AMES - Utah didn’t go outside the building when it needed a new head coach. It turned to Morgan Scalley, the longtime defensive coordinator, and now he’s set for his first Big 12 game in charge when the No.
15 Utes visit Iowa State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX.
Scalley, who the school says “instilled the culture and identity” of Utah’s defense, built that standard around four traits: “Relentless, Smart, Nasty, Ballhawks.” Those same habits have carried over to the full team, which comes into Jack Trice Stadium at 3-0 and ranked sixth nationally in scoring defense at 8.0 points per game and ninth in total offense at 47.3 points.
Even with only 55 percent of their production back on both sides of the ball, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, the Utes look every bit like a Big 12 contender. Here are the Utah names that matter most against Jimmy Rogers’ 2-1 Cyclones.
The quarterback situation is less a battle than a two-man weapon. Devon Dampier is the clear lead option and has completed 71.6 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns and one interception.
Byrd Ficklin, though, has been productive in his own right, even with a 9-for-17 passing line. He has thrown two touchdown passes, averaged 7.8 yards per carry, and adds 117 rushing yards to the mix.
Dampier has 114 rushing yards, and both quarterbacks can change a game with their legs at any moment. Ficklin, a 6-1, 200-pounder, ran for 150-plus yards twice last season.
Dampier, the 5-11, 210-pound senior from Phoenix, was one of five FBS quarterbacks last season with 2,400-plus passing yards and 800-plus rushing yards. That puts Jesse Bobbit’s Iowa State defense on notice no matter who lines up behind center.
Wayshawn Parker has brought exactly the kind of pop Utah wanted when he followed running backs coach Mark Atuaia from Washington State after the 2024 season. The 5-10, 205-pound junior from Richmond, Calif., has already rushed for 154 yards and scored six total touchdowns, split evenly between rushing and receiving. He was a 2024 workhorse for Utah with 961 rushing yards at 7.0 yards per carry, and he had already flashed as a Cougar before that with 735 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 2023, when he earned Pac-12 freshman “top performer” honors.
Braden Pegan remains the main target in the passing game. The 6-3, 210-pound senior from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., leads Utah with 15 catches and has three touchdown receptions, matching Parker for the team lead in receiving scores.
He’s averaging 15.7 yards per catch, though that number is only fourth on the team because of how deep the Utes’ receiving group goes. Pegan also ran for a 12-yard touchdown and posted 926 receiving yards with five touchdowns last season.
On defense, Rabbit Evans brings the kind of all-over-the-field production that fits Utah’s identity. His first name is Maurice, but the “Rabbit” tag fits because he plays fast and hunts the ball.
Evans is tied for third on the team with 12 tackles, has one of Utah’s nine sacks, one of its three interceptions and one of its two fumble recoveries. He also posted a career-high 12 tackles in Utah’s 31-28 home loss to Iowa State last season.
Johnathan Hall is another steady presence in the middle of the defense. The 6-1, 226-pound senior led Utah with 67 total tackles last season and is second on the team with eight solo stops this year. He earned honorable mention all-Big 12 recognition in 2025, has started at least once in each of his four seasons, and has piled up 5.5 sacks and two interceptions along the way.
In Other News...
Jimmy Rogers Sends Iowa State A Clear Warning Before Utah
After Iowa State rolled past Bowling Green 55-7, Jimmy Rogers made sure the message in Ames was about what comes next, not what just happened. The Cyclones have looked sharp enough to climb to 13th nationally in scoring defense, but Rogers pointed out there is still room to clean things up, especially with penalties and missed tackles. For a team trying to build momentum, the win was useful, but the bigger value may have been the reminder that standard only matters if it carries over.
Utah arrives next as the No. 15 team in the country, and that is where the temperature changes for Iowa State. Rogers has been clear that the Cyclones cannot get caught admiring their start or assume the Big 12 opener will take care of itself, which is the kind of message that usually lands better before the league games begin. The challenge now is simple in theory and harder in practice: stay grounded, keep the defensive edge, and prove the performance in Week 2 was the beginning of something rather than the high point. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Raynor Debate Is Getting Harder For Iowa State To Ignore
Jaylen Raynors start under center has given Iowa State plenty to evaluate, and the early returns have been mixed in a way that makes the conversation harder to avoid. He helped guide the Cyclones to wins over Southeast Missouri and Bowling Green, and even in the close game against Iowa there were enough positive moments to keep the confidence level steady. At the same time, the volume of passing work has stayed modest, leaving the staff and fan base to wonder how much more they will need from him once the schedule tightens.
The next test comes with Utah looming, and that is where the debate figures to sharpen. Iowa State can lean on a running game that has already done its part, and the special teams showed up in the Bowling Green win as well, but the offense may need more balance to keep pace in tougher spots. Raynors play has been part of the winning formula so far, yet the questions around his role are getting louder precisely because the Cyclones have not had to ask him to do everything - at least not yet. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces A Bigger Question Than Its Bowling Green Blowout
Iowa State left no doubt in a 55-7 win over Bowling Green, finishing nonconference play with two home victories and a road loss and moving to 2-1 on the season. The afternoon also brought a scare when injured defensive back Jaheim Singletary was released from a medical center after a collision during the game, a reminder that even lopsided wins can carry their own concerns.
Now the bigger question around the program is less about what happened on the field and more about what comes next off it. A legal decision regarding former Cyclone guard Tamin Lipsey's eligibility case is expected by Friday, leaving Iowa State with another issue to monitor as it shifts from nonconference tune-up mode into the next phase of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]