Utah had a week off before facing Kansas on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The Utes certainly showed signs of both rust and rest.<\/p>\n
There were highs and lows all night for head coach Morgan Scalley\u2019s program on both offense and defense. <\/p>\n
No. 12 Utah (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) still did enough to earn a 41-24 win over Kansas (2-3, 0-2) Saturday in Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n
Scalley put it best postgame. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot that happened in that game, holy cow,\u201d he said after the win.<\/p>\n
Senior quarterback Devon Dampier had 238 passing yards and two touchdowns, along with 71 rushing yards, while Wayshawn Parker had 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lead the Utes.<\/p>\n
Clearly Utah has a lot to clean up moving forward, and Utah\u2019s head coach knows it. But a win is a win nonetheless. <\/p>\n
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\u201cNot a clean game by any stretch, but it\u2019s tough to win in college football, and we\u2019re 5-0 right now,\u201d Scalley said. \u201cI\u2019m proud of the guys. I think we\u2019re really resilient. Stuff happens and they\u2019re able to bounce back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here are three takeaways from the game: <\/p>\n
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) looks to run the ball during the game between the Utah Utes and the Kansas Jayhawks at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
Kansas scores 10 unanswered, and Utah has another offensive lull<\/p>\n
Instead of Utah\u2019s offensive lull coming in the third quarter this week, it came just before halftime.<\/p>\n
The Utes went up 21-7 with 10:17 remaining in the second quarter. But the game flipped on its head after the Utes punted, turned the ball over on downs and Dampier threw an interception.<\/p>\n
Kansas turned Utah\u2019s offensive miscues into a 10-point swing, bringing the score to 21-17 at halftime.<\/p>\n
All 17 of Kansas\u2019 first-half points came in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur inability to convert on fourth down, and then all of a sudden the chunk yardage [from them],\u201d Scalley said when asked what flipped the momentum at the end of the second quarter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a game of momentum. And when they have it, you have to go steal it back. You can\u2019t play the \u2018poor me\u2019 game. You have to find ways to get it back.\u201d <\/p>\n
Kansas clearly used those miscues to its advantage. <\/p>\n
After Utah didn\u2019t convert on a fourth-and-3, Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall found Cam Pickett for a 32-yard gain. On the very next play, he powered it in for an 8-yard touchdown. <\/p>\n
Searching for a \u201csteal it back\u201d moment, Dampier tried to push the ball down the field the next drive. <\/p>\n
That didn\u2019t go Utah\u2019s way. Instead, Dampier was picked off on an underthrown ball for receiver Braden Pegan. Kansas, once again, quickly drove down the field to convert a field goal, cutting the Utes\u2019 lead to 4.<\/p>\n
Utah\u2019s offense has had its fair share of lulls this season, especially in the last three games. Against Iowa State, it came in the third quarter, when the Utes allowed the Cyclones to get within four points. <\/p>\n
At times, the Utes seem to get in their own way. <\/p>\n
Sometimes offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven simply feeds it to the player with the hot hand. Other times, he tries to spread it around to all of Utah\u2019s playmakers. <\/p>\n
Does that push Utah away from what works best?<\/p>\n
For example, Parker had five touches in the first quarter, but only three in the second, as Utah worked through Dampier and the passing game. <\/p>\n
Parker finished with 16 carries and two receptions. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s a thought that I\u2019ve got about something that I want to see, I\u2019ll let him know,\u201d Scalley said of McGiven\u2019s offense and its multiplicity. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy job is trusting him, and the fact that we\u2019re not predictable allows for the chunk plays that we see. Sometimes that\u2019s also going to mean that Wayshawn doesn\u2019t just get the ball every down.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kansas Jayhawks tackle Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) during the game between the Utah Utes and the Kansas Jayhawks at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
Devon Dampier overcomes two early turnovers<\/p>\n
Dampier had two turnovers in the first half.<\/p>\n
The first came on a strip-sack. The other was the underthrown ball over the middle, resulting in his second interception of the season.<\/p>\n
Kansas scored two touchdowns off his miscues. After the game, Scalley said his starting quarterback \u201cheld onto the ball too long\u201d in the second quarter, which led to the negative plays.<\/p>\n
But those mistakes didn\u2019t linger.<\/p>\n
Dampier led Utah\u2019s offense to a big-time showing in the third and fourth quarters. The Phoenix native said after his two turnovers, his teammates had a pep talk ready for him: \u201cDev, we know what you\u2019re capable of. Settle in.\u201d<\/p>\n
That helped him steady himself. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think we just needed to execute more plays on all cylinders,\u201d Dampier said. \u201cAll 11 of us needed to play better football. Shout out to my entire team. They could tell I was frustrated \u2014 I hold myself to a high standard.\u201d<\/p>\n
He had two passing touchdowns in the second half, one of which was a 1-yard touchdown pass to \u201crhino\u201d offensive lineman Semi Taulanga.<\/p>\n
That wasn\u2019t the last time Taulanga made a mark, either. On the next Utah possession, Taulanga helped spring Parker for a 90-yard touchdown run.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to go out there and humble them, not with my mouth, but with my game,\u201d Parker said of his game-clinching run.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time they give me the ball, I\u2019m gonna knock it out across the offensive line.\u201d <\/p>\n
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kansas Jayhawks cornerback Syeed Gibbs (2) interferes as Utah Utes wide receiver Creed Whittemore (2) goes to catch the ball during the game between the Utah Utes and the Kansas Jayhawks at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
Utah\u2019s passing defense struggles<\/p>\n
Marshall started the game 4-for-10 against the Utes\u2019 secondary.<\/p>\n
He finished the night with 333 passing yards and two touchdowns, catching fire in the second and third quarters against Utah\u2019s man-to-man coverage.<\/p>\n
That helped Kansas hang around into the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
Scalley said he\u2019d have to watch the film to fully identify the breakdowns, but he suspected a large part of it had to do with defensive coordinator Colton Swan trying to contain Marshall in the pocket. <\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Colton did a really good job of mixing it up,\u201d Scalley said. \u201cBottom line, that guy is elusive, and he\u2019s made a lot of people look silly. We\u2019ll face some more of those quarterbacks, and we\u2019ll look at the film and find out exactly where the breakdowns were.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a couple of those [breakdowns] were just losing contain when you\u2019ve got contained responsibility. He\u2019s a dang good athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n
Utah\u2019s defensive unit did come up with a key stop with 8:31 remaining in the fourth quarter, stopping Marshall short of the goal line on fourth down.<\/p>\n
Ute safety Rabbit Evans got to him as Marshall tried to get the edge. <\/p>\n
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes safety Rabbit Evans (1) and Utah Utes linebacker Johnathan Hall (7) tackle Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Isaiah Marshall (8) during the game between the Utah Utes and the Kansas Jayhawks at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had to fight against adversity \u2014 and a lot of stuff was happening that game \u2014 but we pushed through; we fought as together as a team, as a family,\u201d Evans said. \u201cThat\u2019s what you want to see. I\u2019m just proud of us, how we fought through it all.\u201d <\/p>\n
Soon after, Parker broke free for his game-clinching 90-yard touchdown run. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we get the fourth-down stop and [we] go down to score, that\u2019s just amazing to see,\u201d Evans said. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of what our culture is about \u2014 keep fighting and keep being hungry.\u201d <\/p>\n
Next up: Utah will travel to Boulder to take on Colorado (2-3, 0-2) at 8:15 p.m. MDT next Saturday.<\/p>\n
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