938 in Blackfoot, Idaho is an American former IFBB professional bodybuilder. He won 1965 Mr. Olympia and the 1966 Mr. Olympia competition.-Background:...
, Utah Athletic Director Chris Hill
Chris Hill (athletic director)
Dr. Chris Hill has been athletic director at the University of Utah since 1987. His responsibilities include overseeing the athletic department and supervising all the coaches...
, University of Utah President Michael K. Young, and Utah Governor Gary Herbert, among other dignitaries.
Pittsburgh
Utah leads series: 2 – 0 – 0Utah defeated Pittsburgh 27–24 in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
on September 2. Placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Joe Phillips successfully kicked a 21-yard field goal to secure the victory. The game matched Utah, from the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
(MWC), against Pittsburgh, from the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
in the season's first game for both teams. This was the second meeting between these two teams. The previous time they met was in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl
2005 Fiesta Bowl
The 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2005, was the 34th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game was played between Utah and Pittsburgh, in front of 73,519 fans. It is notable for being the first BCS game to feature a team from a non-BCS conference, and the only BCS bowl to feature a...
, a game Utah won 35–7 to complete Utah's 2004 undefeated season
2004 Utah Utes football team
The 2004 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2004–2005. This team was the original 'BCS Buster', meaning, this was the first time that a team from a non-BCS conference was invited to play in one of the BCS bowl games. The team, coached by 2nd...
. Utah entered this game with a 17-game home winning streak and a 7–0 record against the teams that are currently in the Big East Conference.
Pittsburgh scored first in the game after Shaky Smithson fumbled a punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
on the 28-yard line to give Pittsburgh possession of the ball. Five plays later, Pittsburgh scored a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
when Dion Lewis
Dion Lewis
Dion John Lewis is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft...
rushed three yards for the score. On its next possession, Utah responded with an 11-play scoring drive. Wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Jereme Brooks scored a touchdown with a 19-yard reception from Sophomore quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Jordan Wynn. Utah scored another touchdown before halftime to take a 14–7 lead on a 3-yard pass from Wynn to Brooks.
The teams traded field goals
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
in the third quarter to bring the score to 17–10. A few minutes into the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh scored another field goal to narrow the score to 17–13. The Utes scored a touchdown on their next possession when Wynn completed a pass to DeVonte Christopher for a 61-yard scoring strike and a 24–13 lead with 7:59 remaining in regulation. Just 48 seconds later, the Panthers responded with a touchdown on a 44-yard pass from Tino Sunseri to Jon Baldwin. Pittsburgh then scored a two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
off another pass from Sunseri to Baldwin, to narrow the score to 24–21. On Utah's ensuing possession, it was unable to use the rest of the remaining time. When Pittsburgh took over, it moved the ball to the 13-yard line. From there, Dan Hutchins kicked a 30-yard field goal with no time left in regulation to tie the game at 24–24.
In overtime, Pittsburgh took possession of the ball first. On the first overtime play from scrimmage, Safety Brian Blechen intercepted a Sunseri pass to end Pittsburgh's overtime possession. During Utah's possession, Utah ran 6 straight run plays to move the ball to the 4-yard line. From there Phillips hit the 21-yard field goal for the victory. Utah won its first season opener against a team ranked in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
with the defeat of the No. 15 ranked Panthers.
After the game, the MWC named two Utah players as its "Players of the Week". Sophomore wide receiver DeVonte Christopher was named the offensive player of the week. Christopher had 8 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 19.4 yards per reception. Freshman Brian Blechen was named defensive player of the week. In addition to his interception in overtime, Blechen had five tackles, including two solo tackles.
UNLV
Utah leads series: 14 – 2 – 0Utah entered the game with an 18-game home winning streak and a perfect record against UNLV in Salt Lake City. UNLV's two wins in the series were in 2007
2007 Utah Utes football team
The 2007 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team was coached by 3rd year head football coach Kyle Whittingham...
and 1979. During this September 11 game, the Utes continued their winning ways with a 38–10 defeat of the Rebels to push their home winning streak to 19 games and their record for the year to 2–0 (1–0 MWC). UNLV dropped to 0–2 (0–1 MWC) and has an 0–8 record against the Utes in Salt Lake City.
