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SALT LAKE CITY — It may have been hard to notice, but the difficulty actually kicked up a notch for the Utes in their second game of the season. The Utes handled the challenge — and then some.
Utah scored 24 unanswered points to start the game, while the defense forced five straight Fresno State three-and-outs and the Utes cruised to a 59-27 victory Saturday afternoon in Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Using the theme of the good, the bad and the ugly, here's a breakdown of the good, the OK (needs work) and the bad in the Utes' win over Fresno State.
Offensive execution: Utah's offense was firing on all cylinders, looking like a well oiled machine. Utah QB Travis Wilson only completed a little above 50 percent of his passes (11 of 20), but he was incredibly efficient. He threw for 181 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions, earning him a QB rating of 213.5. The passing game wasn't the only thing rolling, however. Utah's rushing attack was also efficient. Devontae Booker rushed for 67 yards on 10 carries (6.7 ypc), while Kendal Thompson added 71 yards on nine carries. The Utes finished with 526 yards of total offense — 268 passing and 258 rushing.
Run defense: Utah's rush defense was phenomenal. Against USC, Fresno State running back Marteze Waller averaged over 6 yards per carry. The Utes only allowed the Bulldogs to get 55 yards on the ground, with Waller only getting 4.1 yards per carry, and that stat is a bit inflated. Waller broke off a 23-yard run against Utah's second-string defense. It's safe to say that the run-gap coverage Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham spoke of last week was addressed in the practice sessions this week.
Tom Hackett/Andy Phillips: Can't mention the good without giving a special mention to the Utes' punter and place-kicker. Hackett rocketed five punts for the Utes, averaging 55.4 yards per kick with a long of 65. Two of those punts were downed inside the 10-yard line. Phillips, who welcomed in a new baby into his home this week, nailed a 47-yard field goal and was a perfect 8 of 8 on PATs.
Slowing opposing QB run game: The Utes were slow to adjust to Fresno State's quarterback switch. When Brandon Connette entered the game at QB for the Bulldogs, Fresno State marched right down the field. Sure, Utah's defense held on a fourth-down attempt by the Bulldogs on that drive, but Connette's running ability was on display for most of the second quarter before the Utes were able to adjust.
Going for the home run play on defense: There were a few times when Utah's defense went for the home run — the big hit, the interception or the tackle for a loss. Fresno State converted some of those into big plays. While players love the big hits, sometimes just wrapping up or knocking the ball away is the best thing for the team.
Penalties: The Utes were penalized 12 times for 118 yards with some of those coming on third down to extend Fresno State drives. Defensive holding and pass interference were common.
