Wynn throws 2 TDs in return for No. 13 Utah as Utes blow out San Jose St. 56-3

Wynn throws 2 TDs in return for No. 13 Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Jordan Wynn’s thumb appears well healed and very well protected.

Wynn returned after missing two games with a thumb sprain and threw for two touchdowns as No. 13 Utah routed San Jose State 56-3 Saturday night.

The Utes didn’t allow a sack and Wynn capitalized on the lack of pressure, completing 14 of 18 passes for 124 yards before heading back to the sidelines after just one series in the third quarter. The Utes were already running away with the game and had no reason to risk aggravating Wynn’s right thumb.

“The offensive line did a great job. I didn’t get touched the whole night. No one even came close to me,” Wynn said. “We’re right where we need to be. We can get better but tonight we played a pretty complete game.”

A different player scored each of Utah’s eight touchdowns, including four in the second quarter to blow open the Utes’ 20th straight win at home. The defense held San Jose State to 172 yards of offense and the Spartans converted just once on 12 third downs.

Utah (4-0) also didn’t turn the ball over for the first time in a game this season and had only one penalty — a false start with 5:32 left to play.

“I can’t remember the last team my team had just one penalty for 5 yards,” coach Kyle Whittingham said.

The blowout loss ended a rough month for San Jose State (1-3), which also made losing trips to top-ranked Alabama and No. 11 Wisconsin in the first two weeks of the season.

First-year coach Mike McIntyre conceded that the schedule may have taken a toll on the Spartans.

“It looks like it did tonight. Before tonight I wouldn’t have said that,” McIntyre said.

The Spartans have been thinned by injuries and were obviously weary the last time they faced Utah’s starting offense. The Utes marched 71 yards and scored on Matt Asiata’s 1-yard run to go up 42-3.

Harrison Waid scored the Spartans’ only points on a 20-yard field goal that pulled San Jose State within 7-3 in the first quarter.

The Spartans needed Brandon Driver’s 71-yard kickoff return to set up that score and never really got close again as Utah scored the next seven touchdowns.

The Spartans didn’t help themselves much, either, Saturday with several mistakes that led to a 27.4 yard punting average.

“We were horrible on special teams,” McIntyre said. “That’s my fault as a coach.”

The low point was a botched punt that bounced off the offensive line right to Utah’s Reggie Topps, who easily ran it in 10 yards for a touchdown.

San Jose State didn’t want to kick it to Utah’s Shaky Smithson, who had returns for touchdowns in each of the previous two games, but it backfired. Quarterback Jordan La Secla assumed punting duties with a few line drives that Smithson had no chance of fielding.

But his third punt was a little too low and bounced off teammate Cedric Lousi’s arm, right to Topps for a quick 10-yard touchdown return. The Spartans went back to punter Jens Alvernik on the next series, but his first kick of the night was blocked and set up the Utes at the 20-yard line. Eddie Wide scored on an 8-yard run to put the Utes up 28-3.

“I was supposed to get the ball 10 to 12 feet in the air, but I got it up like five,” La Secla said. “I needed to find a lane to get the ball away and there wasn’t one.”

Wynn found tight end Dallin Rogers all alone between the hash marks for a 36-yard touchdown that put the Utes up 35-3 with 2:02 left in the first half.

Utah scored on its first offensive play — a 43-yard reverse from Wide to Reggie Dunn, who turned the corner in front of the Utah sideline and had a clear path to the end zone.

“We have been working on that play for more than two weeks now and I knew we were going to come out with it. The linemen blocked everything to perfection and I got a good pitch from Eddie,” Dunn said. “As soon as I got the ball, I knew I was gone.”

Driver almost answered for San Jose State right away on the kickoff, but Mike Honeycutt ran him down at the Utah 20.