As the Utah football team (8-0, 4-0) was busy spreading the wealth around on offense in a 49-16 rout of Colorado State, it was Corbin Louks that walked off the field with a king’s ransom.
Utah’s backup quarterback finished with a career-high 109 rushing yards, including a 69-yard touchdown scamper late in the fourth quarter that simultaneously acted as a capstone to Utah’s most impressive offensive output of the season. Louks also had a 21-yard touchdown run toward the end of the third quarter to increase Utah’s lead to 35-16.
“I’ve been chomping at the bit the bit trying to bust some big ones,” Louks said. “I’ve been one missed tackle away, a block away, and finally I got the chance to bust some big ones.”
Louks, who has often been a speedy change of pace behind starting quarterback Brian Johnson, has been waiting for an opportunity to showcase his speed.
“I’m a change-of-pace kind of guy,” Louks said.
Louks hasn’t been the only one waiting to break out this season. While Utah has put up solid numbers on offense all season long, the team has repeatedly admitted it had not put together a complete effort, until Saturday afternoon.
The Utes got it done on the ground, with eight players combining for 327 yards in all, which managed to surpass the 322 yards the Utes gained on the ground last season in Fort Collins, Colo.
“We have so many playmakers that it can be difficult to get them the ball offensively,” said starting quarterback Brian Johnson. “We got everyone involved.”
While Louks made things happen with his speed8212;he’s was clocked at a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash in the spring8212;he, along with the rest of the Ute offense credited the offensive line.
“I think our line did a great job today,” Louks said. “They did a great job opening up running lanes, which created some big plays.”
The offensive line did not give up a sack the entire game and were instrumental in the Utes 8.83 yards-per-carry average. The push Utah’s front give was able to get in the trenches allowed seven of Utah’s eight ball carries to average more than 5-yards per carry. Louks, who averaged 21.8 yards on his five rushing attempts, gave the Utes their longest play from scrimmage on the year, midway through the fourth quarter.
Louks took the snap from the Utes’ own 31-yard line. He ran to the right side and then broke towards daylight, with the help of a terrific up-field block from wideout Aiona Key.
Once Louks hit the secondary, he slid down the Utah sideline before making a nimble cutback near the Colorado State sideline. From there Louks dashed to the opposite corner of the endzone untouched for his second touchdown of the game.
“It was great to see, as soon as I turned the corner, Aiona Key had his guy all the way down field,” Louks said. “As soon as I saw that, I know I was going to have a big play. Once I cut back, I was thinking touchdown the whole way.”
Louks did not keep his on-field feats restricted to the ground. Midway through the second quarter Louks completed a 37-yard pass to wide receiver on a roll-out play. Louks put the ball up, and Reed made an acrobatic play on the ball to get Utah down to the 3-yard line. It was Louks’ longest pass play of his college career.
“Coach (Andy) Ludwig put in a series of plays for Corbin and he executed very well,” Whittingham said. “He had the one throw, that was a great catch by David, but he put the ball in a catchable location. Corbin’s a guy, when Brian (Johnson) leaves at the end of this season, he’s a guy, you know, him and Chad Mannis will be battling for that starting spot.”
The game was also the second-consecutive time Louks has led the team in rushing. He had a previous career-high 50 yards in a blustery game against Wyoming, in Laramie, last week. Louks, who first saw action as a freshman last year to give Utah more speed from the quarterback position, feels that the team’s offensive performance, as well as his own, bodes well for Utah’s confidence heading into the bye week, and for the rest of the season.
“This is definitely going to be a confidence boost for our whole offense,” Louks said. “Everybody in this state has been waiting for the Utah offense to click on all cylinders.”
Erik DaenitzBackup quarterback Corbin Louks had the game he was whiting for, a game where he would have the chance to show his speed. Louks rushed for 109 yards including a 69-yard touchdown.