Utah Football Beats The Buffaloes 23-17 To End Regular Season

Saturday, November 25

Salt Lake City, UT

1:00 PM

University of Utah

8-4 , 5-4

Colorado

4-8 , 1-8

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Colorado

Utah

Utah Football Beats The Buffaloes 23-17 To End Regular Season

11/25/2023 5:05 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

SALT LAKE CITY – In what was the final Pac-12 game played inside Rice-Eccles Stadium, the University of Utah Football team beat the Colorado Buffaloes, 23-17 for its 83^rd straight sellout. Utah ended the regular season 8-4 overall and 5-4 in Pac-12 play.

Utah will leave the conference with an overall record of 65-48 (.575) as a member of the Pac-12, finishing with winning records in league play the last six years. Utah is 31-10 in Pac-12 games since 2019, exiting the league as one of just three teams to win back-to-back conference championship games (2021, 2022).

The Utes have posted a winning record in 10 straight seasons, dating back to 2014, finishing with a winning season in 17 of Kyle Whittingham's 19 years as head coach. Utah's win against Colorado also marked the seventh straight against the Buffaloes.

Utah finished the game with 329 yards of total offense that included 268 on the ground and 61 through the air. Utah's 268 rushing yards against Colorado marked the sixth time this season that the Utes have eclipsed the 200-yard rushing mark in a game.

The Buffaloes entered the game averaging 362.6 yards of offense with the Utes holding them to 262. Utah also finished with 21 first downs compared to Colorado's 13, also converting on 7-of-13 third downs.

GAME LEADERS
On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Luke Bottari earned his first start for the Utes, finishing with 61 passing yards (6-of-10) along with 11 yards rushing that included two rushing touchdowns. Running back Jaylon Glover led the Utes in the rushing game, recording a career-high 107 yards on 17 attempts (6.3 ypc), his first-career 100-yard game.

On defense, Levani Damuni led the Utes in total tackles for the fifth time this season, also recording his fourth game with double-digit tackles, producing 10 stops against the Buffaloes. Safety Cole Bishop also racked up seven tackles (1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack) with JaTravis Broughton and Karene Reid adding five tackles each.

Cole Becker also led the special teams unit, knocking in a career-high tying three field goals, finishing the game with 11 points.

FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN
There were a lot of "firsts" that took place in the opening quarter with Bottari playing in his first-ever game at Utah, earning his first-career start as a Ute, and scoring his first-career touchdown in Power Five football to give Utah a 7-0 lead. The 58-yard scoring drive included a 30-yard gain from Glover on a third-and-5 to the Colorado 40-yard line, ending with a quarterback keeper by Bottari for a two-yard rushing touchdown with 4:03 on the clock.

Utah finished the quarter averaging 7.0 yards per carry on the ground while holding Colorado to just 1.9 per rush. Utah produced 70 yards of total offense in the first quarter with Colorado gaining 52 yards.

SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Utah's second scoring drive of the game included Bottari's first completion as a Ute, finding Mikey Matthews down field for 14 yards on a third-and-three for a first down. The Utes ended up having to settle for a field goal with Cole Becker knocking in a 34-yarder to give Utah a 10-0 lead with 11:17 to go in the half.

Colorado found the scoreboard at the 8:17 mark in the quarter, cutting Utah's lead to three. The Buffaloes scored on a 30-yard passing play, ending a 59-yard drive that burned 2:50 off the clock.

The Utes would counter on its next drive with Becker hitting his second field goal of the game, making it 13-7 on the 22-yarder with 1:38 to go, but the Buffaloes would once again make it a three-point game on a 47-yard field goal of their own to end the half.

THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Utah made it a two-possession game with 7:10 to go in the third quarter after taking over on its own 38-yard line after a quick three-and-out by the Buffaloes. The drive was kept alive with a catch over the middle by Luca Caldarella on a fourth-and-four for a first down with the drive ending with Bottari's second rushing touchdown of the day, punching in a one-yard rush for the 20-10 lead.

FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN
The Utes put up three more points to start the fourth quarter on a drive that started in the third, which included a fourth-down conversion by Matthews to keep the drive active. Utah pushed forward to the Colorado eight-yard line, settling for Becker's third field goal of the game, hitting the 31-yarder to give Utah a 23-10 advantage.

With 7:31 to go in the game, Colorado once again cut the Utah lead to a one-possession game, scoring on an 18-yard touchdown pass to make it 23-17. It ended an 84-yard scoring drive that took 3:52 off the clock with the Utes getting the ball back on their own 25-yard line with 7:25 left in the game.

Utah would remain in possession of the ball for the rest of the game, extending the drive three times on third downs with Bottari and Jackson getting it done with their legs to keep the clock running with Utah eventually walking away with the 23-17 victory at home.

UP NEXT
The Utes are bowl eligible for the 17^th time under head coach Kyle Whittingham with Utah's bowl selection being announced at a later date.