Upcoming Event: Track & Field versus NCAA First Round on May 28, 2026
Track & Field
vs NCAA First Round
The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Football: In-Game Notes at Washington
General
Offense
Defense
Special Teams
- Washington won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Utah defended the East goal to begin the game.
- Greg Mroz of the Pac-12 Research Department reported that Utah's Sione Vaki is the first Pac-12 player since Washington's Shaq Thompson on Sept. 6, 2014 to have both an offensive touchdown and a sack in the same game. Eric Weddle was the last Utah player to accomplish the feat, earning 0.5 sack on Dec. 23, 2006.
Offense
- During the first quarter, quarterback Bryson Barnes completed a 41-yard pass to wide receiver Devaughn Vele. It was Barnes' longest completion since the USC game and a season-long for Vele (his longest since the Rose Bowl last season).
- Tight end Landen King had a pair of receptions later in that drive (15 yards and 5 yards). It marks King's second straight game with multiple catches, after contributing four receptions last week vs. Arizona State.
- Barnes was a perfect 4-for-4 passing on Utah's first touchdown drive, tallying 70 yards through the air. The six-play, 75-yard drive was capped off by running back Ja'Quinden Jackson's third rushing touchdown of the season and second in as many games.
- Wide receiver Money Parks took an end-around for 15 yards early in the second quarter; it was a career-long rush for Parks.
- Converted tight end Miki Suguturaga caught his first career touchdown pass during the second quarter. It was a six-yard strike from Barnes and finished a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive for Utah.
- Two-way player Sione Vaki caught a 53-yard touchdown pass with 5:59 left in the second quarter. It is Vaki's fifth career touchdown and third receiving. The distance tied Vaki's longest touchdown (at USC).
- Vele had a career-long 68-yard reception just before halftime that pushed Vele over the 100-yard receiving marker. It surpassed Vele's career-high receiving yardage and marked his second career 100-yard game (the other was 100 on the nose in the Rose Bowl vs. Penn State).
- Two plays later, Jackson punched in his second touchdown of the game; it is his first multi-touchdown game since the 2022 Pac-12 Championship vs. USC (2).
- Utah's offensive stats at halftime included 306 total yards (238 passing), 13 first downs and 18.3 yards per completion.
- Barnes entered the halftime break with 238 passing yards, already surpassing his previous career-high of 235 in the USC game.
- After going 0-for-2 on third-down conversions during the first quarter, the Utes were 4-for-4 in the second quarter.
- Vaki's 53-yard touchdown was Utah's sixth offensive touchdown for 50-plus yards this season. It's the most for Utah in a season since 2019 (7).
Defense
- The Utes held Washington to a three-and-out on its game-opening drive, marking the seventh opening drive this season that a Utah opponent has gone without a first down. It was also just the fourth time this season that Washington did not score a touchdown on its game-opening drive.
- Safety Sione Vaki had a pass breakup during the first quarter; he has now defended three passes on the season (1 INT, 2 PBU).
- Cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn had a three-yard TFL during the second quarter. It brings Vaughn to 2.5 TFL on the season and was his first since the USC game.
- Vaki was credited a 10-yard sack on Washington's first drive of the second half. It was a third-down stop and first sack for Vaki since the UCLA game.
- Linebacker Levani Damuni reached the six-tackle mark for the sixth time this season and the third straight game.
- Later in the game, Damuni reached 10 stops for the third straight game.
Special Teams
- Playing on the punt team, Luca Caldarella recorded his second multi-tackle game as a Ute and first this season.