SALT LAKE CITY -- The University of Utah Utes have been off to a great start this year, with six straight victories and a No. 3 ranking so far this season—and it all started with a home game against Michigan.
Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines had all the hype leading up to the season opener, but it was the Utes who got it done on the field.
Travis Wilson put the Utes on top 17 to 3 with a 14-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and after the Wolverines battled back and cut the lead to 7, Justin Thomas put the game away with a pick-six in the fourth quarter.
"You know, we just beat Michigan for the third time in a row,” Head Coach Kyle Whittingham said after the game. “That's a heck of an accolade for our program. Proud of our players, proud of how we hung in there—when we did face adversity: We kept playing."
Next up was an in-state battle with Utah State, where Wilson had another nice touchdown run in the first quarter. But, he would leave the game before halftime with a shoulder injury.
The Utes still pulled out the victory, and Devontae Booker ran for 125 yards and a touchdown--leading the Utes to a 24-14 win over the Aggies.
Then, after a road win at Fresno State, the Utes opened up Pac-12 play against the Oregon Ducks, who went into the game ranked No. 13 in the country.
But Wilson returned from his injury to play his best game as a Ute, Throwing four touchdown passes and running for another. The game turned into a rout, as the Utes dominated all three phases of the game and blew out the ducks 62 to 20.
“It's amazing, I’m still kind of in shock a little bit,” Travis Wilson said after that game. “It was such a great win for this program and for this team, and it was just the beginning start."
After a bye week, the Utes jumped up to No. 5 in the Associated Press Poll, and they faced No. 22 Cal.
Booker had another huge game, rushing for 222 yards and two touchdowns. The Utah defense forced six turnovers in the 30-24 win over the Bears.
“Pretty big [win], obviously,” said Utah Junior Defensive End Hunter Dimick. “It feels good to beat a team that’s, Cal was a very, very good team, so I feel fortunate to win this one."
Then, last week, The Utes snapped a sore streak and finally beat Arizona State for the first time since 1976.
The Utes scored 20 unanswered points in the 4th quarter of the match-up, with two big touchdown runs from Booker to give the Utes a 34-18 win over the Sun Devils to stay perfect at 6-0. With the win, the Utes moved to No. 3 in the AP poll.
Now, the Utes will take on USC in Los Angeles Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time. Catch the game on FOX 13, with local pregame coverage beginning at 4:30 p.m.
