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A week ago, kicker Coleman Petersen was the Utes' hero. On Friday, he was the figurehead for much that went wrong in the Utes' 17-14 loss to Colorado.
Petersen missed a 48-yard field goal with two seconds remaining that could have tied the game.
He also missed from 26 and 42 yards out.
Against Washington State, Petersen made a 38-yarder in a snowstorm to lift the Utes past the Cougars 30-27 in overtime.
He also had field goals of 33 and 45 yards in that game to earn Pac-12 Player of the Week honors and leads the Pac-12 with 17 made field goals.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham didn't blame the junior for the loss, pointing out it was one of several areas in which the Utes didn't execute.
"If you're in it long enough, your kicker wins some games for you," Whittingham said. "I'm not going to say he lost the game, but he didn't do so well today. But he has been fairly steady all season long. He is one of the top kickers in the Pac-12, and it was a blessing for us to find him and have him perform like he does. He would be the first to admit he'd be disappointed with his performance today."
Bowl outlook
The Utes' bowl picture remains as muddled as ever with Friday's loss to Colorado.
Alamo Bowl president Derrick Fox, who was among the observers at the game, said before the contest Utah might be an intriguing option since Utah was on a four-game winning streak, but it's hard to project where teams will land until it's known whether the Pac-12 gets both Oregon and Stanford into BCS games.
"Everything is up in the air," he said. "All the teams are close together, so a lot could happen."
If UCLA beats USC and loses in the Pac-12 game, it might still be a solid selection for the Alamo Bowl. However, if the Bruins lose their last two games, deciding which teams to take could be a big dilemma for the bowl organizers since the Bruins, Washington, Cal, Arizona State and Utah all have similar records.
Of note
The Utes honored their 19 seniors before kickoff. … Reggie Topps' fourth-quarter interception was the first of his career. … Colorado leads the series 31-24-3. … Chaz Walker led the Utes with 13 tackles.