#18 Utah Dominates Both Sides Of The Ball In 55-3 Win Over Arizona State

Saturday, November 4

Salt Lake City, UT

12:00 PM

University of Utah

7-2 , 4-2

Arizona State

2-7 , 1-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Arizona St.

Utah

#18 Utah Dominates Both Sides Of The Ball In 55-3 Win Over Arizona State

11/4/2023 4:41 PM | Football

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SALT LAKE CITY – It was a dominant performance on both sides of the ball for the No. 18 University of Utah Football team as they produced season-highs on offense while keeping Arizona State out of the end zone for a 55-3 victory in Rice-Eccles Stadium today. Utah improved to 7-2 overall this season and 4-2 in Pac-12 play.

Utah racked up a season-high 513 yards on offense which included 161 yards through the air and a season-best 352 rushing yards along with seven total touchdowns (3 rush, 4 rec). Utah averaged 6.7 yards per play, also winning the time of possession battle once again at 36:33 to 23:27.

It was Utah's first 50-point game since 2022 (63 at Colorado) with the 513 yards also being the most for the Utes since the Pac-12 Championship game against USC (533 yds). Utah's 352 rushing yards today marked the second time this season the Utes have eclipsed 300 yards rushing (317 vs. Cal), also counting as the most in a game for the Utes since last season against Colorado (383 yds).

On defense, Utah held the Sun Devils to just 83 yards of total offense, the least amount of yards produced by a Utah opponent since 2019 when Cal was only able to muster 83 yards as well. Utah kept Arizona State to 40 yards passing and 43 yards rushing, the fifth time this season the Utes have held an opponent to under 100 yards rushing and the first time since 2021 that Utah has kept an opponent to under 50 yards passing (44 at San Diego State).

GAME LEADERS
It was a complete team effort on both sides of the ball, starting with quarterback Bryson Barnes going 19-of-28 passing (67.8%) for 161 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, adding seven carries for 56 rushing yards. He hit three different players for passing touchdowns with Devaughn Vele scoring two (7 catches, 56 yds) while Landen King (4 catches, 43 yds) and Munir McClain (1 catch, 20 yds) each scored one.

In the ground game, Ja'Quinden Jackson secured his fifth-career 100-yard rushing game with 111 yards on 13 carries (8.5 ypc), scoring his second touchdown of the season and the 12^th of his career. Quarterback Nate Johnson also had two rushes for 79 yards and a touchdown (39.5 ypc) with Jaylon Glover adding a team-high 14 carries for 64 yards.

For the second game in a row, linebacker Levani Damuni led the team in tackles and produced double-digit numbers, finishing with 11 stops. Karene Reid added seven tackles and a pass breakup while Jonah Elliss also had three tackles that included 1.5 sacks and a career-high two pass breakups.

Despite only having to punt twice in the game, Jack Bouwmeester made the most of it, averaging 48.5 yards per punt, including a game-long of 55 yards.

FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN
For the second time in the last three games, Utah scored on its first drive of the game, finding its way to the end zone on an eight-play, 72-yard drive. Barnes led the team downfield by going 5-for-5 passing for 49 yards that included first down completions to King and Vele, finishing things off with an 11-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Vele for the 7-0 lead.

Utah's defense went on to make quick work of the Arizona State offense with the Sun Devils being forced to punt, giving Utah the ball back on their own 35-yard line. The Utes would extend their lead to 14-0 on a 65-yard scoring drive that included a 16-yard rush from Jackson and Dijon Stanley's first offensive play of his career with a 14-yard catch, ending the drive with Vele's second touchdown of the game with a three-yard snag.

On the Utes' kickoff, the Sun Devils would return the kick for 78 yards, putting them in scoring territory on their next drive. Arizona State would have to settle for a field goal though, knocking in a 35-yarder to make it 14-3 with 3:08 to go in the quarter.

SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN
The Utes tacked on 10 points in the second quarter, starting with a 30-yard field goal from Cole Becker with 4:05 on the clock to make it a 14-point game. It wouldn't take long for the Utes to regain possession after Cole Bishop broke up a pass on a third down to force the Sun Devils to punt, giving Utah the ball back on its own 32-yard line.

Utah would make the most of its next drive, extending it twice with third down conversions from Vele (9-yard catch) and Jaylon Glover (12-yard rush), ending with McClain out-jumping his defender in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown to put the Utes up 24-3 to end the half.

The Utah defense held Arizona State to just 27 yards of total offense in the first half with the Utes producing 299 yards that included 121 rushing yards in the second quarter.

THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN
The Sun Devils started the third quarter with a quick three-and-out after the Utes kicked off with Utah getting the ball back on its own 46-yard line with 12:35 on the clock. It would turn into a one-play scoring drive for the Utes with Jackson breaking free for a 54-yard rushing touchdown, his longest of the season, giving Utah a 31-3 lead.

Utah and Arizona State would trade possessions later in the quarter with Miles Battle picking off the Sun Devils on a third-and-16 to give the Utes possession on the ASU 28-yard line with 6:03 to go in the quarter. Utah would have to settle on a field goal though with Becker kicking a 43-yarder to put the Utes up 34-3 with 3:47 on the clock.

FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN
After the Utes got the ball back with under three minutes to go in the third quarter, the drive bled into the fourth quarter with Barnes passing for his fourth touchdown of the game. On third-and-11 from the ASU 22-yard line, Barnes found King open for a 20-yard catch to put them in the red zone and linked up with King three plays later for a two-yard passing touchdown to give Utah a 41-3 lead.

It was another three-and-out for the Sun Devils with 12:59 on the clock with the Utes taking over at their own 40-yard line with Johnson entering the game. It would be Johnson that turned on the jets two plays later, bursting through the ASU defense for a 59-yard rushing touchdown, the second-longest rushing score of the season, putting Utah up 48-3.

Utah would round out its scoring with just eight seconds to go in the game with Charlie Vincent running in his first touchdown of the season and the second of his career with the 22-yard rushing score also counting as his longest run as a Ute to put a period on Utah's 55-3 victory.

UP NEXT
The Utes will head to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Washington Huskies on Saturday, Nov. 11 in Seattle. The game time and TV network will be announced at a later time.