This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Palo Alto, Calif. • It's the Pac-12. The passing conference. The teams with the future NFL quarterbacks who stop East Coasters from meeting their bedtimes.
But not when Utah is involved, and not when Stanford is involved.
Leading the nation in sacks heading into Palo Alto, Utah recorded four more during Saturday night's 20-17 double-overtime victory, and the combination of pressure and coverage held senior quarterback Kevin Hogan to 17-for-27 for just 104 yards.
The best of the buzzkillers: Nate Orchard.
Orchard recorded 3.5 sacks - he was kind enough to share one with redshirt freshman defensive tackle Filipo Mokofisi - and he forced a fumble, and when he was done shutting down Stanford's pass game, he shut down media hoping for a celebratory quote.
Orchard acknowledged it was an honor to break Jimmy Bellamy's single-season school sack record (15, in 1991) with 16.5 of his own, but "all the credit goes to the entire defense," he said.
"That front seven right there, on the defensive line, every day we work so hard, and all that effort and hard work pays off. It takes 11 to do their job for me to do what I do."
Orchard is now four sacks away from John Frank's career Utah record of 27.
But don't expect him to say anything different if he reaches that.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham said Orchard is not only one of his best players, but a senior who is the captain among his captains.
"He is the team leader, as I've said many times before, and it's great to see his individual success contribute to the team's success."
On the flip side, Stanford's pass rush had success of its own.
Senior defensive end Henry Anderson recorded a career-high three sacks, and senior linebacker James Vaughters had a career-high two.
Wilson's final tally: 21-for-28, with 177 yards and two touchdowns, belies the success Stanford's meaty front seven had against Utah's offensive line prior to the overtime period.
Jim Harding's group got it together, and they'll have to do the same next Saturday, because No. 17 Arizona doesn't treat quarterbacks much more kindly.
Twitter: @matthew_piper