2004 Utah Utes football team

Last updated

2004 Utah Utes football
Utah Utes - U logo.svg
Mountain West champion
Fiesta Bowl champion
Fiesta Bowl, W 35–7 vs. Pittsburgh
Conference Mountain West Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 5
APNo. 4
Record12–0 (7–0 MW)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford (2nd season)
Offensive scheme Spread option
Defensive coordinator Kyle Whittingham (10th season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Rice-Eccles Stadium
Seasons
  2003
2005  
2004 Mountain West Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 4 Utah $  7 0   12 0  
New Mexico  5 2   7 5  
BYU  4 3   5 6  
Wyoming  3 4   7 5  
Air Force  3 4   5 6  
Colorado State  3 4   4 7  
San Diego State  2 5   4 7  
UNLV  1 6   2 9  
  • $ Conference champion and BCS representative as top non-AQ school to meet automatic qualification criteria
Rankings from AP Poll
Utah Utes fans rush the field and carry the goalpost after defeating rival BYU, completing a perfect regular season, and becoming the first BCS Buster by clinching a spot in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl (hence the sombrero). UteFansRush.JPG
Utah Utes fans rush the field and carry the goalpost after defeating rival BYU, completing a perfect regular season, and becoming the first BCS Buster by clinching a spot in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl (hence the sombrero).

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.

Contents

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

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 25:30 pm Texas A&M *No. 20 ESPN W 41–2145,419
September 118:00 pmat Arizona *No. 17 KJZZ W 23–652,790
September 185:00 pmat Utah State *No. 15KJZZW 48–624,750
September 251:00 pm Air Force Dagger-14-plain.pngNo. 14
  • Rice-Eccles Stadium
  • Salt Lake City
ESPN+ W 49–3544,043
October 16:00 pmat New Mexico No. 14 ESPN2 W 28–740,182
October 168:00 pm North Carolina *No. 11
  • Rice-Eccles Stadium
  • Salt Lake City
KJZZW 46–1645,319
October 235:00 pm UNLV No. 9
  • Rice-Eccles Stadium
  • Salt Lake City
KJZZW 63–2840,341
October 307:00 pmat San Diego State No. 9KJZZW 51–2832,683
November 67:45 pm Colorado State No. 7
  • Rice-Eccles Stadium
  • Salt Lake City
ESPN2W 63–3144,222
November 135:00 pmat Wyoming No. 7 ABC W 45–2817,074
November 205:00 pm BYU No. 5
ESPN2W 52–2145,326
January 16:30 pmvs. No. 19 Pittsburgh *No. 5ABCW 35–773,519
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Mountain time

[1] [2]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
AP2020171514141111997755554
Coaches211916141414111010108866665
BCSNot released76676666Not released

Game summaries

Texas A&M

1234Total
Aggies0701421
#20 Utes7207741

Arizona

1234Total
#17 Utes1706023
Wildcats33006

Utah State

1234Total
#15 Utes20217048
Aggies00606

Air Force

1234Total
Falcons7714735
#14 Utes021141449

New Mexico

1234Total
#14 Utes7014728
Lobos70007

North Carolina

1234Total
Tar Heels736016
#11 Utes10207946

UNLV

1234Total
Rebels777728
#9 Utes281421063

San Diego State

1234Total
#9 Utes102471051
Aztecs0210728

Colorado State

1234Total
Rams3702131
#7 Utes212114763

Wyoming

1234Total
#7 Utes171414045
Cowboys7071428

BYU

BYU at #5 Utah
Team1234Total
BYU0147021
Utah714171452
  • Source:

Fiesta Bowl: Utah vs. Pittsburgh

1234Total
#19 Panthers00707
#5 Utes7721035
2005 Fiesta Bowl 2005FiestaPittUtah.jpg
2005 Fiesta Bowl

Depth chart

Defensive starters
[1]
FS
Morgan Scalley
Antonio Young
OLB MLB OLB
Spencer Toone Tommy HackenbruckCorey Dodds
Kyle BradyTaylor MillerMalakai 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 KemoeatuTevita KemoeatuReza Williams
Kite AfeakiKite Afeaki
CB
Bo Nagahi
Eugene Oates
Offensive starters
[1]
WR
Steve Savoy
Derrek Richards
LT LG C RG RT
Tavo TupolaDavid Dirkmaat Jesse Boone Chris Kemoeatu Makai Aalona
Jason VossEric PettitAndrew JohnsonKyle GuntherDavid Dirkmaat
Steve DahlJason 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

UtahOpp
Scoring544234
  Points per game45.319.5
First Downs305220
  Rushing14590
  Passing136103
  Penalty2427
Rushing yards28331682
  Avg per play5.43.8
  Avg per game236.1140.2
  Rushing touchdowns3619
Passing yards31642439
  Att-Comp-Int344-232-5372-196-16
  Avg per pass9.26.6
  Avg per catch13.612.4
  Avg per game263.7203.2
  Passing touchdowns3311
Total offense59974121
  Avg per play6.95.1
  Avg per game499.8343.2
Fumbles lost22–919–13
Penalties – yards88-76580-693
  Avg per game63.857.8
TeamOpp
Punts – yards45-187870-2727
  Avg per Punt41.739.0
Time of possession/game31:1428:46
3rd down conversions80-15362-177
4th down conversions9–1715–25
Touchdowns scored7532
Field goals – attempts7–74–11
PAT – attempts71–7530–30
Attendance264670167479
  Games/Avg per game6-441125-33496
  Neutral Site1-73519

[1]

Individual Leaders

Passing
PlayerCOMPATTPct.YDSTDINTQB Rating
Alex Smith 214317.6752952324176.52
Brian Johnson 1421.66714211129.66
Fan Tagovailoa221.00024--305.80
Paris Warren 12.50021--138.20


Rushing
PlayerATTYDSYPCTD
Marty Johnson1658024.914
Quinton Ganther 1096546.02
Alex Smith 1356314.710
Steve Savoy2230714.06
Paris Warren 281575.62
Brian Johnson 21924.41


Receiving
PlayerRECYDSYPRTD
Paris Warren 80107613.412
Steve Savoy6796114.311
Travis Latendresse2741115.22
John Madsen 2737714.05
Quinton Ganther 7497.01
Marty Johnson7466.61
Jerome Wright56412.81


Tackles
PlayerSoloAsstTotalTFLSacks
Spencer Toone 407511541
Tommy Hackenbruck4645919.54.5
Eric Weddle 4728754.51
Morgan Scalley 2724512.52.5
Marquess Ledbetter15314694.5
Steve Fifita 23224594.5
Ryan Smith26184432
Bo Nagahi3111422.50
Corey Dodds10273742
Sione Pouha 16203632
Jonathan Fanene 1210225.53


Pass defense
PlayerINTYDSBroken up
Morgan Scalley 6792
Eric Weddle 4345
Jonathan Fanene 1761
Corey Dodds1261
Ryan Smith107
Sione Pouha 104
Steve Fifita 162

[1]

After the season

NFL draft

Utah had five players taken in the 2005 NFL draft: [3]

PlayerPositionRoundPickNFL club
Alex Smith Quarterback 11 San Francisco 49ers
Sione Pouha Defensive tackle 388 New York Jets
Chris Kemoeatu Offensive guard 6204 Pittsburgh Steelers
Paris Warren Wide receiver 7225 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jonathan Fanene Defensive end 7233 Cincinnati Bengals

Awards

National

Conference

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "2004 Season Year in Review". Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2008.
  2. "Ute Record Book" (PDF). University of Utah. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
  3. "NFL Draft History 2005". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2010.