SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s Supreme Court denied an appeal from a former Utah State University football player who was convicted of rape, ruling that his prison sentence of at least 26 years will stand.
Torrey Jordan Green, 29, was found guilty in 2019 of assaulting six women in a 10-day jury trial considering six of the seven cases against him, each filed after a different woman accused him of sexual misconduct including rape.
He argued in an appeal late last year that his trial was not fair, saying prosecutors should not have been allowed to use unrelated evidence in one case, that his attorney was ineffective, that admitted hearsay statements should have been prohibited, and that there was “cumulative error” justifying a cancellation of his convictions.
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The opinion denying the appeal, written by Chief Justice Matthew Durrant, was filed on June 1. It said the Supreme Court did not find any errors and that evidence was submitted properly, and that a few statements that should have been excluded due to hearsay “were harmless.”
Trial testimony from the six victims
Green attended USU and played football from 2011 to 2016, after which he left USU on March 5, 2016 to begin training with the NFL and was drafted to the Atlanta Falcons, the opinion written by Durrant notes.
On July 21, 2016, a first article in the Salt Lake Tribune reported that an unnamed man at USU was accused of several sexual assaults. Green was named in a subsequent article, and then he was cut from the team. Charges were not brought against Green until after a third article was published in October of 2016. Those articles were used in the trial as evidence, Durrant’s opinion continues.
The chief justice’s opinion upholding Green’s convictions goes on to detail each woman’s accounts of the assaults:
One of the women said she met Green on Tinder in November 2013, and after dinner at his apartment she agreed to a massage, but then resisted when he forced her clothes off and raped her.
Another woman said she met Green in October 2014 on Tinder. She said when they were at his apartment watching a movie, Green made advances which she refused. After she continued to resist, he rubbed his body against hers over clothing.
In the same month, another woman said she met Green at the USU student center, and during a date at his apartment he started touching her inappropriately despite her requests that he stop.
In June 2015, another woman said she met Green on Tinder. She testified Green came to her apartment because she refused the invitation to come to his home. She said she eventually asked Green to leave. The opinion said Green ignored her, followed her into her bedroom, pulled off her clothes and began raping her before falling asleep in her room.
One woman said she also met Green at the USU student center and agreed to meet at his apartment because he had a friend with him, but the friend left and Green began to kiss her and tried to take her clothes off. She refused, but he forced her clothing off and raped her.
Another woman said she met Green on Tinder in 2015 and he attempted to take off her clothes during a movie despite her resisting, and that he proceeded to rape her.
In multiple instances, Green made comments like “I know you want it” or “you know you’ll like this,” the opinion said, referring to evidence presented at trial.
Green claimed that each of the six women lied about their encounters for money, attention, help with grades or because they needed an excuse for something.
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He testified at trial that four of the sexual encounters were consensual and two never happened.
Green said he broke the “law of chastity,” violating religious beliefs, but did not break the law and is not a monster.
“Mr. Green put the women’s credibility at issue by claiming they were lying, and the accusations of multiple similar acts of sexual misconduct by Mr. Green corroborated each woman’s story,” Durrant wrote in the opinion.
During the trial, Green was found guilty of charges stemming from the accounts of those six victims, including raping five different women; object rape and forcible sexual abuse of one of the five women; and sexual battery of another woman.
He was acquitted of four charges after 16 hours of jury deliberation. The dismissed charges included kidnapping and forcible sexual abuse of one woman and object rape and forcible sexual abuse of another woman.
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The sentence remains
In the appeal, Green said his attorney should not have asked to try all six cases at one time but should have requested separate jury trials for each count.
Green in his appeal said there were improper references to race at the trial; he said one woman testified about not being able to be around Black men after she was raped, and prosecutors described Green as a “big, old, fast linebacker” and a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” who took women to his “lair.”
Utah Supreme Court judges decided in the opinion that none of those instances developed a clear racial theme, and it was not unreasonable for Green’s attorney to choose to not object to them as it may have not been a worthwhile tactic.
Green was sentenced to at least five years and up to life in prison for each count of rape, and one charge of sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor with a sentence of up to a year in jail.
In addition to the rape and sexual battery charges, Green was convicted of other counts of object rape, a first-degree felony; and forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony. The judge ordered concurrent sentences in those counts.
