Johnson scores 4 touchdowns for Utes

When Marty Johnson dove over from the one-yard line midway through the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon, he joined some elite company.

Johnson's touchdown was his fourth of the game and tied him with Del Rodgers (1979), Eddie Johnson (1988), Charlie Brown (1994), Juan Johnson (1996) and Mike Anderson (1999) for the second most touchdowns in a game by a Ute running back.

Only the great Larry Wilson did better, when he put five touchdowns on the board against Arizona in 1959.

"I don't pay any attention to records," said Johnson, who picked up 72 yards on the day in 21 carries. "The win means more to me than what I did. The line did a great job of blocking for me today."

BEN MOA REVISITED: Johnson's first touchdown came out of the same shotgun formation they used so successfully last year with Paris Warren and Ben Moa taking the snap.

It was first-and-goal at the two midway through the second quarter when Johnson lined up behind center Jesse Boone, took the snap and rumbled through the right side of the line for Utah's first score of the game.

"You just read a block, find a hole and go," said Johnson.

REMEMBERING '95: All week, everybody talked about the last three exciting Utah-Air Force games that were all decided in the final seconds and by a grand total of seven points.

But many Ute and Falcon fans will never forget the 1995 Utah-Air Force game, which was the last time the Utes beat the Falcons at home before Saturday.

It was perhaps the most amazing comeback in school history as the Utes scored twice in a 10-second span in the final minute of the game to beat the Falcons 22-21.

Trailing 21-7, the Utes scored on a 17-yard pass from Mike Fouts to Rocky Henry with 41 seconds left and tacked on a two-point conversion run by Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala. Then after a perfect onsides kick by Daniel Pulsipher, Fouts hooked up with Kevin Dyson with a 50-yard strike down the left sideline with 31 seconds left. Pulsipher's PAT gave the Utes the incredible one-point win.

GOOD DEBUT: Eric Weddle made quite a debut as Utah's punt returner.

He returned four kicks 65 yards, including one for 31, to far surpass the Utes' previous output over three games. The starting safety, who was a freshman all-American last season, was called into duty because Utah's punt return team had amassed only 20 yards in five previous returns this season.