Utah Football Falls In Pac-12 Championship Game vs. Oregon, 37-15

Friday, December 6

Santa Clara, Calif.

6:00 PM

University of Utah

11-2 , 8-1

Oregon

11-2 , 8-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UTAH

OREGON

Utah Football Falls In Pac-12 Championship Game vs. Oregon, 37-15

12/6/2019 10:18 PM | Football

Box Score Box Score Postgame Notes Postgame Quotes

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The University of Utah football program struggled to get going offensively in Friday night's Pac-12 Championship game against Oregon and was unable to keep the Ducks from the end zone, falling 37-15. Utah is 11-2 overall this season.

After trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half, Utah rallied back to make it a seven-point game in the third quarter after Samson Nacua scored on a 25-yard receiving touchdown, adding a two-point conversion catch. Unfortunately for the Utes, Oregon would go on to score 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for the win.

Utah and Oregon's passing yards were identical in the game at 193 yards by each team, but it was Oregon's 239 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns that would prove troublesome for the Utes. Zack Moss led Utah in rushing yards with 113 of Utah's 116 total rushing yards, adding four catches for 57 yards and a 24-yard receiving touchdown.

Tyler Huntley was 17-of-29 passing (2 INT) for 193 yards and two passing touchdowns. It was just his third and fourth interceptions of the season with Utah entering the game tied for third in the FBS in passes had intercepted (2).

On defense, the Utes had two double-digit tacklers in Terrell Burgess (12, 1 PBU) and Francis Bernard (10). Devin Lloyd adding nine tackles and a sack for a loss of 14 yards with Mika Tafua contributing five tackles and half a tackle for loss.

After Utah was unable to convert on fourth-and-one on its first offensive drive, Oregon was able to take over on the Utah 33-yard line. Oregon drove down field 67 yards to take an early 7-0 lead with 8:00 left to play in the first quarter, ending a nine-play drive that took 3:43 off the clock.

The Utes went three-and-out on their next drive with Oregon taking possession on its own 39-yard line, driving 56 yards to the Utah five-yard line. Utah's defense was able to put together a solid goal line stand with Julian Blackmon making a stop on third-and-goal, forcing Oregon to settle for a 23-yard field goal to make it 10-0 with 4:17 remaining in the quarter.

Utah trailed by 17 points with 11:02 on the clock in the second quarter, its largest deficit of the season, after the Utes turned the ball over to end the first quarter on an interception. Oregon's scoring drive was 70 yards on three plays, ending with a 45-yard passing touchdown to give the Ducks a 17-0 lead.

Oregon extended its lead once again with 4:56 remaining in the second quarter when the Utes held them to their second field goal of the game. The Ducks converted on a 30-yarder for the final points of the half to make it 20-0, marking the first time this season that the Utes were held scoreless in the first half.

Utah started the third quarter with some fire power, forcing Oregon to punt on its first drive of the half with the Utes taking over on their own 47-yard line. Huntley started the drive with a 15-yard gain for a first down, followed by a tackle-breaking 11-yard reception by Solomon Enis to put the Utes on the Oregon 24.

On the last play of the drive, Huntley found Moss near the sideline for a dump pass with Moss taking off for a 24-yard touchdown to cut the Duck lead to 20-7. The six-play, 53-yard drive took 2:27 off the clock to make it a 13-point game.

The Utes held the Ducks to just 31 yards of total offense in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter, but Oregon was able to take a 23-7 lead with 4:56 remaining on a 25-yard field goal. It ended an eight-play, 43-yard drive that burned 2:49 off the clock.

Utah quickly shifted the momentum with one drive after fighting back late in the third quarter, scoring its second touchdown of the period and converting on a two-point conversion to make it a one-score game. Nacua came up big for the Utes on a 25-yard receiving touchdown on the backend of a seven-play, 75-yard drive, following it up with a catch on the two-point conversion to cut the Oregon lead to 23-15 with 1:13 on the clock.

To start the fourth quarter, the Utes were unable to get going on its first drive, punting to the Ducks where they took over on their own 10-yard line. Just five plays later, Oregon broke free for a 70-yard rushing touchdown on 90-yard scoring drive to make it a two-possession game with 7:09 remaining.

After throwing their second interception of the game, Utah turned the ball over with 3:22 left to play in the fourth quarter with Oregon starting on the Utah 35-yard line. Oregon scored the final points of the game at the 2:33 mark in the quarter, running in a 31-yard touchdown for the final score of 37-15.

Utah's bowl selection will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 8. during the ESPN Bowl Selection Show which begins at 1 p.m. MT.