Grading Utah's shootout 52-45 win over UCLA


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PASADENA — Utah won a shootout game on the road Saturday, beating the UCLA Bruins 52-45. The win gives Utah its seventh win of the season and a tie for first with Colorado in the South division.

The following is a grading of the team’s performance.

Offense: A-

The grading is more favorable that it probably should be, but winning in the Rose Bowl in a shootout can’t be taken lightly. The offense was propelled by an incredible performance from Joe Williams, who finished the game with 332 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. Williams averaged 11.4 yards per carry and was the deciding factor for a Utah offense that needed a jumpstart from the week before.

Williams set the school record for most rushing yards in a single game, beating out Mike Anderson’s 254-yard performance against Fresno State in 1999.

As for the passing game, Utah did enough to keep the ball moving and to keep the defense from focusing solely on Williams. Quarterback Troy Williams finished with 179 yards and one interception on 12-of-24 passing. William’s 50 percent completion percentage is concerning, but enough to remain competitive.

Defense: C+

The defense had one of its worst games of the season, despite locking in late in the game and keeping UCLA from scoring a game-tying touchdown. Utah’s defense struggled with tackling in the open field and allowed too many yards in the passing game (464 yards). Several UCLA receivers were able to get huge gains as a result of Utah’s inability to tackle.

Despite the struggles in the passing game, Utah forced five turnovers, including two interceptions by Brian Allen and two by Jordan Fogal. Chase Hansen forced a fumble and recovered it.

Additionally, Utah’s defense remained stout up front, essentially keeping UCLA from establishing any form of a run game. The Bruins ended the game with 46 rushing yards, with Bolu Olorunfunmi leading the charge with 24 yards and one touchdown.

Special Teams: A-

Utah finally got a kickoff return. Senior Cory Butler-Byrd got the game started with a 99-yard kickoff return to set the pace for the game. The kickoff return was a huge momentum builder for the Utes. Butler-Byrd finished with 175 yards on kickoff returns in five attempts.

Andy Phillips missed one field goal, a 44-yard attempt in the first quarter, but then made three from equal distances.

Utah’s coverage on special teams was spotty, allowing Ishmael Adams 104 yards on kickoff returns and 8 yards on punt returns. However, the Bruins’ average field position was on the 28-yard line, so it didn’t hurt Utah too much.

Coaching: B+

It’s easy to question play-calling in every game, and there were certainly plays that could be questioned in the game against UCLA. Most notable, is the decision to give UCLA the ball back at the end of the game. The defense had been struggling in the passing game all night and giving the Bruins one more opportunity is just asking for trouble.

Ultimately, the offense needed to pick up the first down at the end of the game to secure the win, but a passing play to get the first down wouldn’t have hurt. Like I said, it’s easy to question every play, but that would have secured the win had they completed the pass. Call it a ticky-tack complaint in a game Utah still won.

Overall: B+

Utah has rarely been able to win shootout games. They’re not a team that scores a lot of points, but allows defenses to win games. However, against the Bruins, Utah threw everything out the window and joined the Pac-12 in a shootout-style game and game the fans something fun to watch. Was it perfect? No, but Utah got another win in the Rose Bowl.

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Josh Furlong

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