Utah scores final 21 points to pull away from Arizona State, 49-26

Joe Williams ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 15 Utah’s defense had 11 sacks in a 49-26 victory over Arizona State on Thursday night at Tempe, Ariz.

Utah (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12 Conference) overcame a slow start with a series of spectacular plays against the Football Bowl Subdivision’s worst passing defense.

Troy Williams threw for 296 yards and connected with Raelon Singleton on three of his four touchdown passes. Singleton finished with 116 yards on four catch-es to help the Utes stay within reach of Colorado in the Pac-12 South. Hunter Dimick sacked Arizona State’s Manny Wilkins five times.

Duke pulls upset

Daniel Jones ran for two scores and threw for another to help Duke upset No. 17 North Carolina, 28-27, at Durham, N.C.

Redshirt freshman Jones rushed for 94 yards as part of a ground game that helped the Blue Devils (4-6, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), keep moving the chains against the Tar Heels (7-3, 5-2). Shaun Wilson ran for a game-high 107 yards and a score of his own, Duke finished with 227 yards rushing and converted 10 of 17 third-down chances.

Etc.

As expected, Fresno State hired former California coach Jeff Tedford to take over the struggling Bulldogs program. A news conference is scheduled Friday to officially introduce Tedford as the replacement for recently fired Tim DeRuyter. ...

The Big Ten Network is making Saturday’s game between Minnesota and Nebraska available in virtual reality. BTN released a statement saying it has partnered with VOKE, a virtual reality provider that will use four, 180-degree HD cameras to bring a new perspective to the game. The game will also be available by regular broadcast on the Big Ten Network. ...

Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops says sophomore quarterback Drew Barker will undergo back surgery and miss the remainder of this season. Junior college transfer Stephen Johnson is 5-2 as QB for Kentucky since relieving Barker and 4-2 as a starter. ...

The girlfriend of Florida International University tight end Jonnu Smith is facing a felony aggravated battery charge after police said she poured boiling water on him during an argument, causing severe burns and hospitalization. Court records show that Mary Gaspar has pleaded not guilty.