Zack Moss has a career day during the same game Jonathan Taylor returns to the field

Zack Moss is having a gem of a season for the Indianapolis Colts in his first full year with the organization.

Moss turned that up a notch Sunday, overshadowing the return of fellow Colts running back Jonathan Taylor by having a career day in Indianapolis’ 23-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

The University of Utah’s all-time rushing leader ran for a career-high 165 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.2 yards on 23 carries. He also added two catches for 30 yards to account for 195 yards of total offense.

“Man, Zack’s been tough,” said Indianapolis quarterback Gardner Minshew, per the team’s website. “He’s been toting the mail for us — a lot of carries, a lot of hard yards and I’m really proud of him and happy for him.”

Minshew relieved starter Anthony Richardson after the rookie left in the second quarter with a shoulder injury, and the backup threw for 155 yards in the win.

Moss was the primary offensive weapon Sunday: he ran for more than 100 yards for the third time in his four NFL seasons — all with the Colts and all coming in his last five games.

The 5-foot-9, 205-pound back set his previous career-best rushing effort two weeks ago, running for 122 yards in a victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 24. Heading into Sunday’s game, Moss had run for 280 yards through three games — he was inactive in Week 1 as he recovered from a broken arm.

Sunday’s effort, though, easily surpassed these previous efforts, and his 7.2 yards-per-carry average was noticeably better than the 4.2 average he carried into the game.

That was aided by a 56-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the first quarter — again, a career long for the former Ute.

Moss added a second touchdown in the third quarter, a 3-yard that gave Indianapolis the lead for good.

“As I get into a rhythm and a flow, I see different things and try to capitalize on those as the game goes. I’ve always been the type of player that the more I get going, the better I feel and the more I feel I can do,” Moss told reporters.

Taylor, the Colts’ leading rusher over the past three seasons, made his 2023 debut on Sunday and had six carries for 18 yards as well as one reception for 16 yards.

After requesting a trade at the start of training camp, Taylor signed a reported three-year, $42 million extension last week. He started the year on injured reserve while continuing to rehab an injured right ankle, missing the team’s first four games.

“It’s obviously a great one-two punch with both those guys,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said, per the team’s website. “Zack’s seeing it well, getting JT back in the fold (with) his big-play ability — to have those guys back in the backfield is going to be huge going forward.”

Moss, again, proved he was more than capable of carrying the rushing load for the Colts, and now he is third in the NFL in rushing yards on the season, with 445. His three rushing touchdowns are also tied for ninth.

It was another solid day for former Utes in Indianapolis, as safety Julius Blackmon — one of Moss’s college teammates — sealed the Colts win with an interception in the game’s final 20 seconds, with Tennessee trying to drive and tie the score.

Blackmon had five tackles and a pass deflection to go with the interception.

Another former Utah teammate, kicker Matt Gay, again had a solid day. He kicked a pair of extra points and three field goals, including two in the fourth quarter that accounted for the Colts’ final points.

Back to that running game, though. Taylor sees the potential for the Colts to punish opposing teams with their one-two punch at running back.

“I think it can get really scary,” Taylor told reporters. “You guys have been getting a taste these past few weeks with Zack. So, now it’s on me in order to do my part and continue to help this team and that’s what I’m gonna do every single day. Grind inch by inch, but we’ll get there.”