The Wyoming defense didn’t bring their leftover Halloween treats, so the Ute offense played their best tricks.
The second Jereme Brooks decided to reveal the ball and sprint left, Utah’s 50-0 win over Wyoming was essentially in the books.
The true freshman scampered 28-yards on the infamous fumblerooski play early in the first quarter. Coach Kyle Whittingham dubbed the play “As old as the hills,” and after the run–the flood gates were wide open.
The offense looked as potent as ever, stringing back to the days of Urban Meyer with playbook wizardry in full effect. With Wyoming’s defense stingy with the run early, the Utes had to turn to other measures on offense. Brooks was the man for the job.Following his first rushing touchdown of his career, Brooks had an encore with a 16-yard reverse for a touchdown, which further putting an exclamation on what kind of day it would be for the U.
“Those two plays were just open. Every time I ran the ball, it turned out to be a touchdown,” Brooks said.
The tricking and the treating did not end there.
At 6-foot-2, 300 pound, defensive tackle Neli A’asa was more than up for an offensive challenge. A’asa, a redshirt freshman from Big Rapids, Mich., had the game spotlight shine upon him when punter “Sweet” Louie Sakoda faked a punt, and lofted a short pass to A’asa. The out of position tackle did his best Chris Berman impression of “Rumblin’, stumblin’, bumblin'” 41-yards to the Wyoming one-yard line. On his way A’asa was averting tackles, shrugging off defenders, and while the television replay showed he was in for a touchdown-the refs didn’t see it that way.
Running back Darrell Mack was the beneficiary of the trickery, scoring on the next play with a one-yard touchdown. “I was shaking the whole time, everything was in slow-motion,” A’asa said.
When asked what his 40-yard dash time was in high school, A’asa said it was about a 5.3. “Out there, I felt like I was runnin’ a 4.3,” A’Asa said.
The offensive illusions continued when wide receiver Brian Hernandez caught a quick slant route and cut in, but fellow receiver Marquis Wilson was shading him and Hernandez made the quick pitch before he was wrestled to the ground. Wilson made a couple moves and made it down to the Wyoming one-yard line. Mack once again punched it through following another trick play, and the route was on.
Perhaps the Utes more impressive trick play was for all for naught. The reverse flea-flicker, which the Utes put into effect in the fourth quarter, almost worked out perfectly, but Mack was unable to make the catch.
Whittingham said that the reasoning behind the immense trickery was a benefit from the team’s break.”We had two weeks to prepare and look through film and try to figure out some schematics and things we could take advantage of,” Whittingham said.
The Utes offense went on to score 30 points in the second quarter and averaged a starting position from the Wyoming 45-yard line during the first half.