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Postgame Notes: Utah vs. No. 18 Arizona State

by Utah Athletics
Oct 17, 2021
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Postgame Notes
(at) Utah 35, No. 18 Arizona State 21
Salt Lake City, Utah (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
Sat., Oct. 16, 2021
Kick: 8:16 p.m. MT | End: 11:28 p.m.
Attendance: 51,724 (sellout)

General
 

  • Utah has won back-to-back games against AP-ranked opponents, following a victory in 2020 over No. 21 Colorado. It was the first ranked victory inside Rice-Eccles Stadium since 2019, when the Utes knocked off No. 17 Arizona State.
  • Utah eliminated a two-score deficit to defeat an AP-ranked opponent for the first time since 2008. In a matchup with No. 11 TCU, Utah trailed 10-0 before rallying to win by a 13-10 score.
    • Prior to Saturday vs. No. 18 Arizona State, Utah had not come back to defeat an AP top 25 team after trailing by two touchdowns since at least 1974. Digitized game-by-game statistics at Utah begin in 1983, and the Utes' first top-25 win since that year came in 1994.
  • Utah is 3-0 in the Pac-12 for the first time since the 2015 season and has won six straight in league play, dating back to 2020.
  • Utah has sold out Rice-Eccles stadium in 67 consecutive games, dating back to the 2010 season opener. Saturday's official attendance of 51,724 was a record for Rice-Eccles Stadium.
  • The Utes have also won five in a row inside Rice-Eccles Stadium dating back to 2020.
  • Utah won the coin toss, deferred and elected to defend the North goal.

Offense

  • Utah scored touchdowns on all four of its second half possessions. Utah marched at least 67 yards on each of those four series, including a long of 12 plays for 82 yards.
  • The Utes also found the end zone on their first drives in both the first and second halves—the last time the squad accomplished that feat was in a comeback win at No. 21 Colorado during 2020.
  • Making his third consecutive start, sophomore quarterback Cameron Rising was 21-of-33 passing for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Rising additionally rushed himself six times for a career-high 59 yards (9.8 ypc) and another touchdown.
  • Rising is the first Utah quarterback to rush and pass for a touchdown in consecutive games since Tyler Huntley in 2019 (at Washington, vs. UCLA).
  • In the second half alone, Rising was 13-of-15 passing for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
  • Rising's interception in the second quarter ended a run of 95 consecutive pass attempts by Rising without a pick.
  • Three of tight end Dalton Kincaid's four catches came in the first half, including two "big" receptions (20, 17 yards). A "big" receptions results in a gain of 15-plus yards.
  • Fellow tight end Brant Kuithe recorded his third career multi-touchdown game and first since Nov. 30, 2019 vs. Colorado, when Kuithe caught two scores and rushed for another.
  • Wide receiver Devaughn Vele highlighted a third-quarter scoring drive with a 19-yard reception. Up to that point and dating back to last week at USC, six of Vele's last seven receptions have been for 15 or more yards.
  • That same drive later ended with a seven-yard rushing touchdown from sophomore running back Tavion Thomas. It marked the second straight game that Utah scored a touchdown on its opening drive of the second half.
  • Thomas finished with a season-high 20 carries, the most by a Utah player this season and most since Ty Jordan had 22 touches vs. Washington State during 2020.
  • In a little trickeration, junior wide receiver Britain Covey pulled off a season-long 20-yard rush, Covey's longest since the 2019 season.
  • 455 yards of total offense were the most by an Arizona State opponent this season.

Defense

  • Junior linebacker Devin Lloyd and freshman cornerback Faybian Marks had game-highs with eight tackles apiece. Marks' total was a career-best, surpassing his previous high of six during the second quarter.
  • Lloyd additionally had four TFLs for 24 yards, two sacks (18 yards) and a pass breakup. It tied Lloyd's career-high TFLs first set vs. Washington State in 2020 and he now has recorded 10.5 TFLs in Utah's last four games.
  • Lloyd's four TFL were the most by a Ute for a game this season and the most since Lloyd's aforementioned performance last year vs. WSU. It matches Colorado's Carson Wells (earlier today vs. Arizona) for the most this season by a Pac-12 player.
  • His two sacks and 18 sack yards were career-highs for Lloyd.
  • Senior safety Vonte Davis tied his career-high tackles (7) and forced an Arizona State fumble during the second quarter. It was Davis' second career force and first since the 2020 season finale vs. Washington State.
  • Freshman defensive end Junior Tafuna has a TFL in two of Utah's last three games, and two straight at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
  • Various Utes have recorded multiple sacks in three straight games—including Arizona State (Lloyd—2.0), at USC (Mika Tafua—2.0) and vs. Washington State (Van Fillinger—3.0).
  • Arizona State scored a touchdown on its opening drive, the first time this season that Utah surrendered points on its opponent's first possession of the night.

Special Teams

  • Freshman long snapper JT Greep made his collegiate debut after fellow long snapper Keegan Markgraf exited the game due to injury.
  • Junior Devin Kaufusi got his hand up to block a 51-yard field goal attempt by ASU's Logan Tyler. It was the first block by Utah since Dec. 30, 2018 when John Penisini recorded a block vs. Washington.

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