Cameron Rising (7) of the Utah Utes runs the ball for a primary down whereas enjoying the San Diego State Aztecs in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
For the previous calendar yr, No. 14 Utah has felt considerably sick to its abdomen — sort of like a recurring case of Montezuma’s revenge — about final yr’s 33-31 triple extra time loss to San Diego State.
It was a bitter setback that served as a turning level for a season that noticed the Utes win their first Pac-12 championship and earn their first journey to the Rose Bowl.
Nonetheless, this week, Utah’s gamers and coaches stated that they had a nasty style of their mouths as they recalled that defeat, saying that they had some unfinished enterprise to deal with towards SDSU.
And on Saturday night time at Rice-Eccles Stadium, the Utes exacted revenge — after which some — on the Aztecs with a powerful 35-7 victory.
“I believe we had been simply (ticked) off about final yr, the way in which it completed, arising quick,” stated quarterback Cam Rising. “We actually simply wished to ship a message, particularly we heard that they had been speaking about physicality all week and the way they had been going to out-physical us once more and all that.
“We took that non-public.”
However It took some time for the Utes to get going offensively.
Thanks partially to a 21-point second quarter, Utah (2-1) cruised, and crushed the hapless Aztecs (1-2).
Rising exhibited his moxie for the primary time final season when he changed starter Charlie Brewer within the second half towards SDSU and led the Utes to a pair of touchdowns late within the fourth quarter to drive extra time.
This time, Rising accomplished 18 of 30 passes for 224 yards and a career-high 4 touchdowns in about three quarters of motion.
Working again Tavion Thomas rushed 16 occasions for 59 yards and a landing, whereas Micah Bernard had 5 carries for 44 yards.
Brant Kuithe caught 5 passes for 64 yards and a landing; Devaughn Vele had three receptions for 38 yards and a pair of TDs; Dalton Kincaid hauled in three passes for 35 yards; and Solomon Enis had three catches for 35 yards and a TD.
In the meantime, SDSU entered the night time averaging 275 speeding yards per recreation, and it was ranked No. 4 nationally in that class.
However Utah shut down the Aztecs’ run recreation, yielding simply 113 yards, although most of these got here within the second half when the sport was already out of attain.
“Final yr, they ran the ball loads towards us,” stated security Cole Bishop. “That was a giant level of emphasis this week, simply being bodily and never letting them run the ball as a lot as they did. I believe we did that fairly good.”
“The protection was stable from begin to end,” stated coach Kyle Whittingham.
SDSU performed three completely different quarterbacks, as starter Braxton Burmeister went down with an harm. None of them was efficient towards the Ute protection. The Aztecs accomplished 7 of 21 passes for 60 yards.
“They misplaced their quarterback. We knocked him out of the sport,” Whittingham stated. “That put a damper on their throw recreation.”
The Aztecs averaged 3.1 yards per play and transformed simply 3 of 15 third down makes an attempt.
“They did an amazing job all night time simply dominating up entrance,” Rising stated of the Ute protection. “They saved giving us the ball again with good discipline place. It made our jobs that a lot simpler.”
Utah did get some dangerous information, as working again Chris Curry suffered a season-ending harm within the third quarter.
The Ute offense sputtered within the first quarter with three punts and one turnover-on-downs.
“Gradual begin,” Whittingham stated. “That was the largest disappointment of the sport.”
Utah didn’t get on the board till midway via the second quarter. That’s when Rising engineered a seven-play, 77-yard drive capped by a 30-yard landing go to Kuithe.
The Utes struck once more on its ensuing possession — an 82-yard, nine-play drive that took 4:34 off the clock — highlighted by a 24-yard run by Bernard and a 13-yard landing go from Rising to Solomon Enis.
That made it 14-0 for Utah.
However the Ute offense received the ball again rapidly as SDSU’s Justus Tavai fumbled the kickoff and Utah’s Caine Savage pounced on the ball. Rising made the Aztecs pay for his or her miscue moments later when he linked with Vele on a 15-yard landing strike with 20 seconds left within the half.
And the Utes went into the locker room at halftime with a commanding 21-0 benefit.
“We simply relaxed and began to play our model of ball,” Rising stated of the offense’s awakening.
Early within the third quarter, Utah linebacker Karene Reid intercepted quarterback Kyle Crum and returned it 14 yards because the Ute offense arrange store on the SDSU 30.
That choose “actually was the dagger,” Whittingham stated.
4 performs later, Thomas prolonged Utah’s result in 28-0 with 11:31 left within the interval on an 18-yard landing run.
On the Utes’ subsequent possession, they scored simply once more when Rising threw a 3-yard TD go to Vele to make it 35-zip.
“As soon as we received going, and received momentum, then the floodgates sort of opened and we put the sport away within the third quarter,” Whittingham stated.
The Aztecs erased the shutout halfway via the fourth quarter after a muffed punt by Malone Mataele on the Utah 27. SDSU ended up scoring on an 18-yard landing go by Crum with 3:56 remaining.
That particular groups turnover was “unlucky to see,” Whittingham stated.
However the coach appreciated what he noticed from his group.
“Total, a great win for our group,” Whittingham stated.
Utah visits Arizona State subsequent Saturday for its Pac-12 opener.
EXTRA POINTS: Introduced attendance was 51,602 … Cornerback Clark Phillips III suffered an harm early within the third quarter … Over its final two video games, Utah has outscored its opponents 59-0 within the second quarter … The Utes captured their tenth straight win at residence … Saturday marked Utah’s three hundredth all-time win over Mountain West opponents … The Utes are actually 29-4, and 20-0 at residence, in nonconference video games since becoming a member of the Pac-12 in 2011.