This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Berkeley, Calif. • With one more yard, Brian Allen and Utah's secondary would've been in the clear.
It would've been a tough week in the film room, but a bearable one — given that Utah would've escaped with a win.
But that yard didn't come, and neither did victory in Utah's 28-23 loss to Cal on Saturday. And now Allen and company will be forced to look back at their game with sickness in their stomachs, scrutinizing each one of quarterback Davis Webb's four touchdown passes in an entirely different lens.
"I was just coming out there trying to do my job," said Allen, a senior cornerback. "Unfortunately for me, I'm hard on myself, because it wasn't my best game."
Utah's defense was faced with its toughest challenge of the year: Slow the nation's No. 2 passing attack with one of the most productive quarterbacks in Webb, and the top overall receiver in Chad Hansen.
By many measures, the Utah defense did its job. It held Cal to 28 points (under the season average of 45 per game), 306 yards through the air, and Hansen didn't break the 100-yard mark for the first time this season.
But when the Utes were burned, it hurt: All of Webb's four touchdown passes were 24 yards or longer, including three in Allen's coverage area. He leapt up on the first on Cal's first drive too early, letting Hansen run free behind him for a 39-yard score. On the last drive, a stutter step hesitation kept him from catching Demetris Robinson on a 56-yard touchdown.
Through four games, Utah had allowed only two touchdown passes — including a 46-yard score in garbage time against San Jose State.
Coach Kyle Whittingham vigorously defended his defenders, saying that Utah's performance was the most he could've expected.
"That's who they are: They're talented, quarterback is extremely accurate, the receivers go up and get that contested ball, they have speed," said Wittingham. "If you had said we're going to hold these guys to 28 points, I would've said we were going to win the football game."
Whittingham also defended Allen, who got the team's only turnover when he intercepted Webb near the end of the first half. Allen also filled in for more reps than normal when senior Reggie Porter went down with injury.
"Brian's a competitor," Whittingham said. "The technique on some of those plays can be corrected. He'll be better next week."
Twitter: @kylegoon