ANN ARBOR, MICH.8212;The oft-injured quarterback, the All-American and the guy who previously played one quarter for the U football program led the Utes past mighty Michigan.
Brian Johnson, Louie Sakoda and Matt Asiata have each paved their own separate paths toward Utah’s win at the Big House.
Johnson has been known to display his offensive arsenal on the national stage. During a steamy, muggy Saturday afternoon at Michigan Stadium, Johnson did not fail to live up to that billing.
He used his bounty of wide receiver talent to create a memorable performance against the winningest program in college history. Every time Johnson cocked back to let one fly, it was the Wolverine secondary that had no idea for whom it was intended. It could have been Bradon Godfrey, Freddie Brown or David Reed. Speedsters Brent Casteel and Jereme Brooks were in on the in-air orchestra as well.
“We have guys that understand what we’re trying to do as an offense,” Johnson said. “They know where they fit into that and the roles they play. They catch the ball well, and I’m glad to have these guys on my side.”
Johnson connected with Godfrey on a 19-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Utes a 22-10 lead at half.
After throwing for an astounding 253 yards in the first half, Johnson and the offense became a bit more conservative, while the Michigan defense turned more aggressive.
“It was really a tale of two halves offensively,” head coach Kyle Whittingham said. “(We) were very effective in the first half, moved the ball up and down the field, put some points on the board. We sputtered early in the second half.”
Sakoda had a Jekyll-and-Hyde-type day for the Utes. In addition to scoring 13 of Utah’s 25 points, including tying a personal record with four field goals, Sakoda kicked a career-best 53-yard field goal in the third quarter.
“We got to score more touchdowns,” Johnson said. “We love Louie to death, but we gotta find a way to put some in the end zone.”
Sakoda’s day wasn’t all peaches, however. He had a PAT blocked after the Utes swiftly answered Michigan’s first-quarter touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Sakoda had a punt blocked that was one of the turning points for a swift Michigan comeback. As Sakoda has done so many times in the past, he got the job done when his team needed him. He placed three of his six punts inside the Michigan 15-yard line, including a 52-yarder from Utah’s end zone.
“Louie Sakoda came up big for us at the end, as he has so many times before,” Whittingham said.
Even the brute running back Asiata couldn’t be stopped behind center, taking four direct snaps in a row that earned him 40 yards rushing. Asiata was banging into nearly everyone on the field, including the center official, who was bulled over on one particular Asiata jaunt.
“They told me to pound the ball, so I gotta pound the ball,” Asiata said. “We just gotta come out with confidence and swagger. We just gotta play our game, and we can’t beat ourselves. We play as a team and just come out with the W.”
Asiata finished with 77 yards rushing on 13 attempts in his first full game with the Utes. He opened some eyes throughout the game, including a 39-yard swing pass that resulted in Asiata leveling a safety before eventually being brought down by two defenders.
With the resurgence, emergence and always-there game of these three key players, the Utes now must look past this historic win and set their sights on revenge against UNLV on Saturday.