Smith ended up returning the ball to the 31, but his eyes widened and he got tunnel vision for a goal line 100 yards away. He didn't want to let years go between his first visit to the end zone in college and his second. The 21-year-old got used to crossing the goal line as a teenager at Blair High School in Pasadena, where he scored 18 rushing TDs and was recruited by the U. to be a running back.

Another tipped pass turned into an interception — one of the Utes' six takeaways (three INTs, two fumble recoveries and one blocked punt) — for Utah in the second quarter. Defensive end Derrick Shelby batted a pass up, and defensive lineman Greg Newman, whose helmet had just been knocked off his head, scooped it out of the air.

That heads-up, helmet-off play set up the struggling Utah offense's first sustained drive of the game — a 15-play, 63-yard march that ate up 6:09 and put the Utes up 27-0 at the half.

Smith said the defensive players — throw the special-teams guys in there, too — took it upon themselves to pick up the slack on this windy day.

"The offense was struggling, so the defense had to cause turnovers and put points on the board," Smith said, "so I was glad to do my job."

Especially the part where he visited the end zone again.

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E-mail: jody@desnews.com