Utah Football: 3 takeaways from runaway victory over Colorado

3. Jason Shelley shines, again, at quarterback for Utah

When Tyler Huntley broke his collarbone in the third quarter of the early November showdown against Arizona State, it looked as though Utah would risk a slide down the Pac-12 South standings. That was because they were forced to turn to freshman backup Jason Shelley, who went 4-of-11 for 59 yards and an interception after coming in for Huntley against the Sun Devils.

But Shelley redeemed himself in his first start against Oregon, going 18-of-31 for 262 yards through the air and adding two rushing scores to defeat the Ducks. In his second career start, Shelley was even more effective as the Utes took down rival Colorado on the road.

Shelley finished 11-of-23 for a sub-50 percent completion rate, but he threw for 221 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The quarterback added a 23-yard run in the third quarter, and finished with 29 net yards on the ground. He did a great job spreading around the ball, completing passes to seven different receivers. Jaylen Dixon was his favorite target, as he racked up four catches for 125 yards and a touchdown.

If Utah does get to play for the Pac-12 title this year, and possibly earn the school’s first-ever berth in the Rose Bowl, it will in large part be due to the fact that Shelley has ably stepped in to relieve the injured Huntley and keep things humming for the Utes offense.