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Fort Worth, Texas » Utah's special teams weren't exactly special during Saturday night's 55-28 beatdown at TCU.
The Horned Frogs recovered a fumbled kickoff return, blocked a Utah punt and used a long punt return of their own to set up a touchdown -- all in the opening 16 minutes.
"... Just a lot of things you can't do against a quality opponent," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.
On the other hand, TCU linebacker Tank Carder called it "one of the best special teams games we've had in awhile. ... Those guys came to play."
Utah survived its first mistake of the game, when David Reed fumbled on a kickoff return after TCU's first touchdown.
The Frogs recovered at the Utah 16, but they could not score.
Utah trailed 14-7 late in the first quarter when Utah punter Sean Sellwood's protection broke down.
TCU blocked the kick, took over at the Utah 23 and scored four plays later.
Trailing 21-7, Sellwood unloaded a 52-yard punt on the next possession. But the Frogs' Jeremy Kerley returned it 39 yards to the Ute 29. TCU scored three players later.
In the final two minutes of the half, Sellwood's 33-yard punt from his end zone gave TCU possession at the Utah 44. Ross Evans ended a hurried drive with a 30-yard field goal.
"We knew were going to have to play our best to compete tonight and it didn't happen," Whittingham said. "... We have to coach better.
Utah's early mistakes were a key.
"You can't put a football team like TCU in those short-field situations to survive it," Whittingham said. "They're too good."
