This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Ann Arbor, Mich.
As the fourth quarter unfolded and heavy rain fell Saturday evening, tens of thousands of Michigan fans dressed in yellow headed for the exits. Their departures made a swath of red appear more distinct in the south end zone, 90-plus rows above the field.
Those folks from Utah were not going anywhere, until they were ordered to evacuate.
Same story with the Ute defense.
Utah's defenders were at their best when it counted in a 26-10 victory — rarely dominating, but always delivering. Michigan's touchdown came via an interception return, so the defense was responsible for only three points.
Eight of Michigan's drives went into Utah territory, and they all ended well short of the end zone.
"Once we started hitting 'em a little bit," said Ute linebacker Jared Norris, "it didn't stop."
Eventually, the Utes finished their work after a 2-hour, 25-minute weather delay. Hundreds of Utah fans celebrated the ending by moving down to prime seats in back of the visitors' bench for the last 7 minutes, 51 seconds.
Utah's takeover of historic Michigan Stadium was complete. "We heard so much about the Big House; it was the Ute house at the end," said receiver Dres Anderson.
The defense was the big the story, on a day when every phase of Utah's operation contributed to a meaningful victory. The special teams certainly helped as Kaelin Clay delivered his third kick-return touchdown of the season and Andy Phillips kicked four field goals.
The offense gained only 286 yards and truly contributed 16 points, while giving back seven via the interception of Kendal Thompson that Michigan turned into an easy TD.
Ute quarterback Travis Wilson foolishly tried to dive over a tackler in the second quarter — "flyin' through the air like a pterodactyl," by Anderson's description. Wilson was flipped and injured his nose on the landing. He scared himself, needed stitches and promised to learn from the experience. Yet he showed toughness and poise in returning after halftime to lead a drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Anderson.
That was a nice grab. But for anyone who wondered if there's really something different about this Utah team, consider how well the defenders were catching the football Saturday.
The Utes' three interceptions matched last season's total. The takeaways came from three players who were not available to Utah then — including transfers Gionni Paul and Tevin Carter, plus Brian Blechen, who was injured. After the delay, Paul recovered a fumble that was forced by Hunter Dimick. Norris and Nate Orchard each recorded two sacks.
Michigan's offense (308 yards) outgained Utah's, but the Utes got tough when necessary. Coach Kyle Whittingham dismisses any bend-but-don't-break label for his defense, but that's kind of what happened.
The biggest stop of all came on a fourth-and-3 play in the third quarter, with Utah holding a 20-10 lead. Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner ran to his right on a designed keeper and Norris corralled him about a yard short of the first-down marker.
This is not a vintage Michigan team, but Saturday's defensive performance helps validate Utah's 3-0 nonconference record. Pac-12 play is a blank canvas, as all kinds of possibilities await the Utes. They're already halfway to bowl eligibility, which was viewed as a genuine achievement in the buildup to this season. As of mid-September, winning merely six games would be disappointing for this team, and contending in the Pac-12 South is not out of the question. That's where the Utes stand right now, thanks largely to a defense that simply would not back down or give up valuable ground.