Highlights, key plays and photos from Utah’s 44-24 win over UCLA
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Utah Utes offensive linemen Bamidele Olaseni (77) and Nick Ford (55) lead the team walk out before the game at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
Utah took full control of the Pac-12 South, beating UCLA 44-24 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Tavion Thomas rushed for four touchdowns and 160 yards to lead the Utes to an important win. Utah is now 4-1 in Pac-12 play, and with Arizona State’s loss to Washington State on Saturday, Utah is two games up on the Sun Devils — the Utes hold the tiebreaker over ASU — with four games to play.
End of game
Utah scored early in the quarter when Cam Rising kept the ball for a 12-yard touchdown run to push Utah’s lead to 34-17.
UCLA responded with a touchdown drive of its own, as Ethan Garbers found Greg Dulcich for a 9-yard touchdown run to cut Utah’s lead to 35-24.
UCLA forced a Utah 4th-and-1 from the Bruins’ 49-yard line. The Utes lined up as if they were going to go for it, then Rising backed up and punted it — Rising’s second pooch punt of the game — which pinned the Bruins at the six-yard line.
Down by 11 with 7:23 remaining, UCLA started from the six-yard line on a crucial drive, but on the Bruins’ first play, Hauati Pututau sacked Garbers in the end zone for a safety, all but sealing the Utes’ win.
The victory for the Utes was further cemented when Tavion Thomas scored his fourth touchdown of the game to give Utah a 44-24 lead.
End of 3rd Quarter
The scoring output has slowed considerably in the third quarter after a high-scoring first half.
UCLA had the lone score of the half on a 6-yard pass from Chase Garbers to Michael Ezeike, capping a 91-yard drive that featured a 41-yard pass and a 27-yard pass on the drive. Garbers is looking more comfortable in the third quarter than he was in the first half.
UCLA’s defense is playing much better. The Bruins have been able to slow down Utah’s run game a little bit and held Utah to no points in the quarter, though the Utes are driving to end the quarter.
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UCLA Bruins tight end Greg Dulcich (85) mishandles the ball which results in a Utah Utes linebacker Nephi Sewell (1) interception in the first half of the Utah UCLA game at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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The families of Aaron Lowe and Ty Jordan stand with the retired jerseys during the retirement ceremony after the first quarter of the Utah UCLA game at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) is upended by UCLA Bruins defensive back Stephan Blaylock (4) in thee first quart of the game between Utah and UCLA at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) manages to hang on to a errant snap in the first quarter during the gam between Utah and UCLA at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes offensive lineman Bamidele Olaseni (77) and DUPLICATE***Utah Utes offensive lineman Nick Ford (55) lead the team walk out before the game at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly and Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham embrace before the gam at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) warms up before the gam against UCLA at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Brian Lebrecht explains to his father Bill Lebrecht who Ty Jordan was as thy walk through the number 22 portal memorial to ty Jordan before the game against UCLA at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes defensive tackle Junior Tafuna (58) celebrates the safety of UCLA’s quarterback at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes running back Tavion Thomas (9) fights through the tackles of UCLA Bruins defensive back’s Stephan Blaylock (4) and Quentin Lake (37)) at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Center Judge Ty Druse picks a part of the field off umpire Matthew Jordan’s hat during a stoppage of play at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) fights off the tackle of UCLA Bruins defensive back Stephan Blaylock (4) and scores a touchdown in the second half of the Utah vs. UCLA game at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Fireworks during the remembrance video for Aaron Lowe and Ty Jordan at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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During a remembrance video for Aaron Lowe and Ty Jordan fans at at Rice Eccles Stadium light up their cell cell phons and remember Aaron and ty with the team during the game in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes running back Micah Bernard (2) gets a hand up to block the pursuit of UCLA Bruins defensive backs Quentin Lake (37) and Qwuantrezz Knight (24) during the second half of the Utah UCLA game at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes wide receiver Devaughn Vele (17) attempts too haul in a pass while UCLA Bruins defensive back Quentin Lake (37) gets a hand in to knock the ball away during the game between Utah and UCLA at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Davetta Jones, Aaron Lowe’s sister, lays her head on his framed jersey and cries during the retirement ceremony for her brother’s jersey at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) runs down the sideline trying to avoid the tackle from UCLA Bruins defensive back Obi Eboh (22) at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes running back Tavion Thomas (9) celebrates after his touchdown against UCLA at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes running back Tavion Thomas (9) evades a tackle from UCLA Bruins defensive back Martell Irby (12) on his way to scoring a touchdown during the game between Utah and UCLA at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Utah Utes wide receiver Britain Covey (18) drive over the tackle of UCLA Bruins defensive back Quentin Lake (37) in the first quarter oof the game between the Utes and the Bruins at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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The MUSS Cheers on the Utes as thy take on the UCLA Bruins at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren, Journal staff, Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
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Lisa Wisham takes a picture of the sunset before the Utah UCLA game at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Fondren for the Deseret News
Halftime
Utah’s offense is just clicking.
Five drives in the first half for the Utes, with four touchdowns. All of Utah’s touchdown drives have been 10 plays or less.
Utah scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, with two of them coming via a Tavion Thomas rush. Thomas has been excellent, rushing for 63 yards and three scores. TJ Pledger also contributed four rubs for 41 yards, including a 30-yard run.
Utah’s offensive line has played well, especially on Thomas’s last touchdown run, when the line flattened UCLA and created a huge hole for Thomas.
Cam Rising is 8-for-14 for 92 yards and a touchdown. He has also run for 33 yards.
The Utes racked up 238 yards of offense in the first half.
After allowing a score early in the second quarter after missing multiple tackles on Zach Charbonnet’s touchdown run, Utah’s defense got off the field on three consecutive drives. Nephi Sewell had an interception, the Utes forced a three-and-out on the next drive and then Utah forced a missed 55-yard field goal to end the half.
Plus, Utah gains Devin Lloyd, who missed the first half due to a targeting penalty in the second half of the Oregon State game, for the second half.
End of 1st Quarter
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On its first drive of the game, Utah’s offense drove right down the field for a touchdown. Utah went 75 yards in an efficient nine plays. Utah quarterback Cam Rising targeted Britain Covey and Brant Kuithe often on the drive, including an 11-yard pass to Covey to get the Utes in the red zone. Tavion Thomas had three rushes on that drive and scored the touchdown for the Utes.
UCLA, quarterbacked by backup Ethan Garbers in place of the injured Dorian Thompson-Robinson, had an extended 16-play drive, including converting a fourth-down.
Utah held strong in the red zone, not allowing UCLA to gain a yard once the Bruins had first down from the 9-yard line. A miscommunication between the center and Garbers on 3rd-and-10 from the 10-yard line meant the Bruins had to settle for field goal.
Pregame prep
Here are a few stories to get you ready for the game.
