Southern watch: checking in on Utah’s other college sports teams
Utah
Football
It was all Utes on Saturday as the No. 13 team destroyed San Jose State in Salt Lake City, 56-3.
Quarterback Jordan Wynn, who was out for the past two weeks with an injured thumb, returned triumphantly to his starting position under center. Wynn was never sacked and went 14-for-18 and 124 yards before being sent back to the bench in the third quarter to avoid further injury.
“The offensive line did a great job. I didn’t get touched the whole night. No one even came close to me,” Wynn said. “We’re right where we need to be. We can get better but tonight we played a pretty complete game.”
Utah scored eight different touchdowns in the rout, each put on the board by a different player. The offense scored on every drive except three, in which they were forced to punt.
Spartan quarterback Jordan La Secla was sacked three times as his team managed to gain just 172 total yards. The lone score for the visitors was a 20-yard field goal by Harrison Waid in the first quarter.
Led by senior defensive end Christian Cox, the Ute defense played extremely well, allowing San Jose State to convert on just one of 12 third-downs.
“I think we’re in a terrific spot,” Cox said. “We all have something to prove and we are playing for each other.”
Utah is now ranked No.12 in the USA Today poll and No. 13 in the AP Poll.
Volleyball
Four different Ute players recorded ten kills in the team’s 3-1 home victory over Wyoming on Sept. 23. Morgan Odale, Erin Redd, Karolina Bartkowiak and Sarah Collette combined for a total of 50 kills to help Utah (6-7) win the conference opener.
Ute head coach Beth Launiere said she was pleased with the way that her team was able to bounce back for the victory after losing the first set.
“In every set, we played better defense and that was the key,” Launiere said. “Our serves were very tough and that was very important, too.”
BYU
Football
Now led solely by Jake Heaps at quarterback, BYU was handed its third-straight loss of the season at the hands of Nevada, 27-13. It’s the first time BYU has lost three straight over the last five years.
With the quarterback situation finally under wraps, the Cougars showed real improvement. Although Heaps went just 24-for-45 for 229 yards passing, BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said he was pleased with the way that the true freshman played.
“The decision making, it’s not nearly as sporadic as getting half the reps,” Mendenhall said. “(Jake Heaps’) performance was a bright spot and a work in progress. … He did a nice job.”
For the Wolf Pack, the victory earned a spot in the AP Poll at No. 25. It is the first time Nevada has been ranked in the AP Top 25 sine 1948. Running back Vai Taua rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Collin Kaepernick threw to nine different receivers for 196 yards and one touchdown, rushing in for another score.
– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu