The University of Utah entered Saturday playing the role of spoiler against a surprising no. 21 Colorado Buffaloes squad. While the Utes were far from perfect—with rough offensive play and missed touchdowns—there were plenty of reasons to be happy about, including a penalty-free performance. After a first half with missed opportunities, the Utes settled in to earn a 38-21 victory, giving the Buffaloes their first loss of the season.

Here are the takeaways from the game:

Britain Covey is his elite self, again

Britain Covey's impact on the game was on full display again against Colorado. The elusive slot receiver was Jake Bentley's safety valve, leading the team with a career-high of nine receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown with his usual crisp, clean routes. Covey also made a big impact on special teams, putting the offense in good starting positions by averaging over 29 yards on kick returns and nearly 15 yards on punt returns. Utah sorely missed the impact he has on games, as they got off to their 0-2 start. His presence alone, makes everyone’s job on offense easier.

Ludwig deserves plenty of credit

One of the biggest difference makers in Saturday’s win was that the Utes were able to put the ball in their playmakers hands all over the field. Covey and Kuithe led the team in receiving but Thompson, Enis, Fotheringham and Kincaid all contributed in the passing game,at key times. Spreading the ball around was something that the offense had struggled with the last few games and Whittingham called it “vanilla.” Today was different and it seems that Andy Ludwig has found a great game plan for Jake Bentley. Utah only had 10 points at halftime but receivers were open all game long. Bentley has his fair share of miscues and missed throws but he and Ludwig deserve credit for not being predictable putting the game away late in the fourth.

The defensive line held Broussard in check

Going into the Utah game, Colorado’s Jarek Broussard was second in the NCAA averaging 183.2 yards per game. The Utes held him 102 yards under that average. He was bottled up for most of the game, as his longest run he busted off was for 18 yards. He also lost a crucial fumble before halftime, when the Buffaloes coaching staff would have been more wise to run out the clock. Utah would then march down and steal the momentum, kicking a 42-yard field goal as time expired—bring the deficit to 14-10.

The talented back still had 5.7 yards per carry, but this was after a highlight-reel 301 yard performance against a soft Arizona defense. Viane Moala, Hauati Pututau, Maxs Tupai, Mika Tafua and crew have continued the hard-nosed tradition of making opponents earn every yard they get. Broussard was no exception.

Ty Jordan is must-see TV

At the half, Utah’s freshman phenom had been held in check to the tune of eight carries for 31 yards. But what opponents are quickly finding out is that you can only contain him for so long. As the Utes marched out for their first possession of the second half, Jordan quickly got to work, capping off the drive with a 18-yard touchdown run. From the second half on, he gashed the Buffaloes with nine carries for 116 yards and delivered the dagger to Colorado’s undefeated season. His 66-yard touchdown run introduced him to the nation and proved to a national television audience that the Utes were far better than their record.

Grab your popcorn and your favorite beverage, and enjoy three to four years of the Ty Jordan Show. The Pac-12 sure won’t be looking forward to it.

Up next

The Colorado game was the last of the Utes’ scheduled 2020 games, but at least one yet-to-be-determined Pac-12 opponent remains on the docket for 12/19. When the schedule was set, the conference announced all teams would have a game during Pac-12 Championship weekend. However, how they choose to schedule it after all of the cancellations, is anyone’s guess. The initial format was intended to match the divisions up with their similar rankings, but the Utes have already played Oregon State.