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The University of Utah Athletics
No. 7 Utah Hits Road for Air Force
10/25/2010 12:00 AM | Football
Oct. 25, 2010
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> No. 8/7 Utah (7-0, 4-0 MWC) plays Air Force (5-3, 3-2 MWC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Saturday, Oct. 30. Kickoff is 5:30 p.m. MT in Falcon Stadium. The game will be televised by CBS C. Radio is ESPN700 AM (espn700sports.com) and SIRIUS XM (Channel 91).> Utah moved up one position in both the BCS Standings and the A.P. poll to No. 8, while improving two spots in the USA Today Coaches poll to No. 7.
> Utah is off to its third 7-0 start in the last seven years (the Utes finished 12-0 in 2004 and 13-0 in 2008).
> Utah is ranked No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense (47.7 ppg) and No. 4 in scoring defense (12.9 ppg). For more on Utah's MWC and NCAA rankings, see side bar on page 4 of this release.
> Shaky Smithson, the first-team Midseason All-America punt returner by SI.com, leads the nation in punt return average (23.33), punt return yards (560), total punt returns (24) and punt returns per game (3.43).
>Jordan Wynn was named the MWC co-Offensive Player of the Week for his 321-yard, three-touchdown performance against CSU. It is Wynn's second award this year and in his career.
> With 18 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. For more on Phillips, see `Kicking Game Notebook.'
> In 26 games against Air Force, just 19 points separate these two teams! Air Force leads the series 14-12, although Utah has closed the gap by winning six of the last seven games. For more on the series, see "Don't Leave Early" and the series box at the bottom of page 2 of this release.
> Air Force, the nation's leader in rushing offense (326.5), faces a Utah team that leads the MWC and ranks No. 6 in the country in rushing defense (87.4).
DON'T LEAVE EARLY!
The Utah-Air Force games have been even closer than the series, which Air Force leads by two, 14-12. In the 26-game history, the total point differential is just 19 points--less than a point a game--with AFA leading by a cumulative score of 756-737. The series was suspended from 1996-98 when the schools were in different divisions in the Western Athletic Conference, but resumed with the same intensity it left off. Below are a few of the classics:1995: (Salt Lake City) Utah trailed 21-7 with 0:41 remaining in the game, only to come back and win 22-21. In a span of 10 seconds, Mike Fouts threw two touchdown passes--the second after Utah recovered an onside kick--and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala rushed for a two-point conversion.
2001: (Colorado Springs) Trailing 38-37, Utah moved to the Air Force 12-yard line in the final minute. But with eight seconds left, quarterback Lance Rice dropped back to pass, scrambled to his right and was tackled as time expired.
2003: (Colorado Springs) Utah won the first triple overtime game in MWC history, 45-43. Air Force came back from a 23-7 deficit to tie the game 23-23 with 3:09 remaining and a chance to win in regulation. But Utah's Spencer Toone blocked a 50-yard field goal attempt to set off three overtime periods. Utah eventually won on a two-point conversion pass from tight end Ben Moa to fellow tight end Matt Hansen.
2005: (Salt Lake City) Air Force scored twice in the final four minutes to pull within three (38-35), but its onside kick failed and Utah escaped with a win.
2006: (Colorado Springs) Louie Sakoda kicked a 37-yard game-winning field goal as time expired and Utah beat Air Force 17-14.
2008: (Colorado Spring) Darrell Mack scored the go-ahead touchdown with 0:58 remaining on a 9-yard run, and Joe Dale intercepted an Air Force pass to clinch a 30-23 Utah win over previously undefeated Air Force.
2009: (Salt Lake City) Eddie Wide scored on a 1-yard run in overtime and the Ute defense stopped Air Force at the 7-yard line on downs for a 23-16 victory.
OFFENSIVE ELLIPSES
The 2010 Utes are on a school-record scoring pace, averaging 47.71 points per game, which ranks third in the nation. The school record is 45.33 ppg, set in 2004 ... Utah has scored 50-plus points in four of its first seven games to equal the season total for the 2004 Utes ... Utah has scored 40% of its total points in the second quarter, when it is outscoring its foes 134-13 ... The Utes are averaging 7.4 yards per play.DEFENSIVE DATA
Utah is ranked in the top 10 in the nation in total defense, rushing defense, scoring defense, pass 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 2.5 yards per rush and five of seven have rushed for less than 100 yards: Pittsburgh (82 yards), New Mexico (69 yards), San Jose State (94 yards), Wyoming (67) and Colorado State (28).SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIALTIES
Utah is ranked second nationally in both kickoff return average (28.06) and punt return average (21.14) ... The Utes are first in the MWC in both categories ... Utah leads the country in both punt returns (28) and punt return yards (592) ... Utah and Oregon are the only teams this year that have scored at least three touchdowns on punt returns ... Utah is second in the league in kickoff coverage (46.5 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).
Players Mentioned
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