Utah has wasted no time making noise in its first three games, and the Utes now get their Big 12 opener with real momentum behind them. At 3-0, they’ve already stacked up back-to-back blowout wins over Arkansas and Utah State, outscoring those two opponents 76-10 combined.
That run has been fueled in large part by Devon Dampier, who has looked like the engine of the offense. He has completed 71.6% of his passes for 690 yards, seven touchdowns, and only one interception, while also adding 114 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. If he keeps producing at that level once conference play starts, Utah is going to be a problem in the Big 12.
The defense has done its part, too. Utah ranks sixth in the country in opponent yards per play, allowing just 3.6 yards a snap. On the other side of the ball, the Utes are averaging 6.7 yards per play, which gives them a balanced profile that’s hard to ignore this early in the season.
Iowa State comes in at 2-1, but there are reasons to be cautious about its offense in this matchup. The Cyclones were held to just 255 yards of total offense against the Hawkeyes a couple of weeks ago, and that kind of output won’t cut it against a Utah defense playing this well.
The Utes have been one of the more impressive teams in the opening stretch, and this Week 4 meeting will be their first conference test.
In Other News...
Iowa State Faces Its Biggest Early Big 12 Test Yet
A tricky early Big 12 measuring stick is waiting for Iowa State this week, with No. 15 Utah coming to Ames after a strong start to the season. The matchup has the feel of one of those September games that can tell you plenty about where a team stands, especially with weather expected to be a factor at Iowa States home stadium.
Utahs physical start gives the Cyclones a different kind of challenge than the ones they have seen so far, and it has prompted plenty of staff debate about how the game could unfold. The predictions vary, but the common thread is clear enough: Iowa State is stepping into a game where the margin for error will be thin, and the conditions may make every snap matter even more. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State's Rebuilt Line Faces An Early Test Fans Should Watch
Braden Smiths move to center gives Iowa State one of the more interesting subplots heading into the Big 12 opener, and it says plenty about how much this front is still being shaped. Smith has spent parts of his college career on the defensive line and at tight end, and now he is being asked to anchor the offensive line in a new role as the Cyclones prepare for the kind of early conference test that can reveal a lot about a rebuilt group.
Utah is a fitting first measuring stick. Jimmy Rogers has already pointed to the strength of the Utes defense, which should put immediate pressure on Smith and the rest of Iowa States line to communicate, adjust and hold up against a disciplined opponent. For the Cyclones, it is also part of a bigger picture: a diverse roster coming together under Rogers, with the opener offering an early glimpse at how far that process has come. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces Its First Real Big 12 Test In Utah Defense
Saturdays Big 12 opener at Jack Trice Stadium gives Iowa State an immediate measuring stick, and it comes against a Utah team that has looked every bit the part of a top-15 contender. The Utes arrive undefeated with a defense that has carried plenty of the load so far, which means the Cyclones are walking into conference play with no warmup and very little margin for error.
Much of the attention will fall on four Utah defenders who have helped set that tone: Nate Ritchie, Jonathan Hall, Lance Holtzclaw and Elijah Davis. Each brings a different piece to the picture, from pressure up front to cleanup work in the secondary, and how Iowa State handles that group will say a lot about whether the Cyclones can make a clean first impression in league play. [Read more 🡒]