Upcoming Event: Track & Field versus NCAA First Round on May 28, 2026
Track & Field
vs NCAA First Round
The University of Utah Athletics
In-Game Notes vs. Colorado
General
Offense
Defense
Special Teams
- Utah has led at halftime in six straight games and now nine this season. In the eight previous contests the Utes are 7-1 when leading at the half with Oregon State (Oct. 23) the only loss.
- Utah won the coin toss and elected to receive. Colorado defended the South goal to begin the game.
- When winning the coin toss, it was the fourth straight time that Utah elected to receive.
- Official attendance was 51,538, fourth-most in Rice-Eccles Stadium history. It also closes the regular season for Utah with a home average attendance of 51,817, a single-season home best for the Utes. The previous high for season average at RES was 46,533 during 2015.
- It's the 70th consecutive at Rice-Eccles Stadium, dating back to the 2010 season opener.
Offense
- In TJ Pledger and Tavion Thomas, Utah had two players with a 100-yard rushing game for the second time this season. The last was at Stanford (Nov. 5) when Thomas (177), Micah Bernard (110) and Pledger (107) each crossed the century mark on the ground.
- Junior wide receiver Britain Covey reeled in his first catch of the game during the first quarter. It marked Covey's 15th straight game with a reception and he now has a catch in 42 of his 45 career games played as a Ute.
- Covey brought in a season-long 33-yard reception during the third quarter. It was his longest reception since a 91-yard touchdown reception during the 2020 season finale vs. Washington State.
- Two plays later, Covey caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Cameron Rising, his second receiving score of the season and first since the game at San Diego State (Sept. 18).
- Rising passed for multiple touchdowns for the sixth time this season and second time in the last three games. It is his third three-touchdown game, tying a career-high following three passing touchdowns at San Diego State (Sept. 18) and at USC (Oct. 9).
- Sophomore running back Tavion Thomas rushed for fifth 100-yard game of the season and seventh of his career. It includes two such performances while Thomas played at Cincinnati.
- During the third quarter, Thomas rushed for his Pac-12-leading and Utah season-record 18th touchdown.
- During the game, Covey passed former Ute Jereme Brooks (2007-10; 1,843 career receiving yards) for ninth in the program record book.
- Junior tight end Brant Kuithe caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Cameron Rising during the second quarter. It was Kuithe's sixth receiving touchdown of the season.
- Kuithe's sixth receiving touchdown of the season ties a career-high (six in 2019).
- Classmate and fellow tight end Dalton Kincaid also caught a scoring pass from Rising for 28-yards, Kincaid's sixth receiving TD.
- Both Kincaid and Kuithe's six receiving touchdowns lead all tight ends in the Pac-12.
- It also marked the first season since at least 1996 in which Utah has had two tight ends each record six receiving touchdowns.
- The last time any Pac-12 team had multiple tight ends with six receiving touchdowns was in 2011, when Stanford's Coby Fleener (10) and Levine Toilolo (6) accomplished the feat.
- Rising was intercepted on Utah's first drive of the game, just the third interception of the season for Rising and ending a streak of 149 consecutive pass attempts for Rising without a pick.
Defense
- Junior linebacker Devin Lloyd has recorded at least one tackle for loss in 18 of the last 20 games.
- Lloyd posted his ninth game this season with seven-plus tackles, currently tied for the most in the Pac-12.
- Fellow junior and linebacker Nephi Sewell recorded his third 10-tackle game of the season and sixth of his career. Sewell's other such performacnes in 2021 include at BYU (Sept. 11; 11 tackles) and vs. UCLA (Oct. 30; 14 tackles).
- Junior defensive end Mika Tafua had an eight-yard sack during the third quarter, bringing Tafua to a Pac-12-leading 9.5 sacks on the year.
- Freshman defensive end Van Fillinger recorded his fifth sack of the season during the fourth quarter. It comes after Fillinger did not have a sack during the 2020 season.
- Freshman safety Cole Bishop had a four-yard tackle for loss during the third quarter. Bishop now has 7.0 TFLs on the year
- For just the fourth time this season, Utah's opponent scored on its game-opening drive.
Special Teams
- Sophomore punter Michael Williams booted a career-long 50-yard punt late in the third quarter.
- During the game, Britain Covey passed former Ute Erroll Tucker for fourth-most punt return yards in a single season. Tucker amassed 389 punt return yards in 1985.