For Starters, Utah Gets Past Arizona

Brian Johnson passed for 220 yards and a touchdown in his first start, and Coach Kyle Whittingham won in his debut for Utah, which beat Arizona, 27-24, Friday night at Salt Lake City and extended its winning streak to 17.

Quinton Ganther, who rushed for 127 yards, took a shovel pass from Johnson 47 yards for Utah’s first touchdown of the season.

Brent Casteel had a 59-yard touchdown run in his first college game, and Eric Weddle returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown for the Utes, who won their fifth straight season opener.

Nobody was quite sure what to expect from the Utes, who are coming off a 12-0 season and are without many of the key players and coaches from a year ago.

Johnson replaced Alex Smith, Heisman Trophy finalist and top overall pick in the NFL draft. Johnson, an 18-year-old sophomore, survived a difficult first quarter and some early nervousness, leading the Utes to 446 yards of offense.

Johnson overthrew a couple of receivers on plays that he could have run and fumbled a snap in the first quarter, but appeared more composed as the game progressed.

Whittingham coached his first game after spending the last 11 seasons as a Utah assistant. He was promoted from defensive coordinator after Urban Meyer took the coaching job at Florida.

Richard Kovalcheck completed 21 of 37 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats, who never quite recovered from allowing 17 straight points in the third quarter.

Indiana 20, Central Michigan 13 -- Blake Powers passed for 276 yards and three touchdowns in his first start, and James Hardy and Marcus Thigpen combined for seven catches and 199 yards to lead the Hoosiers at Mount Pleasant, Mich. The Chippewas narrowed the score to 14-13 early in the fourth quarter when freshman Ontario Sneed scored on an 80-yard run.