UCLA

Thomas runs for 160 yards, 4 TDs as Utah beat UCLA 44-24

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Tavion Thomas rushed for a career-high 160 yards and a school record-tying four touchdowns to power Utah to a 44-24 win Saturday night as the school retired the number 22 in honor of the untimely deaths of Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe.

Cam Rising threw for 179 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score to run Utah’s winning streak against the Bruins to five.

If his passing and running wasn’t enough, Rising even punted twice in quick-kick situations and had them both downed inside the 10-yard line.

Utah (5-3, 4-1 Pac-12) is alone atop the conference's south division and has beaten the other three contenders – the Bruins, USC and Arizona State, the only other team with fewer than three Pac-12 losses.

Freshman Ethan Garbers threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns on 27-for-44 passing with an interception for UCLA (5-4, 3-3). He made his first career start in place of Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who was injured on the Bruins' last possession of last week's loss to Oregon.

Utah clinched the game with a safety – a sack by Hauati Pututau with 7:16 remaining – and an ensuing deliberate drive that forced the Bruins to use all three of their timeouts.

UCLA converted four fourth-downs, including a 30-yard Zach Charbonnet TD run, in the first half to try to keep pace with the potent Utah attack but only had 10 points to show for it. The Utes, on the other hand, scored on their first four drives. Three of them culminated on touchdown runs by Thomas and Utah led 28-10 at halftime.

The last time a Utah player had four rushing TDs in a game was Joe Williams in 2016, also against UCLA.

RETIRING NUMBER 22

Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe who both tragically died in the past year were honored at the end of the first quarter and the number ‘22’ was retired. Jordan wore the number during a sensational freshman year before dying on Christmas night 2020. His friend Lowe was chosen to wear 22 in his honor and then was killed outside a party on Sept. 26. Utah had previously never retired a football number.

THE TAKEAWAY

UCLA: The Bruins were able to move the ball with Garbers at the controls but an interception and the safety were too much to overcome as UCLA’s defense could not stop Utah’s rushing attack.

Utah: The Utes played turnover-free football and converted eight of 12 third downs to keep them in control most of the game. Utah now has complete control of their destiny and pole position for the South title.

UP NEXT

UCLA has a bye before hosting Colorado on Nov. 13.

The Utes play Friday night at Stanford.

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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25.

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