Two weeks ago, Joe Williams was watching the Utes play Arizona, but as a fan sitting in the stands of Rice-Eccles Stadium. Saturday in Pasadena, Williams rushed for 332 yards as helped the Utes to a 52-45 win over the UCLA Bruins, and in doing so he broke Utah’s single game rushing record.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham is grateful Williams is back with the team following his brief 27-day retirement. Whittingham recognizes that the last two wins might have been losses instead if Williams were not on the field for the Utes.
“I can’t say enough about that young man and what he’s meant to our team the last two weeks, and what a blessing it is for us to have him back, and how unselfish it was for him to come back,” Whittingham said.
Elsewhere on the offense Troy Williams was 12-of-24 as he finished with 179 passing yards. Troy Williams did throw one interception, lost a fumble, but he did have a rushing touchdown.
The Utes got off to a fast start. Cory Butler-Byrd had a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown to put the Utes up 7-0 just 12 seconds into the game.
“Cory, he does stuff like that all the time, he’s a playmaker,” Troy Williams said. “I knew he would pop one sooner or later, so it’s only right he does it in his hometown.”
On the other side of the ball, the UCLA offense couldn’t get anything going. Then, when the Utah offense took the field for the first time Troy Williams found Siaosi Wilson for 42 yards. Shortly after Joe Williams rushed three yards to increase Utah’s lead to 14-0.
UCLA had some success moving the chains after that, and Utah helped. Utah got called for three penalties, two for pass interference and one for roughing the passer. UCLA would go on to score a touchdown, an 11-yard pass from quarterback Mike Fafaul to Bolu Olorunfunmi, to make the score 14-7.
When the Utes’ offense took the field again, Evan Moeai got hit with a face mask penalty, Utah’s fourth penalty of the game, and UCLA got rolling. Dominique Hatfield was flagged for holding, and soon after that Fafaul hit Nate Iese for a 13-yard touchdown.
Troy Williams soon fumbled, and UCLA started on Utah’s 14 yard line. Olorunfunmi then scored a six yard rushing touchdown, and UCLA went on top 21-14.
Utah was able to move the ball into UCLA’s territory, but it left the field with no points after Andy Phillips missed a 44 yard field goal attempt.
Jordan Fogal would pick of Fafaul’s pass in UCLA’s next drive, and just as it looked like Utah would tie the game after a pass from Troy Williams to Tim Patrick, the play was brought back because of a penalty. Phillips eventually made a 45-yard field goal to make the score 21-17.
Joe Williams would later break away for a 43 yard rushing touchdown, and Utah retook the lead at 24-21.
Fafaul turned the ball over again with less than four minutes in the half. Joe Williams then threw an interception near the goal line, and Fafaul returned the favor, and he threw a pick of his own immediately after. Phillips would score one more field goal before halftime, and Utah lead 27-21 entering the locker room.
UCLA had the ball to start the second half, and the Bruins drove all the way down the field to retake a 28-27 lead after Fafaul hit Iese for a 50 yard touchdown.
Joe Williams put the Utes back on top when he rushed for a two yard touchdown, and Utah got the two point conversion to go up 35-28. However, UCLA wouldn’t stay down for long. Fafaul hit Jordan Lasley for a 75 yard touchdown, and the game was tied at 35.
Utah would take a 38-35 lead after Phillips hit a 46-yard field goal. Brian Allen would pick off another Fafaul pass, and Joe Williams rushed 64 yards for his third touchdown of the game, and he put the Utes up 45-35, but he wasn’t done.
Joe Williams would go on to score a 55-yard rushing touchdown, and Utah went up 52-38.
UCLA would go on to score one more touchdown, but its last attempt fell short with the clock running out as Utah pulled out the victory.
“We don’t find ourselves in many shootouts, but it’s great to see our offense respond the way that they did,” Whittingham said. “The defense had just enough in the tank to get that last stop that we needed.”
Up next the Utes will face the Washington Huskies at home next weekend. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m.
@kbrenneisen