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SALT LAKE CITY -- In a tale of two halves, the University of Utah fought through a messy first half to beat the Washington State Cougars in overtime 30-27. The win is Utah's fourth consecutive win and fifth out of their last six games.
Quarterback: B+
The performance by Jon Hays Saturday night is difficult to grade. In the first half, Hays looked as though he reverted back to the days against Arizona State, Washington and Cal, holding onto the ball too long and struggling to keep the offense moving. In the first half, Hays was a poor three-of-eight for 17 yards.
However, Hays picked up his game in the second half and looked like a decent quarterback, completing most of his passes. With Chow relying on the pass game for a time, Hays managed to go eight-of-10 for 106 yards in the second half. Hays did have a fumbled snap to start the second half, but managed to throw no interceptions for another week. Although not the best option still for the Utes, Hays has shown he can get the offense moving, without causing too many problems.
Running Backs/Full Backs: A-
John White IV continues to put up great numbers on a consistent basis. Saturday's game against the Cougars was White's seventh game of the season rushing over 100 yards. White is second in the Pac-12 in rushing yards, with only LaMichael James of Oregon beating him out.
White managed two touchdowns in Saturday's win, with a 56-yard rushing touchdown having a major impact on the outcome of the game. Ending the game with 186 yards, White ran the ball 42 times, with an average of 4.4 yards per carry. White did have a fumble to start the second half, but his overall performance Saturday negates the turnover.
Wide Receiver/Tight End: B-
The passing game improved in the second half of the game as Hays hit his short-lived stride. However, the receiving core continues to be a quiet offensive presence. Dres Anderson had a great opportunity for some big yards, but could not hold onto the ball. And in a rare penalty, DeVonte Christopher was called for offensive pass interference, which only added to the several penalties for the Utes.
Offensive Line: B-
Despite Washington State loading the box with defenders to keep White from rushing the ball, the offensive line did a decent job of giving White the space he needed. Additionally, the offensive line gave Hays the protection he needed to work in the pocket and hit his receivers. The glaring mark against the line was the frequency of penalties.
Overall Offense: B
The offense managed to turn around a horrible performance in the first half where the ball hardly moved, to a second-half performance where the chains moved as a result of good drives. Overall, the offense was not a well-oiled machine, but credit must be given to a team that has struggled to put some points on the board and turn around a losing season.
Defensive Line: A-
The defensive line put tremendous pressure on Washington State's freshman quarterback Connor Holliday. After Holliday's amazing performance last week against Arizona State, Utah's defense held him to 290 yards. Star Lotulelei made it very difficult for Holliday to get comfortable in the pass game, with Derrick Shelby and Joe Kruger helping him out.
Linebackers: B
The linebackers did a great job of containing the pass and run game in the first half, but had a letdown in the second half, giving the Cougars some easy yards. Usually the linebacking core is lights out, but in Saturday's performance, there was more to be desired.
The linebacker overtime performance, however, was exceptional, adding to the tough play of the defensive line.
Defensive Backs: B
There were too many yards in the air in the second half, which allowed the Cougars to get back in the game. Utah was up by 10 points with 6 minutes left in the game, but as a result of poor coverage in the Utah secondary, Holliday was given open targets for excellent field position.
However, Eric Rowe, Brian Blechen and Mo Lee came up big with early interceptions to give the Utes some momentum. Each of these players has been big recently with their ability to read the pass and pull down the ball. If only the secondary could have played better in the second half, their grade would certainly be better.
Overall Defense: B+
Utah defense was lucky Washington State did not go for the win on the goal line. The possibility of losing the game to the Cougars because of a poor defensive presence in the final minutes of the game should not have happened. Utah's defense is much better than their second-half performance. As a defensive leader in the Pac-12, the defense must play every down, and not just a prevent-type scheme.
Special Teams: A
Special teams continues to be a strong aspect for the Utes. Coleman Petersen and Sean Sellwood get tons of credit for their performance Saturday. Petersen kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime, in addition to a 33-yard field goal and a 45-yard field goal to add to Utah's score.
Sellwood had a great pass to Luke Matthews on a fake punt, which led to a 49-yard touchdown and the first score of the game. On the season, Sellwood is now two-of-two for 66 yards with two fake punts.
Overall Team: B-
The Utes played an inconsistent game, but managed to pull out the win in overtime. The defense played well in the first half and overtime, while the offense played well in the second half and overtime. Consistency remains an issue with the Utes, who struggle with a complete game on a regular basis. Despite the poor performance in the first half by the Utes offense, Utah managed to stay alive, even coming back when facing a deficit.
*Email: jfurlong@ksl.com*Twitter: @JFurKSL
