Instant Takeaways From Utah’s 38-21 Victory Over Utah State

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Football gets the 38-21 win over the Utah State Aggies in the Battle of the Brothers.

Here are the instant takeaways from the win that put Utah at 3-0 for the 2024 season.

Isaac Wilson, not too shabby

It took some time to get warmed up. Wilson started the game 4-of-9 for 35 yards through the 1st quarter.

However, Wilson got to cooking in the second quarter. He ended up going 15-of-20 for 202 yards and two touchdowns between the second & third quarters.

That included a stretch of seven straight completions for 106 yards, which also converted six 1st downs.

Then, there was an interception in the 3rd quarter. Not necessarily all his fault, it was a good decision but the throw could’ve been better.

Perhaps, that was a moment that he could’ve unraveled. Yet, he held it together and capitalized in the red zone by making a touchdown throw to Carsen Ryan on the next possession.

He finished the game 20-of-33 for 239 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He looked in command of the offense. He showed resilience in how he responded to the early struggles and late interception. He produced at a really good level for the majority of this game.

All in all, that’s not too shabby. Utah fans should feel confident in his future.

Smith Snowden, Cam Calhoun interceptions

Snowden has been steady through two games. He finally had his playmaking moment with an interception early in the 1st quarter.

It was a truly impressive play to haul it in, as both he and Utah State receiver Kyrese Rowan fought for the ball falling to the ground. He killed a promising USU drive and gave Utah their first takeaway of the game.

Cam Calhoun provided the second takeaway for the Utes defense. It was another impressive effort by a Utah defensive back. Calhoun went up high to make an acrobatic catch and returned it 34 yards the other way.

Beyond the interception, Calhoun genuinely looked good outside at cornerback. He’s a good athlete and plays with a swagger and toughness that is always appreciated in the Utah secondary.

Was this a taste of the offensive balance Whitt wants? 

Coach Whittingham wants balance on offense. He’d love to see both run and pass games generate the same yardage totals in a game.

Today, Utah finished with 239 passing yards and 221 rushing yards. That led to five scoring drives, with three coming through the air and two on the ground.

Though it took the 1st quarter to get into gear, once Utah actually put their foot on the gas pedal, the offense looked pretty dynamic.

Utah totaled 300 yards between the second and third quarters, good for a 7.5-yard-per-play average on 40 plays.

Run game d9es need to improve in short, power-yardage situations. However, 460 yards and 38 points is pretty productive day.

Honestly, shoutout to Bryson Barnes 

Without him marching the USU offense down the field on consecutive touchdown drives, maybe Utah’s offense never opens up.

This was the sort of game that Utah would’ve loved to win by handing it off 50 times. However, with the two quick scores, perhaps Barnes forced Utah’s hand.

The Utah offense promptly responded with a touchdown drive after USU’s second touchdown. They then ripped off 25 unanswered points with three touchdowns, a field goal, and 2-point conversion.

Also, Barnes did his best, tip of the cap to him.

Utah defense needs some work though

The Utes defense was hit-or-miss throughout most of the game. There were exciting plays, like the two interceptions and six tackles for loss.

Utah generated a good amount of pressure on Barnes. They finished with one two sacks but had six other QB hits and a handful of other hurries.

However, giving up 21 points and nearly 400 total yards to the Aggies is not going to get it done.

Surprisingly, Utah seemed to struggle most in stopping the run. Rashul Faison finished with over 110 yards and a 6.7 per-carry average.

Utah’s run defense needs to improve significantly and in a short time.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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