With a full moon overhead, fans dressed in black, a scary-good performance by the defense, and the shocking surprise of a new QB emerging from the shadows in the second half, it was a memorable Halloween night at Rice-Eccles Stadium as the Utes beat the Wyoming Cowboys 22-10.
The Utes overcame a sluggish first-half offensive performance, with freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn making his game-time debut and replacing Terrance Cain after halftime. After the game, Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham explained his decision to put Wynn in the game by saying, "We were just trying to get some continuity on offense and rhythm." Whittingham said he wanted to find a way for the offense to finish drives, something they had struggled with in the first half, managing only one third-down conversion and scoring only two field goals.
True freshman Wynn had been the Utes' backup QB but hadn't seen any playing time all season, fueling speculation that he might redshirt this year. Wynn passed for 82 yards but more importantly threw a touchdown pass to Jereme Brooks in the third quarter. Eddie Wide rushed for another touchdown, and those two scores combined with spectacular defense in the second half allowed the Utes to pull off the win. After the game, Wynn acknowledged the defense's role in the Utes' victory. Utah's defense held Wyoming to only 202 yards total offense, and only 74 of those came in the second half.
It was the second annual "blackout" game at Rice-Eccles Stadium as game organizers tried to overcome a less-than-desirable Halloween Night home game by encouraging fans to wear black and come in Halloween costumes.
I had a great time at the game, and I wasn't really surprised to see Wynn get some playing time. It would be unusual for a team to get through an entire season without using a backup quarterback. What remains a mystery is whether Whittingham will start Wynn against New Mexico next week, something I'm sure will fuel lots of speculation in Salt Lake City over the next seven days.
Photo by Marsha Maxwell
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