Holladay native Noah Bennee posted four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown against Arkansas on Sunday, Sept. 13. It was the best game of his college career, and it came three days before the No. 17 Utah Utes begin preparing for Saturday, Sept. 19's rivalry matchup with Utah State.
Bennee, a tight end, became the first Ute pass catcher to top 100 receiving yards this season in Utah's 43-10 win over the Razorbacks.
"A dream," Bennee told Fox 13's Andrea Urban of playing for his hometown program. "Jackson and I, we grew up Utah fans, so being able to be here, play together, so much fun. Trying to soak in the moment, it's awesome."
The "Jackson" is his brother, Jackson Bennee, a safety who started 11 games last season and recorded four interceptions. Against Arkansas, Jackson picked off an overthrown screen pass in the second quarter, setting up a Devon Dampier touchdown run. Both brothers contributed in the same game.
Noah's path back to Salt Lake City took a detour. He spent three seasons at Utah before transferring to Weber State. In January, he transferred back to join Jackson on the roster. His first touchdown as a Ute came on a 35-yard pass from quarterback Byrd Ficklin in the season-opening 66-14 win over Idaho on Sept. 3.
Against Arkansas, he broke loose. His three catches of 25 or more yards included a 57-yard reception that put Utah in the red zone to open the third quarter, according to KSL Sports.
The Sept. 19 game will be the 114th edition of the Battle of the Brothers, Utah's oldest college football rivalry. Bennee said he has never played Utah State in his career.
Utah head coach Morgan Scalley told ABC4 the rivalry still carries weight despite Utah's dominance. The Utes have won 15 of the last 16 meetings. Utah State's lone win since 1997 came in 2012, when Scalley was on Utah's coaching staff.
The Utes enter the game 2-0 after scoring 109 points through two games. Utah State is 0-2 after a 16-14 loss at No. 19 Washington in Week 2. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. MDT Saturday, Sept. 19 at Rice-Eccles Stadium, televised on FOX.

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