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That freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn could lead the Utah Utes to a 45-14 win over New Mexico Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium wasn't surprising given the Lobos' are one of the worst teams in the country.
But were all the long passes and quick decisions he made Saturday good enough to possibly beat TCU? That question was the most pertinent even before the No. 17 Utes (8-1, 5-0) finished off the Lobos (0-9, 0-5).
If Wynn didn't answer it on the field when he led the Utes to a season-best 557 yards of total offense in his first collegiate start, going 18-of-28 for 297 yards and two touchdowns, he tried to do so after the game.
"I'm ready," he said. "I'll be in the film room all week breaking them down. I'll be
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While it's hard to predict how he'll fare against the Horned Frogs' defense, ranked the best nationally, by judging his performance Saturday against the Lobos' defense, ranked just 98th nationally, he at least gets credit for helping the Utes to an easy win.
That achievement is something Terrance Cain never really did in his eight starts as a Ute.
Wynn did have a few miscues with a fumbled snap and interception being the most glaring mistakes, but overall he performed as well as the coaches had hoped he would. The Utes were perfect in the red zone with Wynn as the quarterback, going 4-of-4.
"He's not playing like a true freshman," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who later
Picking apart New Mexico's defense is one thing; Saturday's contest in Fort Worth will be a much bigger deal as the Utes are playing for the advantage in the MWC race and possibly more.
The game could feature two teams in the Top 10 of the BCS standings, since the Frogs were No. 6 and the Utes were ranked No. 14 before Saturday's games, and there were several losses by higher ranked teams.
Iowa, ranked No. 4, lost to Northwestern 17-10, No. 8 Oregon fell to Stanford 51-42, No. 9 LSU lost to No. 3 Alabama 24-15 and No. 11 Penn State fell to No. 16 Ohio State 24-7.
However, worrying about the BCS is secondary to the MWC, the Utes said after the game, repeating the mantra they maintained in 2008 which worked well enough to get them to the Sugar Bowl.
"We come out every week and prepare for the team we are playing," receiver John Peel said. "We don't look ahead at all."
Of course, the biggest difference between 2008 and now is the Utes had the winningest quarterback in school history leading them in 2008. Among Brian Johnson's victories was a come-from-behind 13-10 win over the Horned Frogs.
Whittingham admitted he wished Wynn had a few more games behind him, but seemed confident Wynn could lead the Utes after watching him against the Lobos.
"He is performing like we need him too," he said.
Wynn looked like a nervous freshman getting his first collegiate start when he fumbled a snap and lost 5 yards and made a couple shaky short passes in the first drive.
But when the nerves eased, he threw an 18-yard pass to Jereme Brooks, then two plays later found Brooks again for a 69-yard touchdown play.
"I had a little bit of nerves at first, that is about it," Wynn said. "I'd call it butterflies or excitement, but once I get out there, it was all going through my progressions and reads."
In short » The Utes beat the Lobos for the third straight season with Jordan Wynn getting his first career start at quarterback.
Key moment » After a few shaky plays, Wynn throws a 69-yard touchdown pass to Jereme Brooks for the Utes' first touchdown.
Key stat » Eddie Wide finishes with 145 yards to set a school record with six straight games of 100-plus rushing yards.
