#14 Utah Football Dominates Colorado In Regular Season Finale, 63-21

BOULDER, Colo. – The No. 14 University of Utah Football team dominated Colorado on the road today to close out the regular season, beating the Buffaloes 63-21. Utah wrapped up the regular season 9-3 overall and 7-2 in Pac-12 play.

The Utes recorded a season-high 662 yards of total offense, which ties for third all-time at Utah and is the most in a game for the Utes since 2004. Utah finished the game with 279 passing yards and a season-high 382 on the ground.

Utah averaged 9.9 yards per play, which included 8.9 yards per rush and 13.3 yards per completion, notching 32 first downs while going 5-for-5 in the red zone. Utah scored nine touchdowns, which ties for the most offensive touchdowns this season after putting up nine in the home opener against Southern Utah.

On defense, Utah held the Buffaloes to 185 total yards, including 123 passing and just 62 on the ground, holding them to 3.5 yards per play and 12 first downs.
 
GAME LEADERS
Quarterback Cameron Rising completed 89-percent of his passes against Colorado, going 17-of-19 for 234 yards and three touchdowns, adding one rush for 13 yards. Bryson Barnes came in to lead the offense in the second half, going 4-for-5 passing for 45 yards and a touchdown along with two rushes for a career-high 62 yards (31.0 ypc).

In the rushing game, Ja'Quinden Jackson finished with 10 carries for a career-high 117 yards, scoring a career-best three touchdowns while averaging 11.7 yards per carry. Micah Bernard also added 12 rushes for a season-high 91 yards and a touchdown with Jaylon Glover rounding out the trio with 13 attempts for 62 yards and a score.

For the second time this season, the Utes had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver with Dalton Kincaid racking up 102 yards on five catches (20.4 ypc) and a touchdown. Money Parks contributed four receptions for 40 yards and a score with the quarterback duo also finding Makai Cope (3 rec., 34 yds) and Thomas Yassmin (1 rec., 41 yds) for touchdowns against the Buffaloes.

The top three tacklers for the Utes on defense today were linebackers with Hayden Furey leading the way with six stops. Mohamoud Diabate added four tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss while freshman Lander Barton also had four stops with one sack and a quarterback hurry.

FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN
On its second drive of the first quarter, Utah put together an eight-play, 59-yard scoring sequence that ended with an eight-yard rushing touchdown from Bernard with 6:35 on the clock. The drive included a key five-yard rush by Jackson on a third-and-five to keep the drive alive and a 15-yard gain by Jaylen Dixon to the Colorado eight-yard line with Bernard giving the Utes the 7-0 lead to end the drive.

Utah struck again with 2:20 to go in the quarter with its second rushing touchdown of the game, this time at the hands of Jackson. The drive started with a bomb from Rising to Dixon for 31 yards to the Colorado 22-yard line followed by another first down on a Rising to Kincaid connection, ending with Jackson dragging the Buffaloes into the end zone for a 10-yard rushing score and a 14-0 lead.

The Utes held the Buffaloes to zero yards and first downs in the first quarter while the Utes produced 132 while averaging 7.8 yards per play. It was the first time this season that the Utes have held an opponent to zero offensive yards in the first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Jackson scored his fifth rushing touchdown of the year and his second of the game with 12:34 on the clock in the second quarter, ending another solid drive by the Utes that lasted seven plays and 80 yards. After Bernard broke free for a 19-yard rush to the Colorado 27-yard line, Rising found Kincaid open 20 yards downfield for another first down with Jackson finishing things off with a two-yard rushing touchdown to put the Utes up 21-0.

The dominance continued with 4:43 remaining in the first half with the Utes quickly scoring on just a two-play scoring drive that included a 13-yard scramble for a first down from Rising. The drive wrapped up with Yassmin showing off his athleticism with a 41-yard touchdown reception that included the Australian hurdling two Buffalo defenders and fending another off as he entered the end zone for Utah's 28-0 lead.

The Utes would score their second-to-last touchdown of the half with just 52 seconds to go when Rising found Parks open in the corner of the end zone for a floater, connecting for nine yards and a 35-0 advantage. Utah made quick work of the seven-play, 67-yard drive with first down catches from both Cope and Bernard with the nine-yard touchdown happening on a third-and-three.

With two seconds remaining in the half, Rising would throw his fifth pass for 20 yards or longer, linking up with Kincaid for a 29-yard touchdown pass. Kincaid came down with the ball from an acrobatic catch between two defenders, ending a three-play and 70-yard drive that gave Utah a 42-0 lead heading into halftime.

Utah's 42 points through the first two quarters ties for third all-time in program history for points scored in the first half and is the fourth-most in a single half scored by the Utes. Utah held the Buffaloes to just 18 yards of total offense through the first two quarters, including -8 rushing, also holding them to just one first down.

THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Colorado made its way onto the scoreboard to start the third quarter, scoring on a one-yard rushing touchdown after a 56-yard interception return put them in scoring territory. It ended a two-play, 11-yard drive to make it 42-7 with 11:47 on the clock.

The Utes would immediately counter with their longest rushing play of the season after Jackson scored his third rushing touchdown of the game on a 66-yard burst of speed as he skipped, juked and jumped his way through the Buffaloes. It was a two-play, 75-yard drive for the Utes to give them a 49-7 lead with 10:59 to go in the third quarter.

Utah's eighth touchdown of the game came at the 5:37 mark in the quarter with Barnes leading the charge. After Barnes took off for a 32-yard rush on a fourth-and-one, he would follow it up with his third passing touchdown of the year with a 21-yarder to Cope for a 56-7 Utah lead.

The Buffaloes would score again with 2:59 remaining, recording a 23-yard rushing touchdown to make it 56-14. It ended a six-play, 79-yard drive that took 2:32 off the clock.

FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN
The Utes would get the scoring started in the fourth quarter with 8:34 remaining in the game as Utah punched in its ninth touchdown on its 13th drive of the game. The scoring drive would include big rushes from Glover and Barnes with Glover scoring on a five-yard rushing touchdown to put the Utes up 63-14.

Colorado would find the end zone one final time with 2:46 left in the game, scoring on a one-yard reception to end a 12-play, 76-yard drive, making the final score 63-21.

UP NEXT
The Utes will await the results of the Pac-12 Championship game tiebreaker. Follow along on social media or on UtahUtes.com for more updates.