Welcome to The Daily’s live blog of this afternoon’s football game between No. 5 Stanford (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12) and Utah (3-2, 0-2) at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. We’ll be updating this page all afternoon with live coverage and analysis. Please refresh this page throughout the afternoon for the most recent updates and follow us on Twitter @StanfordSports for more coverage. All times are Pacific.

 

6:15 PM: No. 5 Stanford falls to Utah 27-21.

6:14 PM: Stanford takes two straight kneels, and that will do it.

6:14 PM: That should be the game.

6:13 PM: Hogan’s pass falls incomplete. 

6:12 PM: Hogan’s pass to Charlie Hopkins falls incomplete. Fourth-and-2. This is the game.

6:11 PM: Hogan rolls to his left off the bootleg. Nobody to throw it to and rushes ahead for a 1-yard gain.

6:10 PM: Shaw uses Stanford’s second timeout. This game is coming down to the wire.

6:10 PM: Four-yard rush by Gaffney. 1:35 left in the game.

6:09 PM: Hogan finds Whitfield for a BIG 23-yard gain gain.

6:09 PM: Six-yard carry by Gaffney.

6:08 PM: Montgomery, Montgomery, Montgomery. Hogan finds him for the first down. Clutch pitch-and-catch right there.

6:07 PM: Hogan goes up the middle for 1-yard gain. Third-and-7.

6:07 PM: Good push by Kevin Danser. Gaffney gets 7. Second-and-8.

6:06 PM: False start penalty called on Graham Shuler costs the Cardinal 5 yards.

6:05 PM: Hogan finds Montgomery again for the first down at the Stanford 40-yard line.

6:05 PM: Hogan gets the ball out at the last moment to Gaffney. Minimal gain. Third-and-5.

6:04 PM: Gaffney gets tripped up after a 2-yard carry. Second-and-8 at the Cardinal 27-yard line.

6:04 PM: Hogan hits Montgomery over the middle for a first down.

6:03 PM: Punt takes a Utah bounce. Cardinal gets the ball at its own 12-yard line.

6:02 PM: Wilson has nowhere to go and just throws the ball away.

6:01 PM: Two straight carries by the Utes bring up third-and-4. Cardinal defense needs to get some penetration on this play.

6:00 PM: Stanford defense needs another stop now.

5:58 PM: Hogan goes right back to Cajuste and this time it results in a touchdown. The play was reviewed and the call stood. Williamson’s extra point attempt is GOOD, and Stanford cuts into Utah’s lead 27-21 with 9:22 in the fourth quarter. 

5:57 PM: Hogan overthrows Cajuste on the fade route. Second-and-goal.

5:54 PM: Montgomery comes up big again. A screen to the playmaker goes for 45 yards down to the Utah 7-yard line.

5:52 PM: Two straight incomplete passes bring up third-and-10. Stanford takes a timeout.

5:50 PM: Stanford has just 41 yards of offense this whole second half. A lot of it has been on Hogan’s inability to find his receivers downfield.

5:49 PM: Barry J. Sanders makes a nice return to give the Cardinal the ball at the Stanford 48. Stanford needs to score on this drive, no doubt about it.

5:48 PM: Wilson’s pass bounces off the fingertips of Norwood. Stanford needed that stop.

5:47 PM: Inside screen goes for 7 yards. Big third-and-5 coming up.

5:46 PM: Holding penalty negates a run that would’ve been good enough for a first down.

5:42 PM: Hogan gets hit from behind and the ball comes out. The ball comes out, but Andrus Peat recovers the fumble. Stanford forced to punt after a three-and-out. Time is running out for the Cardinal. Yes, there is still 12:45 left in the game, but the Cardinal isn’t built to score quickly.

5:41 PM: Two-yard carry by Gaffney. Third-and-4.

5:40 PM: Hogan finds Montgomery for 4 yards. Second-and-6.

5:38 PM: This next Cardinal possession is huge. If Stanford doesn’t get a touchdown here, its chances of winning the game will be pretty slim.

5:36 PM: Stanford’s defense holds down the fort, but Andy Phillips nails a career-long 48-yard field goal to give Utah a 13-point lead with 14:13 left in the game.

