SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s leading passer at the end of the first quarter was its punter.
And that was even more than Colorado starting quarterback Kaidon Salter, who finished the first half with 23 yards on 5-of-16 passing (31%). Even that was an improvement for Colorado’s team total of -18 yards at halftime.
That included five sacks in the first half for a total of 55 yards for a Utah defense that blitzed on almost every play in the first half and forced Colorado to beat them through the air – Colorado couldn’t.
It was that kind of evening in Salt Lake City.
It’s safe to say that Utah exorcised its demons from an emotional loss to its rival last weekend with a dominant performance at home, beating Colorado 53-7 on Saturday night.
Utah (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) racked up 588 total yards — 398 yards in the first half, including 260 yards rushing — in a complete team performance against Colorado (3-5, 1-4 Big 12).
True freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin, who got his first career start with Devon Dampier sidelined with injury, showed up Saturday. And it didn’t take long to see what the freshman was going to bring when he rushed for a 63-yard touchdown on the second play of the game.
It was the longest run by a true freshman in a start and the longest by a Utes player this season.
Ficklin led the team with 151 rushing yards on 20 attempts, which is the most by a quarterback – regardless of class – since at least 1996. He was also the best starting quarterback ever, breaking the record by 64 yards set in 1982 against San Diego State.
He also threw two passing touchdowns – a 22-yard toss to fellow freshman JJ Buchanan and a 21-yard strike to Larry Simmons – and 140 yards on 10-of-22 passing in his debut before being replaced by Isaac Wilson in the fourth quarter.
Utah did the majority of its damage in the first half, posting 43 points in what included a 58-yard rushing touchdown by Wayshawn Parker, a blocked punt by Jackson Bennee at the Colorado 7-yard line and a Colorado safety after Salter was called for an intentional grounding in the end zone during one of the team’s many blitzes. Utah.
And then there was punter Orion Phillips, who successfully completed a fake punt in the first quarter, throwing the ball to an open Dallen Bentley for a 25-yard recovery. The play ultimately set up a 53-yard field goal made by placekicker Dillon Curtis.
Salter finished the night with 37 yards and an interception on 9-of-22 passing. He added 24 rushing yards before sacks were counted toward his total, netting the Buffaloes QB -4 rushing yards on the night.
He was replaced in the fourth quarter by backup quarterback Ryan Staub.
One of Colorado’s best drives of the evening came right out of the halftime break, where the team started at the 26-yard line and picked up a few first-down plays to move the ball deep into Utah territory. But the drive came to a halt when Utah held on on fourth-and-1, forcing the Buffaloes into a turnover.
Utah’s defense finished with 13 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four TDs, while limiting the Buffaloes to 140 total yards. Linebacker Jonathan Hall led the team with five total tackles and two sacks, while contributing two additional tackles for loss.
Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley had a less aggressive game plan in the second half, negating constant blitzes and subbing deep players to preserve the health of the starters in the blowout victory.
The Buffaloes got a late score to end the shutout when Staub found the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run with 9:03 left.
This story will be updated.
