This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Tucson, Ariz. • It was fitting that in the second overtime of Utah's 37-30 loss to Arizona here, the Ute defense couldn't stop a Wildcat touchdown. A scoring pass did the Utes in.
Too often, that's the way it went Saturday night.
Try as it did, the Ute offense attempted to play keep-away, possessing the ball for more than 37 minutes. For its part, the Wildcat O had it for just more than 22.
It didn't matter.
All told, that Utah defense gave up 460 yards, four touchdowns and three field goals, leaving its offense, nobody's idea of a juggernaut, to make up the difference. It couldn't. When Travis Wilson's last pass in the extra time sailed incomplete over Kenneth Scott, when the Utes needed a TD to extend the game, the thing was over.
UA starting quarterback Anu Solomon was particularly effective. He ran for 86 yards and passed for 277 and two touchdowns before getting hurt early in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats struggled a bit on offense thereafter, but found enough in overtime to take victory.
Jerrard Randall threw the game-winner, a 25-yard toss, to give Arizona the final margin in that second OT period. Utah had a shot to tie it on its second extra possession, but, as mentioned, that didn't work.
Another Wildcat the Utes could not contain was receiver Cayleb Jones, who caught five passes for 126 yards and one score.
Afterward, UA coach Rich Rodriguez was concurrently pleased with his team's showing and complimentary of the Utes: "This is a [Utah] team that was Top 10 in the country," he said.
Unintentional emphasis on the word "was."
He added: "This is one of the best [wins] I've had."
Emphasis on "is."
He could thank his offense for that, especially Solomon.
It gave an accomplished Ute defense much to sift through, in the aftermath of a stinging defeat.