SANTA CLARA, Calif. — One of the most talked-about stories of the college football season came to an end with Utah’s 26-24 victory at the Foster Farms Bowl. Running back Joe Williams, who retired from football a few weeks into the season, then un-retired after a bevy of injuries took out his teammates, finished his collegiate career in a big way. After collecting 222 yards — a Foster Farms Bowl record, scoring a touchdown and setting up the game-winning field goal by Andy Phillips with a few monstrous rushes, Williams earned the game’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors.
When his team needed big yardage the most, down 24-23 with 5:34 to play, Williams came up huge, accounting for 64 of the Utes’ 68 yards to set up a 27-yard field goal by Andy Phillips with 1:24 remaining.
This season, Williams became the 13th Ute to surpass the 1,000-yard milestone in a single season, finishing with 1,407. His 156.3 per game mark is the best per game average in school history, breaking the previous record of 137.0 set by Carl Monroe in 1982.
This season, after a few disappointing early showings by the senior running back preceded his retirement, Williams returned to the team to lend a helping hand after season-ending injuries to junior Troy McCormick and Armand Shyne decimated the Utes’ running corps.
"If I had to do it over again, I'd do it again. I wouldn't change any way it happened, everything happens for a reason. When coach Whitt called and asked me back on the team, they welcomed me with open arms. That's just the way we are and I'll be a Ute for life," Williams said.
Williams' performance in the bowl game victory was his second outing of the season with more than 200 yards and his sixth of more than 100, all of which came after his return from retirement. Earlier in the season, in Utah's 52-45 victory over UCLA on Oct. 22, Williams set a school single-game record with 332 yards on the ground.