Utah Football: Disastrous fourth quarter dooms Utes vs Arizona State

1. Utah ran out of offense

Head coach Kyle Whittingham has constructed some stingy defenses over the years. The Utes have had their moments on offense, but holding down the line on the other side of the ball has been their bread and butter. This season was no different.

Prior to their game against Arizona State, Utah hadn’t allowed any team to score more than 28 points. Arizona State scored 38 points, 17 of which came in the final quarter of play. The Utah offense has been steady this season, scoring 40 points in four consecutive games. The sudden flurry of points from Arizona State put the unit in a tough spot. Two three-and-outs and an interception later and the game was out of hand.

For most of the game, Utah held their own. They were 5-for-12 on third down and racked up 325 yards of total offense in spite of losing starting quarterback Tyler Huntley midway through the fourth quarter. Neither quarterback was that productive against Arizona State, but backup Jason Shelley’s four completions ultimately culled an offense that was productive-enough for most of the contest.