Throughout the entirety of this week, senior quarterback Cam Rising was almost certain to be the starter heading into No. 12 Utah’s first official Big 12 conference matchup against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. But with a finger injury suffered against Baylor, Rising would sit out for the second straight week, leaving freshman Isaac Wilson tasked with leading the charge into the heart of Stillwater.
A first half that saw plenty of growing pains for Wilson was quickly forgotten as the Utes defense came out firing. Three first half three-and-outs by the Oklahoma State offense and an interception from Utah’s Alakai Gilman helped set up the Utes with multiple short fields.
The second half continued to see both teams exchange defensive blows, but the Utes were able to prevail, forcing four second half three-and-outs and chewing the clock down the stretch to secure a season-defining 22-19 victory.
Recap
Opting to push the ball to the perimeter, Oklahoma State forced it down the line before finding themselves at fourth down. Failing to make the last few yards, the Cowboys were forced to settle for a field goal, putting OSU ahead at 3-0 in the first quarter.
The Utes tried to turn it around quickly — a short pass from Wilson to Dorian Singer barely found the fingertips on one of the wide receiver’s hands, moving the Utes up the field. Another pass to Money Parks earned Utah the first down, but two sacks against Wilson ended the Utah offense as time ran out in the first quarter.
With the Utes still warming up, the second quarter started off on a better foot. A 43-yard field goal attempt from Cole Becker gave Utah three points to tie it up at the start, and as the ball turned back over to Oklahoma, the Utes shut down the drive in less than a minute to take it back.
A deep pass from Wilson to Parks kicked off the run for Utah, and before long another 13-yard pass to Singer found the Utes at the 6-yard line. After a 6-yard rush from Charlie Vincent fell just short, a final snap to Brant Kuithe saw the ball over the line to earn the Utes their first touchdown of the day, putting Utah ahead at 10-3.
With just over a minute left in the half, the Oklahoma State drive was cut short after a Utah interception courtesy of Gilman. With the ball back in the Utes’ hands and Kuithe wide open at the 9-yard line, the Cowboys returned the energy and intercepted the ball to keep Utah at bay going into halftime.
A few minutes into the third, Wilson made a mad dash up the left to gain 48-yard, snagging a first down for the Utes and putting the team at the OSU 22-yard line. Utah inched closer, making it to the 18-yard line before settling for a field goal kick. Unfortunately for the red, Becker’s attempt went just wide, and the ball was turned back over to Oklahoma with no points to show for it.
Following the Cowboys’ drive, which turned up fruitless, the Utes again wasted no time — Micah Bernard made a 62-yard rush up the right to get Utah back on their feet, comfortably getting the team within 30 yards of the end zone. With just a couple of minutes left in the quarter, the Cowboys did their best to hinder the offense, ultimately forcing another field goal. This time, Becker was able to redeem himself and earned the Utes three more to bring the team up further, 13-3.
Entering the fourth, the ball remained in Utah hands, and before long the Utes plowed all the way down to the 26-yard line. Ultimately the red and white were unable to convert, and earned themselves yet another three on a field goal.
If the game wasn’t already in Utah’s grip, a deep 45-yard pass from Wilson to Kuithe — wide open at the OSU nine yard line —allowed the tight end to stroll into the end zone, claiming the Utes’ second touchdown of the day, bringing the score to 22-3.
Perhaps inspired by Utah’s runs, the next drive for Oklahoma State had the Cowboys making a couple of deep passes of their own, and before the Ute defense could have a say, Oklahoma State found their first touchdown of the day. A two-point conversion tacked on a couple more, putting the score at 22-11.
Finding some momentum, the Cowboys didn’t let it go on their next drive. Oklahoma State rushed deep, when a quick 9-yard pass at the Utah end zone sealed another touchdown. As if two consecutive touchdowns wasn’t enough, the Cowboys made for another two-point conversion as well, putting them in reach of Utah at 22-19. To the relief of onlooking Utes, this last ditch effort wasn’t quite enough, and Utah took home the Top 15 win in Stillwater.
Analysis
With Wilson leading the offense against a stout Oklahoma State defense, the Utah defense would need to step up big in this game, and that is exactly what they did. Forcing seven Cowboy three-and-outs and two interceptions, the Utah defense was absolutely locked in from start to finish.
Last year’s Doak Walker award winner, Ollie Gordon II, was nonexistent for the Cowboys, totaling just 42 yards on 11 carries. With the Utes defense stifling Oklahoma State’s running attack, quarterback Alan Bowman was forced to make tightly contested throws all game and could not convert, with Utah’s pass rush getting pressure seemingly every play.
Offensively, Utah utilized Bernard effectively all game as he carried the ball 25 times for 182 yards, including the game-clinching first down with 0:52 remaining. Bernard did an excellent job of maneuvering his way through the Oklahoma State defensive front and breaking tackles en route to his career high in rushing yards and third straight 100-plus yard performance.
Wilson’s early game struggles continued as he threw two first-half interceptions but was able to gain more confidence down the stretch, finishing the game with 207 yards and a touchdown through the air and 41 yards on the ground. Despite Wilson’s youth and inexperience, the young freshman has been phenomenal at managing the game and finding ways to win.
Singer seemed to be Wilson’s favorite target today, as he finished the game with 95 yards on seven catches, including a couple of crucial third-down conversions. Kuithe had himself a game as well, finishing with four catches, 74 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
What’s Next for the Utes?
With a significant Top 15 road victory and a 4-0 start, the Utes will look to carry this momentum into next week’s matchup against the highly-powered Arizona offensive attack. Utah will be back home under the lights on Sept. 28 as the game is set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. MST in Rice Eccles Stadium.
