FORT COLLINS, Colo.—Robert Johnson had been upset with his play three games into the season. And the Utah free safety had vowed to improve his performance this time around.
“I was dropping balls when I should have been making plays,” Johnson said. “My goal after the Oregon game was to change things and start making plays.”
Utah found itself in need of a defensive playmaker and a stop against the suddenly surging Colorado State offense. Johnson provided them both, not once, but three times, with a career best three interceptions, two that led to second-half touchdowns.
“My plan from the start of the season was to make big plays in games,” Johnson said. “Maybe, this is a start.”
Terrance Cain threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Wide with 3:40 left in the game as Utah overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Colorado State 24-17 under freezing temperatures Saturday night.
“This should be a confidence builder for us,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “The lesson for our football team is that we’re never out of it and to keep playing at a high level.”
Cain connected on touchdown passes of 8 and 47 yards. He finished 24-for-32 passing for 248 yards and an interception.
David Reed caught nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. Wide ran for 102 yards and a TD and he caught six passes for 25 yards and another score for Utah (4-1, 1-0 Mountain West).
The temperature was 25 degrees at kickoff.
Colorado State’s Leonard Mason ran for a career high 130 yards. Grant Stucker was 12-of-24 passing for 184 yards, but was intercepted three times.
Utah has beaten Colorado State (3-3, 0-2) four straight times.
Utah trailed 17-3 with 4:43 left in the third quarter and then scored 14 points to tie the game with 9:29 left in the fourth quarter.
Cain led the surge when he threw a 47-yard TD pass to David Reed with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter.
On Colorado State’s next drive, Johnson intercepted a pass intended for Dion Morton. Taking over at their own 27, the Utes drove to the Colorado State 1 and Wide ran untouched into the end zone with 9:29 left.
Utah took the lead, 24-17, after Johnson intercepted another pass at Utah’s 27. Cain found Wide in the flat for the touchdown.
Johnson preserved the win by picking off his third pass after Colorado State had driven to the Utah 44.
“We talked at halftime about how we were moving the ball great,” Cain said. “We just had to keep going and punch it in and that’s what we did.”
The teams were tied 3-3 at the half. Utah scored first, driving 56 yards to set up a 41-yard field goal by Joe Phillips with 5:27 left in the first quarter.
Nick Oppenneer’s interception late in the quarter set up the Rams at their own 40. They reached the Utah 49, but Stucker threw two incomplete passes, and they were forced to punt.
Colorado State tied it with 9:03 left in the second quarter on Ben DeLine’s 43-yard field goal.
Colorado State took the second-half kickoff and scored on Mason’s 1-yard run behind center Tim Walter’s block. Wide receiver Rashaun Greer ran a triple reverse 45 yards to the 1.
Wide and Cain fumbled the running back-quarterback exchange on Utah’s next possession. Mychal Sisson recovered for the Rams at the Colorado State 39.
Eight plays later, Stucker found Dion Morton along the sideline for a 36-yard scoring play to put Colorado State ahead 17-3. Morton caught the ball in front of R.J. Stafford at the 10 and ran into the end zone with 4:54 left in the third quarter.
“I can’t tell you how horrible it feels,” Stucker of his interceptions. “This is one that really hurts.”
