Utes buoyed by victory over Ducks

It remains to be seen if Utah's 17-13 victory over 19th-ranked Oregon lands the Utes in the top 25.

They certainly played like a deserving team in Friday night's win over the Ducks. The offense racked up a season-high 466 yards, and the defense held Oregon to its lowest point total in 32 games — dating back to Nov. 18, 2000.

In the process, Utah improved to 4-1 overall with its first triumph over a ranked team in nearly four years.

"We're just going to enjoy this one today and focus on what we need to improve on tomorrow," said Utah coach Urban Meyer, whose team plays host to San Diego State next Saturday (5 p.m., KJZZ-TV, Ch. 14).

Aside from two missed field goals from close range (24 and 25 yards by Bryan Borreson) and 2-of-5 success inside the red zone, shortcomings were hard to pinpoint as Utah extended its winning streak to three games.

"This is a game I would have liked to win," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. "But I told my players it's a good thing Utah is not in our league. This game had nothing to do with our league."

Too bad for the Utes. They're 1-0 in Mountain West Conference play, but 2-0 against Pac-10 teams this season. Utah defeated California 31-24 on Sept. 11.

"This game means a lot," quarterback Alex Smith said. "But conference is what really matters."

The homecoming game with the Aztecs opens a season-ending stretch of six league tilts for the Utes. Including last week's 28-21 victory at Colorado State, they've won four straight conference games over the past two seasons.

Extending the run is probable given the successful expansion of Utah's spread offense. Freshman Steve Savoy, who Meyer referred to as a "home-run hitter," has evolved into a deep threat for Smith. He caught six passes for 176 yards and a touchdown.

"On the touchdown I just did what I did in practice and the work paid off," Savoy said of the 69-yard scoring strike. "Alex just hit me in stride and we scored."

Smith and Savoy later teamed on a 50-yard pass play to set up Utah's game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"We worried about their speed but our speed was great," Meyer said. "Savoy did a great job, and we saw a glimpse of how good we can be."