Utah Football Makes Pac-12 Statement After Blowout Road Win Against Stanford
Nov 6, 2021, 12:40 AM | Updated: 12:42 am
Utah Utes running back Micah Bernard (2) runs the ball for a touchdown, putting the Utes up 52-7 after the PAT in the game against the Stanford Cardinal in Stanford, Calif. on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. (Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
(Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah football program made a huge statement to the Pac-12 Conference after a 52-7 blowout win on the road over Stanford.
Utah entered the game as the favorite to win but never really gave Stanford any chance on Friday night on The Farm.
Here is the Crimson Corner’s “Three-Point Stance” in the Utes’ win over the Cardinal.
Running Game Was Unstoppable
Utah started the game running the football and ended it that way. They had 441 of their 581 yards of total offense come on the ground. They also had three guys eclipse 100 rushing yards in a single game. Tavion Thomas continued his high level of play with 177 yards on 20 carries for four touchdowns. He needs just one more touchdown to tie the single season school record with 15 rushing touchdowns by John White IV (2011) and Zack Moss (2019). Two more touchdowns from the JUCO transfer and the record will be broken.
Micah Bernard racked up 110 yards and one TD on just 12 carries.
T.J. Pledger needed just four rushing attempts to get 107 yards and a touchdown. He now holds the record for the longest run in school history and second-longest play from scrimmage with a 96-yard touchdown run. The Utes averaged 9.6 yards per carry as a team with 46 yards for 441 yards. It’s the fourth-most rushing yards by a Utah football team in a single game in school history.
96 YARDS!!!!!!! WE REPEAT NINETY SIX YARDS!!!
I mean come on @Utah_Football !!
📺: FS1
📱: https://t.co/hUZy0V3UVd pic.twitter.com/ZYG8vVaV4n— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) November 6, 2021
Don’t Forget About The Defense
The Utes held Stanford to just 167 total yards, 85 passing yards and 82 rushing yards. Utah had 15 tackles for loss in just one game. Five came from Devin Lloyd, two came from both Cole Bishop and Van Fillinger. Zemaiah Vaughn and Mika Tafua each had 1.5, while Miki Suguturaga, Nephi Sewell and Karene Reid each had one.
Utah also had five sacks, one from each Devin Lloyd, Mika Tafua, Cole Bishop, Van Fillinger and Miki Suguturaga. Stanford averaged just 2.6 yards per carry on the ground with 31 attempts for 82 yards.
Lloyd was tremendous, finishing with nine total tackles, five solo tackles, one sack, four tackles for loss, one pass breakup and an interception that he snatched off the line of scrimmage and landed in the end zone.
Excuse me @DevinLloyd_ what?!?!#GoUtes | @Utah_Football
📺: FS1
📱: https://t.co/hUZy0V3UVd pic.twitter.com/ydwIgfrviz— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) November 6, 2021
Great Experience For A Young Team
With that blowout win, Utah was able to give the backups some meaningful reps. Although Utah is very young on the defensive side, more young players received game action in a conference road game which is valuable.
Quarterback Ja’Quinden Jackson came in during the fourth quarter. Miki Suguturaga had a strip sack and Jonah Elliss recovered the fumble in the second half.
Games like these certainly pay dividends as these young players progress through the program in the coming years.
Hugs all around for Miki Suguturaga pic.twitter.com/NCRGAV1Jsr
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) November 6, 2021
Utah improved their record to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in Pac-12 play. They will be on the road on Saturday, November 13 against Arizona. Kickoff is a noon MT on the Pac-12 Network.
Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com, Co-Host of Faith, Family and Football podcast with Clark Phillips III and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports.
