Utes aim to keep WSU winless in conference

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Mike Leach's first trip to Utah this year was a forgettable 24-point loss to Brigham Young in the season opener.

Leach and his Washington State "Air Raid" attack will be back today, facing a good friend in Utah coach Kyle Whittingham as his Cougars continue searching for their first Pac-12 win.

The Utes (3-5, 1-4) secured theirs last week, using an inspired run game, playmaking defense and record-setting special teams effort to hammer California.

The Cougars (2-6, 0-5), meanwhile, gave No. 15 Stanford all it could handle, only to lose their fifth straight.

"If we can take a few teams down to the wire like that, a few are going to go our way," said Washington State quarterback Jeff Tuel, who completed a school-record 43 passes in 60 attempts in the 24-17 loss at Stanford. "We really played as a team for the first time this year."

While the Utes feel they have changed the momentum of their season and remain alive for a bowl berth, game-planning for Washington State is a task.

It helps that cornerback Ryan Lacy and Utah's secondary showed it is capable of defending one of the Pac-12's best receivers, limiting Cal's Keenan Allen to six catches - and none when the game was still close.

Marquess Wilson will provide the next test today. The 6-foot-3 junior leads the Cougars with nine plays of 25 yards or more this season and his nine catches at Stanford pushed his career total to 184.

"I love it," Lacy said of facing yet another top receiver, "because I love competition."