No. 10 Utes keep BCS bowl hopes intact

WERE YOU THERE?

Did you attend this game? If so, start chronicling your sports memories today with ESPN's Sports Passport. Enter the games you attend, upload your photos and share your memories! I was there »

Top 25 Overview

It was over when... Brad Gruner's pass to Chris Hernandez was stopped at the Utah 46-yard line to end the game. Gameball goes to... Brian Johnson. The Utah QB was 23-of-32 for 195 yards and 1 TD in the three-point win. Stat of the game... 3-15. New Mexico was 3-of-15 on third- and fourth-down conversions against the Utes. Complete Top 25 Overview

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs	17	16
Total Yards	388	284
Passing	195	165
Rushing	193	119
Penalties	9-79	6-41
3rd Down Conversions	5-13	3-13
4th Down Conversions	0-1	0-2
Turnovers	2	0
Possession	32:10	27:50

Air/Ground Leaders
Utah Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Johnson 23/32 195 1 1 Sakoda 0/1 0 0 0	New Mexico Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Gruner 16/25 165 0 0 Team 0/1 0 0 0
Utah Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Asiata 12 80 0 31 Mack 10 54 0 26	New Mexico Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Gruner 16 62 0 13 Ferguson 13 34 1 10
Utah Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Brown 7 69 0 15 Godfrey 5 40 0 16	New Mexico Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Williams 5 54 0 30 Hernandez 4 41 0 29

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER				UTAH	UNM
	FG	05:54	Louie Sakoda 43 Yd	3	0
SECOND QUARTER				UTAH	UNM
	FG	05:35	James Aho 38 Yd	3	3
	FG	00:00	Louie Sakoda 38 Yd	6	3
THIRD QUARTER				UTAH	UNM
	TD	03:15	Brent Casteel 10 Yd Pass From Brian Johnson (Louie Sakoda Kick)	13	3
	TD	00:00	Rodney Ferguson 10 Yd Run (James Aho Kick)	13	10

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Utah is still undefeated and on track for its second BCS bowl bid in four years. The Utes could care less about style points.

"It doesn't matter to me one bit, don't care," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said in response to how Utah's unimpressive 13-10 win Saturday over unheralded New Mexico might impact his team's standing among the BCS elite.

Fast Facts

• Utah improved to 9-0 for the second time in school history (went 12-0 in 2004) despite struggling against a New Mexico team that entered the game 4-5.

• The Utes turned the ball over twice but won their 10th straight game dating back to last season. They're now 17-1 in their last 18.

• The loss snapped New Mexico's three-game home win streak.

• Brian Johnson started at QB for the Utes, giving him his 22nd career win as a starter, surpassing Alex Smith for the most in school history.

-- ESPN research

Louie Sakoda kicked two field goals and Utah scored it's only touchdown off a little trickery.

Utah (9-0, 5-0 MWC) struggled much of the night on offense the Utes came into the game averaging a conference best 39 points a game but the defense made up for it with key stops. The last two stopped Lobo drives at midfield, one on downs with 3:46 left in the game and the other as time ran out.

The first Lobo drive ended when quarterback Brad Gruner threw incomplete on third-and-3. New Mexico coach Rocky Long said that play was the decisive one.

"The game was won or lost on fourth-and-three at the 50 yard line," Long said. "That was my call, but right or wrong, it was time to decide who was going to win the game."

While the Lobos played with plenty of heart, the Utes came up with just enough offense to dodge the upset.

"We came out with a win, but we know we can play a lot better," said Utah quarterback Brian Johnson. "We have to do a better job of eliminating errors." Those errors included a muffed punt, a late interception that killed a potential touchdown drive and untimely penalties on both sides of the ball. But in the end, the Utes' 10 straight win was the bottom line.

"We're just going about the business of winning games," Whittingham said.

New Mexico (4-6, 2-4 MWC ) gave the heavily favored Utes all they could handle and stayed within upset range late into the game behind a 10-yard touchdown run by Rodney Ferguson and a 38-yard James Aho field goal.

"Our players have a competitive heart," Long said. They wanted to win just as bad as Utah and they don't have near as much to play for."

Sakoda, the leading scorer on a Utah team loaded with playmakers, connected from 43 and 38 yards and has yet to miss this season (14-of-14) from inside 47 yards. The Utes got their only touchdown when Johnson threw a short pass to wide receiver Jereme Brooks, who then lateralled to Brent Casteel to complete the 7-yard scoring play with 3:23 left in the third quarter.

New Mexico came right back with a 9-play, 80-yard drive, with Ferguson and quarterback Gruner taking turns finding holes in Utah's front line. Ferguson scored on the final play of the third quarter after the Lobos caught a break.

Ferguson fumbled at the Utah 10 and Ute cornerback Sean Smith recovered it. But the officials reversed the initial call, ruling the Lobo halfback was down before the ball came loose. Utah lost a chance to gain some breathing room when Lobo defensive back DeAndre Wright intercepted a Johnson pass in the end zone on the Utes's ensuing drive.

Wright got inside position on wide receiver Freddie Brown to kill an impressive Utah drive that started on the Utes' 5-yard and included three plays of 20 yards or more.

Utah is 9-0 for only the second time in school history. The other was the 2004 team that beat Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl and finished 12-0.

New Mexico's defense repeatedly blitzed Johnson and it kept the Utes' offense off stride most of the night. Sakoda's 38-yarder as time expired gave Utah a 6-3 lead at halftime, the fewest points the Utes have scored in the first half this season.

Aho's field goal finished off New Mexico's only sustained drive in the first half as the Lobos drove from their 19 to the Utah 21. The Lobos missed a scoring opportunity when Aho's 41-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter was blocked by Aiona Key.