Byrd Ficklin may be listed as the backup, but Utah’s opener made it clear he’s going to matter in a major way.
Against Idaho, Ficklin did a little bit of everything in the Utes’ win, and he sounded genuinely energized by the chance to help however he could. He knew returning to Utah meant he wouldn’t be the starter, but he embraced the chance to contribute in a different role.
“It’s really fun being out there on the field with my guys. There's only one thing I have going through my head: win the game, play ball, and have fun. That was the main point going into the game, and that's what we did.”
The play that grabbed the most attention was his throw to Mana Carvalho, the one that blew up online. Ficklin said it wasn’t some improvisational circus act. It was a staple of what Utah had been running in practice.
“It’s our traditional play that we run every week in practice. I didn't see too much that was crazy about it.
Mano creating separation with his break and me getting him the ball, giving the ball to my athletes, letting them play. That's how I see it.
I didn't know it would be this big thing, but I mean, it's amazing.”
He’s seen the social media reaction, but he doesn’t want that moment to change anything about how he approaches the job.
“Yeah, I've seen it. I mean, don't want to let it blow up my head.
You know, I still got to play the same game every week, throw the same ball. I can't let anything change.
Attack practice the same, attack every game the same, you know, but I mean, it feels good, especially for Mana as well.”
Ficklin also laid out how much he feels his quarterback game is growing. He said Coach Gundy and McGiven, along with the rest of the staff, have helped him with full-field progressions, slowing the game down, delivering the ball and being accurate.
“I'm developing really well. Coach Gundy, McGiven, all of them are developing me really well.
As I said, in the spring and fall, they're helping me with my full field progressions, slowing down the game, you know, playing ball, delivering passes, being accurate. It's all something I can see myself developing, getting better every week, every game.
It's just a building process.”
One part of Utah’s offense he clearly loves is the look that puts him on the field alongside Devon Dampier. Ficklin credited Dampier for pushing to get him involved.
“I love it. Two really great athletes on the field, and Devon is the main reason for that.
He came in and said, "We need Byrd on the field; we need Byrd for this; we need Byrd for that." And without him saying that, I don't know if I'd be in the same position I am.
But Devon is a big stepping stone for me as a player and for my own game.”
Looking ahead, Ficklin said the next step in his sophomore season is simple: keep being used in ways that let him play his game. He pointed to McGiven’s willingness to get the ball to different athletes, naming Daniel Bray and Braden Pegan as part of that mix.
“You know, just being utilized to play my own game. McGiven has been really good at getting the ball to his athletes, you know, whether that's me, Daniel Bray, Braden Pegan, you know, all these guys, just being able to get the ball to everybody, just like I can be able to spread that love as well.”
The route work he showed this week has been coming for a while, too. Ficklin said Utah has been testing him on different patterns since winter, then spring and fall, to see what he can handle.
“Yeah. It's been building ever since winter, spring, fall.
They're just putting me on different routes, trying me for things, seeing what I can and can't do. I love it because, you know, at some point one of them is going to break.”
As for the week after a game, Ficklin said the film study has been about spotting both the good and the bad while keeping the bigger routine steady. He compared it to fall camp, only now the Utes are doing it against a real opponent instead of themselves.
“You know, seeing our flaws and seeing our improvements is good, but it's almost the same game we were playing in fall camp. Now we're against a different team, not against ourselves.
So we're just getting better, taking each game one step at a time. We have a different opponent every week, but we treat every opponent the same, going in with the same preparation.”
He also pushed back on the idea that the throws he’s making now are some brand-new discovery. Ficklin said people around him have seen that part of his game for years, and he’s simply becoming more consistent and more accurate.
“I mean, if you go back and look at the replies from all my high school teammates, coaches, they're all going to be like, we've been seeing this, we've been seeing him do this and that. And I've really been doing this.
It's nothing really crazy to me. I'm just getting better at them now.
I'm being more accurate with them now. They're not a one-in-time thing.
They're a more consistent thing. And that's where Gunderson is helping me improve.
He's been finding all my flaws, what I can't do, and what I can get better at. And he's been pushing me to improve my flaws rather than what I am good at.”
And when it comes to fitting throws to Utah’s receivers, Ficklin said the key is adjusting to their speed and letting them work.
“You know, all of our receivers are really quick, twitchy, fast, those types of guys. So, sometimes it's let them run and play out there late.
But put it out there far, or put it out there early and let them go in. They can hold the separation and can create the separation.
No matter what they do, I have to adjust off of them and what they do.”
In Other News...
Utah Defense Faces An Early Test With Elijah Reed In Focus
Elijah Reed wasted little time making an impression in his first game for Utah, earning praise after starting in the season-opening win. The former Akron transfer, who began his college career at Kentucky, met with the media afterward and reflected on what it meant to get that first look in a Ute uniform while the defense settled into the rhythm it wanted to show early in the year.
Reed also turned his attention to the next challenge, a matchup with Arkansas that will give Utah an even clearer read on where its defense stands. He sounded confident in the group and discussed how the unit is sorting out roles and leaning on its plan, but the bigger question now is how that approach holds up when the competition ramps up. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Safeties Face Their First Real Test Against Arkansas
Derrick Odum got a useful first look at his Utah safeties in the opener, and the early returns gave the Utes a little to build on. The safeties coach pointed to the groups tackling, communication and the way different players showed up within the scheme, all of it part of an opening performance that offered some reassurance as the defense settles in.
Arkansas brings a different kind of stress test, though, and Odum knows the next one will ask more of that back end. Utahs aggressive front already forced some adjustments in the first game, and now the safeties have to handle an offense that can challenge them in more ways, making this a cleaner measure of how far the group has come and how much more work still remains. [Read more 🡒]
Rabbit Evans Gives Utah Defense A Needed Boost Before Arkansas
Rabbit Evans return gave Utahs defense a lift at a time when it could use one, and the safety sounded encouraged after getting back on the field for his first game since the injury. He pointed to the fumble recovery as a good moment in the comeback, and he also spent time talking through the defenses communication and the way younger players have handled their roles.
With Arkansas coming next, Evans described his preparation as part of the usual weekly grind, the kind of routine that helps him settle back in after missed time. For Utah, the bigger takeaway may be that a veteran defensive voice is back in the mix, and the timing could matter as the Utes keep sorting out depth and execution on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]