Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — With its two-minute offense serving as the script for the game, No. 18 Utah moved the ball with ease against an outmatched visiting Arizona State squad with only two wins to its name this season.
Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig opened up the playbook and had some fun to the tune of a 55-3 win over Arizona State in a get-right game for the Utes.
Bryson Barnes was 5-of-5 on the opening drive as Utah went 72 yards on eight plays, and Devaughn Vele capped off the drive with an 11-yard catch — his first of the season — to give Utah an early 7-0 lead. Vele was the benefactor on the next Utah (7-2, 4-2 Pac-12) possession with a 3-yard catch in the back of the end zone to go up by double digits.
Vele finished with two touchdowns and 56 yards on seven catches as one of Barnes' most reliable receivers for the day. But he was far from the only weapon Saturday.
Munir McClain added a "moss'd" touchdown grab over his defender in the end zone for a 20-yard catch, and Ja'Quinden Jackson added a 54-yard rushing touchdown outside of the break to give the Utes a big lead over Arizona State (2-7, 1-5 Pac-12) — Jackson was helped off the field to the locker room after the play and did not return Saturday.
Utah did it all on offense without Sione Vaki making an appearance, too.
"Scoring points, that's kind of where the energy comes from on the offensive side of the ball, so if you ain't scoring points, there's gonna be no energy," Barnes said. "It's good to get some energy out there today."
Barnes finished the afternoon game with 161 yards and four touchdowns — a career high and most against a conference opponent since Tyler Huntley threw four TD passes against USC in 2018 — on 19-of-28 passing. Barnes was replaced by quarterback Nate Johnson with just under 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
But it was a game where Barnes looked the most comfortable under center, and Ludwig opened up the plays available for him to run, including simple run-pass options that Barnes utilized for big gains.
"I think Andy's opening up the offense a little bit more, and so it's not necessarily (Barnes') learned more, he's assimilated more, but Andy's a little less close to the vest and trusting in him more," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said.
For good measure, Johnson added a 59-yard rushing touchdown on his second snap of his first possession with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter to make matters worse for Arizona State. And then walk-on running back Charlie Vincent added a 22-yard rushing touchdown with eight seconds left to play for the final score.
"Just trying to run the clock out; I can't tell a kid to fall down," Whittingham said. "I mean, that's — and I don't think their head coach would like that, either. ... We weren't certainly trying to pour it on — that's not our style, that's not who we are — but it was good run by Charlie, and so good for him."
MOSS'D HIM!! 😤#GoUtes | @munirmcclain_6pic.twitter.com/sHqVxLsLPr
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) November 4, 2023
Outside of a 78-yard kickoff return by Elijhah Badger that ended with a 35-yard field goal by Arizona State placekicker Dario Longhetto, Utah had the Sun Devils' number. The Utes held the Sun Devils to 27 total yards of offense in the first half, including -1 yards passing until the final drive of the half to get to 13 yards, and limited both quarterbacks to only five completions.
In total, Arizona State finished with only 83 total yards of offense, with starting quarterback Trenton Bourguet finishing with -1 yards on 3-of-6 passing in an injury-riddled game for the Sun Devils' third-string quarterback turned starter.
In Borguet's absence, former BYU quarterback Jacob Conover didn't fair much better and finished with 14 yards on 2-of-11 passing in the first half, and 41 yards on 5-of-22 passing for the game.
Utah Linebacker Levani Damuni led the team with 11 tackles, Miles Battle added an interception in the third quarter, and Jonah Elliss had 1.5 sacks in a dominant win. Elliss' 11.5 sacks on the season is the ninth most all-time in a season at Utah and is the most since Bradlee Anae had 13 in 2019.
"Honestly, we just kept it really simple," Elliss said of the defensive game plan. "I think we play our best defense when we keep it simple and just do your assignment and knowing that every other guy is going to do his assignment. It's just that trust factor that we've built together. I think that's why we were so successful."
Even a fourth-and-2 try in Arizona State territory late in the third quarter, Utah held firm and stopped the Sun Devils offense short of the sticks to record a turnover on downs on a short field for the Utes.
Utah played for the clock and used a rush-heavy scheme before Barnes connected with tight end Landen King on 20-yard pass on third-and-11 to the 2-yard line. And then three plays later, Barnes found King again for a 2-yard touchdown.
Utah finished the day with a season-high 513 total yards on offense, including a season-high 352 rushing yards. In total, seven players contributed with positive yards in the run game, with Jackson finishing with a team-high 111 yards and one touchdown. Johnson added 79 yards, Jaylon Glover added 64 yards, and Barnes finished with 56 yards.
"When we run it well and the opponent doesn't, that's our formula for success," Whittingham said. "That's what we hang our hat on right there."
