March 28, 2024

Utah Stuns No. 8 UCLA 30-28; QB Kendal Thompson (Kiowa) Leads way for Utes

PASADENA, Calif. – Andy Phillips’ 29-yard game-winning field goal with 34 seconds remaining gave the University of Utah football team a 30-28 Pac-12 Conference road victory at No. 8 UCLA Saturday night in the Rose Bowl.

Junior quarterback Kendal Thompson (Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma) took over during Utah’s fourth offensive series and was 10-for-13 for 95 yards and a touchdown without an interception. He was also second on the team with 83 rushing yards on 19 carries.

After the teams went 3-and-out during the first five series of the game, Carter picked off a screen pass over thrown by Hundley and bolted 27 yards down the sideline for his second `pick-six’ of the season to give the Utes an early 7-0 lead.

Phillips then recovered his own onside attempt on the ensuing kickoff to give the Utes possession at their own 46-yard line.

Thompson then found Anderson in the end zone for an acrobatic 42-yard touchdown catch, his fifth score of the season.

The Bruins came back with a nice 10-play, 82-yard scoring drive, capped by a 4-yard rushing touchdown by Paul Perkins brought UCLA with seven points of Utah, 14-7.

The Utes countered with an extended scoring drive of their own, an 11-play, 49-yard series to set up Andy Phillips’ 48-yard field goal attempt, which he drilled through the uprights to put Utah ahead 17-7 heading into halftime.

The Bruins reached the end zone during their second offensive series of the second half, but the Utes answered promptly with a 13-play, 75-yard scoring march after a tough 6-yard scoring run by Booker to push their lead back to 10, 24-14.

Hundley then found Devin Fuller on a wheel route out of the backfield for a 93-yard score to pull the home team back within a field goal, 24-21.

A diving seven-yard run on third-down by Thompson during Utah’s next drive set up Phillips’ second field goal of the contest from 45 yards to inch the Ute lead out to six points, 27-21.

UCLA (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) took its first lead of the contest after a 40-yard scoring strike from Hundley to Eldridge Massington to give the home team a 28-27 advantage.

After their second bye week of the season, the Utes head to Corvallis, Ore., to face Oregon State on Thur., Oct. 16. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT on Fox Sports 1.