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Now that the Utah Supreme Court has affirmed Green’s convictions, his prison sentence is no longer in question.
When he was sentenced, 1st District Judge Brian Cannell told Green: “In the eyes of the law, you are a serial rapist.”
His prison sentence of at least 26 years began in March 2019, and he could serve up to life in prison depending on the decisions of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.
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Emily Ashcraft joined KSL.com as a reporter in 2021. She covers courts and legal affairs, as well as health, faith and religion news.
Utah Hockey Club (16-15-6, in the Central Division) vs. Calgary Flames (18-12-7, in the Pacific Division)
Calgary, Alberta; Thursday, 9 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: The Utah Hockey Club look to break their five-game losing streak with a victory against the Calgary Flames.
Calgary has a 13-4-3 record at home and an 18-12-7 record overall. The Flames have gone 16-3-3 when scoring three or more goals.
Utah has a 16-15-6 record overall and an 11-8-2 record on the road. The Utah Hockey Club have a 6-9-5 record in games their opponents commit fewer penalties.
The teams play Thursday for the second time this season. The Utah Hockey Club won 5-1 in the previous meeting.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jonathan Huberdeau has 16 goals and 13 assists for the Flames. Nazem Kadri has six goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
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Clayton Keller has 13 goals and 24 assists for the Utah Hockey Club. Dylan Guenther has scored six goals with four assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Flames: 5-3-2, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.4 assists, four penalties and 11.3 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.
Utah Hockey Club: 4-4-2, averaging 2.7 goals, 5.1 assists, 3.7 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
INJURIES: Flames: None listed.
Utah Hockey Club: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Today I’ll be chronicling the best performances of the 2024 calendar year from our Golden State Warriors. Although the Dubs didn’t make the playoffs during the 2023-2024 season and have been pretty mid to finish the year, there have been plenty of fantastic individual performances to enjoy and give Dub Nation hope for the future.
One such performance came from Buddy HIeld in a win against the Utah Jazz. Check out the vid!
Goldblooded eyes on Splash Buddy
Buddy Hield is the kind of player who makes offenses hum, and his tantalizing skills are built on a foundation of one elite trait: shooting. And not just your run-of-the-mill, standstill shooting—Hield is a flamethrower, a guy who can bury threes in a dizzying variety of ways. Whether it’s coming off a screen, spotting up, or pulling up in transition, Hield is always a threat to light it up from anywhere on the court. His stroke is effortless, his confidence unshakable, and his range downright ridiculous. For any team in need of offensive firepower, Hield’s skill set is like plugging a cheat code into your offense.
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What makes Hield so lethal is the speed at which he operates. He’s not just a shooter—he’s a mover. He sprints off screens with precision, keeping defenders glued to his hip and bending defenses as they scramble to keep up. His ability to relocate and find open pockets of space is elite, and he doesn’t need much time or airspace to get his shot off. That constant motion creates gravity, and Hield’s presence alone can open up driving lanes for his teammates or force defenses into mistakes.
But don’t box Hield in as just a three-point specialist. He’s also got a sneaky knack for putting the ball on the floor and attacking closeouts. While his handle isn’t flashy, it’s effective enough to punish overzealous defenders who fly by him on the perimeter. And once he’s inside the arc, Hield can pull up for a smooth mid-range jumper or finish with a floater. He’s a solid secondary creator, capable of keeping the offense flowing when plays break down.
Defensively, Hield’s game doesn’t shine as brightly, but he’s no slouch. He competes, plays within the scheme, and uses his strength and quickness to hold his own against most matchups. While he may never be a lockdown defender, his offensive impact more than compensates for any shortcomings on that end.
Ultimately, Buddy Hield’s skill set is tailor-made for a modern NBA offense. He’s a sniper with elite off-ball movement, a player who thrives in space and elevates those around him. Plug him into a system with ball movement and shooting, and he becomes a weapon of mass destruction—someone who can swing games with his scoring bursts and keep defenses in constant panic mode. In Buddy Hield, you get a player who embodies the art of shooting in its purest, most tantalizing form.
The 2024 season for the University of Utah football team started out with high expectations and much promise.
Through one-and-a-half games, the Utes looked like a team capable of reaching their preseason goal of winning the Big 12 championship, but injuries to starting quarterback Cam Rising derailed the season.
