Utah receives A grades in blowout win over Oregon


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SALT LAKE CITY — In one of Utah's best performances in the Pac-12, the Utes come away with a major 62-20 victory over the Oregon Ducks on the road.

The following is a grading of Utah's performance in their blowout victory.

Offense: A

For the first time since joining the Pac-12, Utah got everything it wanted on offense. And much of that is credit goes to a gritty Travis Wilson, who played hurt despite grimacing with pain every time he took a hard hit.

Wilson lead the team going 18-of-30 for 227 yards and four touchdowns. He added 100 rushing yards and one touchdown in the win. Wilson was in control and played his best game as a Ute. But Utah found a receiving offense, with Wilson targeting nine different players, including freshmen Caleb Repp and Britain Covey. Even running back Devontae Booker got in on the game and threw a touchdown pass to Covey.

Utah's offense proved it has what it takes to compete in the Pac-12, but it's got to show up more than one game for anyone to say it has arrived. But an A grade for at least one game never hurts.

Defense: A ==========

Utah's defense completely took over the game and forced Oregon to punt it seven times, including three consecutive times to start the game. Additionally, Utah held Oregon scoreless for nearly the entire second half.

From its six tackles for loss, five sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery, Utah's defense was everywhere on the field. While Utah's offense got it done, it was the defense that kept Oregon from making a comeback.

You can't really ask more from a defense that consistently remains tough.

Special Teams: A ================

Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said earlier in the week that Utah's special teams was "worth the price of admission," and they certainly didn't disappoint. Sure, the special teams gave up a 77-yard return early in the game, but everything else the special teams did overshadowed that one negative aspect of their game.

Utah's Boobie Hobbs returned a punt in the third quarter for a 69-yard touchdown, which is the first special teams touchdown against Oregon in 100 games. The last time Oregon had a special teams touchdown return was against Arizona in 2007.

Tom Hackett had a career night kicking the ball, punting 76 yards early in the game. He downed Oregon inside the 10-yard line three times and had two punts over 50 yards. And in the most surprising play, Hackett pulled off a one-handed punt-saving grab and then ran for a 33-yard run to extend the drive.

Coaches: A ==========

Utah's coaching staff gets criticized for being conservative a lot, and it's often merited. But the coaching staff Saturday was aggressive and kept Utah striking, despite scoring touchdown after touchdown. Even when not necessary, Utah went for it on fourth-and-five.

Maybe it's playing Oregon, but 62 points doesn't just happen without playing aggressive and taking the leash off the offense. Play calling on all sides of the ball were on point and effective in their delivery.

Overall: A ==========

You can't really ask for a better performance from Utah. The game started out slow with two quick field goals, but Utah quickly made up for it by scoring touchdown after touchdown. The defense and special teams made key plays and the coaching staff put its players in position to be success against a talented Oregon team.

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Josh Furlong

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