Postgame Notes: Utah vs. Southern Utah

Postgame Notes
(at) No. 13 Utah 73, Southern Utah 7
Salt Lake City, Utah (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
Sat., Sept. 10, 2022
Kick: 11:32 a.m. MT | End: 2:45 p.m.
Attendance: 51,531 (sellout)

General

• All-time, Utah has won a combined 149 games against Division I football (both FBS and FCS) opponents in the state of Utah. It includes BYU (62), Southern Utah (2), Utah State (79) and Weber State (6).
• Since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, Utah is 28-4 in regular season non-conference games.
• Utah has won nine straight games at Rice-Eccles Stadium dating back to Dec. 5, 2020 and have won 19 of its last 20 home contests. It includes a perfect 6-0 ledger at home in 2021.
• Utah has sold out 71 consecutive games at Rice-Eccles Stadium, dating back to the 2010 season opener vs. Pittsburgh. It includes a current seating capacity of 51,444 with the completion of the Ken Garff Red Zone in 2021, increasing from a previous capacity of 45,807.
• The Utes are 107-36 when playing in Rice-Eccles Stadium since the facility opened in 1998. Under head coach Kyle Whittingham (2005-present), the Utes are 79-25 at home.
• Whittingham, the winningest coach in program history, has been at the helm in 216 games with a career record of 145-71. Including his time as an assistant coach (1994-2004), he has coached in 341 games.
• Utah is 22-3 in home openers at Rice-Eccles Stadium, which includes a 16-2 mark under Kyle Whittingham.
• Utah is 6-0 when ranked in the AP poll heading into a home opener (2004, '08, '09, '19, '21, '22). In addition, the Utes were ranked in the Coaches' Poll on two other occasions, including a 2010 win over No. 15-AP ranked Pittsburgh.
• Southern Utah won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Thunderbirds elected to defend the South goal.

Offense

• Utah's 73 points are the most in a game since 1973 (82 vs. UTEP) and the 16th time the Utes have reached the 50-point mark in the Kyle Whittingham era.
• The 66-point margin of victory is tied for 10th-largest in program history and largest since 1994.
• Utah scored 38 points in the second quarter, the most by the Utes in any single quarter since such records were tracked beginning in 1968. Previously, the most points scored by Utah in the second quarter was 35 vs. Weber State during the 2013 season. The Utes also scored 35 points in the first quarter vs. BYU in 2015.
• The 38 second quarter points were the most for a quarter by any Pac-12 team to date this season.
• The Utes' 45 first-half points are third-most for the program since 1968.
• Tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Brant Kuithe combined for three receiving touchdowns during the first half and Thomas Yassmin added another in the fourth quarter. It is the first time Utah's tight ends have combined for three or more receiving touchdowns in a game since at least 1996 (via Greg Mroz and STATSPASS).
• Kuithe had three receptions including his touchdown. Kuithe has caught at least one pass in 30 straight games. His 141 career receptions ranks eighth all-time at Utah.
• Yassmin's receiving score was the first of his career. It came on a career-long 29-yard reception which was also a career-long completion for Bryson Barnes.
• Kincaid's seven receptions are a new single-game career-high, passing his previous career-high of six. Kincaid's team-leading 107 receiving yards earned him his first 100-yard receiving game as a Ute and fifth of his career.
• Quarterback Cameron Rising was 17-of-23 in the start for 254 yards and three touchdowns, before being relieved in the third quarter. He eclipsed 3,000 career passing yards just before halftime and now has 3,008 in his career.
• During the first half, Rising had seven completions of 15 or more yards (totaling 167 yards). It includes a 37-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid in the second quarter.
• In relief of Rising, Bryson Barnes completed a 26-yard pass to Money Parks, a career-long reception for Parks.
• Fellow quarterback Ja'Quinden Jackson also appeared in the game and rushed twice, including a career-long 28-yard scamper.
• Tavion Thomas has scored a rushing touchdown in 11 straight games in which Thomas has played in (since USC in 2021). Thomas (48 yards) now has eight career games with multiple touchdowns (seven at Utah, one at Cincinnati).
• In the first quarter, Thomas caught a pass for 18 yards, his first catch as a Ute. It was his third-career reception (2 at Cincinnati), and a career-long.
• Chris Curry (second quarter) and Jaylon Glover (third quarter) each scored their first career rushing touchdowns.
• Curry's team-leading 60 rushing yards were his most as a Ute.
• Micah Bernard had a season-long 36-yard rush during the second quarter.
• Glover is the first Utah freshman to rush for multiple touchdowns in a game since Ty Jordan (3) vs. Washington State in 2020.
• Charlie Vincent had his first four carries as a Ute, totaling 15 yards.
• Utah has scored first in three straight home openers (USC in 2020, Weber State 2021).
• Utah has scored on its game-opening drive in back-to-back home openers (vs. Weber State 2021).

Defense

• The Utes allowed only four first downs (1 rush, 2 pass, 1 penalty) on the day, the fourth-fewest in a game in program history and fewest since 2018 (3 vs. Weber State).
• Utah allowed just 85 total yards of offense, the sixth-fewest for a game in program history and lowest since California was held to 83 yards in 2019.
• Utah combined for seven TFL on the day, the first such performance since Nov. 26, 2021 vs. Colorado.
• Safety R.J. Hubert recorded his first career interception during the third quarter on a 39-yard pick-six.
• It extends Utah's active streak of 19 consecutive seasons with a pick-six, dating back to 2004. It is the longest active streak in FBS.
• Defensive tackle Junior Tafuna also contributed his first career interception.
• Linebacker Lander Barton contributed his first collegiate sack (and thus first collegiate TFL) during the second quarter.
• Defensive tackles Simote Pepa and Keanu Tanuvasa each earned assisted tackles for loss during the fourth quarter, both the first TFL of their career.

Special Teams

• Kicker Jordan Noyes combined for 13 points (10 via PAT, 3 via field goal). His 10 PATs tied a single-game program record shared by Andy Phillips vs. Weber State in 2013.