Utah Utes vs Colorado State Rams Football Recap

Utah 59, Colorado State 6

The TCU Horned Frogs are playing reasonably well right now in the Mountain West Conference.

The Utah Utes are playing better.

On a night when Utah easily could have been looking ahead to the following week and a key showdown at the United States Air Force Academy, the Utes instead remained focused on the task at hand. Playing on a rain-soaked evening at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, coach Kyle Whittingham's club laid the lumber to Colorado State, exploding in a 53-point thumping that sent yet another message about this team's overall quality.

On many occasions, statistics lie; however, they're not telling any untruths about Utah at the moment. This romp marked the fourth time in the past five games that Utah has scored at least 56 points. Just two years after decorated quarterback Brian Johnson led this team to a 13-0 season and a Sugar Bowl conquest of Alabama that lifted the Utes to the top five in the season-ending rankings, new quarterback Jordan Wynn seems to be ready to pick up the torch. The way the Utah offense is flourishing under Wynn's direction offers the strongest proof yet that the Utes are ready and able to beat TCU and carry the Mountain West's banner into a BCS bowl game.

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Wynn played like a winner on Saturday against Colorado State. He presided over an offense that once again generated game-breaking plays. At least four touchdowns for Utah covered at least 30 yards. Two long balls by Wynn and two runs decked coach Steve Fairchild's Rams to the mat, conveying the message that the Utes could strike from anywhere on the field at any time. Wynn finished with dazzling numbers against CSU. He hit 23-of-29 passes - that's better than 75 percent in case you're wondering - for 321 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Wynn enabled the home team to gain 648 yards compared to Colorado State's 213. As part of that massive advantage, Utah also collected 221 rushing yards to just 28 for the visitors from Fort Collins, Colorado. Utah also converted 11-of-15 third downs compared to the Rams' fatal 2-for-12 rate. In order for CSU to be competitive, those third-down percentages needed to be reversed - the Rams were the ones who needed to keep the ball away from Utah's offense and shorten the game. Instead, Utah mixed its big-play potency with old-fashioned slobberknocker football that punched Colorado State in the mouth.

This was all a very emphatic statement from Utah, which beat Colorado State by almost twice the number of points that TCU used to knock off the Rams on Oct. 2. Yes, it was three and a half weeks ago that TCU defeated CSU by a 27-0 score. Now that Utah has ripped the Rams by 53, it's becoming increasingly realistic to say that Utah, not TCU, should be favored when the teams meet on Nov. 6 in Salt Lake City. Yes, Utah must get by Air Force first, but it bears mentioning that the Utes are playing at a higher level right now.

Be afraid, Mountain West. Be very afraid. The Utah Utes are steamrolling through the neighborhood.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer