The Utah Utes have risen to 5-3, beating the visiting UCLA Bruins 44-24, who have fallen to 5-4.
Sometimes, players in college football have just, well, one of those games. One where they seem to be above the competition in such a way, you just have to look back on it in awe. Now, Tavion Thomas, one of Utah’s running backs, didn’t shatter any rushing records or jump into the Heisman conversation, but he did have one of those games.
Thomas ran for 160 yards and four touchdowns, the four touchdowns tying a school record for most in a game. The powerful running back averaged 6.7 yards on 24 carries against a UCLA rush defense that led the Pac-12 in rushing defense, allowing only 94.9 yards a game. Thomas wasn’t the only one running the ball, though.
Quarterback Cam Rising ran for 63 yards and one touchdown, while T.J Pledger, another Ute running back, ran for 61 yards. As a team, the Utes were able to rack up a grand total of 290 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
Running with a Purpose
Of course, it helps when there’s so much to play for. The Utes retired the #22 jersey, in honor of Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, right between the first and second quarters, and every other Pac-12 team had painted the 22 yard-line hash-mark red in honor of the two teammates. Emotions from the tragedies that struck the Utah program have been palpable this year, as coaches, players, and family have all spoken on how the memory of Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe has been a near-constant thought during this season.
Utah needed this win. They had just lost on the road to the Oregon State Beavers in a tough game the week prior, and it looked like their lead on the Pac-12 South could be lost. Instead of buckling to pressure, the Utes rose to the occasion, staying one game ahead of Arizona State.
The Utes will have another opportunity to prove themselves on Saturday, as the Utes will travel to play the Stanford Cardinals. The game will take place on November 5th at 8:30 p.m., Mountain Standard Time.
