SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah is still searching for a way to duplicate its first-quarter effectiveness on offense through the remaining three quarters.

For a second consecutive week, the Utes had a quick start in the first quarter and then struggled to move the ball for the much of the remaining 45 minutes. It didn't put Utah in serious danger against Oregon State.

The No. 13 Utes (7-1, 4-1) ultimately beat the Beavers 27-12 on Saturday to retain first place in the Pac-12 South by one game over USC and UCLA.

Still, it is becoming a cause for concern after such a lull cost Utah against USC the previous week.

"We've got to figure that out," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "We can't be as inconsistent as we were on offense. Even though we did a lot of good things on offense, we got to be more consistent throughout the game."

Utah's two main offensive weapons had solid nights statistically.

Running back Devontae Booker rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries for the Utes. It was his fifth 100-yard game of the season.

Quarterback Travis Wilson threw for 198 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-17 passing. His .824 completion percentage was sixth best in school history by a Utah quarterback in a game. Wilson also rushed for 56 yards and a score on 14 carries. He has moved into third place in Utah history in total offense (7,769 yards).

The biggest thing is that Wilson made no mistakes. He did not have an interception or fumble after getting picked off three times by USC.

"He just took better care of the ball -- that was the bottom line," Whittingham said, noting Wilson's accuracy. "He was very accurate. Made good decisions. That was the difference between this week and last week."

Oregon State quarterback Nick Mitchell threw for 204 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-35 passing. He also rushed for 40 yards on 12 carries.

Mitchell started in place of quarterback Seth Collins, who did not make the trip to Utah while sitting out with a knee injury.

Oregon State (2-6, 0-5) remained winless in Pac-12 play but thought it showed progress with 312 yards of offense against one of the top defenses in the conference.

"I feel like we are making strides each and every week," Mitchell said. "I just feel like we are getting better and we are executing more."

Utah's offense found some life in the fourth quarter after two scoreless quarters when it totaled just 92 yards. Kicker Andy Phillips broke the ice early in the fourth quarter when he drilled a 49-yard field goal.

Then Utah extended its lead to 24-6 on a 2-yard quarterback keeper from Wilson with 9:21 left.

Oregon State gave itself a chance at a comeback, scoring on a 2-yard pass from Mitchell to receiver Victor Bolden to make it 24-12 with 8:07 remaining. Receiver Jordan Villamin gained 74 yards on a catch-and-run to set up the scoring play.

Phillips, however, kicked a 45-yard field goal with 3:21 left to cap the scoring.

Oregon State was not able to do nearly enough against Utah's defense in the final minutes -- even with former Utes defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake on the Oregon State staff this season.

"They've run the defense before," Utah linebacker Jared Norris said. "They know our tendencies. But, you know, we didn't think about that when preparing. We prepare the same every week."

Utah took a 7-0 lead when Booker capped its opening drive with a 1-yard scoring run. The Utes ran 12 straight plays -- starting with a 14-yard run by Booker where he hurdled a defender -- and averaged 6.3 yards per carry.

The Utes went to the air on their next scoring drive. Utah took a 14-0 lead after tight end Harrison Handley hauled in a strike from Wilson for a 39-yard score.

"We were executing our plays," Wilson said. "We were playing fast and we were playing with confidence. That's something we got to carry on throughout the entire game and just make sure we're more consistent."

Oregon State clamped down defensively in the second quarter. The Beavers allowed the Utes to accumulate just 32 yards on offense and it opened the door for a rally. Kicker Garrett Owens made field goals from 23 and 31 yards to trim Utah's lead to 14-6 by halftime.

"We fell down and we fought," Oregon State coach Gary Andersen said. "All of those things that we've done all year -- it's good to see those things. But, again, we have to be able to make the special plays in the special situation."

NOTES: Through its first seven games, Oregon State ranked last in the Pac-12 in passing offense (153.1 yards per game) and passing efficiency (96.9). ... Utah RB Devontae Booker rushed for a career-high 229 yards against the Beavers last season. ... Utah LB Jared Norris started after sitting out against USC last week. ... Oregon State coach Gary Andersen played center at Utah for two seasons (1985-86) and was the team's defensive coordinator from 2005 to 2008.