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Joe Williams had 12 carries through Utah's first nine games, before Devontae Booker was lost for the season to a meniscus injury in Utah's 10th.

Williams has 60 in Utah's past two — more than Booker had averaged in carrying more often than any other running back in the nation, at 26.8 per game.

"I don't know how he does it for a whole season," Williams laughed Saturday. "But it was good. It was really motivating to know that when I go out on the field, [I could] put the team on my back in certain situations."

That Utah beat Colorado 20-14 in its regular season finale was in large part due to Williams, who accounted for almost half of Utah's total yards against UCLA last week and was leaned upon even more against the Buffs, his 187 rushing yards almost 58 percent of the U.'s output.

Sixty-four of those yards came on a second quarter gain that was for naught when Travis Wilson was picked off by Colorado's Tedric Thompson in the end zone. Still, Williams got a block and flashed his 10.5-second 100-meter speed down the east sideline.

And he was for the most part all Utah could call upon in the second half, his 59 yards constituting the heavy lifting as the Utes were without not only Booker, but freshman Britain Covey and senior Kenneth Scott, their two leading receivers.

Twice, Williams was escorted from the field by trainers, and twice he returned. Afterward, he assessed his health as "pretty banged-up."

"But you know, it's just something I've got to do. Had to ball out for the seniors today."

His second straight big day was marred for a second straight time by a first-half fumble, this one ending a 38-yard drive at midfield, jarred loose by Kenneth Olugbode.

Whittingham referred to him, as he has all week, as Booker's "heir apparent," but he did pause to note that "we've got to get that corrected."

"It's good to see him do what he did, other than put the ball on the ground the one time," he said.

mpiper@sltrib.com

Twitter: @matthew_piper —

Joe Williams' season

First nine games • 12 carries, 41 yards rushing, two receptions, 18 yards receiving.

Last three since a season-ending meniscus injury to Devontae Booker • 67 carries, 345 yards, one touchdown, seven receptions, 44 yards.