No. 9 Ranked Utah Football Team Home Saturday vs. CSU

10/18/2010 12:00 AM | Football

Oct. 18, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY

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QUICKLY

> No. 9/9 Utah (6-0, 3-0 MWC) hosts Colorado State (2-5, 1-2 MWC) on Saturday, Oct. 23. Kickoff is 4 p.m. MT in Rice-Eccles Stadium. The game will be televised by The Mtn. Radio is ESPN700 AM (espn700sports.com) and SIRIUS XM (Channel 91).

> Utah is ranked No. 9 across the board this week. Utah checked in at No. 9 in the first BCS standings of the season, moved up two positions in the Associated Press poll from a week ago, and gained one spot in the USA Today Coaches poll.

> The 6-0 Utes are bowl-eligible for an eighth-straight season. Utah has the nation's longest active bowl win streak at nine games (1999, 2001, 2003-09).

> Utah is off to its third 6-0 start in the last seven years (the Utes finished 12-0 in 2004 and 13-0 in 2008).

> Utah leads the nation in kickoff returns (29.2 average) and TFL yardage allowed (47). The Utes rank in the top 10 nationally in several categories, including scoring offense (No. 4/45.8 ppg) and scoring defense (tied for No. 9/14.0 ppg).

>With 17-consecutive made field goals, dating back to last season, Utah's Joe Phillips is tied for the longest FGM streak in the nation. Phillips also owns the school record for consecutive field goals.

> Utah's series with CSU is the fourth-longest in Utah football history at 78 games. The Utes have won six of the last seven, lead 54-22-2 overall and 31-8-2 in Salt Lake City.

THE STREAK

Utah's home win streak, now at 20 games, is the third-longest active win streak in the nation, the second-longest in school history and longest home win streak in MWC history. "The Streak" dates back to a Sept. 15, 2007 victory over 11th-ranked UCLA and currently ranks behind only Oklahoma (34) and Boise State (28). The school record for consecutive home wins is 26, set from 1928-34.

LAST WEEK

Matt Asiata rushed for 109 yards and Utah's defense pitched a shutout for three quarters in a 30-6 victory over Wyoming in Laramie. Utah scored on its first possession when Jordan Wynn found a wide-open Luke Matthews for a 45-yard touchdown pass. Matthews finished with four grabs for 66 yards while tight end Brad Clifford had a career game with five receptions for 63 yards. Utah broke the game open with a 16-point second quarter to take a 23-0 lead into halftime. The Utes, who held the Cowboys to 67 net rushing yards, recorded 11 tackles for loss to the tune of 52 yards. Brandon Burton tied his career high with six tackles, while Trevor Reilly had 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

OUTSIDE THE LINES

The theme for Saturday's game is "Uth" Day and youth 12 years and younger with a game ticket are invited to follow the football team on to the field as part of the pre-game Ute Walk at 1:30 p.m. In compliance with NCAA regulations, the youth may be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older. No registration is necessary. Additional youth activities, including balloon animals, face painting and games with student-athletes from various Ute teams, will be held in the southeast plaza by the Hoberman Arch beginning at 2 p.m. ... The women's tennis team will be honored at the game for its 2010 MWC Championship and head coach Mat Iandolo will be recognized as the 2009-10 Don Reddish Coach of the Year.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

Ute running backs coach Aaron Alford played defensive back for Colorado State, lettering in 1993 ... Expected to miss this week's game against CSU is tight end Brad Clifford (shoulder) ... Utah has collected seven MWC Player of the Week citations to date: DeVonte Christopher (offense, Sept. 6), Brian Blechen (defense, Sept. 6); Smithson (special teams, Sept. 13, Sept. 20, Oct. 11), Lamar Chapman (defense, Sept. 20) and Wynn (offense, Oct. 11) ... Six true freshmen have played: Blechen, Wykie Freeman, Mike Honeycutt, Joe Kruger, Westlee Tonga and Michael Walker.

OFFENSIVE ELLIPSES

Utah has scored 42.5% of its total points in the second quarter, when it is outscoring its foes 117-7. The Utes broke a 42-year old second-quarter scoring record against Iowa State with 31 points ... The Utes are averaging 7.0 yards per play ... Utah has lost just 32 yards on rushing plays compared to 202 lost yards by its opponents.

DEFENSIVE DATA

Utah is ranked in the top 10 in the nation in scoring defense, pass defense, total defense, third down defense and opponent first downs. Please refer to the sidebar on page 4 of this release for Utah's complete MWC and NCAA rankings ... Opponents are averaging just 2.7 yards per rush and four of six have rushed for less than 100 yards: Pittsburgh (82 yards), New Mexico (69 yards), San Jose State (94 yards) and Wyoming (67).

SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIALTIES

Utah leads the nation in kickoff return average (29.21) and ranks second in punt return average (21.74). The Utes are first in the MWC in both categories ... Utah leads the country in both punt returns (27) and punt return yards (587) ... Utah and Oregon are the only two teams this year that have scored at least three touchdowns on punt returns ... Utah leads the league in kickoff coverage (46.8 net average) ... Returner Shaky Smithson has won three MWC Special Teams Player of the Week awards this year (Sept. 13, Sept. 20 and Oct. 11).