SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nate Johnson threw for 193 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in his first start, helping No. 12 Utah to a 31-7 victory over Weber State in another game without Cameron Rising on Saturday.
Though he is practicing without limits, Rising still hasn’t suited up for the Utes (3-0) since tearing an ACL in the Rose Bowl last season.
Johnson, who was the fourth-stringer in the spring and has been dealing with injuries of his own, had 71 yards on 16 carries while finding speedy receivers in stride downfield in the passing game.
A week ago, the redshirt freshman replaced Bryson Barnes and led the final two drives as the Utes scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally for a 20-13 victory at Baylor.
Munir McClain had a career-high 92 yards receiving for Utah and Ja’Quinden Jackson rushed for 69 yards on nine carries.
Weber State's Damon Bankston, who came in as the leading rusher in FCS game at 132 yards per game, was held to 59 yards on eight carries. The running back had 47 of those on a second-quarter carry that set up the only score for the Wildcats (2-1).
Lander Barton capped the scoring with a 23-yard interception return in the third quarter as Utah's defense, which has carried the team during Rising's absence, held Weber State to 127 total yards. The Utes have had at least one pick-six in 20 consecutive seasons.
Johnson picked up where he left off from the Baylor game, leading a 10-play, 69-yard drive the start the game, capping the march with a 1-yard sneak.
THE TAKEAWAY
Weber State: The Wildcats are a top 10 FCS team but were outmatched at the line of scrimmage. They nearly broke a couple of kick returns and racked up 137 return yards but never got the big break they needed to make it a competitive game.
Utah: The Utes were steady throughout but left some points on the board with a botched snap on a field goal attempt and a failed fourth-down conversion early. Utah’s balanced attack produced 231 yards rushing and 193 while making life a little easier for the defense by keeping the ball for 40 minutes.
UP NEXT
Weber State: Montana State at home next Saturday.
Utah: No. 24 UCLA visits in the Pac-12 opener for both teams next Saturday.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
