Three days after beating No. 6 Kentucky, asking the second-youngest team in the country to get it cranked back up for a high-level opponent away from home was a tough ask.
San Diego State, one of four undefeated teams nationwide entering the day, jumped all over Utah. The 20th-ranked Aztecs hit five of their first six shots and seven of their first 10. That outburst, combined with an all-around sturdy defensive effort set the early tone, which Utah never matched in falling, 80-52, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Utah (9-3) never found its offensive footing, shooting 27.