Utah’s offense foundered for the majority of the season as the Utes lost seven consecutive games for the first time in the Kyle Whittingham era, finishing with a 5-7 record.
Here are 10 moments that defined Utah’s 2024 season:
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Preseason expectations set the stage: Utah wasn’t shy about its expectations for the season — to win the Big 12 Conference and make its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. With quarterback Cam Rising, who had led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 championships in his last two healthy seasons, returning, the addition of receiver Dorian Singer and the return of tight end Brant Kuithe, the offense appeared set. The defense also returned a lot of its contributors from the previous season.
Utah was voted No. 1 in the Big 12 Conference preseason poll, setting up high expectations, which the team itself shared.
Utah interim OC Mike Bajakian stands on the sidelines, with headset, as Utah plays Southern Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, August 29, 2024. The Utes did what expected in the opener, defeating Southern Utah 49-0 to start the season. | Eli Rehmer, Utah Athletics
A 2-0 start … but trouble arises: Utah was always going to run away from Southern Utah, but the way the season started had Ute fans dreaming about what could be. In a 49-0 season-opening win, Rising played for the first time since the 2023 Rose Bowl and threw for 254 yards and five touchdowns in one half.
Next week against Baylor, it was the same story. Utah raced out to a 23-0 lead and Rising threw two first-quarter touchdown passes, but everything came to a screeching halt when Rising was pushed into a Gatorade cooler.
Rising would suffer a finger injury that would keep him out for the next three contests.
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Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising is driven out of bounds by Baylor Bears defensive lineman Treven Ma’ae (9) as Utah and Baylor play at Rice-Eccles stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Sept. 7, 2024. Rising injured his finger on the play, which sidelined him for a number of games. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Isaac Wilson helps Utah to a 4-0 start: It wasn’t the situation that Utah envisioned for Isaac Wilson in his true freshman year. Wilson won the backup quarterback job over Brandon Rose and Sam Huard, but the plan, ideally, was for the Deseret News Mr. Football winner to learn from Rising and only play in mop-up situations.
Wilson was thrust into action after Rising’s injury and helped lead the Utes to a 4-0 start, beating Utah State on the road and then traveling to Stillwater for a top-15 matchup against Oklahoma State.
Of course, both the Utes and Cowboys ended the season toward the bottom of Big 12’s worst standings, but at the time, it was a monumental matchup, and though he made some mistakes, Wilson helped guide Utah to its first Big 12 win, with 207 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception, plus 41 rushing yards.
Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson (11) runs the ball towards Oklahoma State safety Kendal Daniels (5) Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Stillwater, Okla. | Mitch Alcala
A season-ending injury for Rising as Utah’s Big 12 dreams go up in dust in the desert: After weeks of game-time decisions surrounding Rising and his ability to play, the senior quarterback returned to the field in a crucial game at Arizona State.
Utah lost 23-10 to Arizona the week before, and a second Big 12 loss would severely hurt any title prospects.
Rising’s return went anything but as expected. He completed just 16 of 37 passes for 209 yards and threw three interceptions. His finger injury looked to be bothering him, and early on in the game, he suffered a lower-body injury. Though he played through it, it clearly limited him, and turned out to be a season-ending injury.
Just like that, Rising’s season was done early and so, too, was the Utes’.
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Utah quarterback Cameron Rising looks to throw against Arizona State, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. Rising suffered a lower-body injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the season. | Rick Scuteri, Associated Press
Andy Ludwig resigns: Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig returned to Utah in 2019 and helped the Utes to some of their most impressive offensive performances, including two Pac-12 championships and a revitalization of the passing game.
It felt like Ludwig was going to stay on at Utah until Kyle Whittingham retired, but after a 13-7 loss to TCU — Utah’s third defeat in a row and third time in as many games that the offense failed to score more than 19 points — that changed.
Ludwig resigned after six years in his second as Utah’s offensive coordinator and Mike Bajakian was named the interim offensive coordinator.
Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Andy Ludwig watches players during warmups as Utah and Baylor prepare to play at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. After three straight defeats in which the Utes’ offense struggled, Ludwig announced his decision to step down. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Season hits a low point in Houston: After losing three straight games, it felt like Utah’s game at Houston was a make-or-break moment for the program. Yes, the Utes were all but out of the Big 12 title race with three early conference losses, but could still get the season back on track with a winning streak.
