Upcoming Event: Football versus Idaho on September 3, 2026
Football
vs Idaho
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
The University of Utah Athletics
Defense Leads Utah to Third Straight Victory
6/21/1999 12:00 AM | Football
November 14, 1998
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Utah scored two touchdowns within 55 seconds in the first quarter and the Utes blocked a punt and forced six New Mexico turnovers in a 41-7 victory on Saturday.
Utah (7-3, 5-2 WAC) kept alive postseason hopes with its third straight victory in the Western Athletic Conference.
New Mexico (3-8, 1-7) averted a shutout when freshman defensive back Scott Gerhardt intercepted a pass by Utah backup quarterback T.D. Croshaw and returned it 57 yards with 7:59 left.
The game was the last in football for New Mexico in the WAC. The Lobos and Utah, charter members when the league was formed in 1962, are among the eight schools leaving next June to form the new Mountain West Conference. Utah ends WAC play next week against BYU.
The Utes took the opening kickoff and used up more than seven minutes in an 80-yard, 14-play drive that ended with Mike Anderson scoring from the 2.
New Mexico's Rishard Stafford fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Utah's Steve McCrary recovered at the Lobos 19. Two plays later, Jonathan Crosswhite found Jerome Anderson wide open in the left corner of the end zone.
Crosswhite scored from the 1 to finish off a 54-yard scoring drive in the second quarter and another New Mexico breakdown set up Utah's next score just before the half.
Utah's Colby Knight blocked Jason Bloom's punt and the Utes took over at the New Mexico 27. A 23-yard pass from Crosswhite to Jerome Anderson set up a 2-yard TD by Omar Bacon.
New Mexico quarterback Graham Leigh, the offensive player of the year in the WAC's Mountain Division, had four passes intercepted. He has thrown eight in the last three games and 16 this year, twice as many as last season when the Lobos were 9-4 and went to the Insight.com Bowl.
By PETE HERRERA
AP Sports Writer
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - College football analyst Yogi Roth
Wednesday, May 06
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Utah Football Head Coach Morgan Scalley
Wednesday, April 29
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Utah Football legend Brian Johnson
Friday, February 20
Utah Football Head Coach Morgan Scalley Introductory Press Conference | 1.06.25
Tuesday, January 06