Utah Utes football: Nail-biting win plays out in familiar fashion

Utah's 23-16 overtime win over Air Force wasn't much of a surprise.

It came off as advertised, marking the 12th time in 13 meetings between the Utes and Falcons where the outcome was decided by less than 10 points.

"I wouldn't expect anything different from the series that we've had with Air Force," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "It played out just like it has, or very similar, in the years past."

Eddie Wide scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run.

"The o-line got a great push on the last play," said Wide, who finished with 121 yards to top 100 for the fourth consecutive game. "We just pounded it in there."

The defense did its part by keeping Air Force out of the end zone. Linebackers Stevenson Sylvester and Mike Wright stopped Falcons quarterback Connor Dietz for no gain on the final play, leaving them two yards shy of a first down on the Utah 7.

"There was no trickery or anything. We knew they were going to go with the option. That's their bread and butter," Sylvester said. "So we just toughened up on that last series and got the stop. It was a critical situation, so we just relied on our toughness."

Matching Air Force's toughness and discipline were among the things Whittingham praised his team for after the bowl-eligible Utes improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in Mountain West Conference play.

Statistically speaking, though, it wasn't a very good night for Utah.

The Utes prevailed despite having the ball for nearly 17 minutes less than Air Force, managing just eight first downs and fumbling the ball six times (losing two).

"That's not a good stat line right there," Whittingham said. "But when you play the Air Force, that's been their recipe all year long."

The Falcons entered the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in turnover margin.

Utah's defense, however, ultimately stole the show with its game-ending stop.

Free safety Robert Johnson topped the Utes with a career-high 15 tackles. Sylvester and Dave Kruger finished with 13 apiece, while Koa Misi and Sealver Siliga added 12 and 11, respectively.

"I'm pleased with how the defense played this afternoon," Whittingham said. "We gave up a lot of rushing yards, but that's bound to happen when Air Force rushes so much."

The Falcons finished with 254 yards on the ground.