Oct. 25, 2004
SALT LAKE CITY -
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Below are some brief notes on this week's Utah football game at San Diego State. For the complete release, please choose the PDF option.
> No. 9/10 ranked Utah (7-0, 3-0 MWC) hits the Mountain West Conference road this week, playing at San Diego State (2-5, 0-3 MWC). Game time is 6 p.m. PDT (7 p.m. MDT) in San Diego. The game will be televised by KJZZ.
> Ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press poll and No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll for the second straight week, the Utes moved up one spot to No. 6 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings. Although Utah did improve in the three rankings used for the BCS Series Standings--and in fact slipped from 4-5 in the computer rankings--it leapfrogged past Wisconsin, which slid three spots in the computer rankings. Utah now has a .7217 BCS average to UW's .7180 mark for a .0037 edge. Last week, the Utes trailed the Badgers by .0004.
> Utah's top 10 national ranking in both polls for the second straight week marks a first for the program. While Utah was ranked in the top 10 by both the Associated Press and the Coaches twice in 1994, the rankings were not in back-to-back weeks. For Utah's complete ranking history, please see page 13.
> Utah is hoping to tie the school record set by the 1994 Utes by starting the season at 8-0.
UNCHARTED WATERS
Utah made its first-ever appearance in the Bowl Championship Series standings on Oct. 18, checking in at No. 7--also the best debut ever by a non-BCS school. The Utes moved up a place in the BCS standings this week to No. 6. The 2004 Utes have also tied a school record for most top 10 rankings in a season (two weeks in both the A.P. and Coaches polls). The Utes were ranked No. 9 and No. 8, respectively, in the Oct. 30, 1994 A.P. and Coaches polls, and finished the season at No. 10 and No. 8.
BCS BEATERS
Utah is 3-0 against the BCS in 2004, beating current No. 16 Texas A&M (41-21), Arizona (23-6) and North Carolina (46-16). The Utes are 5-1 against BCS teams under Head Coach
Urban Meyer, counting a 2-1 mark last year. Utah beat California and Oregon and suffered a two-point loss at Texas A&M in 2003. With
Alex Smith as the starting quarterback, Utah is 5-0 vs. the BCS in the last two years.
LIGHTING IT UP
Utah ranks second in the nation in this week in scoring offense, averaging 42.6 points per game. Ahead of Utah is Boise State (44.1 ppg). The Utes have put up 40 or more points in five games--including a 41-21 win over now No. 16 ranked Texas A&M, whose only loss was to Utah. Utah's closest game so far--a 17-point win at Arizona--was the only game in which the Utes failed to score at least four touchdowns. The Utes are fourth in the nation this week in total offense (488.9 yards per game).
LAST GAME
Utah set the tone for a blowout from the opening kickoff against UNLV when
Bo Nagahi ran the ball 10 yards out of the end zone and handed it to
Morgan Scalley, who raced 90 yards for a touchdown just 15 seconds into a 63-28 Utah victory. Utah tacked on three additional touchdowns in the first quarter--tying a school record for most points scored in a quarter (28). The statistics didn't tell the tale of this shellacking, partially because most of Utah's offensive and defensive starters sat out the entire four quarter--also the only scoreless quarter by the Utes. Still,
Alex Smith passed for three touchdowns and ran for a 70-yard score--tying for the 12th longest run from the line of scrimmage in school history. Special teams ace
Grady Marshall blocked a punt--his third of the season--as did "Utah Man"
Billy Kinsey, whose block was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown by
Shaun Harper. Freshman kicker
David Carroll tied a school record in his first start by making nine extra point attempts.
Eric Weddle led the defense with a career-tying 11 tackles and a forced fumble.
THE STREAK
Utah has won its last 11 games to tie the second-longest win streak in school history, set clear back in 1904-05. The school record is 16 straight wins from 1928-30. The 2004 Utes already own the school record for consecutive road/neutral site wins with eight.
GRIDBITS
Utah is averaging 43,780 to its first three home games of the season, which puts it on target to beat last year's school-record 41,478 average (see page 11 for complete attendance notes) ... The 63 points scored against UNLV last Saturday was the most since the 1994 Utes pasted Division I-AA Idaho State 66-0. It is the most points against a I-A opponent since the 1983 Utes beat Wyoming 69-14 ...
Bo Nagahi (10 yards) and
Morgan Scalley's (90 yards) tag-team 100-yard kickoff return against UNLV tied the school record set six previous times--most recently by Erroll Tucker (twice) in 1985 ... The Utes are converting on 49% of their third down attempts (45-92). Opponents are converting on 34% (37-110).
EARLY RISERS
Utah is crushing teams in the first half, scoring 199 total first half points to its foes' 58. That's a spread of 141 points or 20 touchdowns (including PAT). Utah, which has frequently emptied its bench in the second half this season, leads that stanza 99-61. Utah's best offensive and defensive quarter is the second, when the Utes have rolled up a 110-27 scoring advantage. Next best for the offense is the first quarter (89 points), while the defense's second best quarter is the fourth (28 points).
