USU, Utah Utes football: Johnson thrives on field while loved ones survive storm

Beating Utah State 58-10 probably wasn't the highlight of Utah quarterback Brian Johnson's day on Saturday.

Johnson, a native of Baytown Texas, saw his hometown slightly hit by Hurricane Ike earlier in the day. His family and friends dealt with some property damage, fallen trees and power outages. But his loved ones made it through the ordeal without any major complications.

"Everybody's good," Johnson said.

Johnson knew the storm was coming during the week, but said he didn't stress about it. It certainly didn't affect his preparation or performance, as he completed 22 of 31 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns against the Aggies.

"My goal was to make it better by winning the football game," Johnson said. "I can control what I can control."

QB CONTROVERSY?: Utah kicker/punter Louie Sakoda continued his career perfection in passing efficiency against Utah State. He completed a 9-yard pass to R.J. Stanford on a busted punt play in the second quarter. The conversion came on a fourth-and-3, and the Utes finished off the drive when Johnson completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Freddie Brown. The score gave Utah a 30-7 lead.

Sakoda's fourth-down conversion actually came on a broken play. He adjusted to some pressure in the backfield before passing to Stanford. Sakoda is now 3-of-3 passing in his career for 51 yards.

Sakoda was jokingly asked if he was ready to challenge for Johnson's spot following the game, and he played along.

"I'm definitely not at his level," Sakoda said. "He's our pinnacle. He's a one of a kind. You know, I do like to give him a run for his money to make sure he stays working hard. He's got a little bit more yards than me — just a little bit."

PUNT RETURN A 'FIASCO': The only thing the Utes weren't pleased about on Saturday was their performance in returning punts against the Aggies. A fumbled punt return by John Peel in the first quarter set Utah State up in great field position, and led to its lone touchdown in the game. Peel bobbled another attempt in the second quarter.

Jereme Brooks, who started the season as the team's punt returner, fumbled Utah's first punt-return attempt of the season against Michigan and it led to a Wolverines touchdown. He got another chance at the position on Saturday, but he too bobbled a punt return before recovering it. The struggles made Utah fans nervous, and when Brent Casteel cleanly fielded a punt return on a fair catch in the fourth quarter, they gave him a loud cheer.