Backup quarterback Terrance Cain started the game for the Utes; starting quarterback Jordan Wynn sat the game out with a thumb injury. Cain had started 8 games during the 2009 season
2009 Utah Utes football team
The 2009 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team, coached by 5th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, played its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah....
before being replaced by Wynn. Cain completed 13 of his 20 pass attempts during the game. He had two touchdowns, no interceptions, and threw for 207 yards total.
After UNLV tied the game at 3–3, Utah responded with 21 straight points. Eddie Wide scored a touchdown on a 3 yard rush. Wide helped the team again with 37 seconds remaining in the half. On a Utah punt, wide forced a fumble and then was able to recover the ball on UNLV's 20 yard line. On the next play, Jereme Brooks caught a pass from Cain to take a 17-3 halftime lead.
Antoine "Shaky" Smithson had two touchdowns during the game, which was an improvement over his game against Pittsburgh in which he had two fumbles. His first touchdown was a 55-yard reception from Terrance Cain. His second touchdown was a 77-yard punt return. Both scores occurred during the third quarter. After the game, the Mountain West Conference named Smithson as its special teams player of the week. He fielded a total of five punts for 128 yards or 25.6 yards per return.
New Mexico
Utah leads series: 33 – 17 – 2Entering the game, Utah held a lead of 13–12–1 for games played in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. Utah had won the last three meetings. In this September 18 game, Utah defeated New Mexico 56–14 to improve to 3–0 (2–0 MWC). New Mexico dropped to 0–3 (0–1 MWC).
Utah had three turnovers
Turnover (football)
In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball loses possession of the ball, which is then gained by the other team. The two events that are officially classified as "turnovers" are fumbles or interceptions In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball...
compared to New Mexico's one, but still managed to win decisively. Utah's first possession ended with a fumble by running back Eddie Wide. Utah's second possession almost had a similar end when running back Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata is a American football running back who is a currently a free agent. He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, He played college football at Utah.-High school:...
fumbled on the one yard line, but the ball was recovered by Utah tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Brad Clifford. Two plays later, Utah had the first score of the game when Asiata rushed for a one yard touchdown.
One of New Mexico's two scores was on another Utah fumble. The first play from scrimmage after half time was a completed pass from Terrance Cain to receiver Luke Matthews. Matthews was hit by cornerback Anthony Hooks forcing the fumble. Safety A.J. Butler then returned the ball 27 yards for New Mexico's first score of the night, to narrow the game to 21–7. 40 seconds later, Utah responded with a 75 yard touchdown reception from Cain to Jereme Brooks. One minute after that, Utah linebacker Matt Martinez intercepted quarterback Tarean Austin's pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown.
For the second consecutive game, Antoine "Shaky" Smithson returned a punt for a touchdown. With 9:48 remaining in the third quarter, Smithson scored a touchdown off of a 73 yard punt return. After the game, the MWC named Smithson as its Special Teams Player of the Week. Smithson returned a total of four punts for 140 yards or 35.0 yards per return. Cornerback Lamar Chapman was named as the MWC Defensive Player of the Week. Chapman had 8 tackles, including 7 solo tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, and one sack.
San Jose State
Utah leads series: 6 – 1 – 0On September 25, Utah defeated San Jose State to improve to 4–0 (2–0 MWC) and drop San Jose State to 1–3 (0–0 WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
). Utah entered the game with a 19 games winning streak at home. This was the second time Utah played San Jose State as its homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
opponent. The previous time, San Jose State won 24–6 in 1974.
Jordan Wynn returned as Utah's starting quarterback after missing the two previous games with a thumb injury. He helped Utah have its largest margin of victory since a defeat of UTEP by the same score in 1997
1997 Utah Utes football team
The Utes were unable to get another bowl bid in the 1997 season, going just 6–5. This was also the last season in the old Rice Stadium. Immediately after the final home game , the stadium was torn down and rebuilt into the new Rice–Eccles Stadium, partly in anticipation of the upcoming 2002 Olympic...
. Utah had no turnovers and one five yard penalty during the game.
Utah scored on its first play from scrimmage when Reggie Dunn ran 43 yards for a touchdown on a reverse
Reverse (American football)
A reverse is a relatively common trick play in American football that involves one or more abrupt changes in the lateral flow of a rushing play.-Variations:...
play. On the ensuing kickoff, Brandon Diver returned the ball 71 yards. Several plays later, the Spartans scored their only points of the game when Waid Harrison scored a 20-yard field goal.
