The 2004 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. This team was the original 'BCS Buster', meaning, this was the first time that a team from a BCS non-AQ conference was invited to play in one of the BCS bowl games. The team, coached by second-year head football coach Urban Meyer, played its home games in Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Utah finished the season 12–0, the fourth undefeated and untied season in school history. The Utes were one of three teams in the top-level Division I FBS to finish the season undefeated (the others being the USC Trojans and the Auburn Tigers.)
Utah was the highest-ranked BCS non-AQ team in each poll every week of the season.
Schedule
Rankings
Game summaries
Texas A&M
Arizona
Utah State
Air Force
New Mexico
North Carolina
UNLV
San Diego State
Colorado State
Wyoming
BYU
Source:
Fiesta Bowl: Utah vs. Pittsburgh
Depth chart + Defensive starters FS Morgan Scalley Antonio Young
OLB MLB OLB Spencer Toone Tommy Hackenbruck Corey Dodds Kyle Brady Taylor Miller Malakai Mokofisi Grady Marshall
SS Eric Weddle Casey Evans
CB Ryan Smith Eugene Oates
DE NT T LE Marques Ledbetter Sione Pouha Steve Fifita Jonathan Fanene Martail Burnett Tevita Kemoeatu Tevita Kemoeatu Reza Williams Kite Afeaki Kite Afeaki
CB Bo Nagahi Eugene Oates
+Offensive starters WR Steve Savoy Derrek Richards
LT LG C RG RT Tavo Tupola David Dirkmaat Jesse Boone Chris Kemoeatu Makai Aalona Jason Voss Eric Pettit Andrew Johnson Kyle Gunther David Dirkmaat Steve Dahl Jason Boone
TE Blake Burdette Willie Sao
WR Travis LaTendresse Thomas Huff
WR Paris Warren Jerome Wright
WR John Madsen Jerome Wright
QB Alex Smith Brian Johnson Fano Tagovailoa
RB Marty Johnson Quinton Ganther
Season Statistics 2004 Official Stats
Team
Utah Opp Scoring 544 234 Points per game 45.3 19.5 First downs 305 220 Rushing 145 90 Passing 136 103 Penalty 24 27 Rushing yards 2833 1682 Avg per play 5.4 3.8 Avg per game 236.1 140.2 Rushing touchdowns 36 19 Passing yards 3164 2439 Att-Comp-Int 344-232-5 372-196-16 Avg per pass 9.2 6.6 Avg per catch 13.6 12.4 Avg per game 263.7 203.2 Passing touchdowns 33 11 Total offense 5997 4121 Avg per play 6.9 5.1 Avg per game 499.8 343.2 Fumbles lost 22–9 19–13 Penalties – yards 88-765 80-693 Avg per game 63.8 57.8 Team Opp Punts – yards 45-1878 70-2727 Avg per Punt 41.7 39.0 Time of possession/game 31:14 28:46 3rd down conversions 80-153 62-177 4th down conversions 9–17 15–25 Touchdowns scored 75 32 Field goals – attempts 7–7 4–11 PAT – attempts 71–75 30–30 Attendance 264670 167479 Games/Avg per game 6-44112 5-33496 Neutral Site 1-73519
Individual Leaders
PassingPlayerCOMPATTPct.YDSTDINTQB ratingAlex Smith 214 317 .675 2952 32 4 176.52Brian Johnson 14 21 .667 142 1 1 129.66Fan Tagovailoa 2 2 1.000 24 - - 305.80Paris Warren 1 2 .500 21 - - 138.20
RushingPlayerATTYDSYPCTDMarty Johnson 165 802 4.9 14Quinton Ganther 109 654 6.0 2Alex Smith 135 631 4.7 10Steve Savoy 22 307 14.0 6Paris Warren 28 157 5.6 2Brian Johnson 21 92 4.4 1
ReceivingPlayerRECYDSYPRTDParis Warren 80 1076 13.4 12Steve Savoy 67 961 14.3 11Travis Latendresse 27 411 15.2 2John Madsen 27 377 14.0 5Quinton Ganther 7 49 7.0 1Marty Johnson 7 46 6.6 1Jerome Wright 5 64 12.8 1
TacklesPlayerSoloAsstTotalTFLSacksSpencer Toone 40 75 115 4 1Tommy Hackenbruck 46 45 91 9.5 4.5Eric Weddle 47 28 75 4.5 1Morgan Scalley 27 24 51 2.5 2.5Marquess Ledbetter 15 31 46 9 4.5Steve Fifita 23 22 45 9 4.5Ryan Smith 26 18 44 3 2Bo Nagahi 31 11 42 2.5 0Corey Dodds 10 27 37 4 2Sione Pouha 16 20 36 3 2Jonathan Fanene 12 10 22 5.5 3
Pass defensePlayerINTYDSBroken upMorgan Scalley 6 79 2Eric Weddle 4 34 5Jonathan Fanene 1 76 1Corey Dodds 1 26 1Ryan Smith 1 0 7Sione Pouha 1 0 4Steve Fifita 1 6 2
After the season
NFL draft Utah had five players taken in the 2005 NFL draft: Alex Smith Quarterback 1 1 San Francisco 49ers Sione Pouha Defensive tackle 3 88 New York Jets Chris Kemoeatu Offensive guard 6 204 Pittsburgh Steelers Paris Warren Wide receiver 7 225 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jonathan Fanene Defensive end 7 233 Cincinnati Bengals
Awards
National Urban Meyer: The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, Woody Hayes' National Coach of the Year, Maxwell George Munger Award Alex Smith: Heisman Trophy finalist (fourth place), The Sporting News National Player of the Year, Sports Illustrated National Player of the Year, Cingular Sports/ABC Sports All-American, SI.com All-American (first team), CoSIDA Football Academic All-American of the Year, Davey O'Brien Award finalist, Walter Camp Award finalist Chris Kemoeatu: Cingular Sports/ABC Sports All-American, SI.com All-American (first team) Morgan Scalley: SI.com All-American (second team), CoSIDA Academic All-American (first team), Anson Mount Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week, Pat Tillman Award (East–West Shrine Game honor) Steve Savoy: SI.com All-American (second team), The Sporting News All-American (honorable mention) Ryan Smith: The Sporting News Freshman All-American (second team) Spencer Toone: CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII first team
Conference Coach of the Year: Urban Meyer Offensive Player of the Year: Alex Smith Co-defensive Player of the Year: Morgan Scalley All-MWC First team: Alex Smith, Steve Savoy, Chris Kemoeatu, Steve Fifita, Sione Pouha, Morgan Scalley All-MWC Second team: Paris Warren, Marty Johnson, Jesse Boone, Eric Weddle All-MWC Honorable mention: Makai Aalona, Quinton Ganther, Tommy Hackenbruck, Matt Kovacevich, Spencer Toone
See also List of undefeated Division I football teams
References