The 2021 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Utes were led by 17th-year head coach Kyle Whittingham and played their home games at Rice–Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City as members of the South Division of the Pac-12 Conference. Despite a rough start to the season and the death of players Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, the Utes rallied and won their first Pac-12 championship since joining the conference in 2011, defeating the tenth-ranked Oregon Ducks, 38–10, in the conference championship game. The Utes completed their season with their first ever appearance in the Rose Bowl, where they lost to Ohio State.
Schedule
Rankings
Personnel
Game summaries
No. 6 (FCS) Weber State
Statistics Weber StateUtah First downs 14 28 Total yards 270 450 Rushing yards 57 188 Passing yards 213 262 Turnovers 3 3 Time of possession 30:24 29:36
Team Category Player StatisticsWeber State Passing Bronson Barron 21/33, 213 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Dontae McMillan 7 carries, 39 yards Receiving Justin Malone 5 receptions, 50 yardsUtah Passing Charlie Brewer 19/27, 233 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Tavion Thomas 12 carries, 107 yards, 2 TDs Receiving Dalton Kincaid 4 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TDs
At BYU
Statistics UtahBYU First downs 15 21 Total yards 340 373 Rushing yards 193 224 Passing yards 147 149 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 24:34 35:26
Team Category Player StatisticsUtah Passing Charlie Brewer 15/26, 147 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Micah Bernard 12 carries, 146 yards, 1 TD Receiving Dalton Kincaid 1 reception, 37 yardsBYU Passing Jaren Hall 18/30, 149 yards, 3 TDs Rushing Tyler Allgeier 27 carries, 102 yards Receiving Puka Nacua 4 receptions, 37 yards
At San Diego State
Statistics UtahSan Diego State First downs 21 12 Total yards 327 248 Rushing yards 70 204 Passing yards 257 44 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 30:19 29:41
Team Category Player StatisticsUtah Passing Cameron Rising 19/32, 153 yards, 3 TDs Rushing Micah Bernard 17 carries, 47 yards Receiving Brant Kuithe 7 receptions, 58 yardsSan Diego State Passing Lucas Johnson 10/19, 44 yards, 1 TD Rushing Greg Bell 33 carries, 119 yards, 2 TDs Receiving Daniel Bellinger 1 reception, 15 yards
Washington State
Statistics Washington StateUtah First downs 22 19 Total yards 318 349 Rushing yards 70 212 Passing yards 248 137 Turnovers 0 10 Time of possession 36:53 23:07
Team Category Player StatisticsWashington State Passing Jarrett Guarantano 25/36, 248 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs Rushing Deon McIntosh 13 carries, 59 yards Receiving De'Zhaun Stribling 6 receptions, 93 yards, 1 TDUtah Passing Cameron Rising 13/23, 137 yards Rushing T.J. Pledger 10 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD Receiving Cole Fotheringham 3 receptions, 33 yards
At USC
Statistics UtahUSC First downs 23 27 Total yards 486 493 Rushing yards 180 92 Passing yards 306 401 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 28:50 31:10
Team Category Player StatisticsUtah Passing Cameron Rising 22/28, 306 yards, 3 TDs Rushing Tavion Thomas 16 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD Receiving Devaughn Vele 4 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TDUSC Passing Kedon Slovis 33/53, 401 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Keaontay Ingram 14 carries, 70 yards Receiving Drake London 16 receptions, 162 yards, 1 TD
No. 18 Arizona State
Statistics Arizona StateUtah First downs 20 29 Total yards 385 455 Rushing yards 148 208 Passing yards 237 247 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 28:23 31:37
Team Category Player StatisticsArizona State Passing Jayden Daniels 20/31, 237 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Rachaad White 9 carries, 56 yards Receiving Curtis Hodges 4 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TDUtah Passing Cameron Rising 21/33, 247 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing Tavion Thomas 20 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD Receiving Devaughn Vele 3 receptions, 57 yards
At Oregon State
Statistics UtahOregon State First downs 28 22 Total yards 455 468 Rushing yards 188 260 Passing yards 267 208 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 32:25 27:35
