It was an ugly game. For the first time in weeks, that was a good thing for the Utah Blaze.

The Blaze (6-7) stomped the Pittsburgh Power (7-6) in a 81-40 blowout Saturday night at EnergySolutions Arena, snapping a three-game losing streak and pumping some life back into the team's playoff hopes. It was the biggest win of the season for Utah, which is fighting for a playoff spot in a crowded field.

"I told our guys this was our playoff game," said coach Ron James, who returned to the sidelines this week after a two-game hiatus. "If they had any inkling of playing the next six weeks, they had to bring it tonight. And they answered that call."

The Blaze got off to a strong start, something the team has lacked in recent weeks. On the first play, the defensive front forced a fumble by Pittsburgh quarterback Kevin McCabe — who was starting in place of injured Bernard Morris — and T.J. Raymond recovered. It took only three possessions for the Blaze to find the end zone and take the lead.

The Power scored on their next drive, but Utah responded. After Alvance Robison caught his second touchdown reception of the night, the Blaze recovered their second fumble and linebacker Brandon Taylor ran it in for a score. Utah took a 21-6 lead on the subsequent extra point.

Pittsburgh switched in Chris Wallace at quarterback, who led three scoring drives for the Power. But his efficiency was more than matched by the Blaze offense, which was a perfect 12-for-12 on its offensive possessions.

It was a stunning effort from a Blaze offense that has come under fire for stagnating in recent weeks. In particular, wide receiver Aaron Lesue tore up the field on his return from injured reserve, catching 11 passes for 97 yards and five touchdowns. Grady ended up with a great line as well, going 31-for-39 with 313 yards and a whopping 10 touchdowns.

"I felt like we could have a good game all week," Lesue said. "That was the mentality: We wanted to have a killer instinct, and just get on them all game."

Utah effectively sealed the lead with a 21-point swing in the third quarter. After a two-play drive that ended with Robinson streaking 25 yards for a score, the Blaze special teams recovered a fumble on the kick return. Ernie Pierce scored on the very next play, which appeared to be the breaking point for the Power, and Chris Bocage piled on with a touchdown minutes later.

The turnover battle was another key for the Blaze: They didn't give up any, while the Blaze defense seemed to wall up at every critical moment. In addition to forcing McCabe's fumbles, the Blaze also stopped Pittsburgh on four fourth downs in the second half.

"We have a lot of pride in this game — we wanted to show the league that the Blaze are back," Raymond said. "We're not an easy win anymore."

kgoon@sltrib.com

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Utah rolls in 81-40 blowout

R The Blaze offense scores on every possession, led by quarterback Tommy Grady's 10 touchdown passes.

• On defense, Utah takes advantage of a replacement quarterback and makes four fourth-down stops.

• Receiver Aaron Lesue makes 11 catches and scores five touchdowns returning from injured reserve.