The University of Utah ran in three tries in the final 15 minutes of the game to snatch a 41-30 victory from Air Force and clinch a spot in the D1-A College playoffs Saturday in Colorado Springs.

Utah had played and beaten a tough Colorado squad Friday night and were coming into this game a little weary. Air Force certainly was ready, as a victory could have put them squarely in playoff contention, and at one point late it looked as if the Zoomies would pull it off.

The team traded penalty goals early on, and then tries from Winston harris and Tonata Lauti put Utah up 15-3. Air Force replied with a try and, after Don Pati scores for Utah, another to make it 22-15 Utah at halftime.

The Zoomies then took the lead, with a penalty and two tries putting them 30-22 up with the minutes frittering away.

"Air Force is a very good team, and we were a little undisciplined with the ball, doing some stupid things in our own end and giving up tries," said Utah Head Coach Blake Burdette. "We knew Air Force would come at us for 80 minutes and they did. But late in the game we just decided that if we were going to be the better team, we had to play like it."

Pati scampered in for a score and then two more late tries put Utah ahead to stay.

Burdette, who played his best 15 both Friday and Saturday knew it would be tough one way or the other.

"We got away with it," said the coach. "The guys were tired and we had a couple of injuries, but that's rugby. We were a little fortunate to win both games, but now we will regroup and get after Wyoming next week."

With the victory, Utah moves to 5-1, and now cannot be caught for 2nd in the West. They can conceivably still be 1st, but that would require BYU to lose to Colorado next week.


Latest D1-A West Standings (x-clinched playoffs)