5:32 PM: That’s the end of the third quarter. With Utah knocking on the door once again, Stanford will need a hell of a fourth quarter to pull off this comeback.

5:31 PM: Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, Hogan loses the fumble. Utah with the ball at Stanford’s 33-yard line.

5:29 PM: Hogan finds Cajuste for 10 yards, gets back to the original line of scrimmage.

5:29 PM: Holding penalty called on David Yankey. That’s the first enforced holding penalty called on Stanford. Wrong time for that.

5:25 PM: Utah kicks it short to keep the ball away from Montgomery. Cardinal will still have good field position at its 35-yard line to start the drive.

5:24 PM: The last time the Cardinal trailed by this much was against Arizona in 2012, when a Josh Nunes-led offense overcame a 14-point fourth quarter deficit.

5:22 PM: Stanford’s defense bends, but doesn’t break. Utah settles for the chip shot field goal, and extends its lead over Stanford 24-14 with 2:02 left in the third quarter. Utah has outgained Stanford 393-239 yards.

5:20 PM: A couple big Wilson rushes give Utah the ball at the Stanford 3-yard line.

5:18 PM: Utah driving again now. Wilson hits Anderson for an 18-yard again on the screen pass. Stanford still has no answers for the screen game. The defense better find one soon because it’s still a 10-point game with less than 5 minutes left in the third quarter.

5:17 PM: Wilson’s throwing hand looks cut up, but he’s still in the game.

5:13 PM: Montgomery fumbles the ball on third-and-7. He was well short of the first down marker and was trying a bit too hard to get it. Utah’s ball at its own 47-yard line.

5:11 PM: Hogan converts a third-and-4 with a draw up the middle. Just enough to move the chains.

5:10 PM: Eddie Plantaric drops what would’ve been a first-down catch.

5:10 PM: The Cardinal starting to reassert its power running game now. Second-and-4 at the Stanford 40-yard line.

5:08 PM: Joe Hemschoot intercepts Wilson after the pass gets tipped. Hemschoot falls down at the Stanford 23-yard line. Might’ve been a pick-six had he stayed on his feet, but at this point, the Cardinal defense will take what it can get. Now the Cardinal offense needs to step up.

5:07 PM: Mason dials up the blitz, Utah goes to the perimeter again with a screen pass. Utes threatening  at the Stanford 14-yard line now.

5:05 PM: Great throw by Wilson converts the third down. Usua Amanam had great coverage on Anthony Denham, but the ball was thrown perfectly. First down, Utah.

5:04 PM: A short screen followed by a short rush bring up third-and-6.

5:03 PM: Poole picks up the first down on third-and-1. Gardner came close to stuffing Poole, but he cut to the right at the last second.

5:01 PM: And the third quarter is underway. This is the first time all season that Stanford has trailed after halftime. An important test in the face of adversity for the Cardinal. Can the team regroup coming out of the locker room?

4:52 PM: Just like Washington did last weekend, Utah’s defense has been dropping back 7 defenders in coverage, and that tactic has thrown off Hogan’s rhythm.

4:42 PM: Bishop Sankey saw some success against the Stanford defense last weekend, but Poole averaged 7.8 yards per carry in the first half. The Cardinal hasn’t been able to much penetration and missed a few open field tackles. A lot of things to clean up for the second half.

4:40 PM: And the punt brings the first half to a close. Utah 21, Stanford 14 at the half.

4:39 PM: Shaw will burn his timeouts here to force Utah to punt it.

4:32 PM: On third-and-8, Hogan’s pass to Montgomery is too low. Looked like it might’ve been a catch, but officials say it hit the ground. Rhyne punts the ball away and the Utes will set up shop at their own 15-yard line with 1:55 left in the first half.

4:31 PM: Back-to-back handoffs to Wilkerson. Very conservative play calling by Shaw.

4:30 PM: Montgomery cannot be stopped on kickoffs. He gets hit hard at the 20-yard line, but somehow stays on his feet and gains 20 more yards out to the Stanford 40-yard line.

4:30 PM: But there’s still 3:48 left in the first half. Plenty of time for Hogan and company to tie the score up before halftime.

