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If it wasn't good enough against a passing team on a drizzly night in Salt Lake City, then when will it be good enough?
That's the tough question the Utes have to answer this week after surrendering a 21-0 lead at Rice-Eccles Stadium and dropping their fourth consecutive Pac-12 opener, this one 28-27 to visiting Washington State.
"We definitely let that one get away from us," said head coach Kyle Whittingham after the game. "Twenty-one to nothing lead, and we didn't do much after that."
Utah's defense bent and bent, and it finally broke in the fourth quarter.
Connor Halliday threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns, including the second of the night for both Dom Williams and Vince Mayle, and the Utes could only lean on junior running back Devontae Booker so much without a big catch or two in the passing game.
Booker finished with 178 yards on 24 carries with one score, but Wilson went 18-for-38 for 165 yards, and senior Dres Anderson made two drops that would have given Utah the lead late in the fourth.
Defensive end Jason Fanaika, who recorded two sacks and recovered a fumble, said it wasn't a matter of tiredness, or a lack of effort.
"The only thing to say is their players just made plays," he said.
It was a brutal result for the 45,000-plus who'd watched an Eric Rowe pick-six, a Kaelin Clay 58-yard punt return and a 76-yard Booker dash give the Utes a 21-0 lead.
Rowe's pick, his first since 2012, gave the Utes four on the season and topped their 2013 total. When Gionni Paul snagged his second pick in as many games off a Halliday gift in the second quarter, it appeared that Utah's pass defense was a match for the nation's top-ranked passing attack.
And Clay, goodness. For the fourth time this season he returned a kick for a touchdown — in four games — and his three punt returns for a touchdown tie Steve Smith's season record from 1999. This was no less impressive than the last three, with Clay wheeling away from a tackle and reversing field for a stroll to red turf.
But, "I could care less about the punt return right now," he said after the game, sporting an ugly bitten lip. "I'd rather be 4-0 than have that punt return."
The game changed after the Utes went up by three touchdowns, when Washington State head coach Mike Leach called timeout and addressed his whole team. Whatever he said, they took to heart.
Minutes later, Leach decided to go for it on fourth-and-five, coming up a yard short on a screen pass instead of kicking a short field goal.
But going for it on fourth paid off for the Cougars later in the half, with Halliday finding Dom Williams in the corner of the end zone after some apparent confusion from Ute defenders.
In the fourth quarter, the Cougars replicated that, with Halliday again finding Williams for a score that drew them within six.
With five minutes to play, Mayle was uncovered across the middle and Halliday was the first to notice, giving him an 81-yard ticket to pay dirt.
The Utes had two more drives, but drops and sailing Wilson throws left them to now wonder how they'll provide a match for No. 11 UCLA, which dominated No. 15 Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz., on Thursday.
"We've got to find out who we are this week," Whittingham said. "It's a big challenge. I watched their game the other night. They look like they've got a lot of things going for them."
Utah, as recently as a few hours ago, could say the same.
Storylines
Utah gives up 21-0 first- quarter lead to lose on fourth-quarter score in its Pac-12 opener Saturday.
Washington State's Connor Halliday throws four touchdowns.
Utah quarterback Travis Wilson struggles, going 18 of 38 passing for 165 yards. —
WSU 28,Utah 27
Washington St. 0 7 7 14 — 28
Utah 21 3 0 3 — 27
First Quarter
Utah • Rowe 11 interception return (Phillips kick), 10:01.
Utah • Clay 58 punt return (Phillips kick), 9:01.
Utah • Booker 76 run (Phillips kick), 5:52.
Second Quarter
WSU • D.Williams 35 pass from Halliday (Breshears kick), 6:54.
Utah • FG Phillips 46, :05.
Third Quarter
WSU • Mayle 11 pass from Halliday (Breshears kick), 6:00.
Fourth Quarter
Utah • FG Phillips 43, 14:13.
WSU • D.Williams 20 pass from Halliday (Breshears kick), 8:08.
WSU • Mayle 81 pass from Halliday (Breshears kick), 4:58.
Attendance • 45,859.
WSU Utah
First downs 27 18
Rushes-yards 25-78 40-192
Passing 417 165
Comp-Att-Int 39-61-2 18-40-0
Return Yards 18 84
Punts-Avg. 6-38.7 7-45.9
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 4-40 8-78
Time of Poss. 34:13 25:47
Individual Statistics
Rushing • Washington St., Wicks 11-56, Morrow 8-48, West 1-1,
Team 1-(minus 2), Halliday 4-(minus 25). Utah, Booker 24-178, Poole 5-9,
Wilson 10-7, Clay 1-(minus 2).
Passing • Washington St., Halliday 39-61-2-417. Utah,
Wilson 18-38-0-165, K.Thompson 0-2-0-0.
Receiving • Washington St., R.Cracraft 9-126, Mayle 8-120,
Galvin 5-41, D.Williams 4-73, Myers 4-27, Morrow 3-17, Wicks 3-11,
Lewis 2-3, Green 1-(minus 1). Utah, Scott 7-70, Clay 5-65, Patrick 2-23,
Tonga 2-11, Booker 2-(minus 4).