SALT LAKE CITY - The game's first play from scrimmage served as enough of an omen.
North Carolina starting tailback Jacque Lewis suffered a back contusion after a 6-yard gain, becoming one of seven UNC players injured in the first half.
The injuries served as the salt in the wounds, as No. 11 Utah's option-laden offense further pained the Tar Heels for a UNC-record 669 yards in a 46-16 victory in front of a sold-out crowd of 45,319 at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night.
The walking wounded also included tailback Ronnie McGill, who reinjured the sprained ankle that forced him to miss the previous three games, on a power run near the goal line early in the game.
Quarterback Darian Durant also left the game with a sprained right elbow, which he incurred with just two minutes remaining in the first half on an incomplete pass to Jarwarski Pollock.
Of the seven injured players, only defensive tackle Kyndraus Guy returned to the game after leaving with a bruised quadriceps.
"I've never seen (anything like) it in my life," said UNC coach John Bunting. "It was mind boggling. I didn't think I was going to have a team by the end of the first half."
Even with a completely healthy lineup, though, UNC (3-4) likely would have struggled to contain the quick-striking Ute attack, which put together a performance Utah fans could savor for years to come.
The Utes (6-0) gained 669 yards, eclipsing UNC's previous yards-allowed record of 659 against Arizona State on Oct. 5, 2002.
Senior Utah quarterback Alex Smith was responsible for 396 of Utah's yards Saturday. He completed 29 of 37 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns in addition to running for 55 yards and a score.
But it was the Tar Heels who took the early lead, scoring a touchdown on their first drive sparked by two key conversions.
On third-and-9, Durant narrowly avoided a sack by running away from blitzing Ute defensive back Ryan Smith and completed a floater to a wide-open Derrele Mitchell for an 18-yard gain.
Then, on fourth-and-2 at the Utah 5, McGill charged forward for four yards to set up a Madison Hedgecock touchdown on the next play.
The Tar Heels then held the Utes to a rare punt, but on their next play from scrimmage, Hedgecock, who amassed 69 yards last week in a breakout performance last week against N.C. State, had the ball stripped by defensive end Marquess Ledbetter. Linebacker Spencer Toone pounced on the fumble at the UNC 29-yard line.
Utah then tied the game at 7 on a four-play drive that lasted less than a minute.
After Utah grabbed the lead shortly after on a 22-yard Bryan Borreson field goal, the Utes forced an injury-depleted UNC offense into a quick three-and-out.
Utah's next drive totaled 87 yards in 1 minute, 9 seconds - a dazzling mix of deep passes and option pitches that rang up its lead to 17-7 early in the second quarter.
And after a Connor Barth field goal for UNC trimmed the Ute lead back to seven, Utah scored 13 unanswered points for a commanding halftime lead.
Alex Smith threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to a streaking Steve Savoy down the right side for the first TD, out-muscling cornerback Jacoby Watkins in the end zone.
Then, with 1:55 remaining and the Utes appearing content to head to the locker room with a 24-10 advantage at their own 1-yard line, Alex Smith ran two quarterback sneaks, the second of which netted a surprising 19-yard gain.
Utah then went back into its seemingly unstoppable run-and-gun mode, culminating the 99-yard drive with an Alex Smith pass to receiver Paris Warren. Warren jigged around Gerald Sensabaugh for the TD and a 20-point Utah margin with two seconds remaining in the half.
"As a defense, we just weren't synchronized together," said Tar Heel linebacker Larry Edwards. "We weren't playing as a unit a lot this game, and that really hurt us. They took advantage of a lot of defensive mistakes."
And if there was any doubt about the game's ultimate outcome, Alex Smith opened the second half by leading an 80-yard touchdown drive. Utah faced no third downs, and Alex Smith ran in an option keeper for his fourth score of the game.
UNC managed to force two turnovers in Utah territory in the third quarter, but the Tar Heel offense, now with junior Matt Baker at the helm, managed just six points, effectively ending any hope of a miraculous mountain quarterback.
UNC's running attack totaled 48 yards, its lowest total of the season.
For the Utes, who are now one of seven unbeaten teams in the nation, the game served as a statement win against a BCS school - Utah's third such triumph of the season.
"It was a huge win," Alex Smith said. "We have never played an ACC team. For the offense to come out and play the way we did after a bye week, it felt great."
But for the Tar Heels, it could serve as an ominous advisory of things to come, with another undefeated team with a potent offense - No 3. Miami - looming Oct. 30 after the team's bye week.
"I really hope that at one point this season we actually play good defense," Bunting said. "Occasionally we do some good things. But we're so doggone inconsistent, and we just have to try to get back to work and get something done."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