4:28 PM: Anderson punches it in from 3 yards out. So Utah goes 99 yards in 11 plays to take a 21-14 lead.

4:27 PM: Offsides penalty on Skov.

4:26 PM: Questionable roughing the passer penalty called on Ben Gardner. Didn’t look a like a late hit, but the officials thought otherwise. Automatic first down for Utah.

4:23 PM: Stanford defense has given up 117 yards on the ground already. Very uncharacteristic for a unit that’s known for being an iron wall against the running game.

4:22 PM: Skov delivers a big hit on Wilson. Third-and-7 at the Stanford 11-yard line. Utah calls a timeout.

4:21 PM: Run after run. Lucky Radley picks up 16 more. Cardinal run defense getting shredded.

4:21 PM: So much space for Poole to work with. Poole picks up 15 yards on the ground again.

4:20 PM: Utah starting to run at will against the Cardinal defense now. Utah at the Stanford 44-yard line.

4:18 PM: Wilson gives Utah some breathing room with a 11-yard completion to Sean Fitzgerald. Barry Browning was playing very soft coverage on that play. At least 9 yards off the receiver.

4:17 PM: Minimal gain by Poole. Second-and-9. Utah still in a perilous position.

4:17 PM: Nope. Utah will start the drive at its own 1-yard line.

4:15 PM: The officials rule the punt downed at the Utah 1-yard line, but this one might be overturned for a touchback. Great punt by Rhyne, though.

4:12 PM: Hogan finds Montgomery on a short pass. Not enough to move the chains, though, and Flemming was penalized again for a block in the back penalty. Ben Rhyne comes on to punt.

4:12 PM: Another false start penalty called on Stanford. This one’s on the other tackle, Cameron Flemming. Third-and-17.

4:11 PM: False start by Andrus Peat backs the Cardinal up five yards. Third-and-12 at the Utah 41-yard line. Stanford not quite in field goal range yet.

4:10 PM: Ryan Hewitt gets his first carry of the season. Good for three yards. Third-and- 7.

4:10 PM: Hogan takes a shot downfield, but severely underthrows the ball. Hogan lucky that the ball didn’t get picked off.

4:09 PM: Stanford goes right back to Gaffney, who cuts to the left and dashes ahead for 43 yards. Stanford at the Utah 39-yard line now.

4:08 PM: And the officials overturn the play. Second-and-8 at Stanford’s own 18-yard line.

4:07 PM: The ball should remain with Stanford. Gaffney was clearly down before the ball came out.

4:06 PM: Gaffney loses the ball on the carry. Utah has it for now, but it looks like the ground forced the fumble. Play is under review.

4:05 PM: Gaffney rumbles ahead for the first down. Important for Stanford to re-find its power running game identity. Hasn’t quite established its will in the trenches yet.

4:04 PM: Seale carries the ball for 3 yards. He’s usually used in the read option packages with Dallas Lloyd, but Stanford ran power with him in that play.

4:02 PM: Tom Hackett delivers a great punt to pin the Cardinal at its own 7-yard line.

4:00 PM: Murphy gets into the backfield again with a nice spin move. Not another sack, but good enough to force a Wilson incompletion. Wilson got hit hard, too.

4:00 PM: Poole makes three defenders miss on the screen pass, but well short of the first down marker. Third-and-8 coming up.

3:59 PM: Cardinal defense gets its first party in the backfield as Trent Murphy bursts through to sack Wilson from behind. Second-and-15.

3:56 PM: Hogan’s pass intended for Montgomery falls incomplete. Three-and-out by the Cardinal, and Utah will have great position at the Cardinal 46 after a 25-yard return by Norwood. Two missed tackles by Cardinal players on that play.  In a matter of minutes, Stanford has shown sloppy play in all three phases of the game. Skov was on the field during that punt coverage, too.

3:54 PM: ESPN just announced that GameDay will be going to Clemson for the Clemson-Florida State game next Saturday. Looks like GameDay might not come to the Farm at all this season.