During the second quarter, Utah scored 4 touchdowns to take a 28–3 lead at the half. Two of the scores followed San Jose State punting mistakes. On 4th and 6 from their own 32 yard line, Spartan's quarterback Jordan La Secla punted the ball into the back of his own lineman. Reggie Topps returned the ball 10 yards for a touchdown. On San Jose's next possession, punter Jens Alvernik's punt was blocked by Mike Honeycutt. The ball went out-of-bounds at the San Jose State 24 yard line, for no net gain on the punt. Three plays later, Eddie Wide rushed 8 yards for a touchdown.
Utah scored three touchdowns during the second half to reach 56 points. Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata is a American football running back who is a currently a free agent. He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, He played college football at Utah.-High school:...
, Tauni Vakapauna, and Beau Burton, respectively, scored on rushing touchdowns.
Iowa State
Utah trails series: 1 – 4 – 0In this October 9 game, Utah defeated Iowa State 68–27 to improve to 5–0 (2–0 MWC) and drop the Cyclones to 3–3 (1–1 Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
). Utah had 593 yards of total offense, 168 yards on kick returns, 156 yards on punt returns, and 109 yards on interception returns. Altogether, Utah amassed 1,026 yards. The 68 points Utah scored was the most Iowa State had ever allowed at home. Utah had a bye
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
the week preceding the Iowa State game. Entering the game, Kyle Whittingham's teams were 5–0 in games following bye weeks. These two teams had met four time before, all in the 1970s. The teams met in 1970, 1972, 1975, and 1976 with Iowa State winning all four games.
At the end of the first quarter, Iowa State led 14–10 after capitalizing on two Utah turnovers. Utah scored 31 points in the second quarter to take the lead for good in the game. Those scores came from a number of different Utes. Shaky Smithson took the ball on a reverse play and then threw a 53-yard touchdown to DeVonte Christopher. Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata is a American football running back who is a currently a free agent. He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, He played college football at Utah.-High school:...
and Eddie Wide scored on rushes of 1 yard and 2 yards, respectively. Smithson scored when he caught a 61-yard pass from quarterback Jordan Wynn. Cornerback Brandon Burton
Brandon Burton
Brandon Burton is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings. He was considered one of the best cornerback prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft. Burton was selected with the 139th pick in the fifth round of the draft by the Minnesota Vikings.-Early years:Burton attended Clear Creek High...
intercepted a pass from Austen Arnaud and returned the ball to the Iowa State 8-yard line. With only 1 second remaining before the half, Utah then immediately kicked a field goal; Joe Phillips successfully connected on a 25-yard attempt to give Utah 41–14 halftime lead.
After halftime, another Phillips field goal pushed Utah's lead to 44–14. Iowa State then responded with a 4-play, 65-yard touchdown drive. Collin Franklin caught a 36-yard pass from Austen Arnaud to score the touchdown, but Utah blocked the extra point attempt. Utah scored on the ensuing kickoff when Reggie Dunn returned the kickoff 100-yards for a touchdown. Eddie Wide scored one more touchdown in the third quarter off of a 5-yard rush to make the score 58–20 entering the fourth quarter.
Joe Phillips scored one more field goal in the fourth quarter on a 33-yard attempt. Backup running back Sausan Shakerin scored Utah's last score to make the score 68–20. Iowa State responded with a touchdown drive for the final score of the evening. Iowa State's backup quarterback James Capello scored on a 19-yard rush.
After the game, two Utah players were named as Mountain West Conference Players of the Week. Quarterback Jordan Wynn was named as Offensive Player of the Week. Wynn completed 23 of 31 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns. Shaky Smithson was named as Special Teams player of the Week. Smithson returned five punts for 145 yards and an average of 29.0 yards per punt return. Smithson had his longest punt return of the season with a 78 yard return to the 2-yard line. He also returned two kickoffs for 41 yards and had a 61-yard touchdown reception. Smithson had a total of 261 all purpose yards during the game.
