Postgame Notes No. 8 Oregon 35, (at) No. 13 Utah 6 Salt Lake City, Utah (Rice-Eccles Stadium) Saturday, October 28, 2023 Kick: 1:35 p.m. MT | End: 4:30 p.m. Attendance: 53,586 (sellout)
 General
Today's game was the first home loss for Utah since the USC game on Nov. 21, 2020, snapping an 18-game winning streak for the Utes inside Rice-Eccles Stadium. Entering Saturday, it was the third-longest active home winning streak in FBS and the longest in the Pac-12 Conference.
Prior to today, Utah had not lost at home with fans in the stands since Sept. 15, 2018 vs. Washington (ending a streak of 27 straight wins with fans in stands).
Excluding 2020, Utah has sold out Rice-Eccles Stadium in 81 consecutive games dating back to the 2010 season opener vs. Pitt. Saturday's attendance of 53,586 marked the third-largest crowd in RES history, short of the Florida game this season (53,644) and USC in 2022 (53,609).
The scheduled 1:30 p.m. kick time marked Utah's fifth day game of the season (kickoff at 3:45 p.m. local time or earlier). It's the most day games for the Utes since 2014.
Four of the Utes' home games so far have been during the day, the most inside Rice-Eccles Stadium since the 2007 season (5). That 2007 total will be matched next Saturday in a noon game vs. Arizona State.
Utah had not lost to Oregon at home since Nov. 19, 2016.
Utah won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Utes defended the North goal to begin the game.
 Offense
Wide receiver Devaughn Vele tied a career-high with seven receptions for a season-best 80 yards. His other seven-catch game came vs. Oregon State in 2022, while his yardage was the most for Vele since posting 100 yards in the Rose Bowl vs. Penn State last season.
With his seven receptions today, Vele broke the 100 career receptions mark, sitting with 102 through 44 career games as a Ute.Â
Vele added his second career completion during the fourth quarter on a six-yard pass to Miki Suguturaga. His other completion went for nine yards in the USC game on Oct. 15, 2022.
Fellow wide receiver Money Parks had a career-best five receptions, recording a catch for the 19th straight game.
Running back Jaylon Glover made a seven-yard reception for a first down during the first quarter. Glover now has a reception in four of the last five games.
As a team, Utah averaged 8.9 yards per completion.
Today was the first time since the 2018 Pac-12 Championship that Utah was held without a touchdown.
Utah won the time of possession battle at 31:57 to 28:03 and has now won the time of possession battle in six of the eight games.Â
 Defense
Making his second start as a Ute, linebacker Levani Damuni contributed a game-high 11 tackles. It was Damuni's most as a Ute and one short of tying his career-high (12), which he last reached against Utah while playing for Stanford during the 2022 season.
Fellow linebacker Karene Reid tied his season-high with nine tackles in the game.
Safeties Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki each made seven tackles on the day and remain atop the team with 42 tackles on the season.
Defensive end Connor O'Toole made a four-yard TFL during the fourth quarter and has at least an assisted TFL in each of his three games since returning from injury.
During the first quarter, defensive tackle Junior Tafuna recorded his first forced fumble as a Ute as well as a recovery on the play; it was his second career recovery with the other coming in the game at Oregon State in 2021.
With Tafuna's recovery, the Utes have at least one defensive takeaway in all seven games this season.
Nickel back Tao Johnson made a third-down stop during the second quarter; it came via Johnson's fourth pass breakup of the season.
Cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn recorded his team-leading fifth PBU of the season.
Oregon scored on its game-opening drive, becoming just the third Utah opponent this season to score on its first drive of the game.
Special Teams
Punter Jack Bouwmeester sailed three punts for 50-plus yards; he now has 13 such punts this season for 50 or more yards.
Kicker Cole Becker made a 30-yard field goal as the first half expired. It marks the fourth time in the last six matchups with Oregon that Utah has scored on special teams entering halftime:
Today
Dec. 3, 2021 in the Pac-12 Championship: (Jadon Redding 50-yard field goal)
Nov. 20, 2021 (Britain Covey 78-yard punt return TD)
Nov. 10, 2018 (Matt Gay 55-yard field goal)
Dijon Stanley ran back a 49-yard kickoff return after a lateral from Mikey Matthews. It was Stanley's first collegiate kickoff return.