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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Louie Sakoda kicked three field goals and four extra points to become the leading scorer in Utah history and the No. 17 Utes welcomed back Weber State coach Ron McBride with a 37-21 win Saturday night.
Bryan Johnson passed for two touchdowns and Matt Asiata ran for two scores for the Utes (5-0), who avoided any hiccups against their Championship Subdivision neighbors and remained unbeaten for Thursday night's home game against Oregon State, which upset top-ranked Southern California on Thursday night.
Johnson passed for 194 yards and two touchdowns in the first three quarters, then rested through the fourth as Utah's reserves finished off the Wildcats (3-2). Weber State added two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including one with 12 seconds left to make the score a little closer.
It was homecoming for McBride, who coached Utah from 1990-2002. Utah showed short video honoring McBride before the game and McBride waved to the applauding fans from the sideline opposite of where he spent so long building Utah into contender.
McBride got to see firsthand just how strong the Utes are still going.
Utah scored 30 straight points after Weber State tied it at 7-7 on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Higgins to Tim Toone with 55 seconds left in the first quarter. The Utes were never in much jeopardy of being upset and outgained Weber State 450-359, but a good chunk of the Wildcats' total came against the Utes' reserves. The Wildcats, who fell to 0-3 against Utah, gained 154 yards in the fourth quarter.
Higgins finished 24-of-38 for 303 yards and three touchdowns, and Toone had six catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. Higgins' added a 7-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Eteuati with 12 seconds to go.
Johnson finished 18-for-22 with one interception on a pass was tipped as he threw it. He had a 6-yard touchdown pass to Colt Sampson and a 10-yard pass to Bradon Godfrey with 43 seconds left in the second quarter to give Utah a 24-7 halftime lead.
Sakoda entered 10 points away from tying Frank Christensen's school record of 235 career points, set from 1930-32. Sakoda had four extra points and field goals of 33 and 47 yards and was tied with Christensen by the end of the third quarter. Early in the fourth with Utah already up 34-7, Sakoda kicked a 38-yarder to set the mark and improved to 7-for-7 on kicks inside 40 yards this year.
The Utes were conservative most of the night, but did trick up the Wildcats in the first quarter.
Receiver Jereme Brooks got the ball on a reverse and threw it to backup quarterback Corbin Louks, who had to lunge in order to make the catch. He held on and ran it to the 1-yard line, where Asiata scored on the next play to put Utah up 7-0 with 2:59 left in the first quarter.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
