Five takeaways: Utah’s offense explodes for 633 yards in 66-14 win over Idaho

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Utah handled business Thursday night, beating Idaho 66-14 in the Utes’ first home game of the Morgan Scalley era.

The Utes looked a little shaky in the trenches during the first half, but made some solid adjustments on both sides of the ball and looked much more the part in the second half.

The Utes finished with 633 yards of offense, including 364 on the ground and 269 through the air, scored 35 points after halftime, got meaningful looks at both Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin, and continued scoring all the way into the fourth quarter.

Yes, it was Idaho. The Vandals came into Salt Lake City 0–1 after allowing 38 points to Cal Poly.

But Utah did not play down to the opponent.

Here are the takeaways:

This offense has a lot of weapons

Kevin McGiven’s first regular-season game calling the offense ended with 633 total yards, 364 rushing yards, 269 passing yards, and 66 points.

Utah did not have to choose between running the football and airing it out. They did both. More importantly, the production came from everywhere. Running backs caught touchdowns. Receivers got involved vertically. Tight ends scored. Both quarterbacks made plays with their arms and legs. Utah finished with five passing touchdowns and still ran for 364 yards.

For an offense that spent the offseason talking about how many different weapons it had, this was a good first look.

The offensive line deserves some credit here, too.

Utah replaced all five starters up front, and there were definitely some shaky moments early, but the group settled down as the night went on. Finishing with 364 rushing yards while keeping the offense moving all night is a pretty solid first test for a completely rebuilt unit.

Braden Pegan is elite

We heard about Braden Pegan all offseason. Now we saw him on the field.

Pegan caught four passes for a game-high 81 yards and a touchdown, including catches of 31 and 30 yards. He also took a 12-yard carry for a touchdown on Utah’s opening possession of the second half.

That gave him 93 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on just five touches.

He is savvy. He runs good routes. His hands are ridiculous, and he looks incredibly comfortable attacking the football in contested situations.

Scalley has even called Pegan the best 50/50-ball receiver he has ever seen.

Pegan has massive hands, understands how to use his body, and already looks like someone Utah can trust when it needs a play.

This is not just another piece in the receiver room.

He looks like a potential star. One game in, he looks every bit like Utah’s WR1.

Utah’s running back room is loaded

Wayshawn Parker is still RB1, and he looked like it. Parker finished with 12 carries for 71 yards and a rushing touchdown, but the biggest development was his involvement in the passing game. He caught all three of his targets for 23 yards and two more touchdowns, giving him 94 yards from scrimmage and three scores. But the bigger takeaway was what happened behind him.

Utes freshman LaMarcus Bell exploded late for 87 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Steve Chavez-Soto added 35 yards and a score. Mateaki Helu had 25 yards on three carries, and Daniel Bray also got into the rotation.

The young guys did not look like freshmen.

Parker is the proven guy. Bray has already shown what his speed can do. Chavez-Soto gives Utah another experienced option, and Bell showed exactly why there was so much excitement around him coming into the program. This room is deep.

The halftime response was exactly what you wanted to see

Utah went into halftime leading 31–7, but the first half was not as clean as the score might suggest. Both the offensive and defensive lines looked shaky at times.

Utah rotated a lot of different bodies, the offensive line didn't consistently get the push you would expect, and defensively the Utes struggled with containment and allowed Idaho to move the ball more than you would like. Then halftime happened.

The Utes immediately went 75 yards in seven plays and just 1:45 on their opening drive of the third quarter, with Pegan finishing it on a 12-yard rushing touchdown.

The offensive line settled in. Utah started controlling the line of scrimmage, and the defensive front began generating significantly more pressure.

The first half showed there are still things to clean up, especially in the trenches, but Utah adjusted and looked significantly better after halftime.

Then, once the quarterback and running back rotations started changing, the production never stopped. Utah scored 35 points in the second half and 21 in the fourth quarter. Against Idaho, that is what should happen.

The Utes had the better roster, and instead of letting the game turn sloppy once it was decided, they made adjustments, took control, and got younger players meaningful reps.

Dampier and Ficklin had a night

Devon Dampier did exactly what Utah needed him to do. He finished 13-of-18 for 176 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions while adding 31 yards on the ground. He was efficient, took what Idaho gave him, and had Utah comfortably ahead before his night was over.

Then Byrd Ficklin got his opportunity.

Ficklin went 4-of-8 for 93 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 70 yards rushing on eight carries. He hit Noah Bennee for a 35-yard touchdown and Hunter Andrews for another score, while also breaking off a 32-yard run.

Utah has talked a lot about finding ways to use Ficklin behind Dampier, and Thursday gave us the first real look at how dangerous that can be. Ficklin gives Utah another weapon with a different skill set, and McGiven clearly has ways to use him. Utah even got Brandon Rose some snaps late once the game was completely out of hand. The quarterback room continues to look like one of the best in the country.

The bottom line

It was Idaho. Nobody should walk away from Thursday night declaring Utah a Big 12 champion yet, but there is also something to be said for doing exactly what you are supposed to do.

Utah scored 66 points and gained 633 yards.

The Utes ran for 364. Dampier looked comfortable. Ficklin flashed. Parker scored three times. Pegan looked like a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and the running back room showed serious depth.

There were things to clean up, especially in the trenches early. But the second-half response was encouraging, and the amount of weapons Utah showed on offense might be the biggest takeaway of the night.

For the first home game of the Morgan Scalley era, there was a lot to like. Idaho was the first look. Now the real tests begin.

Utah hosts Arkansas next Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with kickoff set for 8:15 p.m. MT on ESPN.