Team Category Player StatisticsUtah Passing Cameron Rising 22/36, 267 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Tavion Thomas 21 carries, 74 yards, 2 TDs Receiving Devaughn Vele 3 receptions, 69 yardsOregon State Passing Chance Nolan 14/19, 208 yards, 2 TDs Rushing B. J. Baylor 19 carries, 152 yards, 1 TD Receiving Trevon Bradford 6 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD
UCLA
Statistics UCLAUtah First downs 24 26 Total yards 411 469 Rushing yards 146 290 Passing yards 265 179 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 29:13 30:47
Team Category Player StatisticsUCLA Passing Ethan Garbers 27/44, 265 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Zach Charbonnet 11 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD Receiving Kyle Philips 7 receptions, 86 yardsUtah Passing Cameron Rising 17/27, 179 yards, 1 TD Rushing Tavion Thomas 24 carries, 160 yards, 4 TDs Receiving Brant Kuithe 5 receptions, 63 yards
At Stanford
Statistics UtahStanford First downs 31 11 Total yards 581 167 Rushing yards 441 82 Passing yards 140 85 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 30:22 29:38
Team Category Player StatisticsUtah Passing Cameron Rising 13/22, 140 yards Rushing Tavion Thomas 20 carries, 177 yards, 4 TDs Receiving Micah Bernard 2 receptions, 32 yardsStanford Passing Jack West 12/18, 59 yards, 1 INT Rushing E. J. Smith 7 carries, 53 yards Receiving Benjamin Yurosek 4 receptions, 42 yards
At Arizona
Statistics UtahArizona First downs 26 16 Total yards 468 329 Rushing yards 174 102 Passing yards 294 227 Turnovers 0 0 Time of possession 33:53 26:07
Team Category Player StatisticsUtah Passing Cameron Rising 19/30, 294 yards, 2 TDs Rushing T. J. Pledger 25 carries, 119 yards, 2 TDs Receiving Micah Bernard 3 receptions, 60 yardsArizona Passing Will Plummer 19/34, 223 yards, 1 TD Rushing Will Plummer 10 carries, 50 yards, 1 TD Receiving Dorian Singer 5 receptions, 84 yards
No. 3 Oregon
Statistics OregonUtah First downs 18 24 Total yards 294 386 Rushing yards 63 208 Passing yards 231 178 Turnovers 0 0 Time of possession 24:33 35:27
Team Category Player StatisticsOregon Passing Anthony Brown 17/35, 231 yards, 1 TD Rushing Byron Cardwell 7 carries, 35 yards Receiving Kris Hutson 4 receptions, 96 yardsUtah Passing Cameron Rising 10/18, 178 yards Rushing Tavion Thomas 21 carries, 94 yards, 3 TDs Receiving Brant Kuithe 5 receptions, 118 yards
Colorado
Statistics ColoradoUtah First downs 9 23 Total yards 148 444 Rushing yards 64 265 Passing yards 84 179 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 25:53 34:07
Team Category Player StatisticsColorado Passing Brendon Lewis 9/23, 84 yards Rushing Alex Fontenot 10 carries, 28 yards Receiving Dimitri Stanley 3 receptions, 48 yardsUtah Passing Cameron Rising 14/23, 179 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Tavion Thomas 25 carries, 142 yards, 1 TD Receiving Britain Covey 5 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD
Vs. No. 10 Oregon (Pac-12 Championship game)
Statistics OregonUtah First downs 14 21 Total yards 221 361 Rushing yards 74 191 Passing yards 147 170 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 27:56 32:04
Team Category Player StatisticsOregon Passing Anthony Brown 13/24, 147 yards, 2 INTs Rushing Travis Dye 15 carries, 82 yards, 2 TDs Receiving Isaah Crocker 3 receptions, 51 yardsUtah Passing Cameron Rising 15/24, 170 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Tavion Thomas 18 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD Receiving Britain Covey 5 receptions, 72 yards
Vs. No. 6 Ohio State (Rose Bowl)
Statistics UtahOhio State First downs 25 28 Total yards 463 683 Rushing yards 226 110 Passing yards 237 573 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 34:17 25:43
Team Category Player StatisticsUtah Passing Cameron Rising 17/22, 214 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Cameron Rising 11 carries, 92 yards, 1 TD Receiving Brant Kuithe 6 receptions, 77 yardsOhio State Passing C. J. Stroud 37/46, 573 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT Rushing TreVeyon Henderson 17 carries, 83 yards Receiving Jaxon Smith-Njigba 15 receptions, 347 yards, 3 TDs
Awards and honors September 7, 2021 – Devin Lloyd, Pac-12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week
References