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No. 15 Utah Plows Aggies 48-6
Alex Smith threw for one touchdown and ran for another to lead the Utes over Utah State.
Sept. 18, 2004
By MARK THIESSEN LOGAN, Utah (AP) - Alex Smith threw for one touchdown and ran for another, and Utah converted three Utah State turnovers into touchdowns to rout its rival 48-6 Saturday night. Utah scored on five of its six first-half possessions in building a 41-0 lead at the break, including a 76-yard interception return for a TD by 6-3, 290-pound defensive lineman Jonathan Fanene. Smith was 9-for-12 for 163 yards in limited duty for the Utes (3-0). He was spelled in the second half. The Utes had 441 total yards, 237 rushing and 204 passing. The Utah defense held Utah State to 48 rushing yards on 35 attempts, and 295 total yards. Utah's offense set the tone early, running and passing at will on its first possession. Paris Warren's 4-yard run capped an eight-play, 59-yard drive. Marty Johnson increased the Utes' lead to 14-0 on a 1-yard score. The nine-play, 41-yard drive was kept alive when Smith picked up five yards on an option play on fourth-and-1 at Utah State's 27. On the Aggies (1-2) ensuing series, Utah's Ryan Smith recovered a fumble by Chris Forbes at the 11, and Alex Smith ran the ball in from 7 two plays later for a 21-0 lead. Utah State threatened early in the second quarter, driving to the Utah 1. An offsides penalty on fourth-and-goal moved the ball back to the 6, and the Aggies opted to go for the touchdown. But Utes' linebacker Corey Dodds intercepted Utah State quarterback Travis Cox's pass at the 1-yard line and returned it 26 yards. Utah scored six plays later on a 2-yard TD run by Quinton Ganther. It shouldn't have taken that long. On the first play after the interception, Smith threw a 36-yard pass to a wide-open Warren who stumbled and fell after catching the ball. Utah's other second quarter TD came on a 10-yard pass from Smith to Warren. Backup Utes quarterback Brian Johnson threw a 6-yard TD pass to John Madsen in the third.
Utah State's only score came off an 8-yard pass from Cox to Tarrell Richards in the third quarter. It was Richards' first catch at Utah State. Cox finished the night 17-for-28 for 163 yards, with a TD and two interceptions. Utah has now won seven straight against Utah State, which was looking for only its second win against a ranked team. The first was a 20-19 win over No. 25 Fresno State on Nov. 2, 1991. Utah now leads the Aggies 72-28-4 in a series that started in 1892. The two teams have played every year but four since 1900. |
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