Upcoming Event: Football versus No. 17 Texas Tech on September 20, 2025 at 10 a.m.
10 a.m.
Football
vs No. 17 Texas Tech
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
Postgame Notes: No. 12 Utah vs. Southern Utah
8/29/2024 11:48 PM | Football
Postgame Notes
No. 12 Utah 49, Southern Utah 0
Salt Lake City, Utah (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Kick: 7:02 p.m. MT | End: 10:20 p.m.
Attendance: 52,210 (sellout)
Â
General
Â
Offense
Defense
Special Teams
No. 12 Utah 49, Southern Utah 0
Salt Lake City, Utah (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Kick: 7:02 p.m. MT | End: 10:20 p.m.
Attendance: 52,210 (sellout)
Â
General
- Utah is 79-51-1 all-time when playing in season openers. Under head coach Kyle Whittingham, Utah is 14-1 when the season opener is at home.
- Utah is now 119-37 when playing in Rice-Eccles Stadium and is 91-26 at home during the Kyle Whittingham era. The Utes have won 32 of their last 34 home games.
- Whittingham, the winningest leader in program history, is 163-79 as head coach (since 2005). Including his time as an assistant coach (1994-2004), Whittingham has contributed to 248 wins and coached in 368 games, both the most of any coach in program history.
- The Utes improved to 3-0 all-time in the series vs. Southern Utah. Previously, the Utes had wins over SUU in 2016 and '22.
- Tonight's game was the 84th consecutive sellout of Rice-Eccles Stadium, dating back to the 2010 season opener vs. Pitt. The attendance figure of 52,210 ranks sixth all-time in the facility.
- The Utes won the time of possession battle, 31:15 to 28:45. Dating back to last season, it is the fourth straight game and eighth game in the last nine that Utah has had the upper hand in TOP.
- Utah shut out an opponent for the first time since Oct. 26, 2019 vs. California (35-0).
- Utah won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Utes defended the North goal to begin the game.
Â
Offense
- Returning from injury after missing the 2023 season, quarterback Cameron Rising made his 26th career start and now has a 19-6 record (the other was a no-decision). Rising's 19 quarterback wins rank fifth all-time at Utah.
- Rising exited the game just before halftime, finishing 10-of-15 passing for 254 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, plus four keepers for 25 yards. He never was intercepted or sacked. It was his 15th career 200-yard game which ranks ninth in recorded program history.
- Rising now has 51 career touchdown passes, ranking fourth all-time at Utah. Entering the game with 46 as a Ute, Rising broke a tie for sixth with Tyler Huntley (46) before passing Alex Smith (47) and Mike McCoy (49). Travis Wilson is in third ahead of Rising with 54 career touchdown passes.
- His 63 total touchdowns (51 passing, 12 rush) tie Rising with Tyler Huntley for fourth in Utah history.
- Rising became the first Utah quarterback to throw five touchdown passes in a game since Travis Wilson vs. Fresno State on Sept. 6, 2014. The last Utah quarterback to throw five TD in a half was Brian Johnson vs. San Diego State in 2008.
- Tight end Brant Kuithe returned from injury for his first game action since Sept. 24, 2022. Kuithe caught all four of his targets, scoring three touchdowns and totaling 69 receiving yards. It marked his first multi-receiving touchdown game since Oct. 16, 2021 vs. Arizona State.
- According to Stats Perform, Kuithe is the first tight end in recorded Big 12 history to have three touchdown receptions in a half. (it has happened many times by Big 12 wide receivers, however)
- Running back Dijon Stanley finished the game with 184 all-purpose yards (150 receiving, 34 rushing); it included two touchdowns on just three catches. He became the first Utah running back to have a 100-yard receiving game since Devontae Booker (110) vs. Oregon in 2014, and his receiving total was the most by a Utah running back since at least 1996.
- Rising found Stanley for a 64-yard touchdown pass on the Utes' opening drive of the game. It was...
- The first Utah touchdown of the Big 12 Conference era
- Stanley's first career receiving touchdown and a career-long reception
- Rising's first touchdown pass since Jan. 2, 2023
- Stanley's touchdown reception marked the third straight season that the Utes began a season with a touchdown pass on their opening drive.
- Kuithe's 29-yard touchdown reception during the second quarter (his first of the game) was Kuithe's first touchdown reception since Sept. 17, 2022.
- Freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson made his collegiate debut late in the second quarter. Wilson finished 7-of-11 for 74 yards and a touchdown, against one sack and two interceptions. He kept the ball five times for 21 yards.
- Utah's offense notched touchdowns on its first five drives, the first time they've accomplished that feat since they scored TDs on their first six possessions on Sept. 20, 1997 against UTEP.
- Wilson tossed his first collegiate touchdown to tight end Caleb Lohner--also Lohner's first reception as a Ute. Lohner became the first Ute to have his first reception be a touchdown since Money Parks had the feat at USC in 2021.
- Quarterback Brandon Rose also made his collegiate debut and recorded one rush for eight yards.
Defense
- Utah held the Thunderbirds to 150 yards of total offense and nine first downs; both were the fewest since since Nov. 4, 2023 vs. Arizona State (83 total yards; six first downs).
- Defensive end Van Fillinger recorded his second sack during the third quarter; it was his most since recording a career-best 3.0 sacks in the Washington State game in 2021.
- Defensive tackle Dallas Vakalahi earned his first collegiate sack during the third quarter.
- The Utah defense forced an SUU punt on the Thunderbirds' game-opening drive. It marked the seventh straight season opener that Utah has held an opponent scoreless on their opening drive (last: North Dakota hit a field goal in 2017)
- Cornerback Elijah Davis snagged his first career interception in the third quarter and returned in 13 yards.
- Nickelback Smith Snowden set a career-high with four tackles.
- The Utes pitched a first-half in their season opener for the first time since 2016, when they began the year with a 24-0 defeat of Southern Utah.
Special Teams
- Punter Jack Bouwmeester had one punt on the night for 45 yards (his other was washed out due to a SUU penalty for running into the punter).
- Kicker Cole Becker provided two kickoffs (one TB) and six PATs made.
- Long snapper Logan Castor entered the game in the second half, providing a pair of snaps on the PAT unit.
- Kicker Trey Coleman relieved Becker in the fourth quarter, coming in for the PAT after Utah's final touchdown of the night.
Players Mentioned
K
/ Football
P
/ Football
SN
/ Football
K
/ Football
CB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
TE
/ Football
TE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DT
/ Football
QB
/ FootballUtah: 31, Wyoming: 6 | POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE
Sunday, September 14
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Keith Kelley, voice of the Wyoming Cowboys
Tuesday, September 09
Ute greats Ron McBride and Roy Jefferson Ring of Honor Induction
Monday, September 08
Utah: 63, Cal Poly: 9 | POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE
Saturday, September 06