3:51 PM: After throwing for only 105 yards against Washington last Saturday, Hogan has already thrown for over 100 yards today. Still, the defense has had no answers for the Utes so far. After not giving up a single touchdown in the first quarter coming into the game, the Cardinal gave up two today. Defensive coordinator Derek Mason certainly has some adjustments to make.

3:50 PM: Stanford tries to get the ball into Montgomery’s hands again with an end around, but the Utes defense sniffed that one out to hold Montgomery to a 5-yard gain. That’ll end what was an exciting first quarter, to say the least.

3:46 PM: Wow. A 49-yard touchdown from Wilson to Anderson. What a catch by Dres Anderson, who got around Devon Carrington. Play is reviewed to determine whether Anderson was down before reaching the goal line, but the call is confirmed. The extra point attempt is GOOD, and Stanford and Utah are tied at 14 with 10 seconds left in the first quarter. 

3:45 PM: Holding penalty forces Utah into a third-and-17 hole.

3:43 PM: Another first down pickup by the Utes on the screen. Cardinal defense having some trouble defending the screens and fly sweeps so far in this game. It needs to solve that soon, or Utah will stick to the high-percentage short passing game all day.

3:42 PM: Wilson shows off his downhill running ability with a 11-yard scramble to pick up the first down.

3:41 PM: Utah at its own 45-yard line now. Josh Mauro bursts into the backfield to force an incompletion by Wilson.

3:40 PM: Jordan Richards whiffs on Dres Anderson, who goes for 12 yards. Not great one-on-one tackling by the Cardinal so far, and it’s led to easy first downs for the Utes.

3:38 PM: Williamson’s kick is just wide right. Surprising to see that. When Williamson misses, it’s usually wide left. Score remains 14-7.

3:37 PM: Three plays later, Hogan can’t connect with Ryan Hewitt on third down. Utah holds Stanford to a 38-yard field goal attempt.

3:36 PM: Off play action, Hogan finds Michael Rector deep for a 39-yard pickup. The ball was underthrown, but Rector came down with it.

3:35 PM: Lloyd keeps the ball on the option and scampers ahead for 16 yards. Good to see the Utah native get a touch early in the game.

3:35 PM: Dallas Lloyd and Ricky Seale come into the game in the Lloyd package.

3:33 PM: Whitfield has nowhere to go on the 1-yard punt return. Utes coverage steps up after giving up the touchdown return to Montgomery.

3:32 PM: Wilson’s pass bounces in to the dirt. Big three-and-out forced by the Cardinal after giving up the touchdown drive.

3:32 PM: Short gain by Poole brings up third-and-7.

3:31 PM: Wilson’s pass is tipped at the line of scrimmage. Incomplete. Let’s see if the Cardinal defense can fare better this drive, specifically tackle better in the open field.

3:28 PM: I’m not saying that Montgomery is a Heisman contender, but he should at at least mentioned in the Teisman conversation. That great pun was brought to you by our football editor Joseph Beyda.

3:26 PM: Are you kidding me? Montgomery takes the kickoff for a 103-yard touchdown. There was one crease that opened up, and he was gone. Second week in a row. Williamson’s extra point attempt is GOOD, and Stanford re-takes the lead 14-7. 

3:25 PM: That’s the first time that the Cardinal defense has given up a touchdown in the first quarter. Stanford gave up two plays of 20+ yards on that drive. It can’t be doing that against a Utah offense that loves to get big chunks of yardage.

3:23 PM: Big 21-yard rush by Poole on second-and-7, and Wilson capitalizes one play later with a 4-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Kari Williams. The extra point is good, and Utah knots the score at 7 halfway through the first quarter.

3:22 PM: The Utes convert the fourth down with a quick pass to Geoff Norwood. Shayne Skov couldn’t get there in time to stop Norwood from moving the chains.

3:21 PM: Screen pass goes for only three yards. Utah will go for it on fourth-and-3.

3:20 PM: Illegal procedure penalty on the Utes back them up to bring up third-and-7 at the Stanford 37-yard line.

3:18 PM: Utah’s known for its big-strike capabilities, and the team shows it on its first snap with a 35-yard completion to running back Bubba Poole. Lineback A.J. Tarpley, who’s usually very good in pass coverage, got burned on that one.

