Postgame Notes: Utah vs. Stanford

Postgame Notes
(at) No. 13 Utah 42, Stanford 7
Salt Lake City, Utah (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
Sat., Nov. 12, 2022
Kick: 8:15 p.m. MT | End: 11:28 p.m.
Attendance: 51,951 (sellout)
 
General

• Utah is 112-36 when playing in Rice-Eccles Stadium since it opened in 1998, including an 84-25 clip at home under head coach Kyle Whittingham (2005-present).
• Since joining the Pac-12 Conference in 2011, Utah is 59-43 in regular season league games and 34-19 at home.
• Utah has won 14 consecutive home games (since Dec. 5, 2020) and 25 of its last 26 in Salt Lake City (since Oct. 12, 2018). The 14 straight home wins is the second-longest streak under Whittingham (short of 21 straight from Sept. 15, 2007-Oct. 23, 2010).
• Under Whittingham, the Utes have been undefeated at home in five seasons (2008, '09, '19, '21, '22). Utah also had perfect slates in Rice-Eccles Stadium during 2001 and '04.
• Kyle Whittingham is 152-72 in his 18 seasons at the helm of the Utes, plus the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. Including Whittingham's time as an assistant coach (1994-2004), he has been on the sidelines for 350 games and contributed to more victories (237) than any other coach in program history.
• Utah is 23-14 in games when ranked in the CFP poll since the CFP's inception in 2014.
• Utah has sold out Rice-Eccles Stadium in 76 consecutive games, dating back to the 2010 season opener. Capacity currently sits at 51,444 with the completion of the Ken Garff Red Zone in 2021. Previously, capacity was 45,807.
• Average attendance for Utah's six-game home schedule in 2022 was a program-record 52,057.
• Stanford won the coin toss and deferred to second half. Utah defended the South goal to begin the game.

 
Offense

• Utah has scored 40-plus points in five games this season. It is the fifth time since 2000 that the team has hit the 40-point mark in five-plus games in a season (2004, '08, '18, '21, '22).
• Quarterback Cameron Rising was 20-of-33 passing for 219 yards (long 29) and three touchdowns against one sack and one interception. He also had three rushing attempts for 34 yards (long 26). It was Rising's 16th career win as a Utah starting quarterback, passing Mike Fouts (15 wins from 1995-96) for sixth-most in program history.
• Rising had six completions of 15-plus yards (including two of his three touchdowns), totaling 123 yards. He also had carries of 13 and 26 yards on the evening.
• Running back Tavion Thomas had a career-high 180 rushing yards on 22 carries for two touchdowns. It reset Thomas' career-high rushing yards, previously 177 at Stanford on Nov. 5, 2021.
• It was Thomas' ninth career 100-yard rushing game, seventh at Utah and first since Florida (115) on Sept. 3, 2022.
• Thomas' second rushing touchdown of the game was a 36-yard scamper, longest rush of the season. It brought Thomas to 28 rushing touchdowns in his Utah career, giving him sole possession of third-most in Utah history (he entered the game tied for third with Eddie Johnson, who scored 26 rushing touchdowns from 1984-88).
• Wide receiver Devaughn Vele had a nine-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, his first since the USC game on Oct. 15.
• Tight end Thomas Yassmin had a 14-yard touchdown reception during the third quarter. It is Yassmin's second straight game with a touchdown grab and his third touchdown reception as a Ute. It was also Rising's 38th career passing touchdown and 50th total touchdown.
• Running back Micah Bernard rushed for his fifth career touchdown (19 yards) and third of the season; his most in a single year. His 19-yard score is the second-longest rushing touchdown of his career (22 at BYU on Sept. 11, 2021).
• Quarterback Nate Johnson logged his first career completion (and pass attempt) on a 16-yard touchdown strike to tight end Logan Kendall during the third quarter. It was also Kendall's first touchdown as a Ute and the second touchdown by a tight end on the night.
• For the second time this season, two Utah quarterbacks threw a touchdown pass in the same game. Rising (3) and Bryson Barnes combined for four passing touchdowns vs. Southern Utah on Sept. 10.
• During the first quarter, offensive lineman Keaton Bills picked up a Utah fumble and moved it forward five yards. Statistically, this goes as five rushing yards, but not a carry, for Bills.
• Bills is the first Utah offensive lineman to record offensive yardage since Orlando Umana had one rushing yard in a game vs. Oregon on Nov. 10, 2018. Prior to that, Darrin Paulo had a one-yard receiving touchdown on a tipped pass on Oct. 28, 2017, also vs. Oregon.
• Utah's four successful fourth-down conversions tie the most for the team in a game since 1996. The Utes have accomplished this feat six times since 1996, and last on Oct. 1, 2016 at Cal.  None of the six prior games had all four fourth-down conversions take place in the same half.
• The four successful fourth-down conversions are tied for the second-most this season in the Pac-12 (UCLA converted five on Oct. 29).
• Utah has avoided a three-and-out on its game-opening drive in all 10 games this season.

 
Defense

• Utah's seven sacks as a team are a season-high and the most for the Utes since Sept. 25, 2021 vs. Washington State (8).
• The Utes have recorded nine-plus tackles for loss twice in the last three games (10 at Washington State on Oct. 27).
• For the third time this season, Utah held its opponent under 200 total yards of offense (85 vs. Southern Utah; 173 vs. San Diego State; 177 vs. Stanford).
• Utah held the Cardinal to 22 rushing yards on the night, the fourth time this season the Utes have held a team under 50 yards on the ground (43 vs. Southern Utah; six at Arizona State; 42 at Washington State; 22 vs. Stanford). It includes one net yard rushing in the second quarter and minus eight in the third quarter.
• After allowing 75 total yards of offense in the first quarter, Utah held Stanford to just 16 total yards of offense during the second quarter and 35 in the third quarter. Utah did not allow a first down in the second quarter on three different possessions.
• Defensive tackle Simote Pepa had a team-leading and career-high six tackles, highlighted by a career-best 3.0 TFL and the first sacks (2.0) of Pepa's career.
• Defensive end Jonah Elliss had a career-best 1.5 sacks and owns at least an assisted sack in three of the last four games (dating back to USC on Oct. 15).
• Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate tied a season-high with 1.5 sacks, which Diabate last accomplished at Washington State on Oct. 27.
• Defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa earned his first career sack during the fourth quarter.
• For the sixth time this season the Utah defense held its opponent scoreless on a game-opening drive.

 
Special Teams

• Punter Jack Bouwmeester rushed 14 yards for a first down on a fake punt during the first quarter. It is Utah's first fake punt for a first down since Mitch Wishnowsky pulled the trick (28 yards) vs. Arizona on Oct. 12, 2018.