Merely two weeks after losing a territorial game to BYU, the Utah rugby team got back in the saddle Saturday and beat Wyoming on Ute Field, 27-19.
The Scrummin’ Utes were playing without All-American fullback Peter Black last Saturday, but still had plenty of scoring options with four different players tallying points.
“We needed a great effort from everybody today with Peter (Black) out, and I think we got it,” said Utah coach Mark Numbers. “It’s important that we keep improving as we get near the end of the season.”
Utah forward Jimmy McDermott booted a penalty kick early in the game to put the Utes up 3-0. The Cowboys responded with a deep kick into Ute territory, which resulted in a scrum and a try for the visiting team, putting them up 7-3.
Utah’s Matt Byrd answered back with crafty wing movement to score a try of his own and put his team up 8-7. Midway through the half, the Wyoming forwards pushed the scrum back over the Utes’ goal line for another try to give the Cowboys a 12-8 lead.
Toward the end of the first half, Utah’s Tom Bunnell escaped down the sideline for a nifty 35-meter run. With the ball rolling around near the goal line, Mike Wunderli came out of nowhere with a heads-up play, snagging the ball and scoring a try in the left corner of the end zone. The score put the Scrummin’ Utes up 13-12 heading into the half.
The Cowboys played keep-away for the majority of the second half, only advancing the ball when they had the opportunity. They got that opportunity midway through the second half, pounding the Utes deep into their own territory before scoring on a penalty try to make it 19-13.
From then on, it was all Utah. The Utes responded quickly with a try from Preston Miller to close the gap to one (19-18), then took the lead for good when Bunnell raced 35 meters for a score.
“What can I say? Tom (Bunnell) stepped up when we needed him most,” Numbers said. “Wyoming had an excellent frontline, so it was important for us to capitalize on opportunities, and I think we did that.”
The Scrummin’ Utes return to action tomorrow, when they play host to UVSC on Ute field. It will be the second time Utah has played the Wolverines this season, having barely edged them out 13-7 on Sept. 23.
“We’ve got a tough match-up against UVSC,” Numbers said. “They played us right to the end last time so we better come ready to play.”