Utah won its sixth consecutive game Saturday, ripping visiting Wyoming 50-0. Utah never was threatened in the game, keeping the vaunted Wyoming defense on its heels early and rolling to a 40-0 halftime advantage.
Utah racked up 505 total yards while limiting Wyoming to 122 yards. The first half was especially good for the Utes where they held a 324-to-59 yard advantage.
Wyoming struggled on offense, defense and special teams and Utah used its advantage in all three phases of the game to roll early. An early Wyoming failed fake punt put Utah in position for its first score deep in Cowboy territory where Utah's Jereme Brooks took a snap and ran outside for a 28-yard touchdown.
Brooks, a freshman receiver from Texas, recorded two touchdowns on the day, each rushing the ball outside. Darrell Mack also scored twice on short runs when Utah pounded it up the middle from the goal line. Mack racked up 97 yards on 14 carries. Ray Stowers managed 38 yards on 10 carries and also recorded a second-half score.
Wyoming was never able to advance the ball past its own side of the field and consistently allowed Utah big yards on punt returns, giving the Utes good field position during the entire game. The Cowboys did have the ball in Utah territory once when Utah tried an onside kick while leading 43-0. The kick failed to travel the required 10 yards and the result was a Utah penalty and Wyoming getting the ball with its best field position of the day.
Wyoming coach Joe Glenn promised Cowboy students a win at a rally earlier in the week so at several points of the game, including as the game clock ran out, the chant of "guarantee! - guarantee!" rattled around the stadium.
Utah last scored 50 or more points in 2000 against BYU when the Utes won 52-21. Utah's last shutout was last season against Utah State in a 48-0 blasting.
Utah defense forces five turnovers in 50-0 win over Wyoming
Associated Press
Darrell Mack ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns and Utah held Wyoming to 122 yards of offense in the Utes' 50-0 shutout of the Cowboys on Saturday.
Louie Sakoda kicked three field goals, which was all the scoring the Utes (7-3, 4-2) needed in their sixth straight win and first Mountain West Conference shutout since beating rival Brigham Young 3-0 in 2003.
The Utes forced five turnovers and had six sacks against the struggling Cowboys (5-5, 2-4), who blew a 21-0 lead in a 27-24 loss to San Diego State the week before. Wyoming has lost four of five.
Gabe Long had three sacks for the Utes, including one that forced Karsten Sween to fumble at the Wyoming 31-yard line. Brian Johnson completed the short drive for Utah with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Bradon Godfrey that put the Utes up 40-0 at halftime.
Receiver Jereme Brooks ran for two touchdowns, scoring on a 16-yard reverse as the Utes' kept the Cowboys off guard with an array of trick plays.
Sakoda, who kicked field goals of 32, 26 and 41 yards, completed a pass to defensive lineman Neli A'asa for 41 yards on a fake punt. The play helped set up Mack's second 1-yard touchdown run of the game, which put Utah ahead 33-0 in the second quarter.
Wynel Selden had 40 yards on eight carries for the Cowboys. Sween was just 8-for-23 for 41 yards.
Wyoming had not been shut out since a 31-0 loss to Texas A&M in 2004.