Wyoming receiver Jovon Bouknight was coming off his career-best game at Colorado State — 12 catches, 187 yards, three touchdowns.
He had 100 yards or better against every Mountain West Conference team the Cowboys had played this season and nine 100-yard-plus outings in his last 12 games.
With a bye week to get it done, the University of Utah coaches switched junior Eric Weddle back to cornerback, which he played as a freshman, from strong safety, just to blanket Bouknight in Saturday's critical game at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
"I was excited. It's been a while since I played corner, but I'm excited for any kind of challenge that comes with a receiver like that. He's a great wide receiver," said the Utes' defensive secondary leader following Utah's 43-13 win.
Weddle held Bouknight to four catches for 43 yards, only one reception in the second half. Bouknight's longest catch went for just 12 yards.
"No. 32 did a great job and took away our ace," said Cowboy coach Joe Glenn.
"I thought Eric Weddle on Jovon Bouknight was the difference in the game. He was able to shut him down and took him completely out of the game," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "If you'd told us going in that he'd hold him to that, we'd have taken that 100 out of 100 times."
Weddle gave himself a grade of A on his defense against Bouknight, whom he covered on "90 percent" of the plays.
And he gave Bouknight an A as an opponent, from the Cowboy's skill and reputation to his having a professional attitude about the game. "There was no trash talking" from either man, said Weddle. They respected each other and just went about their business.
"I had great communication with him," Weddle said.
All Bouknight heard from Weddle, said the Ute, was that he was doing a good job on kick returns and keeping his team moving with them.
Weddle credited coaching, his teammates and a lot of work in practice and in the film room for his ability to switch positions and cover the conference's leading receiver and hold him scoreless.
The safety-turned-corner hit Bouknight like a safety a couple times early. "Once I got into him a few times, I think he got frustrated because he's used to making plays like that. Any time on a great wide receiver you can make plays early on, it kind of frustrates them and gets them out, and it kind of got them out of their offense the rest of the game," Weddle said.
He was successful because "I took the inside away," Weddle explained. "I was inside the whole game and took away the slant, curl. Any in-routes, I tried to take away and rally to the fade.
"If you can just stay square with a guy that's a prolific receiver like that, keep the body square, and let him move — and once he declares his route, that's when you get your arm on him and break into his routes.
On the fades, "I was right in his hip pocket, and once his hands would go up or his eyes would look up for the ball, I'd stick my hand right in there," said Weddle.
E-mail: lham@desnews.com