Upcoming Event: Football at Baylor on November 15, 2025 at 5 p.m.
Football
at Baylor
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
The University of Utah Athletics
Saturday, December 18
Las Vegas (Las Vegas Bowl)
3:00 PM PT
University of Utah
17
vs
16
Fresno State
Utes Edge Fresno State, 17-16, In Las Vegas Bowl
12/18/1999 12:00 AM | Football
Dec. 18, 1999
By DENNIS GEORGATOS
AP Sports Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Mike Anderson ran for a game-record 254 yards and two touchdowns and Cletus Truhe kicked a 33-yard field goal with five minutes left as Utah beat Fresno State 17-16 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday night.
Fresno State (8-5) went ahead 16-14 on the first play of the fourth quarter, but Colby Knight blocked Jeff Hanna's extra point attempt, setting the stage for Truhe's field goal to win the game.
The game-winning kick was vindication for Truhe, whose first two field goal tries were blocked by Fresno's Terence Brown. The first block was returned 75 yards for a touchdown by Payton Williams.
Hanna also had a field goal blocked by the Utes' Richard Seals.
Anderson scored on runs of 34 and 5 yards, the latter giving Utah (9-3) a 14-10 third-quarter lead. Fresno State answered with Derrick Ward's 2-yard TD run as the fourth quarter opened, giving the Bulldogs a 2-point lead that proved to be not quite enough.
Darnell Arceneaux, in his first game since suffering a serious concussion six weeks ago, came on when Utah quarterback T.D. Croshaw was knocked out of the game by a shoulder injury. Arceneaux was 8-of-15 for 94 yards over the last three quarters.
Utah dominated the ball, gaining a bowl-record 334 yards rushing.
Despite outgaining Fresno State 331 yards to 103, the Utes managed only a 7-all tie at halftime, the score coming on Anderson's 34-yard run with 3:51 left in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs went ahead 10-7 on Hanna's 27-yard field goal with 9:24 remaining in the third quarter.
The Utes regained the lead when Anderson finished a 68-yard drive with a 5-yard scoring run, breaking three tackles en route to his second touchdown of the night.
With Anderson breaking off key gains, the Utes drove 70 yards to the Bulldogs 14 before Truhe came on to kick the game-winning field goal with 5:03 remaining.
The Utes improved to 4-4 in bowls with its first postseason victory since a 16-13 defeat of Arizona in the 1994 Freedom Bowl. Fresno State was in a bowl for the first time since 1993.
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Utah Football's Mana Carvalho & Blake Cotton
Wednesday, November 05
Utah: 45, Cincinnati: 14 | POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE
Saturday, November 01
Head Coach Kyle Whittingham weekly press conference - 10.27.25
Monday, October 27
Utah: 53, Colorado: 7 | POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE
Saturday, October 25