Colorado State 16, (14) Utah 49

1234T
CSU (3-4)763016
#14UTAH (8-0)141471449

Final

2:00 PM ET, October 18, 2008
Rice-Eccles Stadium
SALT LAKE CITY, UT

QB duo carries undefeated Utah over Colorado St.

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Top 25 Overview
It was over when... Dave Reed scored on a 33-yard pass with 1:18 to go in the first half, pumping up the Utes' lead to 18 points.
Gameball goes to... The Utes QBs. Starter Brian Johnson threw 18-of-26 for 2 TDs, and backup Corbin Louks ran for 109 yards and 2 TDs of his own.
Stat of the game... 21. With Saturday's win, Johnson won his 21st game as a starter, tying Alex Smith for the most in school history.
Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs1825
Total Yards298549
Passing188222
Rushing110327
Penalties3-138-80
3rd Down Conversions3-155-9
4th Down Conversions2-30-0
Turnovers11
Possession32:2427:36
Air/Ground Leaders
Colorado State Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Farris19/3316611
Stucker3/52200
Utah Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Johnson18/2618521
Louks1/13700
Colorado State Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Johnson2095026
Farris48010
Utah Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Louks5109269
Asiata84128
Colorado State Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Greer367042
Morton539129
Utah Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Brown478134
Reed373137
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERCSUUTAH
TD12:38Freddie Brown 32 Yd Pass From Brian Johnson (Louie Sakoda Kick) 07
TD07:59Dion Morton 29 Yd Pass From Billy Farris (Jason Smith Kick) 77
TD02:46Matt Asiata 3 Yd Run (Louie Sakoda Kick) 714
SECOND QUARTERCSUUTAH
FG07:00Jason Smith 25 Yd 1014
TD04:09Matt Asiata 3 Yd Run (Louie Sakoda Kick) 1021
TD01:18David Reed 33 Yd Pass From Brian Johnson (Louie Sakoda Kick) 1028
FG00:00Jason Smith 38 Yd 1328
THIRD QUARTERCSUUTAH
FG07:36Jason Smith 52 Yd 1628
TD02:20Corbin Louks 21 Yd Run (Louie Sakoda Kick) 1635
FOURTH QUARTERCSUUTAH
TD14:11Jereme Brooks 34 Yd Run (Louie Sakoda Kick) 1642
TD09:30Corbin Louks 69 Yd Run (Louie Sakoda Kick) 1649
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah remained in contention to be a two-time BCS buster by looking a little like the Utes team that did it first.

Five players scored touchdowns and the No. 14 Utes had their best offensive performance of the season in a 49-16 win over Colorado State on Saturday, improving to 8-0 for the fourth time in school history.

Fast Facts

• Utah has won nine straight games and 20 straight when playing as a ranked team. They have also won five of the last six against the Rams.

• Brian Johnson won his 21st game as a starter, which ties Alex Smith for the most in school history.

• Colorado State was outscored 21-3 in the second half and hasn't beaten a ranked team since 2002.

-- ESPN research

"It was definitely our most balanced game and we really got the spread run game going," said Brian Johnson, who passed for two touchdowns and tied Alex Smith's school record of 21 wins as Utah's starting quarterback. "That's where it all started, spreading that defense out and making them cover every option we had on the field. We made it tough on them."

Corbin Louks, Johnson's backup, ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns, Matt Asiata scored twice and Jereme Brooks took a reverse for a touchdown as the Utes (8-0, 4-0) gained 549 yards of offense -- 162 more than they averaged through the first seven games.

The Utes subbed the speedy Louks for Johnson a few times to keep the Rams (3-4, 1-2) off guard and Louks capitalized by taking two option keepers for touchdowns, including a 69-yard, zig-zagging run that put Utah up 49-16 with 9:30 left to play.

"We were hitting them from all different angles," Johnson said. "They had to guess who was carrying the ball and what we were trying to do with it."

The Utes have been 8-0 only three other times -- 1930, when they were perfect in an eight-game season, 1994, and the unbeaten team of 2004. The Utes went 12-0 that season, becoming the first team from a non-BCS conference to make one of the top four bowl games.

As long as the Utes stay unbeaten, they will have a chance at getting back to the BCS.

"Every week is getting bigger and bigger for us," said defensive end Paul Kruger, who had seven tackles and tipped the ball on an interception for the Utes in the third quarter. "We've been confident all year. We want this so bad so every game has been a huge thing for us."

Utah is off until playing at New Mexico on Nov. 1 and heads into the bye week with its best offensive game of the season. The Utes' previous high for offense was 461 yards against Utah State on Sept. 13 and they topped that by 88 on Saturday.

"We had total focus and concentration for the entire game," said Johnson, who completed his first eight passes and finished 18-for-26 for 185 yards with one interception. "When we do that we have a chance to be a very good offense and hopefully this will be a springboard for the final four games of the season."

Jason Smith kicked three field goals for Colorado State, including a 52-yarder that made it 28-16 midway through the third quarter. Gartrell Johnson ran for 95 yards on 20 carries for Colorado State and Billy Farris was 19-for-33 for 166 yards with a touchdown.

"We came in here and played a very, very good football team. We hung in there in the first half," Colorado State coach Steve Fairchild said. "In the end we just didn't make enough plays and it got out of hand there a little bit in the second half."

The Rams were driving in the third quarter, but Chaz Walker intercepted a pass that Kruger tipped as Farris threw it and Utah got the ball at its own 49-yard line. A few plays later, Louks ran up the middle for a 21-yard touchdown to put Utah up 35-16 with 2:20 left in the third quarter.

Brooks added another score when he leaped over the goal line at the end of his reverse in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, then Louks capped the scoring with the run of the day.

Utah was at its own 31 and Louks kept it on the option, breaking free and heading for his own sideline. Colorado State just about had him inside the 25 yard line, but Louks cut back across the field and outran the Rams to the end zone.

"That was a long one. I was a little winded after that," said Louks, who missed two games after separating his right shoulder in the season opener at Michigan.

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Thursday, October 16th
9 Brigham Young 7 Final
TCU 32
Friday, October 17th
Hawaii 7 Final
15 Boise State 27
Saturday, October 18th
11 Missouri 31 Final
1 Texas 56
Mississippi 20 Final
2 Alabama 24
Michigan 17 Final
3 Penn State 46
16 Kansas 31 Final
4 Oklahoma 45
6 USC 69 Final
Washington State 0
7 Texas Tech 43 Final
Texas A&M 25
Baylor 6 Final
8 Oklahoma State 34
22 Vanderbilt 14 Final
10 Georgia 24
12 Ohio State 45 Final
20 Michigan State 7
13 LSU 24 Final
South Carolina 17
Colorado State 16 Final
14 Utah 49
17 Virginia Tech 23 Final
Boston College 28
18 North Carolina 13 Final
Virginia 16 OT
Syracuse 13 Final
19 South Florida 45
21 Wake Forest 0 Final
Maryland 26
23 Pittsburgh 42 Final
Navy 21
25 California 27 Final
Arizona 42