This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The final effort by Utah's seniors was in many ways indicative of what came before it Saturday.
Utah beat Colorado 20-14, a fifth consecutive meeting between the two that ended with the Pac-12's newest members separated by one score.
Travis Wilson's first touchdown pass was Kenneth Scott's first touchdown catch in September 2012, and they opened the scoring in their final regular season game with a pass from the former to the latter.
Scott, as he has done twice before, left the field with an apparent lower leg injury, arms atop the shoulders of fellow seniors Jared Norris and Gionni Paul.
And stop us if you've heard this before: Utah's defense was stout enough to overcome stretches of ineptitude from its offense.
Utah's front seven concussed one Colorado quarterback and harassed the next until Norris and Viliseni Fauonuku finally freed Jordan Gehrke from his burden, Norris pouncing on Gehrke's fumble to seal Utah's school-record sixth Pac-12 victory.
After the Utes sent off their 19 elders with an especially rollicking rendition of "Utah Man," Kyle Whittingham was asked about the highs and lows of their final season together.
"Nine highs and three lows, to be exact," he said.
Utah's fifth Pac-12 campaign will end, in fact, next Saturday. Once in the driver's seat in the Pac-12 South, the Utes went 3-3 down the stretch and can only watch USC take on Stanford for the conference championship.
But after two 5-7 seasons and a 9-4 finish last year, "it's another step forward," said Whittingham. Utah will learn its bowl destiny next Sunday.
While senior Devontae Booker watched on crutches, "heir apparent" Joe Williams rushed for 187 yards and a touchdown in his second career start, and Utah's defense held the Buffs to just over 300 total yards, with interceptions from Paul, Marcus Williams and Cory Butler-Byrd and four sacks from Fauonuku.
"It's definitely an emotional time," Wilson said after his 23rd win as Utah's starter, finishing with just over 100 yards passing and an interception, but dealt a weak hand after injuries to Booker, Britain Covey and Scott.
"Travis has a lot of guts and toughness," Whittingham said. "He's been through maybe more ups and downs than anybody in that senior class."
It was a game that was, in some ways, evenly fraught.
Utah committed three turnovers, fumbling seven times. Colorado gave it away four times. The Utes were penalized for 92 yards. Both teams twice had four unsuccessful offensive series.
The decisive score came on Utah's first play of the second half, Wilson eluding the Colorado pass rush and tossing it over a wave of oncoming Buffaloes to an open Harrison Handley, who rumbled 28 yards down the sideline to tee up a 5-yard Williams score — his first as a Ute.
Andy Phillips followed on the ensuing possession with his second field goal, this one from 27 yards, for a 20-7 advantage. Since going 1-for-3 in the opener against Michigan, Phillips has gone 22-for-24.
And then Utah clung to that advantage. Paul, as he has been wont to do, made his fourth interception of the season and followed with his fourth fumble recovery after he lost control on the return.
"We just knew the route combination," Paul said. "… I just read it."
Philip Lindsay rolled over a tackle without touching the turf for a 16-yard touchdown, pulling Colorado within 20-14, and the Ute offense punted on four consecutive drives, but Gerhke's fumble doomed the Buffs, who have never beaten the Utes in four years under Mike MacIntyre.
Whittingham called Fauonuku "as instrumental and as important as any captain." Fauonuku's four sacks tied a school record, but he said it was just a matter of "sitting my big butt there and [being] in the right place at the right time."
Utah might've blamed itself for leading only 10-7 at the half, but both teams had plenty to regret.
Williams fumbled for a second consecutive first half. Boobie Hobbs muffed the first of two punts, losing this one. Wilson squandered an opportunity to extend Utah's lead when he defied coverage and found the hands of Tedric Thompson, in the Colorado end zone.
Meanwhile Cade Apsay, making his second career start in place of injured Sefo Liufau, was picked off twice.
First, when his pass was tipped by Stevie Tu'ikolovatu and caught by Williams to end an eight-play, 87-yard drive at the Utah 8. It was Williams' team-leading fifth pick and first since Oct. 10.
Then Apsay, seemingly shaken by a hard hit from Paul, fired deep looking for Spruce between the coverage of Williams and Butler-Byrd. Williams tipped it and Butler-Byrd snatched it, returning it 29 yards to midfield.
But before he was relieved by Gehrke, Apsay followed Hobbs' fumble with a 28-yard strike to Nelson Spruce, whose inside move left Reginald Porter momentarily glued to the turf and drew Colorado within 10-7.
It might've been knotted at 10 at the half if not for defensive end Kylie Fitts, who blocked Diego Gonzalez's 31-yard attempt on Colorado's first drive. Fitts, who entered the game leading Utah in pass breakups (nine) and forced fumbles (three), has had a knack for getting his hands on the ball, but his imitation Dikembe Mutombo finger wag drew one of Utah's nine penalties.
Jawing at longtime close friend Jered Bell, Scott negated a pass interference penalty that might've saved Wilson from his half-ending gaffe, two plays later.
But Utah survived, Pac-12 co-champions, even if it is USC which will play at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., next Saturday.
Utah is "somewhat up in the pecking order" for Pac-12 Bowls, Whittingham said, but he admitted consecutive losses to Arizona and UCLA were "tough to take."
"We've got no one to blame but ourselves," he said. "We own that. That's where we are."
They may also be without Scott and junior cornerback Dominique Hatfield, Whittingham said, though whether they will be added to the growing list of Utah starters to miss games remains to be seen.
Players will be off-limits to media next week while they "decompress," he said, though Whittingham himself is expected to be available.
Twitter: @matthew_piper