Warfield Lifts Utah Past California, 31-24

California had enough defense to shut down Utah’s Brandon Warfield for three quarters.

But in the fourth, Warfield sprung free and looked like the back who had averaged 177 yards in the Utes’ first two games. He scored his third touchdown on a 14-yard run with 1:06 remaining Thursday night as Utah rallied to defeat Cal, 31-24, at Salt Lake City.

“That was the most open I saw it all game. I saw the end zone and ran as fast as I could and dove to get in there,” said Warfield, who had 94 yards in 30 carries.

Warfield carried seven times for 46 yards on the final drive and 54 of his yards came in the fourth quarter.

Alex Smith was 18 of 27 for 136 yards and ran for a touchdown in his first start for the Utes (2-1), who won in front of 46,768 -- the largest crowd to see a game at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Smith was starting for Brett Elliott, who broke his wrist Saturday in a loss at Texas A&M.;

Utah receiver Paris Warren, who was suspended for the Texas A&M; game after getting arrested for shoplifting a box of condoms from a grocery store, had nine catches for 66 yards and carried twice for 33 yards.

Aaron Rodgers replaced Reggie Robertson at quarterback after two series for Cal (1-3) and led the Bears, going 15 for 25 for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

“It’s tough to totally stop what Utah does on offense,” Cal Coach Jeff Tedford said. “They spread you out. We contained them well until the last drive.”

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Michigan safety Marlin Jackson was sentenced to a year’s probation and ordered to spend 10 days in a jail work program for hitting a student at a party.

He also must pay $450 in fines and court costs and an undetermined sum to the victim and enter an anger management class, chief assistant prosecutor Joseph Burke said.

Jackson, the preseason Big Ten defensive player of the year who spent two seasons at cornerback, played in Saturday’s 50-3 victory over Houston after serving a one-game suspension.

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Texas Christian running back Ricky Madison, who doctors originally thought would miss only two weeks, has been ruled out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right knee.

Sophomore Lonta Hobbs, who rushed for 1,029 yards in eight games last season and has 141 yards and four touchdowns this season, becomes the starter.

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The Montreal Alouettes own the Canadian Football League rights to Maurice Clarett, but General Manager Jim Popp says the organization has no intention of contacting the suspended Ohio State running back. “If he has any intent of giving up college -- hires an agent and automatically becomes a professional -- or it is deemed he can’t play in college anymore ... then this organization will wait for him to contact us,” Popp said.

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Miami and Florida State will kick off the expanded 11-team Atlantic Coast Conference season when the schools meet in a night game in the Orange Bowl on Sept. 6, 2004, the conference announced. The Hurricanes will make a return trip to Tallahassee, Fla., on Sept. 5, 2005.