Houston seemed like it could be a get-right game for the Utes.
For the most part, Utah’s defense did its job, limiting Houston to 17 points, but the Utes only mustered 14 points in a fourth-straight loss.
Wilson was benched in the third quarter, and Brandon Rose got his first real action of his career, but couldn’t lead Utah to a victory against the 2-5 Cougars.
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Houston wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV, left, breaks ae tackle-attempt by Utah cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn, right, to score on a pass play during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Houston. | Michael Wyke
Brandon Rose starts against BYU, but Utes lose heartbreaker to Cougars: The first conference rivalry game in over a decade featured two teams on polar opposite tracks.
BYU entered the contest with a No. 9 ranking and a perfect 8-0 record, while Utah was reeling after losing four straight.
Looking to spark offensive change, Rose started, and the offense found life for the first time in weeks. Utah shocked BYU, getting out to a 21-10 halftime lead behind Rose’s 87 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, plus 45 rushing yards.
Shortly before halftime, Rose suffered a Lisfranc injury, and while he finished the rest of the game, he wasn’t the same. Utah went run-heavy with Rose’s injury and didn’t score a single point the rest of the way. BYU drew within three, but the Cougars were backed up toward their own end zone, facing fourth-and-10 at the nine-yard line with 1:35 left.
Utah appeared to have won the game by sacking quarterback Jake Retzlaff, but cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn was flagged for a holding call against a BYU receiver, resulting in an automatic first down. The Cougars drove down the field to set up a 44-yard field goal make by Will Ferrin and escape Salt Lake City with a 22-21 win.
Following the game, Rose and tight end Brant Kuithe ruled out for the season, joining an extensive list for the second consecutive season. Rising, Wilson, quarterback Sam Huard, receiver Money Parks, cornerback Kenan Johnson, running back Anthony Woods, linebacker Levani Damuni and offensive guard Michael Mokofisi were among the players that suffered season-ending injuries in 2024.
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BYU place kicker Will Ferrin (44) kicks and makes a field goal to put the Cougars ahead 22-21 with seconds left on the clock during a game between the University of Utah Utes and the Brigham Young University Cougars held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City early on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Lander Barton extends Utah’s pick-six streak: As Utah continued on its seven-game skid, one of the few areas of interest was if the team could extend its 20-season pick-six streak.
Against Iowa State, Utah did just that, extending its streak of consecutive seasons with an interception return for a touchdown to an NCAA-record 21 years.
In the second quarter of Utah’s 31-28 loss to No. 22 Iowa State, Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht’s pass was behind Jaylin Noel and went off the receiver’s hands and into the hands of Barton at the Utah 13-yard line.
Barton broke a tackle from Becht and got a few key blocks, including from Vaughn, for an 87-yard pick-six.
Utah Utes linebacker Lander Barton (8) races for the end zone for a pick-six during Utah’s game against Iowa State at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. The score extended Utah’s NCAA record for consecutive games with a pick-six. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Defense holds up its end of the bargain for the majority of the season: Sure, there were a few things to nitpick about Utah’s defensive performance in 2024. Utah didn’t tally as many sacks as we’ve been accustomed to seeing, and had a few times where they could have sealed the game with a stop and didn’t.
But for the most part, it was another good year for Morgan Scalley’s unit. The defense didn’t get much help from the offense, but still allowed only 20.7 points per game (No. 28 in the nation) and 329.7 yards per game (No. 30) in another good defensive season.
The defense was the reason why Utah was in most every game it played in 2024, even if it didn’t translate into wins.
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Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley talks with players in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. While the offense struggled in 2024, Scalley’s defense was solid once again. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Micah Bernard surpasses 1,000 rushing yards: The individual triumph of the season was by running back Micah Bernard, who finally got his shot at the lead running back role after being with the program since 2019. A 1,000-yard season has always been a goal of Bernard’s, and he checked it off the list in his final season.
Bernard rushed for 1,009 yards in 2024, becoming the 17th Ute to do so in a season. He also had 100-plus-yard performances in four games this year.
Utah Utes running back Micah Bernard (2) runs the ball during an NCAA football game between the University of Utah Utes and the Iowa State University Cyclones held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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