SALT LAKE CITY — A do-everything quarterback, a running quarterback and a running back lining up at quarterback combined and conspired Saturday as No. 14 Utah picked apart Colorado State in a 49-16 victory.
Just when CSU thought it had turned the corner on defense, turns out the team developed a false sense of confidence against TCU’s backup a week ago. With Utah starter Brian Johnson throwing for two scores, run specialist Corbin Louks racing for two and running back Matt Asiata twice taking a direct snap for 3-yard touchdowns, there was no way the Rams could keep up.
“It’s part of the plan to keep me healthy, and that means not taking hits,” said Johnson, who has had an injury-plagued career. “We have two more capable guys. Louks runs a 4.4, and Matt is a bruiser.”
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham had criticized his team’s lack of offensive consistency. This time he called it their “cleanest performance this season.”
“We have a lot of playmakers,” Whittingham added. “There are only so many touches for the offense, and we have a lot of ‘team guys’ here.”
Staying undefeated, Utah (8-0) keeps alive its bid for a spot in the BCS and is tied with TCU at 4-0 in the Mountain West Conference race.
Even against Cal’s speed in a 42-7 loss last month, Colorado State’s defense kept everything in front and Cal’s offense scored only half those TDs. This time it was all Utah’s offense, almost all the time.
“Coach ‘Whit’ made a huge point that they held a pretty good team to 13 points,” Johnson said of CSU’s 13-7 loss to TCU. “We have the balance to run it inside, run it outside. We hit every different angle.”
Said Louks, who made an amazing cut on his 69-yard run for the last score: “We can really mix it up. I have speed. Brian does it all, and Matt is 230 pounds. They have to stop it all.”
CSU stopped little, yielding 549 yards (327 rushing) and 25 first downs. The Utes averaged 8.6 yards a play.
“That stretch option they run, everyone can be doing the right thing, but if you have one guy who couldn’t get off the block . . .” said CSU cornerback Nick Oppenneer, who made the Rams’ one spectacular defensive play of the day with a 55-yard interception return off Johnson.
The Utes remain in control for a potential BCS game and have their two most difficult games at home: TCU (Nov. 6) and BYU (Nov. 22).
“The coaches don’t let us talk about it,” Utah cornerback Sean Smith said of a bowl run.
For CSU, the previous week’s loss to TCU and the offense’s inability to move didn’t look so bad in comparison to BYU’s problems Thursday night against the Horned Frogs, who beat the Cougars in Fort Worth, Texas. However, TCU brought its junior-varsity offense to Fort Collins, resting QB Andy Dalton, who picked apart the BYU defense.
“We had a confidence and a swagger about us,” Oppenneer said. “That Utah offense is a lot better than anyone we’ve played this season.”
Not that CSU’s offense helped stem the tide. Although quarterback Billy Farris played better than he did against TCU’s relentless rush, he struggled moving the Rams after the opening scoring drive. Jason Smith finished three drives with field goals, including a 52-yarder to pull within 28-16 midway through the third quarter.
But on the next possession after the Rams’ defense stopped the Utes, Farris, under pressure from defensive end Paul Kruger, threw straight to linebacker Chaz Walker at the Utah 49.
With Johnson, Louks and Asiata alternating in the shotgun, Louks scored four plays later from the 21 for a 35-16 lead with 2:20 left in the third.
“We need more plays in the passing game, we’re not making enough there,” CSU coach Steve Fairchild said. “If we had a touchdown on any of the (field goals), we could have gotten back in the game.”
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
Key stat
8.8 Utah’s average yards per carry, with eight players running the ball, four of whom averaged double figures per rush. Backup quarterback Corbin Louks led with a 21.8-yard average (109 yards on five carries).
Key play
With CSU trying to hang around trailing 28-16 midway through the third quarter, Louks took the ball on first-and-10 and went 21 yards for a 35-16 lead to cap a five-play drive.