Wyoming
Utah leads series: 51 – 31 – 1Utah defeated Wyoming on October 16 to improve to 6–0 (3–0 MWC). Wyoming dropped to 2–5 (0–3 MWC). Entering the game, this was the longest running series Utah had played with an out of state school. It ranked as the third most played, behind Utah State
Utah State Aggies football
The Utah State Aggies are a college football team that competes in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I, representing Utah State University. The Utah State college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Romney Stadium since 1968...
and BYU.
Utah won the game despite having three turnovers and having an extra point blocked while forcing no turnovers from Wyoming. All three turnovers were interceptions of quarterback Jordan Wynn. Wynn completed 16 out of 25 passes for 230 yards and had two touchdown passes. The first touchdown pass game during the first quarter when Wynn connected with receiver Luke Matthews for a 45 yard reception. The second one was during the second quarter when DeVonte Christopher caught a 16 yard pass.
While placekicker Joe Phillips had an extra point during the second quarter, he did make his only field goal attempt. Phillips connected on a 48 yard field goal in the second quarter to make the score 10–0. The kick was Phillips 17th consecutive successful field goal.
Colorado State
Utah leads series: 55 – 22 – 2The Utes defeated the Rams 59–6, on October 23, to improve their record to 7–0 (4–0 MWC) and drop Colorado State to 2–6 (1–3 MWC). Entering the game, Utah had a 20 game home winning streak. This was the 79th meeting of these two teams, which has been the fourth longest series for Utah.
Utah gained 648 yards of offense, which was the fifth highest total in school history, as Utah won its 21st consecutive home game, a MWC record. The defense forced two turnovers during the second half to help extend Utah's 24–6 halftime lead. Utah did not allow any second half points and forced two Colorado State turnovers: in the third quarter, Derrick Shelby caused a fumble as he sacked quarterback Pete Thomas, and in the fourth quarter, Conroy Black intercepted a Thomas pass. Both turnovers lead to Utah touchdowns. The 53 point margin of victory, was Utah's largest over Colorado State since 1955.
For his performance against Colorado State, the MWC named Jordan Wynn as a Co-offensive Player of the Week. Wynn completed 23 out of 29 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Wynn played less than three quarters of the game.
Air Force
Utah trails series: 13 – 14 – 0Utah defeated Air Force 28–23 on October 30. The win improved Utah's record to 8–0 (5–0 MWC) and dropped Air Force to 5–4 (3–3 MWC). Entering the game, Utah had won six of the last seven meetings with Air Force, despite trailing in the overall series. Air Force is the only Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
team to have won the majority of its games against Utah.
Utah's defense caused Air Force to commit five turnovers, which helped Utah to win the close game. Utah relied heavily on its running game to defeat Air Force; the Utes rushed the ball 51 times for 179 yards, while only attempting 23 passes. On the Utes' opening drive, they opened with seven consecutive runs by Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata is a American football running back who is a currently a free agent. He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, He played college football at Utah.-High school:...
, followed it with a 5-yard pass from Jordan Wynn to Jereme Brooks, and then finished the drive with five consecutive runs by Eddie Wide, including Wide's 1-yard touchdown run. The Utes took a 14–10 lead into halftime.
Late in the third quarter, Utah seemed to take control of the game. Utah took a 21–10 lead with 4:25 remaining in the third, when Wynn completed a 36-yard pass to Luke Matthews. About a minute later, Brian Blechen intercepted a pass from Tim Jefferson and returned it to the Air Force 18-yard line. 6 plays later, Utah scored a touchdown to take a 28–10 lead. However, Air Force would keep Utah from scoring the rest of the game and scored two more touchdowns to make the game closer. Quarterback Tim Jefferson scored a touchdown off of a 59-yard run. Air Force prevented Utah from gaining a first down on Utah's ensuing possession, and 72 seconds later, Air Force scored another touchdown on its next play from scrimmage. Jefferson completed a 49-yard pass to Kyle Halderman, with 10:30 remaining in the game. However, both teams' defenses kept the other team from scoring the rest of the game and Utah was able to secure the win.
After the game, the MWC named Safety Brian Blechen as its Defensive Player of the Week. Blechen had 9 tackles, of which 6 were solo tackles. One of the assisted tackles was for a loss. He also had one interception and one fumble recovery.