3:17 PM: Williamson’s kick goes for a touchback. We’re about to get our first look of Utes quarterback Travis Wilson today.

3:15 PM: It’s tough to play from behind on the road at a place like Rice-Eccles, so it was very important for the Cardinal to strike first today. Hogan and company did exactly just that. Good-looking opening drive by Stanford.

3:14 PM: Gaffney leaps over a pile of bodies for the touchdown. Jordan Williamson’s extra point attempt is good, and Stanford leads Utah 7-0 with 11:36 left in first quarter.

3:13 PM: Gaffney rumbles ahead on second-and-goal and is stopped about a foot short of the goal line. Third-and-goal.

3:12 PM: Hogan lobs the ball in the end zone, but he misses Cajuste by a good 5 yards. Looks like there was a miscommunication between Hogan and Cajuste there.

3:11 PM: Stanford just confused itself with the Wildcat formation. Head coach David Shaw forced to burn a timeout.

3:10 PM: Hogan finds a wide-open Kodi Whitfield for 28-yards. A slow-developing play and a late throw from Hogan, but it works. First-and-10 at the Utah 5-yard line.

3:08 PM: A 34-yard reception by Montgomery, about 26 of which came after the catch, to start the game. Maybe not quite as dazzling as last weekend’s first play of the game, but it’s clear that the Cardinal will try to get the ball to Montgomery early and often this afternoon.

3:07 PM: No opening kickoff return for a touchdown for Ty Montgomery today. The ball travels a bit farther at elevation, and the game begins with a touchback.

3:06 PM: Utah won the toss and elected to defer. Stanford will get the ball to start the game.

3:05 PM: Kickoff from Rice-Eccles Stadium coming up next.

3:02 PM: On the injury front, nose tackle David Parry should be good to go despite suffering a lower abdominal injury against the Huskies last Saturday, and linebacker Blake Martinez is in uniform with a brace on his knee. Defensive end Henry Anderson will be out for probably another three weeks, but the Cardinal is on track to become fully healthy again.

2:51 PM: Utah and Stanford are also ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in tackles for loss in the Pac-12, respectively. Add playing at elevation to the mix, and the Cardinal offensive line could have a tough task stopping Utah’s aggressive defense line today. Last Saturday, Washington managed to pressure Hogan without blitzing and drop seven defenders back into coverage. The Utes love to dial up every blitz known to mankind, but given its experience in the secondary (only the free safety is a returning starter from last year), the key to this game is whether Utah can apply pressure on Hogan with only its defensive line.

2:48 PM: Both quarterbacks this afternoon are looking to bounce back from distinctly subpar performances, as Utah quarterback Travis Wilson’s six interceptions killed any upset hopes last week against the Bruins and Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan completed 12-of-20 passes for only 100 yards last weekend against a stingy Washington Huskies secondary. Wilson, however, will likely have a more difficult time establishing a solid passing game today due to injuries to both of his starting tight ends, Jake Murphy and Westlee Tonga. Meanwhile, Utah’s inexperience in its secondary, according to writer Winston Shi’s chat with Utah writer Ryan McDonald, will offer a solid opportunity for Hogan to have a big day. Both Wilson and Hogan are known as mobile quarterbacks and will need to stay aware in the pocket all afternoon, as both Stanford and Utah have great front sevens and are among the national leaders in sacks.

2:40 PM: While you wait for kickoff, check out our preview of this afternoon’s matchup, editor Sam Fisher’s take on what to watch for and editor Joey Beyda’s feature about Stanford’s feared inside linebacking crew.

2:37 PM: With a tough stretch of conference games against UCLA, Oregon State, Oregon and USC looming on the horizon, the Cardinal will need to avoid being upset in a trap game by a Utah team that almost defeated No. 11 UCLA last weekend despite the six interceptions of quarterback Travis Wilson.

2:30 PM: Good afternoon and thank you for joining us on this beautiful Saturday afternoon as the No. 5 Cardinal and Utah are just half an hour away from kicking off at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah is the only Pac-12 team that Stanford doesn’t own an active winning streak against, and the Cardinal will have the opportunity to assert its conference dominance with a win tonight to complete a victorious Pac-12 circuit.