Pac-12: Zack Moss leads Utes in rout

Reporting from SALT LAKE CITY â€”  Zack Moss rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown and added a receiving score to power Utah to a 41-10 win over Weber State on Thursday night.

Unexpectedly down 10 to start the game, the Utes responded and tallied 587 yards, and Moss claimed the fourth-longest run from scrimmage in school history when he ran untouched for an 86-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Utah’s Tyler Huntley overcame an early pick to throw for 253 yards and four touchdowns. The Utes showcased a balanced offense of 294 yards on the ground and 293 through the air.

The Wildcats stunned Utah with two quick scores, capitalizing on a muffed punt and an interception and led 10-0 in the first quarter. The Wildcats players danced on the sideline as Utah’s 52nd consecutive sellout crowd went quiet.

“We couldn’t get out of our own way at the start,� Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “It was a comedy of errors.�

But Weber State couldn’t generate anything after that and Utah scored 41 straight and yielded just 61 yards of total offense, the third lowest mark all-time. The Wildcats’ longest play from scrimmage was 10 yards.

Eventually the Wildcat defense wore down and everything Utah tried -- from jet sweeps to fly patterns to runs up the middle -- looked easy as the Utes pulled away and allowed second- and third-team players plenty of action.

“I thought we were playing dang good defense there for a while and then we went a little haywire there at the end of the second quarter and third quarter,� Weber State coach Jay Hill said.

Utah’s defense had almost as many tackles for loss (11) as Weber State had passing yards (13) to help the Utes overcome a 4-0 turnover deficit.

“We’re not going to win any games in the Pac-12, going minus-4 in turnovers,� Whittingham said.

The Utes have won 11 straight season openers and are now 21-1 in non-conference games since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.