Report on the Games, November 5, 2011

Here, in a nutshell, is what happened to Utah football teams this last Saturday...

Utah State 35 Hawaii 31

Utah State figured out how to avoid the 4th quarter bugaboo that has plagued them all season...be the team that makes the 4th quarter comeback.  For the first time in 2011, USU trailed at the end of the 3rd quarter, 31-21, but outscored Hawaii 14-0 in the final frame.  USU outscored Hawaii 28-3 in the second half.  The Aggies keep their slim hopes at bowl eligibility and their first winning season in a long time alive.  The bad news for Utah State is that Chuckie Keeton left the game in the first half after a 14 yard scramble where he lost the ball.  As of 7:30 AM this morning, the SL Trib did not have an update on Keeton's status other than it was a neck injury and he was taken to a Honolulu hospital.  Adam Kennedy played the entire second half and engineered the USU comeback.  The task does not get easier for USU next week who hosts fellow WAC upstart San Jose State next week.

USU MVP: QB Adam Kennedy

Utah 34 Arizona 21

The Utah Utes took advantage of a rare "off" day by Arizona's Nick Foles to edge the Wildcats in Tuscon.  Utah jumped out to an early 17-0 lead as the Wildcat offense sputtered.  The Arizona offense failed on convert 4th down attempts on their first two drives and Nick Foles threw an interception on the 4th Cat drive.  Three of Utah's first 4 drives resulted in points.  Utah had a 20-7 lead at half time.  The two teams traded a pair of 2nd half touchdowns.

Utah MVP: John White IV

Montana State 44 Weber State 24

Fourth ranked Montana State clinched a share of the Big Sky Conference championship and almost assured themselves of a spot in the FCS playoffs when they scored 24 unanswered 2nd half points in Ogden.  The loss ensures that Weber State will finish below .500 for the first time since 2007.  WSU had a 24-20 lead at halftime, but the second half was a tale of futility for the Weber State offense where they gained only 96 yards.  The one incursion into Bobcat territory in the 2nd half resulted in a missed field goal.  At that point, the game was not yet out of hand and would have cut the Bobcat lead to 30-27.  That drive accounted for 60 of WSU's 96 second half yards.

WSU MVP: RB Josh Booker

BYU and SUU were off for the week.