SALT LAKE CITY – California completed a season sweep of its conference schedule with an 80-0 victory over the Utes Saturday on McCarthey Field at the University of Utah.
 
The PAC Rugby Conference champion Golden Bears (18-1, 6-0 PAC) put a point per minute on the Utes (5-4-1, 0-2-1 PAC) as Cal moved the ball through the hands and dominated Utah in the scrum, all while managing wet, slippery conditions caused by a couple of inches of snow that fell on the pitch before kickoff.
 
Seven tries were finished by the wings — four by Justin Dunn and three by Sam Cusano — and Christian Dyer (4-for-5) and Jamie Howells (6-for-7) achieved an 83% conversion success rate off the tee.
 
"We were able to create some space on the outside and did well to use it," said Dunn.
 
Outside center Seth Purdey, one of seven underclassmen to start the match, called it "still very exciting just be to out there starting. It's pretty cool to be able to learn on the job from the older guys."
 
"We were able to launch some backline attacks, so its a step in the right direction," said associate head coach Tom Billups.
 
Cal kept Utah out of the try zone for its sixth shutout of the spring. Utah flyhalf Kelsin Pupunu was wide left on his penalty attempt from 22 meters in the 15th minute.
 
The Bears now return to Berkeley, where they host perennial Ivy Conference power Dartmouth College Saturday, March 24, at 1 p.m. That match against the Big Green is the last regular-season home date for the Blue and Gold on Witter Rugby Field prior to the national collegiate postseason.
 
The Scoring Timeline vs. Utah
 
05:00 Damon Wiley 5, Christian Dyer 2
 
08:00 Troy Lockyear 5, Christian Dyer 2
 
11:00 Justin Dunn 5, Christian Dyer 2
 
22:00 Justin Dunn 5
 
28:00 Justin Dunn 5, Christian Dyer 2
 
Halftime: California 33, Utah 0
 
47:00 Justin Dunn 5, Jamie Howells 2
 
50:00 Sam Cusano 5
 
53:00 George Salter 5, Jamie Howells 2
 
60:00 Jack Iscaro 5, Jamie Howells 2
 
75:00 Adam Roeske 5, Jamie Howells 2
 
77:00 Sam Cusano 5, Jamie Howells 2
 
79:00 Sam Cusano 5, Jamie Howells 2
 
Final Score: California 80, Utah 0
 
The Team vs. Utah
 
15. Flynn (E. Webb @ 55:00), 14. Cusano, 13. Purdey (Ternan @ 77:00), 12. Dyer (Roeske @ 68:00), 11. Dunn, 10. Lockyear (Howells @ 40:00), 9. Kurihara, 1. Sullivan (Douglas @ 61:00), 2. Iscaro, 3. Wiley (Manzo @ 61:00), 4. Le Merle, 5. Salter (Golla @ 55:00), 6. Spradling (Joyce @ 77:00), 7. Holland, 8. Heaney