This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Eugene, Ore.

This changes everything.

In one night, Utah became a favorite in the Pac-12.

You want to argue? Ask the Oregon Ducks.

Ask them carefully, though. They're probably in no mood to answer, after the beating they took at the hands of the Utes here Saturday night, a night on which the Quack Attack got cracked, smacked, shellacked, whacked and hijacked.

The Utes did a couple of things — one they had never done and another they hadn't done in a long time — in beating the Ducks, 62-20. They won a Pac-12 opener — they had failed in four previous tries — and they crushed the Ducks — for the first time in four attempts.

Utah accomplished two more things that were absolutely necessary to handle its business against this particular opponent on this particular night at Autzen Stadium: It threw the ball like a bad mother and it defended the run with an angry attitude. After accomplishing both, there was nothing left to do but savor victory's sweet taste, something visitors almost never do here.

But Utah deserved it.

The Utes played authentic offensive football, coming out completely unafraid to throw, mixing in the run, confusing the Ducks and, ultimately, making them pay. At first, it was nothing dramatic or deep, mostly dinks and dump-offs, but it was enough to nudge the throttle forward and then wholly bump it open, the offense eventually burning up and down the field.

Travis Wilson slung it and kept slinging it, repeatedly testing an Oregon secondary that couldn't cover an unmade bed. It short-sheeted the effort. Wilson threw three first-half touchdown passes and added one in the second half. In all, he hit nine different targets. His final numbers: 18 of 30 for 227 yards with no picks and a QB rating of 167.6.

Thing is, the quarterback did damage on the ground, as well, running for 100 yards and 1 touchdown, along with Devontae Booker, who ran for 98 yards. When your punter helps your rushing total of 273 yards, ripping off a 33-yarder, you know a really, really good night is unfolding.

Co-offensive coordinator and play-caller Aaron Roderick dialed up a nitro-fueled mix of plays that kept the Ducks defense uncertain, tilted and straight baffled. It also punished the Oregon offense for making mistakes. For Utah, it was a comely balance of beauty and brawn that resulted in 530 total yards and seven touchdowns, with 21 points coming off turnovers. A bonus TD came on a Boobie Hobbs punt return.

The other necessary thing — stop the run — was more than accomplished. Oregon had been averaging 316 rushing yards. On Saturday night, it got 67 in the first half, when it fell behind by two touchdowns, and a harmless 155 in the second half, by which time everybody lost count of the total number of Ute touchdowns.

This is the most important development here: Utah's performance could portend something remarkable this Pac-12 season. The Utes have a real shot to do something that had been unthinkable. They could win the South and they could win the conference title. Not saying they will — UCLA and USC might be pretty good. Maybe they'll come close and miss, but they could. A month ago, nobody would have said that.

There's 500 miles to go. The Pac-12 is tricky that way. But when you roll into Autzen and drop 62 points on Oregon, big thoughts are bound to stir.

The Ducks are not what they were a season ago, but they still have a lot of talented athletes. For Utah to have punished them the way it did, slapping them silly by game's end, well … up is down, down is up, and the Utes, if they stay dialed in, might have a chance — however fat or slim — to kill a conference this go-round, a conference that is nowhere near as formidable as it was presumed to have been. Add five Pac-12 home games at Rice-Eccles Stadium to that equation, and Utah now has a shot at accomplishing the extraordinary. Not saying, just whispering here.

Speak the words softly, then: Rose Bowl.

Say it, again.

Again.

Again.

Shhhh. Nobody said anything about a playoff berth. That's kooky talk.

Just the … softly now … Rose Bowl.

Knock that silly grin off your face, the Utes might — might — be Pasadena good.

Just ask — oh so carefully — Oregon's Ducks.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.