Tucson, Ariz ? Alex Smith passed for two scores, and No. 17 Utah held Arizona without a touchdown in a 23-6 victory Saturday night.

The Utes (2-0), seeking to defend their highest poll position since they finished the 1993 season ranked eighth, flashed their offensive strength early, then held on with a defensive effort that included three fumble recoveries, a goal-line stand and an interception that set up a TD.

Utah coach Urban Meyer improved to 3-0 against Pac-10 teams, a string that includes wins over California and Oregon last year in his first season with the Utes.

Smith, who had a career-high 359 yards in last week’s 41-21 win over Texas A&M, had only 170 this time but connected with Steve Savoy on TD passes of 5 and 9 yards.

Marty Johnson, who ran for 105 yards on 18 attempts, scored from 20 yards out to help the Utes snap a seven-game losing streak in Tucson that dated to the 1969 season.

Nick Folk had 33- and 35-yard field goals for the Wildcats — their first three-pointers since Sept. 27, 2003, in a 13-10 loss to TCU. But that was it before a crowd of 52,790, the largest to see a game in Arizona Stadium since the 2000 season finale.

New coach Mike Stoops’ squad, which took a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter against I-AA Northern Arizona last week before adding two late TDs, fell to 1-17 against ranked teams in the last four years.