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Houston quarterback Zeon Chriss (2) throws a touchdown pass to wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV over Utah linebacker Lander Barton (8) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Houston. | Michael Wyke
After losing four in a row, its latest loss coming at the hands of a Houston team that entered the game scoring the fewest points per game in the nation, Utah is in a bad place.
For the third time in four games, the Utes failed to score more than 14 points, and in a pretty surprising move, benched true freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson midway through the third quarter for Brandon Rose.
Aside from a 71-yard screen pass to Brant Kuithe on the second play of the game and a Micah Bernard 14-yard touchdown run, not much was working for the offense — from quarterback play to offensive line play to wide receiver play to running back play.
Special teams turned in a dud of a game — Cole Becker missed field goals from 46 and 52 yards that could have been the difference and punter Jack Bouwmeester didn’t have a good game with seven punts for 288 yards.
Utah did hold Houston to only 17 points — a little over three points more than the Cougars’ worst-in-the-country 13.7 point average entering the game — but the defense had their issues as well.
To be fair, Houston only dropped back to pass 17 times, but the inability for the Utes to sack Cougar quarterback Zeon Chriss against an Houston offensive line that had allowed 24 sacks this season was head-scratching, even with the Utes down two starters — Junior Tafuna and Keanu Tanuvasa — on the defensive line.
Yet again, the Utes had another game with double-digit missed tackles (16) and poor run defense (Houston rushed for 228 yards and passed for just 61).
These are season-long issues plaguing the Utes, but after four consecutive weeks…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/utes-bowl-game-espn-fpi-233223436.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-10-27 23:32:23
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