Going into Saturday's regular-season finale in Provo, Utah's main Marine, tailback Mike Anderson, is in line to set the school record for career average in rushing yardage.
He and several teammates have other records within reach, too, but Anderson's career per-game yardage average of 103.5 is leaps ahead of the current school record of 96.62 ypg set in 1981-82.Steve Smith has, for the third time this season, received the Compaq National Play of the Week award, this time for a punt-return touchdown Saturday. The honor came for his second punt return for touchdown of the day against New Mexico, the 52-yarder on which he was seemingly stopped, then stepped out of the tackle, and his shoe, and continued around 25 yards or so to score. He had previously won for best punt return and for most unusual play.
Smith, also the Mountain West special-teamer of the week for the second time this season, leads the NCAA in punt return average yards per game at 20.0 and has already broken the 15-year-old U. record for punt-return yards in a season (441) -- in just 7 1/2 games. He took over in the UNLV game when Courtney Richins was hurt. His two returns for scores last week, 70 and 52 yards, tied the NCAA record, and his three for the season are a U. mark.
Defensive end John Frank tied Utah's career sack record at 26 last week and will own it exclusively with one more. He needs one tackle for loss to tie for that school record.
ALL WET: When asked Saturday about the possibility of Darnell Arceneaux either retiring or changing positions because of his many injuries, as the quarterback indicated he was considering, Ute coach Ron McBride talked about the emotional Arceneaux's up and down feelings. "He's like the ocean," McBride said.
When McBride was asked Tuesday about relatively inexperienced QB T.D. Croshaw playing in Saturday's game before 65,000 in Cougar Stadium, McBride said the junior will be fine. "Things like that don't seem to affect him.
"He's not like the ocean," McBride said of Croshaw. "He's like a stream -- without any rocks in it."
BEING FRANK: Native Utah players in this rivalry week are in demand for interviews and always asked their allegiances as kids. Says Frank, of Salt Lake City, "I'm a Utah man. Those are my roots. My parents would have disowned me if I would have gone anywhere else. I sat up in the stadium for all my childhood. I was practically born there. I think my mom gave labor to me on the 50-yard line."
GOODBYE: Eighteen Ute seniors mark their final regular-season games Saturday. They are: Anderson, Omar Bacon, Boo Bendinger, Stewart Carvalho, Josh Cochran, Teneil Ethridge, Frank, Jay Hill, Chris Hunter, Colby Knight, Taulia Lave, Fisi Moleni, Luis Park, Chuck Pine, Richard Seals, Rod Talaeai, Cletus Truhe and Donny Utu.
Pine is out with a broken leg (tibia and fibula). Bendinger (broken hand) is likely out. Seals (Achilles tendinitis) is questionable.
BOWL STORY: Utah still has possibilities for both the Liberty Bowl and Las Vegas Bowl. If there is a tie for the MWC championship -- a tie that the Utes themselves can force if they win Saturday -- the Liberty Bowl can take its choice of teams that are tied. If BYU wins the championship outright, it goes to Memphis.The Vegas Bowl has its choice of teams after the Liberty Bowl makes its pick. In either case, any tiebreaker system does not have to be used by the bowl to select its MWC participant.RED ZONE: The Utes have been strong on both offense and defense from 20 yards and in. On offense, Utah has had 29 opportunities inside opponents' 20-yard lines and scored 93 percent of the time, 23 touchdowns, four field goals. On defense, opponents have reached the U. 20 or better 27 times and come away with nine touchdowns, eight field goals.