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Show SPORTS Page 11 Monday, September 11,2006 SCOREBOARD COMING UP MLS RSL 1 D.C. 1 Volleyball Utah St. 0 Utah 3 Volleyball Missouri St. 0 Utah 3 Soccer Fresno St. 0 Utah 2 Volleyball Temple 0 Utah 3 Soccer NAU Colorado 2 Utah 1 UTES 4 5 Jacked up Utes earn first victory with rout of NAU Chris Bellamy Chronicle Sports Editor It took five quarters( but the U football team finally got its offense going Saturday. Not coincidentally, the rest of the team followed suit, erasing a tenuous early deficit to score 45 unanswered points as the Utes cruised to victory No. 1, 45-7 over the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona. "The offense started rolling, we made some plays, and everybody had confidence and was into the game, a lot more than last week," Ute quarterback Brett Ratliff said. "There was more emotion in it...that's what we've really been working on this week." The Ute offense—practically nonexistent in last week's loss to UCLA—was lethargic at the outset Saturday evening, gaining just 25 total yards in the first quarter. But after falling behind by a touchdown, Brett Ratliff and Co.finallypieced together a sustained drive, going 77 yards on 10 plays and tying the game with a i-yard touchdown run by Darryl Poston. "We just started playing better football (after the slow start)," U head coach Kyle Whittingham said. "Something that can happen in a game like this is you press and expect too much and do too much, especially early. You've just got to play your game and LENNIE MAHLER/ Tht Daily Utah ChrcnicLlet the game come to you rather than force Utah running back Mike Liti breaks away from the Northern Arizona University defensive line for a 45-yard rush during the second quarter of the 45-7 the issue." win at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday. From there, the rout was on. Mike Liti put the Utes ahead for good with a i-yard dive who showed a great commitment to the run 10 carries a week ago. Whittingham said. "We did that, and both of over the pile and into the end zone. Liti and this week as the two co-starters combined "I wanted to get a better look at those guys Poston shined in particular for the Utes, for 145 yards on 21 carries after totaling just tonight and feature them a little bit more," SeeUTES Page 12 Operation shutdown Weddle and Co. take NAU star Watson out Tony Pizza The Daily Utah Chronicle Northern Arizona has n players out for every offensive play, but the Utes knew they needed to give the bulk of their attention to just one of those players to keep the Lumberjacks from repeating the scare they were able to give No. 23 Arizona State the week before. NAU wideout Alex Watson went off for 206 yards and two touchdowns against the Sun Devils, and the Utes knew a key to winning was to not let the speedy receiver go crazy on them Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium. "I was excited for this matchup because, hearing what he said on the radio, and this and that about our group, it really got me fired up," U defensive back Eric Weddle said. After Watson caught three passes for 19 yards on Northern Arizona's first possession, the Utes called on their Ail-Ameri- fective that, oftentimes, Murrican candidate to apply asphyxi- etta quickly checked off Watson ating bump and pressure man- and went through his player procoverage to the Lumberjacks' gression on plays that were demost potent offensive weapon. signed for Watson. For the remainder of the game, Weddle even contributed to a Watson barely drew a look from coverage 'sack in the third quarNAU quarterback Jason Murrie- ter when Murrietta rolled out to ta, and Weddle prevented Wat- the right on a second-and-10 play. son from touching another pass. Murrietta's eyes were locked in "Those three catches were in on Watson as he tried to fake an cover 2, which is meaningless. inside slant before reversing to And when I was manned up with the sideline. Weddle stayed with him, he did nothing, so I'm proud Watson stride-for-stride, and Murrieta opted not to chance of that," Weddle said. "I'm proud for the guys that an interception, instead getting came together and really took sacked by Kelly Talavou for a this opportunity to shut this loss of 12 yards. guy down, because he was their After Northern Arizona's first main offense last week and I'm possession, Watson was only glad that we shut him down. He thrown to one more time in each doesn't have much to say about half. us now." The first attempt came on the Many times, it is easy to get a Lumberjacks' touchdown drive feel for what kind of game a play- in the first quarter. The secer is having by how many times his name gets called. For Eric Weddle, it was how many times his, or Watson's, name did not get called. Weddle's coverage was so ef- r ond pass, which was intended for Watson, resulted in a Shaun Harper interception in the fourth quarter. Although the interception was a good defensive play for the Utes, the result was not. Shaun Harper broke his wrist and is expected to miss six to eight weeks with the injury. The injury to Harper puts the Utes in a tough position. "We're thin at corner anyways. We do have the wild card—you know, No. 32 that can do it all. So every year in the last three years, we've had to move him at-some; point to full-time corner, so maybe this is no different this year." Whittingham said. "That's our first answer—more than likely, is to put Eric back there (at cornerback) full time, but that decision See W E D D L E Page 16 Receivers step up Ute corps responds in a big way after disappointing first game Natalie Dicou The Daily Utah Chronicle Not until the rest of the players hadfilledtheir plates did Kyle Whittingham allow the receiving corps access to the team meal prior to the Northern Arizona game Saturday. "I was looking for other people," Whittingham joked. "I was looking for developmental squad guys (to eat before the receivers). Their number was called after everybody had eaten." Whittingham was still ^SQre - about the previous" week's loss to UCLA in which his receivers failed to provide much of a spark. And perhaps, more notably, the head coach blamed the Tommy Grady interception, which was run back for a touchdown in the second quarter, on sloppy routerunning by wide receiver Derrek Richards. The hunger pangs may have motivated the Ute receivers as they went on to make 17 catches for 299 yards in Utah's win over NAU. Quarterback Brett Ratliff spread the ball around to five different wideouts and tossed three touchdown passes as the Utes finally showed some of the spark they have been known for in recent seasons. . Leading the way Saturday was ' sophomore transfer Bradon Godfrey, a 6-foot~3 newcomer from Southern Utah University who started in place of the injured Brian Hernandez. Godfrey made his debut as a Ute as a backup at UCLA but didn't see a pass thrown his way. A week later, he was the recipient of four passes for 80 yards. He even made a tricky touchdown snag in which he and a NAU cornerback came down with dual possession in the end zone. . "Bradon Godfrey's a great plays ' ' / . V ^ S P R E A D Page 16 V ' |