TCU
Utah leads series: 5 – 3 – 0TCU defeated Utah 47–7 on November 6 and took sole possession of first place in the MWC. TCU improved to 10–0 (6–0 MWC), and Utah dropped to 8–1 (5–1 MWC). Utah had won all three games the two teams have played in Salt Lake City. In 2009 TCU
2009 TCU Horned Frogs football team
The 2009 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University in the 2009 college football season. The team was coached by Gary Patterson. The Frogs played their home games at Amon G. Carter Stadium, which is located on campus in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs finished the season...
beat No. 16 Utah
2009 Utah Utes football team
The 2009 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team, coached by 5th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, played its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah....
55–28 at Amon G. Carter Stadium
Amon G. Carter Stadium
Amon G. Carter Stadium is an open-air football stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. It is the home stadium of the TCU Horned Frogs football team. It was named after Amon G...
. The previous time these two teams met at Rice–Eccles Stadium, No. 10 Utah
2008 Utah Utes football team
The 2008 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by 4th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, plays its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium...
defeated No. 11 TCU
2008 TCU Horned Frogs football team
The 2008 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University in the 2008 college football season. The team was coached by Gary Patterson. The Frogs played their home games at Amon G. Carter Stadium, which is located on campus in Fort Worth...
13–10.
ESPN's College GameDay was at Rice–Eccles Stadium on the morning of November 6 to preview the days college matchups. Approximately 10,000 fans were present to watch the live airing of the show.
Notre Dame
Utah trails series: 0 – 1 – 0This was the first meeting ever between these two teams.
San Diego State
Utah leads series: 17 – 12 – 1Entering the game, Utah had won the last four meetings against San Diego State, and was 7–6–1 for games played in San Diego.
BYU
Utah leads series: 54 – 34 – 4This is the second longest series in Utah football history after the Utah–Utah State
Battle of the Brothers
The Battle of the Brothers is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Utah Utes football team of the University of Utah and the Utah State Aggies football team of Utah State University...
series. For games in Salt Lake City, Utah holds a lead of 35–17–3. Over the last 10 games, the teams have split the series 5–5.
Maaco Bowl Las Vegas
Utah trails series: 2 – 5 – 0Utah accepted an invitation to play in the 2010 edition of the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas. Utah's opponent was Boise State. Utah had been 2–0 in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Roster
MWC Awards
MWC First Team- Caleb Schlauderaff – Senior OL
- Zane Taylor – Senior OL
- Joe Phillips – Senior PKPlacekickerPlacekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
- Christian Cox – Senior DL
MWC Second Team
- Jereme Brooks – Senior WRWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
- Tony Bergstrom – Junior OL
- Shaky Smithson – Senior PRPunt returnerPunt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
/KR - Chaz Walker – Junior LBLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
- Brandon Burton – Junior DBDefensive backIn American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
MWC Honorable Mention
- Brian Blechen – Freshman DB
- Lamar Chapman – Senior DB
- DeVonte Christopher – Sophomore WR
- Matt Martinez – Junior LB
- Sealver Siliga – Junior DL
Walter Camp All-Americans
Utah had two players named to the Walter CampWalter Camp Football Foundation
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also presents various awards.-Awards:*Walter Camp Player of the Year*CT Player of the Year...
All-American team. Walter Camp is one of the selectors the NCAA recognizes to determine Consensus All-Americans.
- Shaky Smithson – first team
- Caleb Schlauderaff – second time
NFL Draft
Utah had these players drafted during the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
:
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL Club |
| Brandon Burton Brandon Burton Brandon Burton is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings. He was considered one of the best cornerback prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft. Burton was selected with the 139th pick in the fifth round of the draft by the Minnesota Vikings.-Early years:Burton attended Clear Creek High... |
Cornerback Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
5 | 139 | Minnesota Vikings 2011 Minnesota Vikings season -Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks:-Week 3: vs. Dallas Cowboys:-Week 4: vs. Houston Texans:-Schedule:COLOR KEY & NOTES:-Week 1: at San Diego Chargers:-Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:-Week 3: vs. Detroit Lions:-Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs:... |
| Caleb Schlauderaff Caleb Schlauderaff Caleb Schlauderaff is an American football guard for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft... |
Guard Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... |
6 | 179 | Green Bay Packers 2011 Green Bay Packers season The 2011 Green Bay Packers season is the franchise's 91st season in the National Football League, the 93rd season overall and the sixth under head coach Mike McCarthy... |