This was a potential statement game in the making - a chance for a young but talented team to show they can play with a very good, disciplined and tough Utah team and overcome mistakes to come away with hard-fought win. Instead, they made too many mistakes and couldn't stop the Ute running game when the game was on the line, and rather than a feel-good come-from-behind win, they suffered a 34-23 loss that puts them at 4-5 for the season and just 2-4 in the conference. Bowl hopes are still alive, but less certain.
The frustration over not earning the win might obscure it, but there were some positives to take away from this game.