Utes Roll Wyoming 47-17 - The Official Athletic Site of the University of Utah

Utes Roll Wyoming 47-17
Utah claims a share of the Mountain West title with the win.

Utah's Steve Savoy catches a 34-yard touchdown pass against Wyoming.

Final Stats

By DOUG ALDEN
AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Alex Smith passed for 296 yards and two touchdowns and ran for three scores to lead Utah past Wyoming 47-17 Saturday, giving the Utes at least a share of the Mountain West Conference title.

Converted tight end Ben Moa ran for 125 yards for Utah (8-2, 5-1), which had 548 yards of offense and could win its first outright league championship since 1957 by beating Brigham Young next week in Provo.

After allowing Casey Bramlet to complete his first nine passes for Wyoming (4-6, 2-3), the Ute defense regrouped and all but shut down the Cowboys, which had been averaging 366.4 yards per game.

Wyoming finished with 332 total yards, gaining just 70 in the second half and not crossing midfield until the final play of the game. Bramlet completed 18 of 29 passes for 257 yards.

Smith was 17-of-26 and ran 15 times for 76 yards as the Utes continued to run the ball well without leading rusher Brandon Warfield, who has missed the last two games while recovering from a knee injury.

Coach Urban Meyer inserted Moa in the backfield two weeks ago against Air Force and Moa scored three touchdowns and threw a two-point conversion for the win as the Utes beat the Falcons 45-43 in triple overtime.

Moa didn't score Saturday, but showed his versatility again with 22 carries and went over the 100-yard mark with a 9-yard run with in the fourth quarter.

Smith got pulled with about 5� minutes left in the fourth for Lance Rice. The senior backup ran for a 1-yard touchdown in his final home game at Rice-Eccles Stadium, which is partially named for Rice's grandfather and Ute donor, Bob Rice.

After an even first half, the Utes scored on their first five possessions in the second half to beat the Cowboys for the fourth straight time.

Bryan Borreson broke a 17-all tie with a 42-yard field goal early in the third quarter, then after a punt and interference penalty on the coverage Utah got the ball back at the Wyoming 38. Smith scored on a 15-yard run with 9:35 left, scored on a 7-yard run on the Utes' next possession then hit Steve Savoy with a 34-yard touchdown pass less than a minute into the fourth quarter to put Utah up 40-17. Smith and Savoy also connected on a 45-yard TD pass in the second quarter.

Smith scored on a 4-yard run early in the first quarter after Wyoming shanked a punt that set up the Utes at the Cowboy 30.

Wyoming came right back, marching 82 yards - all on five straight passes by Bramlet to tie the score at 7-all on a 13-yard catch by Javon Bouknight, then took a brief lead on a 35-yard field goal by Deric Yaussi.