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Show ACLS GAME 3 4-A TENNIS UNBEATEN Behind Roger Clemens’ experienced arm, Yankeesclip Red Sox for a 2-1 series lead. Bountiful girls win the state championship, picking up No.1 singles and doublestitles along the way New-look Jazz edge Sonics for second-straight preseason victory. Page C3 Page C3 Page C3 The Halt Lake Tribune ) — OcrosBeEr 12, 2003 C()LLEG EK KOOTBALL | WWW.SLTRIB.COM — i a Utan 27, SAN DieGo STATE 6 GORDON MONSON Utes kick Aztecs Utes’ success is just half the story unbeaten in { conference * vidence that Urban Meyer's E Utes may be on a righteous roll is, as Magic Johnson used to say in those old sneaker commercials, eeeevverrryywhheeeeeree! Proof comes these days in small miracles — not only in the form of two consecutive made field goals By Micnakt C. Lewis The Salt Lake Tribune Whetherit was an emotional letdownafter a big game, the absence of national television or the relative low-profile of the opponent, the Utah Utes did nat (yeah, that’s not a typo), but in victo- begin their game against San Diego State with muchfire on Saturday night. And then there was halftime. That’s when everything changed for the Utes in their 274 victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Afterward, they quit committing crucial fumbles, almost quit ry, a convincing one at that, after Utah on Saturday nightat Rice- Eccles Stadium took a game and halved it like a piece offruit, ultimately putting it back together, only a mite off center. The comprehensive result: Utah 27, San DiegoState6. That happy whole for Meyer came onthe heels of the one half, a truly rotten one, during which his team could do nothing productive on offense. Over that sorry span, his vaunted spread offense was spreading only manure. It stunk. It could not score a point. The Utes, in a word, sucked. “We knew we could comeback,” said quarterback Alex Smith. “But wejust kept killing ourselves.” committing killer penalties, and finally fired up the offense to avenge a crushing defeat last season and remain unbeaten the Mountain West Conference. Pair that with another stifling defensive effort, and the Utes might even drag themselves into the AP Top 25 this week with their 5-1 record. “We played great defense all day,” coach Urban Meyer sai. “And we were not stopped. What we were was a mistake team, Let us count the ways ... @ SanDiego State’s first posses- sion and drive, ending in a field goal, Andin the second half, we did't have those mistakes.” ' ,o wee we SS he 5 we Eee OES Sl was aided by a pass interference penalty on corner Arnold Parker on a bomb down theright sideline. e A direct snap over running back Brandon Warfield’s head flew like a helium balloon 24 yards in the wrong direction, forcing a punt. @ Steve Savoy, flailing all alone on his wayto the end zone, was badly overthrown by Smith. It wouldn’t have counted, anyway, on accountof anotherpenalty. @ A fumble by Smith at the Utah 41-yard line, was recovered and returned by the Aztecs to the 15, leading to another SDSUfield goal, and a 6-zip deficit for the Utes. s Not only were the Utes inept, they were boring. The half ended. That was the best newsofthe night. Utah gained a total of 84 yards in that rot, with just 27 of them coming on the ground. The passing game was tepid, too, Smith gathering just 57 yards in six throwing attempts. For an engine that supposedly had been rebuilt, with a 4-1 record, and heading for the on-ramp toward a Top 25 ranking, Utah seemed to be blowing parts all over the road. But then — and this is where the magic comes in, in part, because it has happened again and again — Meyer's team slid off its own spewed oil and found traction on drypave- Not many, at least. Although they were shut out in the first half, largely because of drive-killing fumbles and pen- alties, the Utes erupted in the third quarter See UTES, C14 Ute football inside Trent Newson/TheSalt Lake Tribune Utah running back Brandon Warfield ran roughshod over San Diego State's defense to lead the Utes to the 27-6 win. Ags battered again | by foe from MWC 5th nonconference loss: It’s a big setback for USU in the search for respectability ment. For the fourth straight game, they came from behind in the second half to win. The Utes reeled in a TD on their first drive of the third quarter. More amazingly — and hold onto your shorts on this one — Bryan Bor- reson nailed two straightfield goals, the first from 33 yards and the second from 26 yards. In those moments, love, for the Utes, was in the air. There is a God. From there, Utah rolled,theoffense clicking, the defense repeatedly sticking the Aztecs. The Utes finished with a remarkable 331 yards in the second half, culminating in those equally impressive 27 points. All of which brings us to the conclusion that, at Utah this season, the whole is more than the sum of its parts, especially when a full half of them stink. Winning a game in which the Utes By Kurt KRAGTHORPE The Salt Lake Tribune The Cowboys’ 4821 COP Both they, andit, will roll. pine eres & |oe ter game. victory ended USU’s five-game nonconference schedule with a fifth defeat in front of a homecoming crowd of 26,594. The Aggies are consoled bytheir 1-0 league record, as they return to Sun Belt Conference play next LOGAN — Utah State needs to rediscover the Sun Belt, and soon. The Aggies’ season turned chilly Saturday night at Romney Stadium, where the temperature dipped into the high 40s in the fourth quarter, right about the time Wyoming was scoring in the high 40s. weekend at two-time defending champion North Texas. But for a program in search of regional credibility, this was another major setback. After losses to Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming, the season score- See USU, C12 Danny CHan La/The Associated Prem Utah State quarterback Travis Cox fights to avoid the sack by Wyoming's Brandon Casavan. Cox completed 16 of his 35 passes for 202 yards in the loss to the Cowboys. Top 25 FOoTBALI, ~ #23 WISCONSIN 17, #3 OHIO StaTE 10 OSU winningstreak ends at 19 By ARNIE STAPLETON The Assorated Press looked as disengaged as they did — “We lacked focus,” said receiver Paris Warren — for so muchofa lopsided Saturday night, underscores the still untapped promise and potential within their grasp. Think of what maylie ahead, what that round piece of fruit may turn into, if and when theyare fully dialed in for an entire game, game af- @ Utes defense torments San Diego Stata. @ Bryan Borreson redeems himself, 2-for-2 on field goals. UTE NOTES Page C14 Monxay Gasn /The Salt Lake Trifene Wisconsin's Matt Katuia, center, dives on a loose ball as Elliot Goid, Se MADISON, Wis quarterback Matt Schabert hit Lee Evans with touchdown pass with 5:20left as No 23 Wisconsin third-ranked Ohio State’s 19 game winning streak with a 17-10 victory Saturdaynight The champion Buckeyes had just tied the game on Michael Jenkins’ 6-yard catch from Craig Krenzel with - remaining Evans, the Big Ten’s lead ing receiver, had been bilan keted by cornerback Chris Gamble so well all night that he hadn't had a single pass thrown his way But on second-and-9 from the 21, Evans beat Gamble and safety Will Allen was slow get ting over. Schabert hit Evans in stride at the Ohio State 48 and Evans raced into the end zone Booker Stanley carried 31 times for 125 yards, including a 24-yard runthat sealed jt in the closing minute after Schab ert’s 6yard naked bootleg on third-and-2 off a great fake to Stanley " The Badgers improved tp 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes fell to 54 See WISCONSIN, C13 INSIDE @ Oklahoma routs Texas & @ Air Force downs UNLV CB @ North Texas wins Ci3 ; |
