Morgan Scalley's ready for Utah to face Arkansas in first-ever 'after dark' contest

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The Utah Utes football program officially opened up the Morgan Scalley era with a 66-14 win over Idaho on Saturday. The Utes put up 633 yards of total offense and rotated players at every position. Scalley met with the media for his Week Two press conference on Monday.

The biggest topic of discussion was preparing for a much different opponent with the Arkansas Razorbacks coming to Salt Lake City. This non-conference matchup has already sparked controversy from the Hogs' side due to the late start time. For Utah, that's not even a small blip on the radar. Scalley's team is focused on finding a way to beat the SEC foe regardless of when the game is played.

"You definitely want to show well for the conference. Just the challenge of playing top-quality teams. Regardless of where they're coming from, you want to be able to show your best stuff," Scalley said. "Arkansas has a long history of great football, so we're excited to host and, yes, we want to represent the Big 12. We want to represent the state of Utah the right way, and our boys are getting ready for that."

Scalley was also pleased with the Utes' film sessions from the Idaho game and noted there was great execution by many players. They also got a first look at what Arkansas was able to do in the 34-14 win over FCS North Alabama.

Though the Razorbacks kicked off Ryan Silverfield's debut the right way, the first-year Hogs coach also called the game "one of the worst offensive performances that I've been a part of." Arkansas racked up a total of 148 rushing yards with starting QB KJ Jackson adding 267 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception.

Despite the struggles, Scalley sees a team ready for a slug fest in the trenches.

"You watch (Arkansas) and they're big, big up front," Scalley said. "Again, going to be the challenge is that battle up front, both on the offense and defensive sides. They've got a very twitchy athletic edge rusher in (Steven Soles Jr.), who is a transfer from Kentucky. They're more of an odd front with (defensive coordinator) Ron Roberts coming from Florida."

Utah's new-look offensive line will be tasked with shutting down Arkansas' defense. The unit held North Alabama to 153 yards of total offense. They also finished with two sacks, five TFLs and a fumble recovery. This could be the biggest matchup of the game.

The Razorbacks will bring size, speed and a dual-threat quarterback into this game. No different than practicing against Byrd Ficklin or Devon Dampier. The Utes will have to find ways to win the turnover battle and keep Jackson uncomfortable outside the pocket.

Arkansas will make the trip to Salt Lake City, marking just the second time an SEC opponent has visited Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah's test comes early and will give Scalley and his staff a clear picture of what areas need to be worked on the most.

No. 21 Utah welcomes Arkansas into Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday (10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).