This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
There's no reality check quite like getting dragged around your home field.
Without their head coach and, apparently, much sense of cohesion, the Utah Blaze (5-6) got stomped 72-37 by division foe Arizona (10-2) in their absolute worst game of the season Saturday night at EnergySolutions Arena.
Special-teams gaffes and a stagnant offense allowed Utah to get railroaded by one of the league's elite teams — a team the Blaze were hoping to prove they measured up against in front of 7,997 of their own fans.
"It was the kind of game where you just say 'wow,' because everything that could go wrong did go wrong," said offensive coordinator Matt Sauk, who led the Blaze in coach Ron James' absence. "Everyone got a bit shell-shocked."
Utah managed to stay competitive for all of one quarter before its woes began. On a kickoff return, Arizona forced the football out of Chris Bocage's arms and recovered in the end zone, giving the Rattlers a 28-12 lead.
It was just the start of the special-teams nightmare. After Arizona fullback Odie Armstrong added a score, Utah's kickoff return unit allowed Marcus Tillman to recover the ball off the net and run in for a touchdown. A Virgil Gray kickoff return for a score completed the Rattlers' 34-point blitz in the second quarter.
It was a forgettable night from a unit usually supervised by James, who was out recovering from a medical procedure.
"It was tough [without James], but honestly, he's not the one who makes the plays," Bocage said. "We're the ones who have to secure the football, who have to make the plays. This is 100 percent on us, we'll take responsibility."
Utah allowed 16 minutes and four touchdowns before even getting a first down in the second quarter, as quarterback Tommy Grady and his receivers struggled to connect. Grady finished 22-for-43 with only 156 yards in the game.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Rattlers 72,Blaze 37
R Utah's special-teams unit gives up three touchdowns.
• Tommy Grady suffers an off night, completing 22 of 43 passes for 156 yards.