LAS VEGAS — In a bizarre game filled with high emotions, Utah held on to a 35-point lead and beat the BYU Cougars for the fifth consecutive time, winning 35-28 in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl.

Utah jumped to an incredible 35-point lead early in the first quarter, but failed to generate any offense for the remainder of the game. The following is a grading of Utah's performance in their win over the Cougars.

Offense: D-

Despite a 35-0 lead in the first quarter, Utah's offense had less than 100 total yards on offense. Considering that BYU gave Utah a short field on every turnover it made sense that Utah's offense didn't need to go too far to score points. But as quick as the onslaught of scoring came, the inability to generate any sustainable drives came quicker.

Utah would go on to punt the ball four consecutive times in the second quarter, with a fifth coming on the first drive of the second half. Utah simply couldn't get it done on offense. Yes, Kenneth Scott and Britain Covey were game time decisions and not 100 percent, but the production was simply not there for the Utes.

Injuries have hampered this Utah team and BYU was one of the best defenses Utah has faced all season, but the struggle to generate an offense has been a persistent theme throughout the latter part of the season. Fortunately, Utah got win No. 10 and made it a successful season. But 197 total yards of offense is not anything to be happy about.

The one bright spot: Joe Williams. Utah will have a quality back with game experience heading into next season. Williams finished the game with 91 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. He was also the team's leading receiver with 22 yards on two receptions.

Defense: B

The defense is credited with Utah's win over BYU. Sure, the offense had to get the ball in the end zone a few times, but it was all because of the defensive prowess in the first quarter. Senior Tevin Carter went out with a bang with two interceptions that lead to two Utah touchdowns and to be named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Senior Gionni Paul, too, once again had a great defensive effort and lead the team in total tackles with eight. He also recovered a fumbles early in the game forced by Kylie Fitts. The fumble recovery led to Utah's first score of the game.

Utah's defense continues to be the major factor in the team's success. Although the defense game up 28 points in the game, it was a great performance from the defense. The defense spent most of the game on the field with the struggles on offense.

Special Teams: A

Tom Hackett showed why he is the two-time defending Ray Guy Award winner with his great punts Saturday. Hackett had six total punts in the game for 297 total yards, averaging 49.5 yards per punt. But his precision with the ball was the highlight of the game. Hackett downed four punts inside the 20-yard line, with two inside the 5-yard line. His ability to flip the field for Utah was a major factor in keeping BYU from putting together nice drives.

Coaching: C-

Giving up 28 consecutive points starts with the coaching staff. Sure, the players have to actually make the plays, but the coaching staff has to adjust, rebound and stop the bleeding. Although Utah came away with the win, there wasn't much faith in the overall effort at the end of the game.

Offensively, Utah had some interesting decisions on fourth down. Instead of just snapping the ball under center with one yard to go, Utah tries to get creative in shotgun and plays with the read option. Running it up the middle may have not been successful either, but it was better than sustaining a 5-yard loss.

Overall: B-

I'm not going to say Utah was lucky to have won, because the defense put on a show in the first quarter, but the overall effort in quarters 2-4 was not what many hoped to see. Utah struggled all the way to the end, but a 10-win season is nothing to mock. The best teams find a way to close out at the end of the game. And with the game on the line, Utah managed to get it done, pretty or not.

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