This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

After all the hoopla and hubbub of a week during which Utah football got as much national attention as it ever has, certainly earlier than it ever has, Kyle Whittingham did what anyone in his position would set out to do: He demanded more of it.

Not by running his mouth or being bombastic or boasting or putting on any kind of show. By winning.

That last part is exactly what the Utes did against Cal late Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium, by the count of 30-24. It wasn't pretty, it came down to stopping one last drive, but they did the best thing they could do on this occasion. They showed resiliency against a quality opponent and hung on for dear life.

For them, leading the Pac-12, being its only remaining undefeated team, sure feels good, especially considering that just two short seasons ago, they won only two conference games. This time around, Utah's already accomplished that and it's just clearing its throat in early October. The South Division no longer resembles the formidable gauntlet it once seemed to be, and, with Rome burning, the Utes are sitting in a position to rummage through the smoldering ruins.

They won't look at it that way.

They'll look at it, over the next two weeks, as a dichotomy, as though their next two opponents, Arizona State and USC, are world-beaters, all while coaches gather with players in team rooms to break down and illustrate those opponents' weaknesses and circle vulnerabilities to be aggressively attacked.

First, they must fix their mistakes committed against the heretofore-unbeaten Bears on Saturday night, a team that both presented hardships to Utah and had holes to hide.

The game's action was a beautiful mess, in large measure cleaned up, carry by carry, by Devontae Booker.

For all the talk of Cal being an opportunistic defense, having gained 18 turnovers over its initial five games, it was the Utes with the favorable turnover margin early, getting a total of three — two picks and a fumble — in the first quarter alone. The Bears got theirs later. Utah got more, too. There were four in the second quarter. And more down the stretch.

Basically, both teams treated the ball like a steaming keg of nitroglycerin. Possessions looked, at times, like particles in a supercollider.

The most significant turnover, the ninth of the game, came midway through the fourth quarter, the Utes holding onto their six-point lead, when Dominique Hatfield picked off Jared Goff to halt a potential game-winning score. Goff got one more chance and … no bueno for him. The Utes held.

On back-to-back plays late in the second quarter, Travis Wilson threw an interception, followed immediately by a Goff interception. The Utes used that errant Goff throw to set up a 54-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Cory Butler-Byrd. Next thing, a Gionni Paul interception — the linebacker also caused an earlier fumble — deep in Bear territory led to a Booker TD, which gave Utah a 24-10 lead, a margin cut to 24-17 on a last-minute-in-the-half Cal scoring drive.

The game featured artistic offensive moments and some finger-painting. Goff, who chucked five picks, threw one of the prettiest balls ever seen at Rice-Eccles, a 35-yarder, dropped like manna from heaven over the shoulder and into the hands of Trevor Davis in the end zone, showing everyone why the quarterback's a top NFL prospect. It was a bit of perfection, as was Booker's answer, a 40-yard bop-stop-pop-and-hop down the right side for a Utah touchdown.

A catch and fumble by Booker late in the third quarter teed up a Cal touchdown, cutting Utah's lead to 27-24. A subsequent field goal made it 30-24.

Ultimately, the Utes showed toughness and resolve here, making mistakes, giving up yards to a great player, a great QB, but managing to hang in via 222 rushing yards from another great player, a great running back. Blame for physical and mental errors could be passed around, as could credit for rugged, righteous football.

On account of that last thing, they own the spotlight, still.

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