Utah vs. Utah State: How to watch, listen to or stream the game

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Utah State (0-2, 0-0 Pac 12) at No. 17 Utah (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)

• Kickoff: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MDT
• Venue: Rice-Eccles Stadium
• TV: Fox
• Livestream: Fox Sports app with participating TV provider
• Radio: ESPN 700 AM/92.1 FM /KZNS 1280
• Series: Utah leads the rivalry 75-28-4
• Weather: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the high 60s at kickoff, with a slight chance of rain midway through

The trends

For Utah: Utah has come out of the gate firing on all cylinders in 2026, most recently defeating Arkansas 43-10.

This will be the 108th installment of the rivalry between the Utes and Aggies. The last time the two teams met was in 2024 when Utah won at Maverik Stadium in Logan 38-21.

For Utah State: After a disappointing 29-17 loss to FCS opponent Idaho State, the Aggies bounced back — sort of — with a good showing at then No. 19-ranked Washington, where Utah State fell 16-14.

What to watch for

Former BYU backup quarterback McCae Hillstead was injured during Idaho State game, where he completed 15 of 30 passes for 178 yards and threw three interceptions. His backup, Grady Brosterhous, led the team to a near upset of Washington, throwing for 196 yards on 17 pass completions and three interceptions.

When asked if Hillstead would be ready to go Saturday, Aggies coach Bronco Mendenhall said he plans to let that run behind the scenes and will not reveal any details until game time. Nonetheless, whichever quarterback is leading the charge, he will likely have his work cut out against Utah’s defensive line.

Against Arkansas, Utah’s defense batted down a handful of passes near the line of scrimmage, Karson Kaufusi accounting for two of them. Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield claimed it was due to his QB’s height, who is 6-foot-4. If that’s the case, whichever QB suits up will be shorter and both have shown they are turnover-prone through their first two games.

If the likes of Jireh Moe, Kaufusi and company can continue wreaking havoc on the other team’s quarterback, forcing ill-advised passes, it could be a long afternoon for Utah State.

Player to watch

Stopping the passing game of its opponents has been a struggle for the Aggies so far this season, so look for Devon Dampier’s (and Byrd Ficklin’s) arm on full display. The Aggies rush defense has been respectable through two games, allowing a combined 196 yards, so Dampier’s run game may be limited if Carson Tujague, Tyree Morris and the Aggie defensive line focus on the run.

One of Dampier’s favorite targets this year has been Noah Bennee, who had a big night against the Razorbacks. The tight end has been targeted five times good for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Braden Pegan is another target the Ute signal caller may hit as the game goes on. The California native has 113 receiving yards on seven receptions and a touchdown to boot.

Also, don’t be surprised if you see some out-of-the-ordinary plays called by Ute offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven. You can expect Ficklin to line up at QB — and a few other positions — during the game and maybe even running back Wayshawn Parker will catch a bomb.

Quotable

“Collectively, we did play better. Just a play or two short of having the outcome we wanted, with a significantly improved performance and team from the week before. That trajectory is going to have to continue for us to have the season we want, so there’s a sense of urgency for sure. Frustration, that’s how we felt maybe after Week 1, certainly following the game and then channeling that into what we have to do about it. The process started Monday and was pretty unrelenting all the way through the week. It’ll be the same this week. Even though the team improved, there’s still a level beyond hunger of desperation in terms of timing, execution, and to get that to where I know our team can be.”— Utah State head coach Bronco Mendenhall on his team’s improvement

“Anytime you get to play the instate schools, there’s something on the line. You never take it for granted. I was in Logan when we lost to Chuckie Keeton and that crew. They want to win this thing. You got recruiting on the line. You got bragging rights in state. So, at the end of the day, that’s always going to be important when you’re playing those instate schools, and I love the rivalries. Whether it’s BYU, Utah State, it’s just healthy in my opinion.”— Utah head coach Morgan Scalley on the meaning of the rivalry with Utah State

Next up

• Utah: at Iowa State
• Utah State: vs. Troy

Utah schedule

• Sept. 3 — vs. Idaho, W 66-14
• Sept. 12 — vs. Arkansas W 43-10
• Sept. 19 — vs. Utah State
• Sept. 26 — at Iowa State
• Oct. 10 — vs. Kansas
• Oct. 17 — at Colorado
• Oct. 24 — vs. Houston
• Oct. 31 — at Cincinnati
• Nov. 7 — vs. BYU
• Nov. 14 — at Arizona
• Nov. 21 — at TCU
• Nov. 27 — vs. West Virginia

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