SALT LAKE CITY - Ty Montgomery amassed more than 200 all-purpose yards for the second straight game, but the Utah offense gained 415 total yards to propel the Utes to a 27-21 upset of No. 5 Stanford Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Cardinal mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback, until the bid fell short on a fourth-and-two from the Utah six-yard line with 51 seconds on the clock.
Stanford (5-1 overall, 3-1 Pac-12) cut a 13-point Utah advantage to seven with 9:22 remaining in the fourth quarter when Devon Cajuste made an acrobatic catch on the sideline of the end zone. The defense forced its second consecutive three-and-out to give the ball back to Kevin Hogan and the offense, but the Cardinal’s final drive stalled in the red zone. Hogan’s lofted pass on fourth down went out of bounds to seal one of the biggest home upsets in Utah’s program history.
Montgomery was the go-to-guy for the Cardinal throughout the day, including three catches for 41 yards on the final drive. The junior’s day was highlighted by a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter. The scamper, which started five yards deep in the end zone, tied a Stanford record and gave Montgomery his second return for a touchdown in as many games.
Despite Montgomery’s momentum-building return, Utah claimed a 21-14 lead after one half of play. The Utes (4-2, 1-2) used a balanced offensive attack that gained 150 yards in the air and 130 on the ground in the first two quarters. Dres Anderson led the charge with a pair of touchdowns, one on a 51-yard reception and another on a three-yard scamper.
Utah's third score was key as the Utes drove from their one yard line to score as the half wound down. Deep in Stanford territory, the Cardinal got an apparent stop on third and long but a penalty kept Utah's drive alive; Anderson capitalized to complete the 11-play drive covering 5:05 on the clock.
Tyler Gaffney, who finished the day with 108 yards on the ground, also crossed the goal line on a one-yard leap for the Cardinal.
Stanford finished the game with 389 yards on offense, but turned the ball over twice on two costly second-half fumbles. The defense held Utah to a pair of field goals off of turnovers and the six-points proved to be the difference in the game.
The Cardinal returns home next week to face UCLA during its homecoming game. Stanford and the Bruins will kick off at 12:30 p.m. (PT).
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