What Utah analysts think about Utes' first game of 2026

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Utah blasted Idaho on Thursday, 66-14, in the Utes' tune-up game before facing Arkansas next week. Want to get the Utah perspective on how the Utes looked? Steve Bartle of KSL Sports is a good Utah analyst to follow. Here's some of what he wrote about the game:

"After playing the first half and the first possession of the second, (quarterback Devon) Dampier exited the game with the following numbers:

  • 13-of-18 passing for 176 yards
  • Three touchdowns, no interceptions
  • 9.8 yards per attempt
  • No sacks
  • Completed passes to six different players
  • Added 31 rushing yards on six attempts
  • Utah scored on six of Dampier’s seven possessions, excluding the end-of-half situation

"Dampier’s night ended after a touchdown score on Utah’s opening possession in the second half. Giving way to his pupil, Byrd Ficklin, who did not take long to provide the moments that thrilled Utah fans last season.

"It wasn’t just an aerial attack, the offense overwhelmed Idaho on the ground as well. By the end of the game, Utah had totaled:

Updated team numbers:

  • 633 total yards on 75 plays
  • 8.4 yards per play
  • 364 rushing yards
  • 269 passing yards
  • 33 first downs
  • 17 rushing first downs and 15 passing first downs
  • 7.0 yards per rushing attempt
  • 10.3 yards per passing attempt
  • Five passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns
  • Utah punted only once
  • 48 plays in Idaho territory
  • 7-of-11 on third down

"Utah has averaged 7.4 yards per rush and 10.2 yards per pass attempt. The offense did not lean disproportionately on either phase, and Idaho has not found an obvious way to make Utah uncomfortable. Utah totaled six big plays through the air that generated 160 yards. On the ground, Utah finished with 12 big rushing plays that led to 224 yards.

"The Pink Cleat Assassin looked (Wayshawn Parker) noticeably different tonight. The way he moved, the athleticism he played with, it looked considerably different. Parker talked all offseason about wanting to achieve his goals of eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark, even raising his goal to 1,200, and with how he ran tonight it seems doable.

  • 12 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown
  • 5.9 yards per carry
  • Three receptions for 23 yards and two touchdowns
  • 94 total yards
  • Three touchdowns on 15 offensive touches
  • 22 of his 23 receiving yards came after the catch

"Utah’s prized addition in the transfer portal looked the part tonight. (Braden) Pegan was exactly as he was billed all offseason. An outside vertical threat, capable of making catches in contested situations time and time again:

  • Four receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown
  • 20.3 yards per reception
  • Five targets
  • One carry for a 12-yard touchdown
  • 93 total yards and two touchdowns

"Parker’s passing-game usage is especially meaningful. Pegan, meanwhile, has produced both the volume and explosive element expected from Utah’s WR1.

"The overall defensive numbers are impressive, but there is plenty to clean up. If there’s one thing we learned tonight, it’s that Colton Swan knows where the blitzes are on the play sheet. Time and time again, Swan dialed up some interesting pressures and rushes.

  • Idaho finished with 225 total yards
  • 3.7 yards per play
  • 119 passing yards
  • 11-of-30 passing
  • No passing touchdowns
  • One interception
  • 3-of-13 on third down
  • Seven punts
  • Five forced three-and-outs
  • Idaho was shut out in the first and fourth quarters

"The rushing totals require context. Idaho officially finished with 83 yards on 29 attempts, an average of 2.9 yards per carry. However, the total includes 20 yards lost. Idaho gained 103 positive rushing yards, and its two primary runners were productive:

  • Joshua Wood: nine carries, 41 yards and a touchdown
  • Hayden Kincheloe: seven carries, 37 yards and a touchdown
  • Wood and Kincheloe combined: 16 carries, 78 yards and two touchdowns
  • Combined average: 4.9 yards per carry

"Both Idaho touchdowns completed 75-yard drives. The first covered 13 plays and consumed 6:27; the second covered seven plays in 3:24. Idaho’s offense was ineffective for most of the game, but when it sustained possessions, it did so by finding room on the ground. Utah finished with only one sack and four tackles for loss. That is relatively modest disruption against an FCS offensive line. The defensive front did not consistently reset the line of scrimmage or contain Wood as a runner.

"The passing numbers also flatter the secondary slightly. Idaho completed only 36.7% of its passes, but the Vandals narrowly missed multiple potential explosives and connected on a 44-yard reception. Better quarterbacks and receivers could turn those close calls into significant problems."

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