I’ve got to thank the O-line. They did everything. They made my job easier. – Utah running back Joe Williams
PASADENA, Calif. — Utah won a shootout with UCLA Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl. The Utes topped the Bruins 52-45 behind the play of Joe Williams.
The senior running back ran for a school-record 332 yards, averaging 11.4 yards on 29 carries and scoring four touchdowns. He shattered the previous team best of 254 yards by Mike Anderson against Fresno State in 1999.
“I’ve got to thank the O-line,” Williams said. “They did everything. They made my job easier.”
Offense was the order of the day as the 18th-ranked Utes racked up 539 yards against the Bruins. They’re now 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Pac-12 play.
“Not our typical way of winning a football game. We don’t find ourselves in many shootouts,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “But it was great to see our offense respond like they did.”
UCLA, though, also moved the ball well. The Bruins finished with 510 yards (464 passing) and 29 first downs against the Utes, who countered it a bit by forcing five turnovers along the way.
"A hard-fought game — too high of a scoring game,” said defensive lineman Filipo Mokofisi. “But I’m just glad we got it done.”
Utah has now won three straight games. The Utes, who share the Pac-12 South lead with Colorado, host undefeated Washington on Saturday.
Almost everything seemed to be going Utah’s way, or close to it, early against the Bruins. The Utes scored on the opening kickoff — off a 99-yard return by Cory Butler-Byrd — and UCLA’s highly touted quarterback Josh Rosen wound up not playing because of leg and shoulder injuries.
The combination, thereof, helped Utah jump out to a 14-0 advantage less than 3½ minutes into the game. After forcing UCLA to three plays and a punt on its opening drive, the Utes added to Butler-Byrd’s score with a 3-yard touchdown run by Joe Williams on the ensuing possession.
It failed to deliver a knockout blow, however.
The Bruins awoke from their slumber and responded with 21 straight points. They netted touchdowns on consecutive drives beginning with an 11-yard scoring strike from Rosen’s backup Mike Fafaul to running back Bolu Olorunfunmi. That was followed by a 13-yard TD toss by Fafaul to tight end Nate Iese. Then came a 7-yard run from Olorunfunmi that gave UCLA its first lead with 4:39 remaining in the opening quarter.
Trailing 21-14, Utah stopped the momentum the next time UCLA got the ball. Safety Jared Fogal, who started in place of the injured Marcus Williams, intercepted Fafaul at midfield. The Utes eventually cut into the deficit with a 45-yard field goal by Andy Phillips early in the second quarter.
After an exchange of punts and a fourth-and-1 stop, Utah regained the lead with a 43-yard touchdown run by Joe Williams. The run put him over 100 yards for the second consecutive game.
The Utes added another 45-yard goal by Phillips as time expired to hold a 27-21 lead at halftime. It followed a flurry of turnovers late in the second quarter.
Utah had two takeaways — a forced fumble and recovery by safety Chase Hansen and an interception by cornerback Brian Allen — while linebacker Jayon Brown had a pick for UCLA.
When play resumed, the Bruins wasted little time pulling back in front. Fafaul teamed with Iese on a 50-yard touchdown throw. Andrew Strauch added the PAT as they took a 28-27 edge just 90 seconds into the third quarter.
Utah responded with a nine-play march downfield, culminated by a 2-yard run into the end zone by Troy Williams. He followed it up with a completion to Demari Simpkins for a two-point conversion that increased the Utes’ lead to 35-28.
Just 17 seconds later, though, UCLA pulled even on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Faufaul to Jordan Lasley and an extra point kick from Strauch.
The 35-35 deadlock held firm until Phillips put Utah back on top with a 46-yard field goal. It ushered in a flurry over the final two minutes of the third quarter. The outburst included Allen’s second interception of the game and a 64-yard TD run by Joe Williams.
Utah took a 45-35 lead into the final quarter. A 39-yard field goal by Strauch tightened the margin with 13:44 to go, but the Utes answered with another long touchdown run by Joe Williams. It provided what proved to be the game-winning points with just over 10 minutes to play.
Leading 52-38, Utah gave up a 13-yard scoring strike from Fafaul to Austin Roberts at 4:38. UCLA’s drive before that ended with an interception by Fogal. The Bruins’ final attempt to knot the score or pull ahead ended with an incompletion on a drive that stalled at their own 27-yard line as time expired.
UCLA coach Jim Mora noted that it’s tough to win a game when you start with a kickoff return for a touchdown; give up 360 yards rushing and only get 46; have five turnovers; and kick the ball out of bounds when trying to get field position.
“Those are some really discouraging things,” he said.
The Bruins, who were picked to win the Pac-12 in the conference’s preseason media poll, dropped to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the Pac-12.
Fafaul set a school record for completions in a game with 40. He wound up passing for 464 yards and five scores.
“Too crazy. I felt like we could never get a break, like physically get a break,” Hansen said. “ It was exhausting, it was fun. It feels good just to get a win. But obviously there’s a lot to clean up.”
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